Released on April 5, 2006
Saskatchewan's Minister of Agriculture says his federal counterpart must take action on the growing calls for help in the agriculture sector.Mark Wartman said the projected $200 million shortfall in Saskatchewan farm income this year and farm protests across Canada are an indication of how tough things are for farm families.
"The $755 million relief program already announced by Ottawa is a welcome move," Wartman said. "But it is obvious, even after that payment, that it won't be enough for Saskatchewan farmers or those in other provinces. Our producers still need at least $200 million to address the shortfall."
Wartman said the national impact of low commodity prices and international subsidies means that the federal government must take the lead in any new disaster relief programming if Canadian producers hope to remain competitive.
"We know that if we applied the U.S. approach to grain and oilseed farmers, we would see significantly more dollars go to national agricultural support than we do today," Wartman said. "Provincial governments do not have the resources to battle the U.S. treasury. Our federal government must lead the way in any new aid program."
Wartman noted that provinces have already made substantial contributions to farm programming. Saskatchewan's support for agriculture over the past two years is valued at $1.3 billion. The province also has the highest per capita level of spending on agriculture programming in Canada
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