Wake up Vanclief!!!!!!!!!!!

[carebear300]

As time goes on the world continues to turn just like usual in spite of the calls for an end to agricultural subsidies made by our less than illustrious agriculture minister. The Americans and the Europeans have continued to subsidize their farmers to an even greater extent then before. Of course our government has concluded that the grain farmers of this country are an expendable commodity and the sooner that they can conclude the process the better. It sickens me to think that they can be that narrow minded and short sighted. Today was the final last straw when Mexico, a have not country by anybody's standards, announced a new subsidy program for their farmers of 16.5 billion dollars Cdn,approximately 6o dollars per acre. They have also pledged to subsidize the cost of electricity and fertilizer for their farmers. If they can do it than there is no question that this government should be able to do the same. The time has come to stand behind this countries' grain farmers and give them a fair chance to survive in this enviornment.

[bmj182]

The average farm size in Mexico is
about 5ac. They aren't going to get
rich, $300/ yr isn't much yo live on! I
guess we just have to live with the
fact that Canada isn't going to do the
same, honestly do really think you
would be that better off with gov't
payment? As soon as that happens,
all your inputs and land prices rise
and your right back where you
started!

[ianben]

15,000 people left the farming industry in UK between june01 and june02 latest census results report. More leave every day low commodity prices, high cost of living, strong pound etc.
Subsidies are not saving UK agriculture.

While we all continue to produce more and more and have to sell what can?

[ALLFARMER]

bmj182 Your right one about farmers costs going up. The higher the numbers get the less new farmers will try starting out. Government handouts are nice but really they are peanuts given after quite a lot of singing and dancing. The government will never help you stay on your farm...you have to get & keep yourself there. I heard it was something like 12 or 14 months till Jean gets lost! Wait....for him to get lost means he's comming west forget I said that.

[dalek]

Actually there's a strong rumour going around Ottawa and elsewhere since someone noticed that the timing of Chretien's leaving coincides nicely with the planned departure of Kofi Annan as head of the UN. Seems like a good chance that's what Chretien's after next.

[bmj182]

dalek,
Say it isn't so, even Mulroney(sic)
had the good sense to retire
gracefully, ruining Canada is one
thing now the rest of the world is in
for it too!

[dalek]

Well maybe the world will get lucky and there will actually be somebody running against him with a heartbeat, unlike the last federal elections. Wouldn't it get the Americans going if they thought those black helicopters were being sent out by a Canadian? ;-)

[dalek]

Well maybe the world will get lucky and there will actually be somebody running against him with a heartbeat, unlike the last federal elections. Wouldn't it get the Americans going if they thought those black helicopters were being sent out by a Canadian? ;-)

[carebear300]

Everybody has forgot about my up until now useless friend, Mr. Vanclief. I have just figured out how both him and Cretien could serve the whole world to the utmost of their capabilities. They could both shine in the detection of land mines in Afghanistan. There isn't a person in the whole world that doesn't have a purpose and hidden talent and these two are no exception.

[les]

You go carebear300

[bmj182]

You can't blame the government for
everything. Reducing subsidies is a
two way thing, why do you think the
Americans raised theirs? So they
have something to bargain with!
Canada refuses to end supply
management (which is hugely
subsidized) and CWB monopoly.
These organizations had their place
but now it is time for them to go.
Focusong on the negative aspects
always brings you down, there are
still lots of oppurtunities, but they
don't fall in your lap.

[carebear300]

I have been quite optimistic over my thirty years of farming up until now. I haven't just stayed doing the same things I have diversified mainly into the production of pulse crops and have a few beef cattle. I just find that the more I work to become more efficent and better able to compete with the rest of the farmers of the world the more this government in this country makes it more expensive to do business. The tax load on farm land to fund education is getting ridiculous for one thing. The extra enviornmental regulations that I will have to comply with to saftisy government regulations compared to our neighbours to the south will be quite bothersome over the coming years. I think it is unfair to condemn and try to eliminate dairy subsidies because they are the one seegment of agriculture that is able to cope with these extra costs of doing business in this country due to these subsidies. As for the Canadian Wheat Board it isn't perfect and will have to become more efficent in the coming years to survive. Sooner or later there will have to be vote amongst grain producers to allow dual marketing or not. If we as canadian grain farmers have to sell onto a highly subsidized international foreign market then this government had better work considerablely harder towards decreasing our costs of production down to that of our lowest cost competititors. For what it is worth that is my opinion and maybe I am in the minority.

[bmj182]

I agree, land tax is a serious issue,
and one that needs to be addressed
immediately! Supply management
however is ridiculous. How can you
support one sector of agriculture and
tell the rest to compete, or go broke?
Do you like paying twice as much for
dairy, chicken and eggs? At the
supermarket chicken is damn near
the same price as beef! As a person
who finishes feeder cattle I find this
ridiculous, where's my "supply
management"? As a grain farmer its
the Canadian Wheat Board, not the
western Canadian wheat board,
apply it equally across Canada or
don't have it at all!

[flatbroke]

...just my 2 cents worth... the problem with govt. programs thus far is that they punish diversification. In my operation when grain is in the toilet, my cows (usually) make up most of the shortfall & vice-versa. (present year excluded!) By being "whole farm programs" they richly reward specialists that have higher margins from the good years with huge payments in the poor years. By being balanced, our margins are consistently mediocre thereby disqualifying us. Basically, they encourage diversification but reward just the opposite! I realize production-specific payments are against WTO rules, but how the heck did we get signed up for this while the Americans can use their EEP, for example, which IS clearly commodity specific? anyway, just my humble opinion... ;-)

[bmj182]

Flatbroke, Iknow what you mean! I
guess you can have the pride of not
having to take the bastards money!