by DIANNE FETTERLY
While all Canadian business owners find it frustrating dealing with red tape, farmers are particularly concerned by it, according to a survey by the Canadian Federation of Independent Business.
“Frankly, I'm not surprised” by the findings, said Marilyn Braun-Pollon, the federation’s vice-president for agri-business.
She explained that when looking at surveys from past years, a pattern has emerged and farmers are becoming increasingly frustrated by red tape. The federation receives hundreds of comments from farmers across Canada, she added.
Farmers understand the need for rules and regulations and don't mind following them, she explained, but red tape is adding to an already heavy workload. Braun-Pollon noted that 28 per cent of the survey’s respondents said that if they had known about all the regulations before starting, they may not have gone into the business.
“All Canadians should be concerned about the findings,” she added. “The (agriculture) sector in Canada employs two million Canadians and generates $44 billion in trade. . . Imagine if close to one-third of the farms disappeared.”
While governments have made some changes to relieve the burden of red tape on agri-business, still more has to be done, said Braun-Pollon. The federation is asking Canadians to sign an online petition, which will be sent to the Prime Minister, provincial premiers and mayors. Almost 3,000 supporters with hundreds of comments have already come in.
The survey’s release came on Thursday, the fourth day of the federation’s annual Red Tape Awareness Week. Of the 408 Canadian agri-businesses that participated in the survey:
• 72 per cent said the burden of red tape has increased over the past three years, compared to 55 per cent of other business owners;
• 87 per cent said excessive regulations add stress to their lives, compared to 80 per cent of other business owners;
• 68 per cent said red tape discourages them from growing their business, compared to 62 per cent of other business owners;
• 69 per cent said red tape significantly reduces productivity in their business. BF
Comments
You would think with a right wing conservative government would reduce RED TAPE?
Hell give me back the Liberals !!!! at least they: the Liberals, handed over a surplus budget to Harper and not a growing deficit exceeding all what we ,as tax payers, have managed to reduce the national debt.
watch it next will be the destruction of marketing boards, which by the way created many wealthy farmers, and we need more of them not less.
A pig farmers (PC minded) stated to me: it should be the survival of the fittest!!
I replied: Well for every dollar the USDA subsidizes its commodity it is a dollar that comes out of the pockets of US citizen via taxation. Right now we are paying the correct unassisted price for milk, chicken eggs and turkey. i am glad that those farmers are building wealth with a descent profit contributing to the micro economies of our rural towns and villages. Just take a look at south of the border at small town becoming ghost town, if that is the survival of the fittest NO THANK YOU!!!!
Have a great day
If the U.S subsidizes their dairy industry about 30%, and even if the cost of producing milk in Canada is about 10-20% higher, then a tariff of 50% would equate to maintaining the correct unassisted price. Right now tariff's range from 200-300% for dairy, so the extra amount in price increases, protected by those tarriffs, is skin off the back's of consumers in Canada, including the ones living in "micro economies of our rural towns and villages". Also, when it comes to poultry, even if those farmers made nothing off selling their chicken(but they do), they could make a living simply off the quota handouts they are given each year, and that figure would be signifigantly higher than the average Canadian household income. That is also skin off the consumer's back's. You should read one of the latest blogs on "agri007". Seems supply management in Canada is helping to support the egg farmers in the U.S.A, by purchasing U.S eggs(which are probably subsidized) and then selling them at artificial sm prices here in Canada. Money flows in the path of least resistance, but with extremely high tariffs, it won't be benefitting Canadians. Raube Beuerman, Dublin, ON
For about the umpteenth time, subsidies don't penalize consumers, exporters, or processors, or, by and large, other farmers. It is, when compared to consumption taxes, a far-better economic system, and basis for public policy. In addition, this has been basic economics which has been taught at every University in the world, (well maybe not in Communist countries) for over 80 years. Why is it that, even in spite of everyone who's ever studied economics for the last 4 generations knows this, and why, even though it's also been made abundantly clear on this site about 150,000 times, at least about three times a week, some farmer proves he/she hasn't been paying attention? Come on, people, we farmers just can't all be that out-of-touch with economics and common sense.
Stephen Thompson, Clinton ON
Unsigned, personal attack deleted
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