Ontario Agriculture Sustainability Coalition -Call to Action

Below is a bulletin outlining the status of the Ontario Agriculture Sustainability Coalition and actions needed to advance this initiative. This bulletin was provided to OPIC by Ontario
Pork and is being placed here for your information.Ontario Agriculture Sustainability Coalition.doc

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by kevin g kimball on February 19, 2010 at 10:43am

--Agree 100% with Van der Burght family ,,gov't doesn't show much interest in having any livestock industry in Ontario,,,over the next few years SK and JK schooling will cost 6 billion and safety nets for livestock get??? Best luck too all and we will remember Dalton in the next election...regards-kevin kimball

Permalink Reply by Joe Dales on February 22, 2010 at 3:35am

Good Call to Action.

We will do what we can to promote and encourage farmers and agri business to support with specific actions.

Joe Dales
Farms.com

Permalink Reply by Joe Dales on February 23, 2010 at 10:52am

An Ontario Pork Producer sent me this email to share their thoughts. Thanks, Joe

To Whom This May Concern,

If the pork industry is unable to receive valiant financial aid from our Government in the near future, this industry will deteriorate rapidly. Without a financial program set in place in Ontario comparable to that in Quebec, many people will suffer job losses. Like many industries, the pork industry works with a boomerang effect. When one aspect of the chain diminishes, the pork farmers in current terms, many components of the chain will proportionally terminate. Therefore, due to many farmers becoming bankrupt, there will be many related employment to this industry such as veterinarians, feed companies, machinery manufacturers, Government Agricultural workers etcetera also suffering and can furthermore lead to bankruptcy as well due to job loss.

The Agri Stability Program that is currently in place is not beneficial to pork farmers, especially those who feed their own home grown crops to their herd. Farmers from Quebec have sufficient financial security in the ASRA Program. It is not ethical to fund their needs alone as all Canadian pork farmers are in the same desperation to continue their business.

The foreseen future from the path that we are currently encompassing by default will also lead to American pork plaguing our Canadian plates and cutlery. ’ In Canada, we have worked hard on our food safety and traceability so we know what we put in our mouths. Canadian pork is much more wholesome, without the unnatural ‘enrichment’ of unnecessary hormones and medicines that Americans rely on to make their product ‘better. The CFIA do not permit the use of some of these feed additives to enhance our meat. With American pork crossing the border into Canada, we will be less informed and confident in knowing what the meat contains. We should not be forced to eat American pork when we have the facilities to create our own better and more safe pork.

This has been an ongoing issue for the past 3 years. With this accumulating issue and poor Governmental support we have received to date showing no signs of improvement, the death of the pork industry is vastly approaching. Your help is crucial to keep pork farming alive in Canada. The missing piece to fix this disaster is virtually in your hands.

Permalink Reply by JoAnne Caughill on May 2, 2010 at 3:56pm

With the coalition's 'media blitz' (using their words) on April 13th @ Queens Park and on April 22nd @ Parliament Hill, a 'town hall meeting' in Stratford - and very little media coverage of it all - when will farmers say 'ENOUGH IS ENOUGH'?

Permalink Reply by kevin g kimball on May 2, 2010 at 11:57pm

Pork producers have already said "enough is enough" as we just have too look at the numbers leaving or already exited the industry,,,they are sick of the regs., losing money and watching the cash crop farmers and supply managed commodities doing quite well, while our gov't abandons the beef and hog guys,,my cty.,Essex we are going too have 6 pork producers left--results will be no local industry services ,local marketing yard will close meaning no "new" people will start in our area as unless they can load pots they won't have a place too sell-deliver pigs and ones that have put 20-30+ yrs. in hog business will leave with no money except a little gov't buy-out if they bid cheap enough and most will have too seek off farm employment,,,,and with prices improving for hogs "especially US producers" I am sure with out a marketing plan we will be re-visiting these issues in a couple of years again --good luck too all--kevin kimball

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