by BETTER FARMING STAFF
Representatives from Ontario’s agriculture industry met Friday with staff from the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs for the first of what will be regular forums intended to cut through regulatory red tape.
The forum is one of several new provincial measures to reduce regulatory pressures on the industry. OMAFRA also plans to conduct internal reviews of regulations with the first round to be completed by the end of this year. As well, the ministry recently expanded the scope of its call centre to manage enquiries from the agriculture and food sector about activities initiated by other ministries, such as inspection and enforcement.
The Ontario Federation of Agriculture was approached a year ago to lead consultations with the province’s agriculture and food industry says president Bette Jean Crews, one of the Friday forum’s two co-chairs (John Burke, OMAFRA deputy minister, was the other.) The federation was asked to identify five regulatory priorities for the government to address.
Crews says the federation consulted with members, held central meetings in Toronto and Guelph and met with processors, input suppliers and retailers.
“The first thing that we heard from everybody was; ‘consult with industry early and often’,” says Crews.
The interpretation of regulations by some inspectors and enforcement officers was an issue identified as needing attention as well as the points where the roles of the two authorities overlapped. “We see that a lot in the small meat packing and processing,” Crews says.
The five priorities eventually identified included: establishing a mandatory, early consultative process for new regulations; reducing overlaps, consistent and accurate interpretation of regulations across ministries; streamlining the licensing, permitting and approvals process; and introducing regulatory compliance initiatives.
Crews notes the province is addressing many of the priorities. For example, permits to take water are being streamlined to “make it really easy for farmers to do it so the permit can be turned around, worst case scenario, in six weeks. But they should be able to turn them around in a couple of weeks so when you need to take water for irrigation, you’ve got it.”
She acknowledges that it may be more difficult to streamline drainage permits because of the different levels of government and the number of provincial ministries. But there is a commitment to work towards a one-permit system where possible.
Crews notes that there has been a lot of regulatory reform over the years and because there’s always a need to reform and modernize these, the need to continue the work won’t ever go away. However, she says the approach the province is now taking is a little different from what went on before.
“I have great hopes for this.”
The next forum is scheduled for December. BF
Comments
and now on the eve of an election something is going to be done. Please don't make me laugh. This government has done more to entrench stupid regulation than all others combined. Small killing and butchering plants anyone?
wait till you hear the announcement Monday in the Sarnia area what will be for farmers coming from provincial government. Mpps will befalling all over their selves looking to get re elected
Yes i just became a hatchery for poultry/???,a few months ago in a niche market.Took me 5 years with lawyers to do this. Dealing with federal inspectors,provincial inspectors,gutless and useless.They are making up rules all the time.Can we get together as onegroup and have some clout. FRUSTRATED
I'm asking you not to help the farmers, trying to streamline business by attempting to cut red-tape.
I can't see anything good coming out of this bunch of people. These are the same people recommending that farmers apply for RMP because its the best thing since apple pie.
'Nuff said.
Sounds like they are trying to do a " self engineered" management audit which will be a coverup of things gone bad and deep sixed.
if there are low enrollement numbers in grain Rmp dead line Sept 15 powers to be are going to have a lot of explaining to do and Liberal govt election will be not so easy
Sounds like they are trying to justify thier own existence by pretending they know how to help fellows farmers.
We have lost thousands of farmers the last few years and all the GFOs want to do is "streamline" regulations?
They don't have a clue!
You can not fix the situation,,,,, our farmleaders dont want to lose their perks and influence . Our political system is self serving with patronage WE NEED A JUDGE AND JURY TO CONVICT WRONG DOING, BUT WHO IS QUALIFIED TO BE JUDGE?
We are at a stage that farmers dont know the difference between right and wrong, or some dont get caught!
That same bunch gave the government their blessings to bring in all the rules and the red-tape in the first place.
Look what they did with the Greenbelt!.
If the GFOs just said NO a few times in the past, we would not be in this mess today.
There will be a huge participation in RMP this year, thanks to 100% coverage and no premium - next year the only people in RMP will, unless the clawback and non-refundability of RMP premiums are addressed, be people who don't know better.
Stephen Thompson, Clinton ON
There will be minimal participation in RMP because there will be 100% coverage with no premium and no payout. Whats the point?
I suggest you read the handbook Mr. Thompson before advising anyone to join the program.
True there are no fees the first year and AgriStability is not mandatory but government is not giving the farmers a way to get out of the program once signed on. This program will run indefinitely.
Year 2 of the program demands farmers have AgriStability and Premise ID. Farmers will get caught paying for a program that is an advance and ensures tractability.
I think farmers need a good lawyer before they sign RMP.
