Protecting supply management a key provincial position at federal agriculture meeting

Tuesday, July 15, 2014

by SUSAN MANN

Ontario must ensure the federal government preserves the country’s supply management system as it negotiates various trade agreements around the world, farm leaders from supply-managed commodities told the province’s agriculture minister.

Jeff Leal, agriculture, food and rural affairs minister, says he met with about 28 farm group and agri-food leaders in Guelph last Thursday and protecting the supply management system as Canada works out various trade deals is the number one item on the plate of the supply-managed commodity group leaders. Leal says he plans to take their message of the need to protect the system to the federal, provincial, territorial agriculture ministers meeting being held in Winnipeg later this week.

Leal described last Thursday’s Ontario agriculture sector leaders’ meeting as a “very productive session” and the representatives there “were very helpful as I prepare myself for the federal, provincial conference later this week.”

Asked if Ontario has concerns the federal government might negotiate supply management away, Leal says the provincial government is always very vigilant about protecting the system. “We believe that supply management is one of the best economic models ever designed for agriculture because it costs governments not one nickel.”

As for Ontario farm leaders’ concerns that the AgriStability program isn’t working, Leal says he plans to go to the conference with the attitude of working cooperatively and collaboratively with all other ministers of agriculture across Canada and with federal Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz. But he acknowledges he’s heard those concerns about the program from Ontario farm groups.

About Ontario’s business risk management program, Leal says Ontario’s position is still that it wants the federal government to pay its 60 per cent share of the program, “which is the typical split for provincial programs (40 per cent is traditionally paid by the province while 60 per cent is covered by the federal government).”

The federal government has declined in the past to fund this provincial program. Leal says he wants to work with Ritz “in a very productive way. But having said that I have a responsibility to put forward the solid positions of the agricultural sector in the province of Ontario and I intend to do that in a very positive, progressive, diplomatic way.”

In an email supplied by provincial agriculture ministry official Mark Cripps, Leal says another matter Ontario will bring to the meeting is to highlight the province’s focus on creating jobs and growth as the agri-food industry works towards Premier Kathleen Wynne’s goal of creating 120,000 new jobs and doubling the sector’s growth by 2020.

“A key aspect of this is growing our exports,” Leal says.

Leal will also be talking to the other agriculture ministers about neonicotinoids and pollinator health “to express how important this issue is from both an industry and societal perspective.” BF