GOVERNMENT OF CANADA continues to invest in AGRICULTURE

April 07, 2009

In addition to hearing directly from constituents regarding agriculture in Canada and the importance of farming, I also receive many letters, emails and calls on this topic.  I am well aware of the concerns surrounding the industry, and the importance of farming to this country. I farm myself, on a crop share basis, and my family has farmed for generations and I believe that this Conservative government has done more for the agriculture industry than any previous government has in the last 20 years.

As I’m sure readers are aware, we have committed to revamping the programs – like CAIS – which were not working, and replacing them with functional, more efficient systems. Additionally, the tax cuts we have implemented help every Canadian. In fact, in five years our country will be at the lowest rate of taxation in the last 50 years.  Our most recent Budget is assisting our agriculture sector as much as possible, (aside from business and personal tax cuts there is the $500M agriculture Flexibility Fund and $50M slaughterhouse capacity fund).

The Prime Minister himself has agriculture as a top concern – having raised it during recent meetings with the new United States President – and our entire Caucus is well aware of the value of this industry.

Since day one this Government has focussed on helping Canadian agriculture thrive at the farm gate. Some of the newest programs and new investments we have made are:

NEW CROP VARIETIES AND BETTER TECHNOLOGY
Our government has invested $8.7 million in funding to develop technologies that will increase the industrial value of the surplus cereal straw that is now left out on the field.
 
SIGNIFICANT INVESTMENT IN ALBERTA-BASED RESEARCH NETWORK
In March, Federal Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz announced a $15.5 million investment in the Canadian Triticale Biorefinery Initiative (CTBI) research network.
Triticale is a hybrid of wheat and rye that can be used to produce a more valuable and renewable source of ethanol feedstock which will be grown and supplied by Canadian farmers. The network will also find new ways of developing triticale plants for its biomaterials, which can be used in the Canadian manufacturing industry.

In a time of economic instability, this Government is acting to bring new market opportunities to Canadian farmers.
Led by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development, the research network currently includes 30 projects involving more than 90 scientists from the Alberta Research Council, the University of Alberta, the University of Lethbridge, GreenField Ethanol and others.

INVESTMENT IN THE PULSE INDUSTRY
The Government of Canada is investing in the pulse industry so that farmers can harness new market opportunities and boost their bottom line.  Earlier in March, this Conservative government announced $5.3 million for the Pulse Research Network (PURENet) to create new economic opportunities in rural Canada.

Our Government knows that Canadian farmers are the backbone of our economy and that it’s especially important during this time of economic instability to help them succeed. This initiative will explore new health benefits of pulses to create new and value added-markets, which will help farmers improve their bottom line and boost the economy.

Pulses are the edible seeds of legumes, such as peas, beans, chickpeas and lentils. The network will focus on developing new products from pulses, creating more sustainable and environmentally-friendly crops, and developing healthier pulses that can be used in the food and nutraceuticals industry. Canadian farmers have quadrupled pulse production in less than 20 years, and pulse exports have increased by more than five times, with a value of more than $1 billion.

CULL PROGRAM EXPANDED FOR HOG FARMERS
The Government of Canada is extending its support for hog farmers who have downsized their herds to cope with tough economic times.

The $50 million Cull Breeding Swine Program will now include breeding swine culled between August 1, 2007 and October 31st, 2007 (previously only breeding swine culled between November 1, 2007 and November 30th 2008 were eligible).

This is important because pork producers made tough business decisions to reduce their herds before this program started. We’re changing the program to make sure those producers get the support they deserve.

The $50 million Cull Breeding Swine Program was announced in February 2008, with the objective of reducing the national breeding herd size by up to 10 per cent.
Key components of the program are as follows:

• Producers are eligible to receive a per head payment for each animal slaughtered, as well as reimbursement for slaughter and disposal costs.
• Producers must agree to empty at least one barn, and not to restock for a three year period.
• Animals must be slaughtered in a humane manner and disposed of in compliance with jurisdictional environmental requirements.

 
Producers will have until June 30 to make claims for breeding swine culled during this period. The program is delivered by the Canadian Pork Council.

CONCLUSION

This Conservative government cares about farmers because many are farmers and our MPs represent most of the farmers in our great country, Canada.