I read the RMP Handbook, cover-to-cover, several times, and there's absolutely NO MENTION WHATSOEVER that if you join in 2011, that joining in 2012 is compulsory. I was worried about the same thing myself, and that's the first thing/only thing that really mattered to me when I started reading it. Therefore, I don't know where you got the idea there's no way to get out of the program if you join in 2011, but it certainly wasn't in the Handbook.
In addition, I am advised that hog and livestock farmers are virtually guaranteed a payment in 2011, and therefore, any livestock and hog farmer who doesn't join RMP in 2011, deserves to go broke - on the other hand, if he/she joins RMP in 2012 when the government isn't paying the premium, he/she deserves to go broke because of that decision.
Basically, anyone who doesn't sign up for RMP this year, is foolish - but unless the rule about AgriStability clawbacks, and the non-refundability of RMP premiums when the clawback happens, are eliminated, anyone who signs up for RMP next year, is equally foolish
More to the point - RMP is a one-year program, period.
Stephen Thompson, Clinton ON
Got a letter in the mail today and it was signed by Carol Mitchell.
She is trying to get farmers to sign onto RMP>
In her letter she says its a PERMANENT program.
Its not a one year program. The program does not explain how to get out of RMP after I sign on. Its PERMANENT and its not explained clearly in the handbook.
That means permanent for the government and permanent for me if I sign.
Next year will be the claw-back clause.
Farmers need a good lawyer for advise about RMP, not a accountant.
You seem to be looking for issues that don't exist - of course the program is "permanent" because it is a multi-year program, but you've made a leap of convoluted logic to assume that, therefore, every applicant is "permanently" enrolled, without any option to get out, and that's just nonsense.
For example, the 2010 pilot extension clearly allowed farmers to opt out if they wished, and many, like myself, did.
When it comes to RMP, farmers don't need either a good lawyer, or an accountant - they just need to ba able to read, and able to count past ten without taking off their shoes.
Stephen Thompson, Clinton ON
The 2010 pilot program clearly had a provision to opt out. That was spelled out in the literature then.
The "New" RMP does not have a clear provision to opt out after Sept. 15, 2011.
If Mr. Thompson believes that a person only needs an ability to read, then could MR. Thompson point out in the handbook where and how a farmer can opt out of RMP AFTER Sept. 15/11 for grains and oilseeds?
Where does it say that farmers need to apply every year? Where are the "opt out" clauses? If a farmer opts out, where is the penalty clause to rejoin as in the previous years?
Can't find that, can you Mr. Thompson? Why not?
Because those provisions are in place in the "New" RMP.
Those provisions are not there because its PERMANENT. Carol Mitchell shares that small detail in the letters she sent to farmers.
The easiest way to opt out of the 2012 RMP program, or any program, is to not pay the premium.
Good Gawd-a-mighty, some farmers see bogeymen, and conspiracies, everywhere.
Stephen Thompson, Clinton ON
The "New" 2011 RMP has a special provision that farmers need to know.
If you were enrolled in the 2010 Pilot RMP, you can sign the forms to enroll in the 2011 RMP.
But if you were in the 2010 RMP and choose NOT to be part of the 2011 RMP, you MUST call Agricorp before Sept. 15 or you will be automatically enrolled into the permanent program.
If you choose not to pay the premium, Agricorp has the legislative right to claw back the premiums through other methods.
Not paying the premiums is just bad advice.
Again, farmers need a lawyers' opinion on RMP, not a accountant.
Suggesting others extrapolate conspiracies and fabricating bogeymen so you can justify your opinion clearly is a diversion tactic to obtain correct information.
I suggest that farmers simply call Agricorp and demand correct answers. They also provide confirmation of any information they provide.
SO WHAT IS THE CORRECT ANSWERS?
Mr Thompson says one think others differ , what is the right answer Iets get it right,
It seems if you were in the 2010 rmp grain program you are in the 2011 program unless you call agricorp to opt out before sept 15 2011, is this correct, and if you opt out you cannot get back in for 3 years?
Page 4 of the handbook:
Producers who did not enroll or were cancelled, from 2007 to 2010 may still participate.
Page 5:
Sept. 15/11 last day to cancel your 2011 coverage if automatically renewed from 2010.
The handbook is silent about farmers wanting to opt out after 2011. There are NO provisions to opt out after you sign on. It is a permanent program.
Page 7:
OMAFRA and Agricorp have absolute discretion to refuse or withhold any payments to any participant.
It also says the program will change for following years.
The program will change and Agricorp can hold back any money for any reason.
I need a lawyer.
For example, the 2010 pilot extension clearly allowed farmers to opt out if they wished, and many, like myself, did.
Can you get back in the program in 2011 if you opt out in 2010?
Yes. But there is nothing in the book to let you opt out once you sign on.
How about we start with cutting the OFA.
Farm subsidies are a dinosaur from the past that must go into extinction.
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