Projected 41% budget cut at Agriculture Canada...Is this really being discussed? What are they thinking?

I just saw the story in the Globe and Mail that discusses that the Federal Government is thinking of cutting Agriculture Canada a whopping 41%.

Here is the link to the story

They really can't be thinking of doing this? Is Agriculture such a low priority that they think this won't hurt rural Canada?

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Permalink Reply by Frank Borszcz on April 6, 2010 at 2:25am

Our Gov't seems to be more concerned about sending relief to places like Haiti and Africa while forgetting about its own people here in Canada. If anything the Feds need to increse funding by 41% to Agriculture Canada. This is the same old story, rural Canada is always abused and taken for granted. When will this stop? Perhaps it will take a world food shortage for the importance of Agriculture in Canada to sink in. Ask a politician if he likes to eat. If he answers yes which he will, then perhaps he needs to THINK about where this food comes from. Very disappointing.

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Permalink Reply by Joann on April 6, 2010 at 4:41am

Truth of the matter is agriculture funding, and distribution of such funds, has been a topic of discussion for a number of years now. If budgeted monies are not flowing to farmers now, does a 41% cut really mean anything in true financial terms? Who is receiving federal monies and where are the budgeted funds flowing to? Why did the government not pursue the Auditors' CAIS report with a thorough investigation when wrong-doing was exposed?

Our Provincial minister returned $82M of farm budgeted monies as farmers were not utilizing the funds.

Remember last fall $1B of federal ag. money was not utilized either. A news article stated $1B was cut from the budget. A member on this site corresponded with MP Joe Preston and getting the response:

Thank you for the email.

First of all, this was not an announcement. This was comments made by the Liberal Critic for agriculture.

Programs have not been cut but instead usage of the BRM payments decreased last year. 3.2 billion Was budgeted for last year with only 2.6 billion being used.

Payments under AgriRecovery were done due to the decrease in natural disasters. Regarding livestock, 1.2 billion over the past couple of years have been paid out with $711 million in advance payments for the 09-09 year and the first half o the 09-10 year.

I appreciate your concerns but the information that you have received is inaccurate.

In reality, the agriculture budget has been slashed long ago..... the government is just publicly acknowledging it now and not playing the sleight of hand shell game............or shall we say Joe Prestidigitation????

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