Farm unionist downplays Quebec report's recommendations

Wednesday, February 13, 2008

by DON STONEMAN

"You can imagine how that went over. That didn't thrill the UPA or any of us really," Gib Drury told Better Farming Wednesday, the day after chairman Jean Pronovost released the special commission's findings.

Drury, a beef farmer from the Outaouais Region, represents the Quebec Farmers' Association at the UPA table. "Our take on it is that we have to empower farmers, not make them weaker," and that is one of the strong points of the organization, he asserts.

"After we've had our little fights behind closed doors," UPA leaders present one voice to the public.

Drury says moving what he calls "the Ontario style" of general farm organizations is going backwards and divisive. "It's a waste of time to be competing for memberships and advertising." (The Ontario government recognizes the Ontario Federation of Agriculture, the Christian Farmers Federation of Ontario and the National Farmers Union as general farm organizations).

Initial reports said that, along with dismantling the UPA, the Pronovost report also recommended loosening supply management terms for dairy and poultry farmers. "We don't agree with that either," Drury says. "Philosophically we believe in orderly marketing, even if it means supply management and some negative aspects such as high quota values." Drury says Quebec farmers do want to work collectively.

Drury plans to spend time this week going through the report. He says there must be some positive suggestions in its 250 plus pages. "We would be a lot more inclined just to shelve the report if (breaking up the UPA and ending supply management) are the basis upon which it is written."

The commission studying Quebec agriculture was announced in late September, 2006 and has held hearings across the province since. BF