Farming's hard row to hoe
by The Canadian Press
Farmers, growers and producers need to tap into current agricultural support programs to help with the fallout from COVID-19 before any more money can flow from the Liberal government, federal Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau says.
Bibeau said there are billions of dollars available via the risk-management programs that have long existed to help the industry during times of crisis, and if farmers don't apply for those funds, it hurts her ability to make the case for more aid around the cabinet table.
"We are a government who is proud of taking decisions based on evidence. We're not taking decisions only based on emotions," she said.
On average over the last five years, Bibeau said, the government has put $1.6 billion into three different programs. Double that amount could go into them this year, she said.
That's on top of the funds inside the $252-million aid package announced earlier this month, a mix of old and new money.
"They just cannot say it is not good enough," she said.
Her message to farmers is blunt:
"Please go and get this money and then it will be much easier for me to identify the gaps and to get the money where it should be going."
An example of how evidence turned into action: farmers had pointed out that the Canada Emergency Business Account, an interest-free loan program set up by the federal government, didn't work for them because of the way they handle their payrolls.
This past week, the government expanded the program, with Bibeau's department pointing out Friday it now applies to double the number of farms.
But, observers say Bibeau's challenge goes beyond her request for evidence and into the more complicated realm of the politics of agriculture in Canada.
"Minister Bibeau has always been very generous with her time, and has never shied away from talking with us," said Keith Currie, the vice-president of the Canadian Federation of Agriculture, which had asked the Liberals for a $2.6-billion aid program.
"But I don't know if she has much of a voice at the cabinet table."