OFA Commentary #3004
The Hon. Andy Mitchell is Canada’s new Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, and the Ontario Federation of Agriculture is looking forward to working with him in the immediate future. With all the issues facing our farmers today, the sooner we can meet, the better it will be for our industry.
The new minister has a background in banking, and finding the right kind of financing for the growth and development agriculture needs will be important. Minister Mitchell has also been involved in our nation’s government for a number of years, so his experience in working with fellow Members of Parliament and government staff will be a great asset as we work toward support for the solutions agriculture identifies.
One of the first areas Minister Mitchell, his staff and other government officials will be asked to work on is finding workable solutions for the crisis Canadian farmers face as a result of BSE. Our producers have lost millions of dollars and some face critical decisions about their future in the livestock industry because of BSE.
Everyone’s preference is to have the border with the United States fully re-opened to trade in meat products and live animals, but the politics surrounding the presidential election in the States has everyone doubting this will happen anytime soon.
Increased livestock processing capacity in Canada would be one way of relieving some of the pressure that now plagues producers. Minister Mitchell will be given that message along with a request to ensure a minimum of delay in approving any new facilities proposed to meet this objective.
OFA and its national partner, the Canadian Federation of Agriculture, will continue their efforts in concert with the Ontario and Canadian Cattlemen’s Associations to find the best solutions possible for our producers and others associated with the livestock industry in Canada.
Minister Mitchell will also be hearing from OFA and CFA on the topic of World Trade Organization negotiations. Canadian agriculture has some very specific trade needs. Our government is aware of them, and has been supportive of our position in the past. We will be pressing the new minister to work with other ministries involved on the international trade scene to present and promote the Canadian position when WTO talks resume.
We will be asking Minister Mitchell to examine closely how his ministry and others at the federal level communicate with each other and co-ordinate their initiatives. Our farmers, in different areas of the country, find discrepancies in the way certain regulations and laws are applied across Canada.
Specifically, we will be asking Minister Mitchell to talk with people in Natural Resources and Fisheries and Oceans ministries, requesting a more reasoned approach when dealing with farmers and their properties. We don’t like to see farmers facing large fines or jail time because their animals have entered a stream or river.
Over the past two years Canadian farmers have seen significant improvements to the safety net programs they rely on to protect their economic viability. We will continue to work with Minister Mitchell to refine these programs and consider additional needs as they are identified.
There will be lots of topics for OFA and CFA to take to our new minister when the opportunity comes.
~Ron Bonnett~
President of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture