Canada West Foundation

[SASKFARMER3]

Just heard a program of live talk radio and they had a guy on from the canada west foundation.
He basically was saying that farmers are a waist of time and money in canada they do nothing for the economy in canada and are just a drain on the system.
He then went in to talk how well saskatchewan is doing in natural gas, potash, manufacturing (ipsco pipe) etc.
these are the real drivers of our economy.
Is he missing something or what.
One natural gas leaves canada and goes to the USA and makes fertilizer for US subsidised farmers Second potash goes mostly to the USA for subsidised US farmers and finally manufacturing creates pipe to build pipelines that ship oil and natural gas south that a large portion goes to subsidised US farmers.
My point being these experts come on and all the City people believe them when the numbers are broken down and one sees where most of what he is bragging up goes to subsised US farmers that is OK but HELP your own at home according to these experts is wrong
GO FIGURE!

[Horse]

With a small corection I would agree [ farmers corected to farming ]in canada is a waste of money and man power.

[cowman]

The farmers of Canada are a drag on the country for one reason? Our federal government has continually sold us out...on the world stage and at home?
Here is an example: In the 70s the price of cull cows rose to 55 cents. Then suddenly in came these huge amounts of Irish beef? The market promptly crashed and the CCA questioned why this very cheap Irish beef was allowed in? The government basically said "You have to be competitive". So the CCA went looking to find out how Irish beef could be landed in Montreal for around 25 cents...and guess what they found? The Irish beef was being subsidized 70 cents a pound! It took the government another 6 months to put a tariff on the Irish beef...by then the market was ruined!
This sort of garbage happens all the time? The latest corn fiasco is a classic example? Why buy Canadian barley when you can get subsidized US corn cheaper?
Farmers in Canada don't need subsidies. What they do need is a government that will create a level and fair playing field!

[wilagro]

What they do need is a government that will create a level and fair playing field!
So cowman where are we going to get this wonderful all-caring, all-knowing government? I have seen Liberal gov'ts and I have seen PC gov'ts and none of them measured up to expectations. Do you think that our present gov't will be any better? Don't bet your farm that this will occur. VESTED interests will prevail as always.

[SASKFARMER3]

We need a real revamp of the Agriculture Department in Ottawa.
Why?
With every change of government their is new MP but the advisors to the MP in the Ag Department dont change.
If in Canada the Farms Have been Going Down Hill and No One can see that its the Highly Subsidised US and EUC that are Killing Canadian Farmers.
Maybe the Change Should be a house Cleaning of the Ag Departments.

[cakadu]

Or maybe we need to quit trying to grow the things that others are getting subsidized for. We persist in trying to grow more of what we already can't sell at a profit to the producer.

[SASKFARMER3]

Thats a nice comment but we have changed to chick peas pinto beans tried soyabeans also into lentils peas etc.
This year all prices in tank and why
The Us started to subsidise the specialty crops.
Again how can the farmers compete against a huge giant!

[cowman]

Canadian farmers cannot compete against the US treasury. Someday the Canadian people are going to have to realize that? The federal government says "we just can't compete with EU and American subsidies. We simply do not have the money"
Is this true or is this just somemore BS? How much money is being squandered in this country on totally useless things that don't add one iota to the bottom line? If you piss all your money away in the bar or casino of course you won't have any money for food or the rent!
I believe we have had very bad government for several years and I would agree our Department of Agriculture has been especially inept! I mean how could they do much worse?
Linda: The fact is we are very limited in what we can grow? When you live in the darned Artic it is kind of hard to grow cotton or something? I guess we could put up massive greenhouses or something but not economically!
The western Canadian grainfarmer can compete with anyone in the world...if they get a level playing field...which they certainly do not have at this time? Our useless government has allowed other countries to buy our markets. The US and EU farmer isn't out competing us...but their governments are?

[SASKFARMER3]

Cowman I agree with you on this.
With my work with Ag Canada it is amazing how much waste their is.
Total Ag Budget is 5 Billion for Agriculture in Canada Sounds like a lot but look at how much you recieved or your neighbor and one soon realizes that their is huge waste somewhere in the system.
This last check will give our farm $70,000.00 Thats One sixth of the whole ag budget thats also the only check our farm has really got in the last 5 years CASIP has been a total disapointment since we have gone through Frost Drought Frost and finally no price one would figure that sooner or later you would get something out of CASIP but No.
But again back to my first comment we have programs that support the Accounting industry, CASIP also have accountants using Gov programs to subsidise their tax return process buy having the farmers join a program to look at their finances then the Accounting firm takes 2000 out of the Govt and still charges the farmer.
This is where waste happens they feel they are doing something for farmers but really they are doing something for their bottom line not farmers.
Waste waste waste.

[carebear300]

Well as per usual I have just a wee bit different outlook on this whole situation. To start with I will ask you all the question "Can Canada afford not to subsidize its farmers to the same extent as the american government does its farmers?" And before you all go off the deep end with facts and figures I would like to report on just one fact reported just recently by the news media. Agriculture in United States had its second highest year ever this past year. In contrast the canadian farmer selling onto the same world market had his worst year ever. It doesn't take any rocket scientist to see what is going to happen. As we just try and hang on up here the american farmer is renewing his equipment and keeping up with some of the new technology available which again will put us at a disadvantage from which if we are not careful in this country that agriculture will never recover. There is a distinct difference in the way the programs are administered in the states as well as ccompared to us up here in "enlightened" Canad. Down there they actually are concerned that the farmer himself derives benefit out of the programs implemented, up here we have some hairbrained notion that we can't be giving to much aid directly to farmers because they wouldn't be smart enough to put it to good use. They might even, heaven forbid, use it too their best advantage on their farm, instead of the accountants and consultants and government employees receiving the majority of the benefits. Sorry for the rant but will never sit back anymore and put up with the notion that this government can't afford to subsidize agriculture.