Farm income

[cowman]

The latest figures out by stats Canada show farms operated in the red last year for the first time since figures were kept in the 20s! Well so much for the dirty thirties we all got told about when we were kids!
Saskatchewan looked like it got hammered the worst with Alberta next. Livestock cash reciepts were down 12%, which surprized me, I thought about 50% would be more like it!
Serby says it is grave, so he appointed a royal commission or something to study the whole thing! Well that sounds like a good solution? I think we need to study the hell out of this situation until it just goes away! Perhaps if we study hard enough no one will notice all the farmers leaving?

[raymondb]

And wait until all these farmers apply for CAISP. Bet the rules change real fast for 2004.

[cowman]

Well raymond I would suspect the rules will have to change! Canada isn't awash with money you know? Why we might even have to do something rash like sell the canoe museum or something if we intend to bail out the farmers!

[Junebug]

Maybe if Canada hasn't forgiving other other countries loans they could afford to look after their own people.

[WoolyBear]

Theres a comment Junebug thats so true......

Some of these "countries" include Bombardier, St John's Shipyards, and numerous coal mines NS.

Just think too of all the foreign aid that our government has doled out to get some countries to produce more food, enough to eventually start exporting at bargin basement prices (Russian and Ukraine).

[cowman]

Canada recently forgave a $750 million debt that Iraq owed...at the urging of the US. This from a country that is sitting on some of the largest oil reserves in the world!
How many Canadian farmers owe the Canadian government money through farm credit? How many of those would like their debt forgiven?

[surespendalot]

Rather than forgiving the loans to these foreign countries in cash, why not send them a million pounds of hamburger? It would feed the hungry, and help out our backlog of meat.

[lornej]

Cowman : I can't find the Stats Can figures that you refer to - lowest farm net income since records were kept . Can you tell me where you found this info please .

[cowman]

Lorne: Look over in the news section on the Agri-ville home page. The article is Mad cow, high loonie, drought drive lowest prices. They quote stats-can.