On April 5, 10,000 farmers from Ontario, Quebec and across Canada joined together on Parliament Hill to tell the federal government what farmers need to cure the income crisis.
We are grateful to the grassroots organizers and our colleagues from UPA (Quebec) in making sure the message was heard. However, the federal government has not yet committed to the multi-year income programs Ontario and Canadian farmers need. Ontario farmers need to ensure the federal government implements and provides adequate funding for Risk Management, SDPI and horticulture programs as developed by our commodity organizations. We also need the identified changes to CAIS in the near term.
Politicians need to hear from all Ontario Farmers: Call, write, fax, e-mail and visit MP’s to tell them:
- Support the Risk Management and Production Insurance programs put forth by farmers;
- Immediate bridge funding to the next APF is needed to keep farmers in production;
- Terms of the funding must be flexible to allow provinces to help their producers – one size does not fit all;
- Existing marketing systems such as supply management have to have ongoing government support.
Contact details for all MP’s can be found on www.ofa.on.ca/unifiedvoice