Agricultural Policy Framework Site

[charliep]

Tom4cwb has mentioned the agricultural policy framework a couple of times. The web site is http://www.agr.gc.ca/puttingcanadafirst.

I am interested in your comments about these documents - in particular the business risk management section. A strange question for you but in a perfect world, what things should government do to help farm families deal with risk?

[TOM4CWB]

Charlie,

The web address hasn't a period after it, but then it worked!

I believe it is pretty generic stuff, too bad the fed didn't believe what they are saying.

How do you think they might implement it?

When are the consultation meetings?

[charliep]

The pressure is on to have broad principles together for June. Implementation is at best a guess but targets are for 2004 plus or minus a year.

Consultation meetings start Wed. Mar. 27 and carry on through Apr.

[TOM4CWB]

Charlie,

Who exactly will be consulted with, and when will we know if we are allowed to present information?

[charliep]

The invitation list for the sessions has been put together by the federal government in consultation with provinces. I assume the invitations have gone out but I haven't been involved.

[TOM4CWB]

Charlie,

Isn't it kind of curious that there has not been any call for public input in the Media, or did I miss something?

I have heard the Fed is going to spend $2.5 Million on the consultations, why not ask for public input?

[charliep]

Tom4cwb

This is the first part of the process and at a very broad principle level. There will be opportunities for public input later on even after the ministers of agriculture get together in June.

The federal government is the driving force behind this iniative and spending lots of resources. I encourage all farm managers to be aware of what is going on/not be afraid to speak out.

Is anyone else aware of/following this issue?

[dalek]

Sincerity of consultations
questioned by OFA

TORONTO – As Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) launches a series of consultation meetings on the Agricultural Policy Framework (APF), the Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA) questions the sincerity of the process.

"To call the consultation efforts on the Agricultural Policy Framework a farce would be a gross understatement," OFA President Jack Wilkinson says.

Wilkinson, in a letter to AAFC Minister Lyle Vanclief, points out that almost a year after the meeting of Canada’s agriculture ministers in Whitehorse, when the APF was introduced, AAFC has organized the consultations. The worst aspect of the situation, Wilkinson says, is that farmers were given one day of advance notice before the first session.

"Minister, the Ontario commodity organization representatives received their invitations and background information for consultations yesterday for consultations that begin today," Wilkinson’s letter states. "To say this is unacceptable does not do justice to the incompetence with which the process has now been marked. It certainly appears the federal government is not really serious about the views of farmers," the letter to Minister Vanclief states.

Another concern outlined in the letter is the intention of AAFC "that the consultation input from all sources will reportedly be aggregated.... This, Minister, is simply unfair and appears as an attempt to manipulate the outcome of the process."

Wilkinson concludes his letter to the Minister saying: "As you know, Minister, the issues are far too serious to be treated as haphazardly as has been the case to date."


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[charliep]

Strong words. What are others thoughts on this process?

I encourage everyone who participates in this thread to take the time to become aware of the Ag. Policy Framework and implications. It will be setting the stage for your business over the next ten years.

[parsley]

No other industry has had or presently has as much Government interference as agriculture has. It has been planned and studied and detailed and compared and funded and targeted and reported and benchmarked and analyzed and interfered with and legislated and represented by and dominated by Government. Western Canadian agriculture is where it is today because of this gross interference

This "new" centrally planned scheme will not be in the interests of Western Canadian farmers.

Parsley

[TOM4CWB]

Charlie,

I heard a meeting was held at Dawson Creek last week, who exactly is invited and where exactly are the meetings?

Why are all farmers not being asked to contribute to this process?

Are the feds only inviting those they want to hear from?

[charliep]

I was at the Dawson Creek meeting. About 17 people representing farm groups attended (mostly representing grains and oilseeds). I am not sure of the invitation process other than late.

The other questions I will leave to the federal government to answer.

A note to encourage involvement. The federal government is committing significant resources to this and is well down the road. The issues that are being dealt with right now are objectives for each one of the chapters and measures to determine success. Provincial governments and the agriculural industry will be held accountable to these measures. Everyone has to be comfortable with the process, objectives and measures of success.

[rodbradshaw]

Charlie
This process is the best kept secret going. Was at a potato meeting yesterday and we had to phone to find out if the PGA could go. The answer was yes but it is like the meetings the MP's had on their consultation tour, you only heard about them after the fact. If it is not in Quebec or the ministers riding it doesn't matter what your opion is.

[charliep]

Rod

What are your thoughts on the documents.

Comments I hear are:

1) At a broad level, the documents are okay and reflect where we should be going.

2) Potentially more government involvement in farm businesses.

3) More costs associated with activities with the strong likelihood farmers end up paying.

4) Concerns that issues like environmental/business plans will be tied in as a requirement for government support payments.

5) No mention of or addressing the problems associated with unfair use of subsidies by competitors.

[parsley]

Charlie,

When you say,

"The issues that are being dealt with right now are objectives for each one of the chapters and measures to determine success. Everyone has to be comfortable with the process, objectives and measures of success",

that bafflegab is hard to interpret, but the bottom line is that the words seem to caress the process.

I'd say: it sounds to me like the top generals are told to take it into the field and sell it to the captains , and and now it's just a matter of how to sell it to these stupid farmers, try selling it a little later on, without too much confrontation and bad press. Take questions from farmers, only if they are handed in to the chairman, at the meetings (sound familiar?). Agree, rodbradshaw?

As you say, "It will be setting the stage for your business over the next ten years". Do we have a bunch of yokels planning our industry, comprised of "experts" and politicians that most farmers have no confidence in, whatsoever? ( Most of them have advised each and every person in Canada to become $18,500.00 (Federal only) in debt. Plus farming that they planned carefully is in the toilet.)

Might be a hard sell, Charlie.

Parsley