2006 Buget

[almoy]

It seems like the politicians have all the "good" ideas while they are in opposition. They seem to forget them when they become government. I talked to a couple of Conservative MP's while they were opposition members about farm policy. They claimed the farmers should be getting more help and quicker than was being delivered. You would think they should have had some idea how they would handle the problem before most of us disappear.

[grassfarmer]

How much good would a large cash advance to producers be? My guess is it would be spent on more inputs resulting in a bigger crop which would again be worth less. The problems run deeper and to my mind cash handouts would just be throwing good money after bad. I would guess that most producers will seed a crop as farmers are optimists by nature... if some don't it may help the returns of the optimists.

[corine]

What at least part of the 1 bilion will go to is what's called p-1/p-2 pricing under CAIS which means that instead of using the year end price for all inventories, opening inventory will be priced at the fair market value at the start of the year & closing inventory priced at the fair market value at the end of the year. So if you started say 2003 with 1000 bushels of $10 canola & ended with 1000 bushels of $6 canola they will now pay out on that $4 drop.
As I understand it. Of course they will need to get the provinces to agree as well.

[silverback]

I am fully aware that the current farm situation is dire and sucks bad.

However, if I were sitting here needing some emergency cash from the federal gov't just to put the crop in, I think things would be a lot more serious than what any gov't could do for me.

Farming is very rewarding in some ways, but unfortunately there is no law that says the taxpayers of this country need to give us cash when times get tough.

There is also nobody forcing any of us to stay on the farm and try and raise our families. There is boatloads of money out there to be had, it just requires a little sacrifice, time, and effort. If it can help keep the farm in the family, it is a sacrifice that has to be taken sometimes.

[silverback]

skhadenough, I agree to a certain extent to what you're saying but nowhere did Silverback say that he wants his to neighbor to quit?? What he is saying that if your counting on a big cheque from the gov't to put the crop in, that is a long shot. I'm in the same boat, times are tough, but you critize the Conservatives. I think they've done pretty well in 3 months of term. What do you think the Liberals would've gave us in this budget?? Probably the same as the last 13 years. Like I said I'm hurting also but to expect a cheque from the gov't to pay out whatever debts you have on the farm is pretty unrealstic.

[silverback]

One more thing I think that a "cold hard cash injection", is useless. They should put the money into a program like CropIns. Have Cropins program that pays the bills. A one time payment helps temporarily not long term.

[skhadenuf]

Yes your right money into a good crop insurance is a good alternative get rid of the same flaws in Crop insurance as CAIS has, maybe cost of production and the average wage of a tradesman built in just like Quebec farmers have, but reality is that it isn't happenning but why not. Maybe I am way off the mark but according to the banks and fuel dealers etc in many areas we are on the edge of not just farmers collapsing. Things vary from area to area but in our area we lost 4 years in a row including last year. While some areas had for example 40 bushel acre of canola x 5.00 there is 200 bucks an acre. not a windfall but covers alot more than the crop insurance average coverage 90 to 110 bucks an acre. Yet those guys are complaining also. So where we lost 4 crops we lost around 100 bucks an acre of equity the last 4 years. My issue with the comments of Silverback is that to me there was implying that a person can just go out and make an easy boatload of money to keep the farm going well 100 buck an acre loss for four years you need an awfully big boat and I do work steady every available day off farm.

Why are we the western farmers not as important to our economy as those farmers in Quebec and those farmers like I said in Brazil and practically every other competing country.

Believe me I know what we would have gotten from the Liberals, practically nothing except the same rhetoric. But I am not afraid to say I voted Conservative on 2 issues, the scandals and the campaign that they were going to provide a bridge funding to keep us going until a good program could be developed.

From what I understand they are going to do some tweeking with Cais. Why, I think they should know by now that that will be a collassal screw up in terms of calculating and time to process. If they are going to do the inventory thing of price at the start of the year compared to price at end of year on inventory is that going to help those that had a frost, hail, drought, or flood that totally wiped out their crop, no because there is no inventory only the guys who had a better crop will benefit, so there you go same gong show different party.

Maybe I am wrong, maybe I am the only farm in trouble, but I voted for them to get rid of that collasal screw up, they said they would, I may have been mistaken but they said in the campaign short term money to survive until things are fixed, so what's the deal? Maybe I represent a small number of farmers then fine let me go down so as one writer described it will be better for those left because there will be less acres seeded. If that's the attitude out there then I think the propogandists have won there is no real rural character anymore!

I'd hope that if there are others out there with the same situation make it known I was one of those that sat back, but not any more, if your sitting there embarrassed about being in trouble you shouldn't be it's the policy makers of this country that should be embarrassed.

Don't be mistaken I want to see this government do well but they need to earn our trust not just blind faith because the other guys stunk the place out.

[coppertop]

Don't you think that the government needs to be given the opportunity to show the agricultural industry exactly what they have in mind as far as assistance goes before they are crucified ?

I think they have made it clear that CAIS is going to be long gone once they have another plan in place that will provide long term assistance.

[cowman]

I gotta agree with skhadenuf on this one. The Conservatives promised to trash CAIS, while providing short term relief to a disasterous problem? Now they are playing this "Oh CAIS can be fixed...the provinces say so!" Sorry that just doesn't wash? That is not what they promised!
Grain and oilseeds are in the tank. I truly doubt anyone can make money at these prices...at least not enough to feed the family!
I don't know about the rest of the people on here but I sure as hell don't want to be the only one left farming! I want the neighbors down the road...not twenty miles away!
The Conservatives need to realize who took them to the dance? It wasn't the city slickers in Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa...it was the rural areas of the west and Ontario! They'd better wake up and keep their promises to those voters or they may find they won't have a ride home!

[cowman]

Cowman, you have to give them a chance. They can't fix 13 years of screw ups in 3 months!! They did promise disaster relief, but I don't know what guys expect. $75/acre like APAS is asking for you and I both now is totally out of line. Why the Americans and can be subsidized so greatly, come on you guys know why?? How can we compete with 33 million people in this country?? As long as they are competing as best they can thats all we can ask for.