Well interesting times appear to be ahead for Canadian agriculture as the new five year version of a Canadian farm bill has been unveilded and has taken a huge swing in that the main focus is now on supporting research and inovation and no longer on supporting individual Canadian farms survive market down turns and weather related disaster. Apparently when Canadian farm groups asked the Canadian Agriculture minister at a news conference following the announcement as to whether the program had been so weakened that it was likely farmers would simply abandon using the program his reply was "well I wouldn't say I disagree" While this program has done me no good the last five years except add to paperwork I do imagine it was the difference between bankruptcy and surviving for a large number of Canadian farms affected by the large scale flooding the last couple years in Saskatchewan, and Manitoba. That of course may be why Saskatchewan's agriculture minister was angered by a deal he says was cooked up behind Saskatchewans back, the rules did not require Saskatchewans approval. The government also cut a program designed for farmers to contribute to a savings account they could draw on in poor years by one third; likely one of the most popular programs in Canada the last fifteen years. In the last two months the Conservative majority government has basically issued Canadian farmers the following statement, "we have gotten rid of the Canadian Wheat Board, and we have also cut a giant hole in the government farm safety net so as to create as much of a total free market environment as possible, good luck and prosper, and may god help you if your seeds don't germinate or they disappear in a flood, because we will be too busy having drinks at the fake lake we built for the G20 summit in Toronto, ..... ps the money had to come from somewhere"
AG MOBILE
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