Castlegar, BC – NDP Agriculture Critic Alex Atamanenko (BC Southern Interior) says Canadian farmers need emergency aid money released immediately:
"Minister Strahl has been unable to get his government to release the emergency funding from the next budget in time to help farmers get their seed into the ground for this year's season," said Atamanenko. "The Conservatives have refused to have any more meetings with farm groups. They are ruthlessly ignoring the fact that funding from the next budget won't be worth a 'hill of beans' if an emergency portion is not released immediately."
The NDP is calling on the government to release $1 billion in emergency federal assistance immediately, over and above the $500 million already promised, to address the crisis facing grain and oilseed producers.
"This government needs to ensure a permanent stand-by capacity to deliver assistance to farming industries and communities by establishing a permanent farm communities' emergency support fund," Atamanenko continued. "This fund would provide assistance in addition to normally budgeted assistance.
"We are looking at a farming crisis in this country, and it is time for all Canadians to demand that this government finally recognize the looming disaster on Canada's farms."
Noting that the Agriculture Minister is meeting with the US secretary of Agriculture in Washington today to discuss subsidies, Atamanenko raised the question: "If the government won't protect our farmers at home what hope will there be that they will protect their interests abroad? At a minimum, the Minister must strongly defend 'the single desk selling' feature of the Canadian Wheat Board which the US is trying to weaken."
Atamanenko also noted that the interests of our farming industry, as expressed by those working farm families themselves will need firm representation in the upcoming WTO meetings being held in Geneva the first week in May.
http://www.ndp.ca/page/3643
"Minister Strahl has been unable to get his government to release the emergency funding from the next budget in time to help farmers get their seed into the ground for this year's season," said Atamanenko. "The Conservatives have refused to have any more meetings with farm groups. They are ruthlessly ignoring the fact that funding from the next budget won't be worth a 'hill of beans' if an emergency portion is not released immediately."
The NDP is calling on the government to release $1 billion in emergency federal assistance immediately, over and above the $500 million already promised, to address the crisis facing grain and oilseed producers.
"This government needs to ensure a permanent stand-by capacity to deliver assistance to farming industries and communities by establishing a permanent farm communities' emergency support fund," Atamanenko continued. "This fund would provide assistance in addition to normally budgeted assistance.
"We are looking at a farming crisis in this country, and it is time for all Canadians to demand that this government finally recognize the looming disaster on Canada's farms."
Noting that the Agriculture Minister is meeting with the US secretary of Agriculture in Washington today to discuss subsidies, Atamanenko raised the question: "If the government won't protect our farmers at home what hope will there be that they will protect their interests abroad? At a minimum, the Minister must strongly defend 'the single desk selling' feature of the Canadian Wheat Board which the US is trying to weaken."
Atamanenko also noted that the interests of our farming industry, as expressed by those working farm families themselves will need firm representation in the upcoming WTO meetings being held in Geneva the first week in May.
http://www.ndp.ca/page/3643
