Martin Invites Algoma Farmer Jack Tindall to Ottawa to Highlight Crisis

Thu 5 Nov 2009

New Democrats Back Beef Farmers Call for Aid
 
OTTAWA – With bills piling up, lousy support programs and unfair trade barriers, beef farmers said they came here today needing government assistance that will also benefit both Canada’s rural and city population.

"We are back in Ottawa because we are back in crisis,” said Northern Ontario cattle farmer Jack Tindall, invited to Ottawa by Sault MP Tony Martin. “I know the phrase perfect storm is overused but that is exactly what the farmers face with a support program that is not paying farmers, mounting debt, our strong Canadian dollar and the unequal playing field with American farmers.”

In Question Period, Martin asked:

“Cattle farmers from Algoma and other areas are back in Ottawa today because they are facing another crisis.
When Jack Tindall was here in 2004 he spoke for 200 Algoma farmers. Now that number is far less, and the same story is unfolding across Canada.  Beef farmers face mounting bills, ineffective support programs from Conservative and Liberal governments, and unfair trade barriers. Will this government put more money into the Agri Stability program and give it some teeth so it can actually work for Northern Ontario beef farmers?”

Mr. Martin noted farmers first had to deal with an ineffective Canadian Agriculture Income Stabilization (CAIS) program under the Liberal government in 2004-06 and are now are even worse off with the Conservatives, getting a fraction of previous payments.
 
“Food security and 100-mile dinners are helping more urban city dwellers to connect the dots back to the producing farmers and the need to support them with programs that actually help,” Martin said.
 
Martin arranged for Tindall and representatives of the National Farmers Union, Canadian Cattlemen’s Association and Ontario Cattlemen’s Association to speak to the New Democrat caucus today, and to meet later with leader Jack Layton, Conservative and Liberal agriculture critics and hold a press conference.
 
“The bottom line is that we need to ensure that our cattle industry survives” said New Democrat Agriculture Critic Alex Atamanenko. “Even though exports have tripled, our beef producers are making less than half of what they made 20 years ago. There is something very wrong with this equation. This crisis ends up at every family’s table.”

Cattle farmers want agriculture stability, including bigger margin coverage during losses and removal of a viability test that demands positive margins in two of the past three years.

Slaughter cattle exports are down 20 per cent this year while feeder cattle exports are down 50 per cent.