Dear OFA Member:
As you know, our industry of farming is in serious trouble. Farm incomes have been devastated by the BSE crisis, poor crop conditions, a strengthening dollar and US trade action on hogs, grain and oilseed prices at 25 year lows, rising costs for energy and other inputs and a crushing regulatory burden on farmers that shows little net benefit.
Some are taking serious action to try to draw attention to this situation. While we understand the desperation leading to blockades, the OFA has chosen not to participate in the actions. Unfortunately, the messages from these actions are not getting through to the politicians in Toronto or Ottawa. They know we are mad but they have to be told why and how the issues can be resolved!
We need to tell them of the farm income crisis and regulatory burden on farmers. The OFA and commodity organizations are providing policies to make the business of farming better in Ontario, both in the immediate future and for future generations. Now, more than ever, we need your help to ensure a loud and unified effort to make the policy makers listen and act quickly to save our industry.
In the immediate future, the farmers of Ontario need:
. an immediate cash payment to grains and oilseeds farmers of $300 million for the 2004 crop price disaster, to prevent farm closures
. a workable Production Insurance program for horticulture
. immediate payment of the $121 million promised by both levels of government to tobacco growers to start rationalizing the industry
. a CAIS program that delivers real income support on a timely basis
. delay of the Nutrient Management Act to enable workable changes and realistic funding levels
. elimination of water taking permit fees for agricultural use
. postponement of the Greenbelt Protection Act to enable a review of farming viability factors
. an open border to the U.S. and others for live ruminant animals
Making these changes happen will require a strong, united voice from all Ontario farmers. The OFA is working with all farm organizations to deliver one message to government and we need your help.
Please use the attached list of contact information for MPP's to contact all government members with the messages above. Please call, write, fax or e-mail as many Queen's Park members as you can over the next week or two. It is important to focus on Liberal, urban MPP's.
If we do not see any action in the coming days we will be calling on you to join the OFA and all farm organizations in Ontario to go directly to Queen's Park to deliver these messages to our political leaders in person, in early March.
Our politicians need to be convinced of the importance of agriculture and the crisis being suffered. They need to be convinced to take significant action to make agriculture viable now and in the future.
No one group can accomplish what needs to be done. But with all farmers telling our government and consumers what agriculture desperately needs, we can accomplish much.
Please help with a visit, call or letter to MPP's. Demand action. Demand that agriculture gets the attention it has to have right now. And keep watching the farm papers and our website for more developments in our efforts to make sure agriculture thrives once again in Ontario.
As you know, our industry of farming is in serious trouble. Farm incomes have been devastated by the BSE crisis, poor crop conditions, a strengthening dollar and US trade action on hogs, grain and oilseed prices at 25 year lows, rising costs for energy and other inputs and a crushing regulatory burden on farmers that shows little net benefit.
Some are taking serious action to try to draw attention to this situation. While we understand the desperation leading to blockades, the OFA has chosen not to participate in the actions. Unfortunately, the messages from these actions are not getting through to the politicians in Toronto or Ottawa. They know we are mad but they have to be told why and how the issues can be resolved!
We need to tell them of the farm income crisis and regulatory burden on farmers. The OFA and commodity organizations are providing policies to make the business of farming better in Ontario, both in the immediate future and for future generations. Now, more than ever, we need your help to ensure a loud and unified effort to make the policy makers listen and act quickly to save our industry.
In the immediate future, the farmers of Ontario need:
. an immediate cash payment to grains and oilseeds farmers of $300 million for the 2004 crop price disaster, to prevent farm closures
. a workable Production Insurance program for horticulture
. immediate payment of the $121 million promised by both levels of government to tobacco growers to start rationalizing the industry
. a CAIS program that delivers real income support on a timely basis
. delay of the Nutrient Management Act to enable workable changes and realistic funding levels
. elimination of water taking permit fees for agricultural use
. postponement of the Greenbelt Protection Act to enable a review of farming viability factors
. an open border to the U.S. and others for live ruminant animals
Making these changes happen will require a strong, united voice from all Ontario farmers. The OFA is working with all farm organizations to deliver one message to government and we need your help.
Please use the attached list of contact information for MPP's to contact all government members with the messages above. Please call, write, fax or e-mail as many Queen's Park members as you can over the next week or two. It is important to focus on Liberal, urban MPP's.
If we do not see any action in the coming days we will be calling on you to join the OFA and all farm organizations in Ontario to go directly to Queen's Park to deliver these messages to our political leaders in person, in early March.
Our politicians need to be convinced of the importance of agriculture and the crisis being suffered. They need to be convinced to take significant action to make agriculture viable now and in the future.
No one group can accomplish what needs to be done. But with all farmers telling our government and consumers what agriculture desperately needs, we can accomplish much.
Please help with a visit, call or letter to MPP's. Demand action. Demand that agriculture gets the attention it has to have right now. And keep watching the farm papers and our website for more developments in our efforts to make sure agriculture thrives once again in Ontario.
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