Bill C-18

[BTO_farmalll]

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[GOODRUM]

Getting a busy signal.

[Guest]

yes , and when all comes to pass , all these people and "farm interest groups ? " that supported it, or were completely quiet on the issue, will forget that they were part of it . and it sickens my stomach to know that we helped support it with our check off dollars

[TOM4CWB]

I like the irony of your smile BTO... you are a crafty guy!!!

[grower99]

Part of an omnibus bill. So transparent. What farm groups supported it? The same ones that supported UPOV91 initially? In other words very,very few.Remember this in October.

[MBgrower]

BTO is bang on. This will be the driving force to persuade the next generation to stay away from farming.
Good luck Tom selling your certified seed to 250k acre farming operations that will be working directly for the seedcos, who by then will also own the graincos. full integration will have occured.

[tstep]

Sad day for producers. Big business is smiling big time. Thank you mr ritz for ****ing it up even more.

[rockpile]

C-18 is just the latest nail in the coffin but the real death blow against the family farm and the individual's farm business began in the 70's when the terms consolidation and scales of efficiency crept into the discussion. Thinking back, in the 80's, between the weather and the Export Enhancement Program, the only thing that kept us afloat were Govt. subsidies. But by the mid 90's, those were weaned out too. So by 1995, I began my exit strategy - freedom 55! I exited at the ripe old age of 53 and have never looked back but I do patiently sit and listen to the endless bitching and groaning from my friends and neighbours who are still in the squirrel cage and think they are owed a living, if for no other reason than because growing food for the masses is holier than thou! Well, the land will always be farmed, but the traditional farmer is now a Model T.
If you are serious about exiting or you're getting long in the tooth with no family members willing to pick up where you are leaving off, then get some good accounting, tax and financial advice. It will take at least 2 years to put together a successful tax efficient exit plan. If you have a spouse or partner, make sure they are on your land titles to take advantage of the 1.6 million dollar tax exemption. Your grain inventory can be sold over time. But, when you sell your equipment, tools, shop supplies, etc, that will be added to income of the year of the sale. And in the end, don't fear capital gains - do the math - it's less than you think. Actually, I paid zero. And one final thing. If you can keep your land, which is about the highest return investment out there these days, then by all means do so. Also, you can use your new found time to earn other sources of income if you chose. Or donate your time and skills. Farming is a great life choice, and has huge benefits raising a family, something that should be enjoyed to the fullest. But it's not a life sentence to keep you unhappy or a slave to all of your off farm partners.

[TOM4CWB]

MBgrower...

"Good luck Tom selling your certified seed to 250k acre farming operations that will be working directly for the seedcos, who by then will also own the graincos. full integration will have occured."

Your friends said this would happen back in the 1970's.

Your 'dream' grain farm... is no closer reality than it was in 1970. IE Broadacre, One Earth...

Cereal/Pulse/Flax Pedigreed Seed in western Canada is not a big profit centre... the major people doing the production are small to mid sized family farms.

Large Commercial farms... are largely absent in our seed industry... even the Canola production system uses our smaller locals doing the same seed production system.

I know of no 250K farm. I know of no Hutterite producers of pedigreed seed for sale to the general grain farming community.

[fjlip]

Excellent advice rockpile, taxes are a major concern. Good for you, enjoy!

[wmoebis]

Thank you, rockpile best reading on this site that I have read.

[MBgrower]

Ok tom, some will be 50k, some will be larger, whatsthe difference.

Utimately, grain production, will be fully controlled by a few vertically integrated multinationals, they will dictate production and pricing. The farmers of the future will just be labourers, earning a wage. Much like the hog industry now.

Secan doesnt stand a chance. Secans strength is healthy independent farms. UPOV91 will destroy your little seed coop.

[grower99]

Yes, but can you imagine how much money each investor will make. Just like many small oil companies who hope for a big buy out by the major companies!!

[TOM4CWB]

MBgrower, Secan is a very strong supporter of UPOV91. It sets us on an even footing with the multinationals... which was lacking in the past.

[TOM4CWB]

Here are the facts:

Quick facts
ï‚· Aggregate net cash income for 2014 is expected to reach $14.0 billion, 10% above the 2013 record.
ï‚· Under Growing Forward 2, a federal-provincial-territorial initiative, the Government of Canada is investing more than $70 million in grains, oilseeds and special crops research projects.
ï‚· C-18 updates the suite of statutes that the government uses to regulate Canada's agricultural sector: Plant Breeders' Rights Act, Feeds Act, Fertilizers Act, Seeds Act, Health of Animals Act, Plant Protection Act, Agriculture and Agri-Food Administrative Monetary Penalties Act, the Agricultural Marketing Programs Act and Farm Debt Mediation Act.

