Farmers advised to take control
this document web posted: Wednesday, February 2, 2005 20050203p83
By Ian Bell
Brandon bureau
More money is needed for political lobbying if farmers want to shore up their ebbing influence in society, says a former director of the Quebec Farmers' Association.
Perhaps one of the best ways to get that money is to draw from a goods and services tax applied to all food sold through grocery stores, Hugh Maynard told producers during Manitoba Ag Days in Brandon last month.
A continuing decline in farmer numbers has made it harder for producers to make their voices heard among government policy-makers. Farmers are competing for the attention of governments bombarded by demands from a variety of other interests, Maynard said.
Although provincial and national farm groups are lobbying on their behalf, the money to fund groups such as the Canadian Federation of Agriculture is a pittance compared to the money available to industries such as oil and gas that they use to influence government policy, he said.
"You're going to get creamed on policy and legislation unless you do something about that."
Money to support producer groups now comes from membership fees and from checkoffs farmers pay when selling their product. But producer groups often find those funds don't go far, especially if the money is also going to market development.
The leader of Manitoba's general farm group said producers wanting to gain more control over their industry need to "engage in shameless self promotion." That means keeping the public well informed about what is happening in agriculture and its importance to society and the economy, said David Rolfe, president of Keystone Agricultural Producers. Public opinion helps shape government policy.
The challenge for the farming community, said Rolfe, is finding enough money to do the needed promotion and lobbying. KAP, for example, operates on an annual budget of $400,000-$500,000 a year. "That doesn't go very far," Rolfe said.
With voluntary, refundable checkoffs, it is difficult to get all producers to share in the cost of the groups representing their interests. Rolfe said some producers in his province do not support KAP financially, but still expect the organization to work on their behalf and to be accountable to them for its actions.
"It amazes me sometimes how cheap some farmers can be."
He estimated KAP represents only about a third of the farm families in Manitoba.
The underlying message from both Maynard and Rolfe is that if farmers want to gain more control, they will have to lead that effort and be unified in the direction they want agriculture to go.
"Don't wait for consumers. Don't wait for government," said Maynard, who owns Qu'Anglo Communications and Consulting. "They're not coming. They're not going to be there."
Among the forces shaping agriculture are the consolidation of the food processing industry and continuing advances in farming technology.
Meanwhile, improved farming technology is a double edged sword, Maynard said. It can help farmers increase production and get their crops off in better quality, but increased production also keeps prices from rising.
this document web posted: Wednesday, February 2, 2005 20050203p83
By Ian Bell
Brandon bureau
More money is needed for political lobbying if farmers want to shore up their ebbing influence in society, says a former director of the Quebec Farmers' Association.
Perhaps one of the best ways to get that money is to draw from a goods and services tax applied to all food sold through grocery stores, Hugh Maynard told producers during Manitoba Ag Days in Brandon last month.
A continuing decline in farmer numbers has made it harder for producers to make their voices heard among government policy-makers. Farmers are competing for the attention of governments bombarded by demands from a variety of other interests, Maynard said.
Although provincial and national farm groups are lobbying on their behalf, the money to fund groups such as the Canadian Federation of Agriculture is a pittance compared to the money available to industries such as oil and gas that they use to influence government policy, he said.
"You're going to get creamed on policy and legislation unless you do something about that."
Money to support producer groups now comes from membership fees and from checkoffs farmers pay when selling their product. But producer groups often find those funds don't go far, especially if the money is also going to market development.
The leader of Manitoba's general farm group said producers wanting to gain more control over their industry need to "engage in shameless self promotion." That means keeping the public well informed about what is happening in agriculture and its importance to society and the economy, said David Rolfe, president of Keystone Agricultural Producers. Public opinion helps shape government policy.
The challenge for the farming community, said Rolfe, is finding enough money to do the needed promotion and lobbying. KAP, for example, operates on an annual budget of $400,000-$500,000 a year. "That doesn't go very far," Rolfe said.
With voluntary, refundable checkoffs, it is difficult to get all producers to share in the cost of the groups representing their interests. Rolfe said some producers in his province do not support KAP financially, but still expect the organization to work on their behalf and to be accountable to them for its actions.
"It amazes me sometimes how cheap some farmers can be."
He estimated KAP represents only about a third of the farm families in Manitoba.
The underlying message from both Maynard and Rolfe is that if farmers want to gain more control, they will have to lead that effort and be unified in the direction they want agriculture to go.
"Don't wait for consumers. Don't wait for government," said Maynard, who owns Qu'Anglo Communications and Consulting. "They're not coming. They're not going to be there."
Among the forces shaping agriculture are the consolidation of the food processing industry and continuing advances in farming technology.
Meanwhile, improved farming technology is a double edged sword, Maynard said. It can help farmers increase production and get their crops off in better quality, but increased production also keeps prices from rising.