President’s Message
by Ernie Mutch
Welcome to the new Federation of Agriculture magazine. We are excited about getting this magazine going, and look forward to seeing it grow and become an important part of farmers getting the information they need along with getting the word out to the general public about the important contributions agriculture makes to PEI.
I have been president of the PEI Federation of Agriculture for about nine months now, and the issues and the challenges facing agriculture in PEI and the Atlantic region seem even larger now that I have taken on this role. We are facing very uncertain times in all sectors of agriculture. The world continues to become a smaller place and international markets continue to shrink the price of commodity based goods. We all know the resiliency and optimism that most farmers possess, and producers remain hopeful the future will be brighter as commodities turn around and prices improve. The question is; how many will be able to weather the storm to see these brighter days?
No one is probably struggling more than the red meat sector in our region. The hog industry is almost on the verge of collapse, and the beef sector is not far behind. Work is underway through the Maritime Feed Grains & Red Meat Working Group to develop a ‘red meat strategy’ for the Atlantic region. This would include a strategy for stabilization of the grains sector through support funding that would help to diminish the highs and lows in feed prices, and permit some longer term stability within the hog and beef industries. This process is in the initial stages, but this concept is gathering support at both provincial and federal levels of government. As long as the primary producers affected by this strategy can agree to move forward together, there is hope for this long term approach.
Unless the federal government changes its policy of ‘one size fits all’ when it comes to national support in the short term for the red meat sector, it will be difficult to achieve the longer term ‘red meat strategy’ goals. As a region, the Atlantic Provinces do not contribute to what is perceived to be a national oversupply of beef and pork. If the federal and provincial governments truly believe in sustaining agriculture in our region and are supportive of buy local and environmental responsibility, then there must be regional flexibility in the delivery of national programs that are developed to support these sectors. What might work in western Canada or Ontario and Quebec will not work the same way in Atlantic Canada.
Federal policy needs revision for the agricultural industry in the region to have a stable, long-term future. The Federation is delivering this message every chance we get when meeting with both provincial and federal government officials. The Atlantic Federations of Agriculture (AFA), made up of the presidents of the Federation in each Atlantic Province, are working closely together to lobby for this recognition as well. Working as a region will give us greater strength to tackle these complex issues, and will also hopefully give us the influence we need to get the changes we need implemented.
There are many other challenges facing agriculture on PEI, and the Federation is proud to be representing Island farmers on these issues. I look forward to reporting progress on them at our Annual meeting in January. I hope to see you all there.
