Federal Announcement

[dalek]

Chretien is supposed to be making a big funding announcement tomorrow morning at the Kamenz farm in Eastern Ontario, probably too little too late with all kinds of environmental and quality strings attached but who knows

[rodbradshaw]

I did the math and the Federal share is about equivalent to the old crow (about 620 million although it has to be shared by all of Canada instead of just the Prairie Provinces. Klein announced to night that Alberta's share would be 100 million for a total of 266 million or about $3.43 cents per acre. I hope people are not holding the bank off with the promise of this windfall of money. It will not pay to spray once for grasshoppers for those that are faced with an outbreak of those beasties.

I hate to sound negative as anything is better than nothing but when it is put inperspective of per acre payout it does not go very far in the grand scheme of things. It works out on the federal share to 380 million US and if we were getting compensated at the same rate as the American Farmer is, it should be about 1.9 billion to keep pace if we are traditionally 10% of the size of the US.

The other string is how many provinces are going to anti up their 40% to play at the table or are we going to see the have not province farmers do with out.There are more questions unanswered than answered by this bailout package that is finally being announced.

[carebear300]

There is one little thing that has some how been forgotten in this whole episode. Before this last announcement from the American government about its new farm policy, the farm industry leaders and politicians had agreed that 1.3 Billion dollars annually was required to bring us on to some sort of parity with the american farmers. Now with the new subsidies it should be about twice that much, if there was any justice in this country. I hear that it will be 1.2 billion over two years, cost shared with the provinces. That isn't near enough and it is about time the farmers start raising hell, enough of being those nice polite law abiding souls that are ignored. One job in seven in this economy is a direct result of agriculture and it makes no sense at all that the only one not supposed to make a decent living is the person that takes all the risk, the farmer. I hope I am getting steamed up for nothing but this agriculture minister has never given me a good surpise yet it is always bad!!!!!!.

[jensco]

The other tidbit I heard was that there will be no payout from the Feds if the provinces don't or won't come up with their share. Somehow, I think the little too late may become not at all again. Then the politicians will point fingers and spin it again. I'm hoping I'm wrong too!

[carebear300]

I just about threw up right on the spot when I heard our illustrious agriculture minister once again go into his big C words speel. He talked of consultation with all the stake holders in the process, and talked of collaboration of all the concerned parties, and talked of a consensus that was arrived at to develop this policy. What a bunch of hogwash!!!!!!!! He forgot to mention the important C words, collusion of the vested interests involved to minimize the funds that would flow to agriculture. He also forgot about the criminal nature of the program that basically blackmails the provinces to cooperate in its implementation. The actions of the minister and the prime minister have ensured that there will be a big commotion that will take the voter's minds off of the corruption of the federal government. Why don't they just come out and say that the farmers of this nation are an embarassment to society. The government has done all that is possible to put them out of business and they still keep producing a useless and apparently valueless commodity, FOOD.