Mitchell refuses federal provincial agreement

Thursday, July 7, 2011

by SUSAN MANN

Ontario Agriculture Minister Carol Mitchell refused to sign a statement of principles for future Growing Forward programs issued today from the federal, provincial, territorial agriculture ministers meeting in New Brunswick.

In a written statement, Mitchell says Ontario farmers want the federal government to support the province’s risk management programs. The federal government said no.

“I did not sign on to this flawed agreement on future programs because Ontario farmers told me it would take us in the wrong direction and not provide our family farms what they need to continue to bring quality, locally grown foods to Ontario tables,” she says in her statement.

David Spencer, executive director of Mitchell’s office, says she didn’t sign the communiqué or the St. Andrews Statement of Principles, “which is where they go from here in terms of the next round.”

The minister will still work with the federal government and the other provinces to “put forward Ontario’s position on the need for greater flexibility,” he says. “We’re still going to be talking to them but the Statement of Principles that came out of the FPT (federal, provincial, territorial agriculture ministers’ meeting) and that the federal government is supporting is not one Ontario can support for now. That doesn’t mean we don’t continue to push.”

Federal Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz didn’t mention Mitchell’s refusal to sign the statement during his comments at a press conference in St. Andrews by-the-Sea Friday morning.

Ritz told reporters ministers “set out a strong foundation for the next Growing Forward framework through the St. Andrews Statement.”

He called it a significant step in setting the right conditions for farmers and processors to grow their businesses and prosper in the years to come.

Ritz says the St. Andrews statement outlines the vision and direction to guide officials during the coming years as they work with industry on further discussions on Growing Forward 2. “The goal is to ensure that Growing Forward 2 builds on the best of the first Growing Forward while working to ensure an even stronger sector and more responsive programs into the future.”

To date more than 400 farm leaders and other value chain stakeholders have outlined their ideas on what should be in the next round of programs. The current Growing Forward programs expire in 2013. Ritz says based on agricultural industry input the statement reflects the need for:

•    continued emphasis on innovation for competitiveness and sustainability;
•    more work to reduce red tape, making the regulatory system more efficient while keeping Canada’s food and environment safe; and
•    continued emphasis on global markets, easing barriers to trade and promoting the domestic market.

During a question period after his statement, Ritz says there’s “a growing recognition that some of the programs aren’t as bankable and predictable as farmers would like them.”

Mitchell says in her statement farmers and agri-food industry officials told her in a time when many farms and farm businesses are just starting to recover from losses, “we cannot cut support to programs like AgriStability as is being proposed by the federal government.”

Provincial farm leaders support Mitchell’s position. Ontario Federation of Agriculture president Bette Jean Crews says they support Mitchell in her decision to not sign the St. Andrews statement. “We’re behind her 100 per cent.”

The Christian Farmers Federation of Ontario is also supporting her. President Henry Stevens says he congratulates Mitchell. “It shows that she was listening to her constituents and I was hoping that was exactly what she would do.”

Stevens adds he thinks every farm group in Ontario is behind Mitchell on this matter. It’s time someone stood up to the federal government. “They have to recognize that a one-size-fits-all program doesn’t work in Canada and we need regional flexibility.”

Stevens hopes the federal government will get the message that they’re not going to push Ontario around any more.

Joe Dama, National Farmers Union Ontario coordinator, couldn’t be reached for comment. BF