The Hill: A new slate of farm leaders faces familiar problems

Tuesday, February 3, 2009

Inadequate safety nets, high input costs and livestock sector woes are just a few of the long-standing issues confronting agricultural leaders. Add to that political instability and consumer concerns about rising food prices

by BARRY WILSON

Appropriately, perhaps, the New Year begins with a spate of new farm leaders in place to represent farmers in Ontario and across Canada.

Bette Jean Crews has taken over as president of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA), while former president Geri Kamenz has gone off to his provincial Liberal government appointment reward as chair of the Ontario Farm Products Marketing Commission. Doug Robertson, a Carstairs, Alta., farmer, has taken over as president of Grain Growers of Canada, representing Ontario wheat, oilseed and corn interests among grain sectors across Canada.

And in late February, the Canadian Federation of Agriculture (CFA) chooses a new leader after almost a decade of Bob Friesen's presidency, which ended last autumn so that he could run (unsuccessfully) for the Liberals in Manitoba.

Former OFA president Ron Bonnett was once considered a shoo-in replacement after he defeated long-time second vice-president Marvin Shauf last year on an implicit slogan that delegates were not electing a second fiddle but an eventual first. "This election is about the next election," Bonnett said at the time.

But as this column was being written, a race for the CFA presidency seemed possible. Long-time first vice-president and former Quebec farm leader Laurent Pellerin was considering an attempt to be the first national farm leader from Quebec. If he runs, his campaign will be a call-to-arms to work for stronger government recognition of the needs of agriculture.

Whoever is the new leader, working with new leaders in other farm organizations, he will be grappling with some familiar issues. A partial list for 2009 includes: Inadequate safety nets as commodity prices fall from record levels; input costs remain high and support-triggering margins remain low; livestock sector woes; foreign protectionism affecting exports and prices; and faltering World Trade Organization negotiations.

At the national level, a couple of additional wrinkles of uncertainty could be added as the world stumbles into 2009. The federal political stage is more confused and uncertain than it has been in decades.

A minority Conservative government, elected just three months ago, may be toppled at the end of January or in early February and replaced by a Liberal-led coalition government that included some NDP cabinet ministers with tactical support from the Bloc Quebecois. It would have one of the lowest farm riding representations in Canadian history.

Of course, new Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff may shelve the unpopular alliance worked out by his hapless predecessor Stéphane Dion and spend the next year or so trying to change the Liberal party from a cash-starved political shell to a competitive opposition party.

Or the Governor-General could deny a request for power by a coalition government and force the fourth election in five years.

New farm leaders will have to deal with this political instability. They also will have to deal in 2009 with something that has not been evident for 30 years – consumer resentment about rising food prices.

Late last year, Statistics Canada reported that the food price index in November was up 7.4 per cent in a year, the largest increase since 1986. Cereal-based products, fruits and vegetable increases were in the double digits. Food prices were driving inflation rates for the first time since the 1970s.

"Food is the number one basic need that people have. And when prices rise sharply, people on fixed incomes often have to start compromising either on the quantity or qualify of food they buy," said Rob Rainer, executive director of the National Anti-Poverty Organization, in late December. "This absolutely puts a strain on low income families."

Food bank directors also warned of the consequences.

It is a new issue for the new generation of farm leaders. BF

Barry Wilson is a member of the Parliamentary Press Gallery specializing in agriculture.