"The changes in the Agricultural Growth Act reflect a number of recommendations made by industry over the years and show that the government has been listening."
– Ron Bonnett, CFA President

"The proposed amendments in Bill C-18 to the Plant Breeders Rights Act will align Canada with the 1991 International Union for the Protection of New Varieties, or UPOV'91. This is important for ensuring Canadian farmers have access to the newest seed varieties so that we can remain competitive internationally."
– Gary Stanford, Grain Growers of Canada President"

"(Calgary, Alberta), February 27, 2014 – The Alberta Wheat Commission (AWC) commends the federal government on passing the Agricultural Growth Act (Bill C-18), paving the way for enhanced international competitiveness of Alberta wheat through improved access to innovative traits and varieties for farmers.

Amendments to the Act will modernize Canada’s Plant Breeders Rights (PBR) legislation, encouraging investment in plant breeding through improved intellectual property protection, better trade facilitation and farmer access to new and innovative varieties.

“The Federal Government’s prioritization of Bill C-18 ensures Canadian farmer access to internationally competitive innovation for their farm businesses,” said Kent Erickson, Chairman, Alberta Wheat Commission. “I look forward to this Act growing our industry on the world stage.”

Amending the PBR legislation brings Canada into compliance with the International Union for the Protection of New Plant Varieties conference of 1991 (UPOV ‘91).

AWC has supported amendments to Plant Breeders’ Rights in Canada under three conditions: 1) Farmers maintain the ability to use farm-saved seed; 2) federal government funding of pre-breeding and genetic research is maintained and; 3) the farmer and public equity stake in Canada’s proprietary genetic material for cereals developed over the past 100 years continues to be recognized.

AWC has supported the passage of Bill C-18 through its membership in Partners of Innovation, and looks forward to continuing its work in advancing the competitiveness of the Canadian wheat industry.

The Alberta Wheat Commission is a producer-directed organization representing the interests of and serving as a single voice for all of Alberta’s 14,000 wheat producers."

"Canadian Canola Growers Association

Winnipeg, Manitoba – February 27, 2015 Canadian farmers will start benefiting almost immediately from changes included in Bill C-18, the Agricultural Growth Act. The Act received royal assent on February 25th and was officially announced today in Winnipeg by the Honourable Gerry Ritz, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food. The bill amends nine pieces of agriculture-related legislation, including those affecting seeds, fertilizers, feeds, and cash advances.

“We thank the government for supporting the advancements in agriculture that will be realized from this important bill,” says Brett Halstead, President of Canadian Canola Growers Association (CCGA).

Bill C-18 includes amendments to the Agricultural Marketing Programs Act that affect how the Advance Payments Program will be delivered to farmers. “With the Agricultural Growth Act, the government has made an important program even more valuable for farmers,” says Rick White, CEO of CCGA. “As an official administrator, CCGA has already begun implementing changes that will make cash advances more accessible and more convenient for Western Canadian farmers.”

Those changes include streamlining administration of the program, expanding the cash advance offering to include all major field crops and livestock types (45 commodities in total), and making repaying advances easier.

“We’re very excited that this Act was passed in time to implement changes for our 2015-16 program pre-application launch, which begins very soon,” says White. “Western Canadian farmers will now have more flexibility in choosing the cash advance service that best meets their needs.”
Bill C-18 also innovates Canada’s Plant Breeders’ Rights Act and brings Canada into compliance with UPOV 91. This legislation could bring more access to innovative seed varieties and ensure new crop input tools are developed to address on-farm production challenges.

“Investment in new plant varieties is needed to keep Canada competitive in the oilseed market,” says Halstead. “We need sustainable farms that adapt to new pests, changing climates, evolving consumer demands, and shifting market dynamics.”

CCGA represents more than 43,000 canola farmers on national and international issues, policies and programs that impact farm profitability. CCGA is an administrator of the Advanced Payments Program in Western Canada."

The Canadian Federation of Agriculture, Grain Growers of Canada, Canola Council of Canada... Secan... Alberta Wheat Commission...