The Hill: Provinces buy into the Gerry Ritz vision of agricultural policy
Monday, May 4, 2009
The Tory ag minister is succeeding in changing the debate from what governments owe producers toward what can be done to make the market return more
by BARRY WILSON
Slowly but surely, federal agriculture minister Gerry Ritz is changing the focus of agricultural policy debates in Canada.
Not so long ago, the main federal-provincial argument was about how to cut the cash, how much aid should go to each province and what was fair.
Former Liberal minister Lyle Vanclief was regularly crucified for failing to meet farm aid expectations, even though he squeezed record amounts of cash out of the government.
Then there were the inter-provincial shouting matches over what was a fair way to distribute the cash. Should it be based on loss, risk or the size of the provincial agriculture economy?
During his less than two years in the job, Saskatchewan farmer Ritz has been determined to change the emphasis of that debate, away from what governments owe producers toward what can be done to make the market return more.
Amazingly, with livestock sectors bleeding red ink and other sectors of the farm economy complaining that the new version of farm safety nets – the discredited old ones with a new name and a few tweaks – still does not work for them, much of agriculture and all provincial governments are buying into Ritz's new emphasis on anything but safety nets.
Politically, he got away without much political damage over the 2009 budget shell-game promise which suggested that $500 million would be spent over five years in agricultural flexibility funding but which turns out to be less than $200 million, none of it directed to farm safety net programs.
To emphasize the point that markets, rather than more effective safety nets, are the way of the future, Ritz is spending much time travelling and promoting trade deals as the solution to farm income problems.
And the industry is applauding his trade emphasis, which includes a promise to create an Agricultural Market Access Secretariat within Agriculture Canada.
The most recent example of the new emphasis is the provincial enthusiasm for the new five-year group of non-safety-net farm programs rolled out in April under the name of Growing Forward.
The aim is to use environmental, farm safety and innovation policies to increase farm income and sector stability. It totally de-emphasizes farm safety nets as an answer to industry issues. And the provinces are clamouring to get on board.
The new emphasis is on spending which supports innovation and market solutions.
"Growing Forward reflects the needs of our agri-food industry," said Ontario agriculture minister Leona Dombrowsky when announcing the five-year deal which will send $181 million in federal and provincial dollars into an industry producing $9 billion in market receipts annually. "It puts emphasis on building a profitable sector through investment in innovation, a flexible approach to meet individual business needs and more partnerships with industry."
Many previous ministers would have killed for those kinds of co-operative provincial words.
In fact, from arguments over subsidies, Ritz has changed the channel to a debate on how best Ottawa and the provinces can improve farm financial prospects through market openings and smarter farming.
It is a remarkable example of political finesse for a rookie federal minister who seems in some sectors like a bull in a china shop, smashing Canadian Wheat Board dishes at every opportunity.
But he has won the embrace of supply management and is on his way to changing the emphasis of the farm policy debate with little objection from provinces or most farm groups.
It is no small accomplishment. BF
Barry Wilson is a member of the parliamentary Press Gallery specializing in agriculture.