Ontario Agriculture

The network for agriculture in Ontario, Canada

The CFFO Commentary: Farmers Need to Enroll in Ontario Risk Management Program

By Nathan Stevens
July 8, 2011
 
Last week’s formal announcement of a Risk Management Program is arguably one of the most significant accomplishments for Ontario’s agricultural groups in a long time. From the perspective of agricultural leaders, this is a program that has been fought for over an extended time period that seeks to address needs for Ontario’s farmers in a global environment. The next step is to see whether the average farmer agrees with this assessment and chooses to support the new program by enrolling in it.
 
The purpose of the Risk Management Program is to provide price insurance for farmers. It differs from the national Agristability program in the type of issues it covers. Agristability provides support for commodities that fluctuate over the short-term. It is not designed to help with long-term decline or extended periods of low prices, even if crisis related. The Risk Management Program seeks to deal with both of those issues and more.
 
From the perspective of the leadership, this program is a great new tool for farmers to use in the management of their farms. There is still work to be done and some issues to be addressed. Resolving a fair registration and payment method to be enrolled in both Agristability and Risk Management is an issue. Securing federal support is an on-going issue. For the Christian Farmers, ensuring that there are reasonable caps on potential payments is essential to ensuring this is a risk mitigation tool, not a lever to expand an operation.
 
At the same time, this is an opportunity for farmers to vote with their feet on the new program. Strong enrollment in the program, even if prices are looking strong in the immediate future, is a strong endorsement of the value of having this program in place for a rainy day, especially when it isn’t raining today. On the other hand, if a majority of farmers choose not to enrol then that also sends a clear message to leadership and government about the value of Risk Management and other safety net programming.
 
The adoption of the Risk Management Program is a potentially tremendous step forward for Ontario’s farmers. It improves the protection farmers have from the vagaries of the marketplace, and is strongly supported by the farming leadership. The CFFO hopes and encourages everyday farmers to decide that the Risk Management Program makes sense for them as well.
 
Nathan Stevens is the Research and Policy Advisor for the Christian Farmers Federation of Ontario. The CFFO Commentary represents the opinions of the writer and does not necessarily represent CFFO policy. The CFFO Commentary is heard weekly on CFCO Chatham, CKNX Wingham, and UCB Canada radio stations in Chatham, Belleville, Bancroft, Brockville and Kingston. It is also archived on the CFFO website: www.christianfarmers.org. CFFO is supported by 4,200 family farmers across Ontario.

Views: 78

Comment

You need to be a member of Ontario Agriculture to add comments!

Join Ontario Agriculture

Agriculture Headlines from Farms.com Canada East News - click on title for full story

NOAA Declares El Nino, Raising Key Weather Risks for Agriculture

NOAA has officially declared El Nino, and the resulting changes in weather patterns could significantly affect crop production across the United States and Canada in the coming months.

Federal Judge Sends Roundup Class Settlement Back to Missouri State Court, Clearing Path for Approval

A federal judge has ruled that the high-profile Roundup class settlement case must return to Missouri state court, a move expected to accelerate approval of a multibillion-dollar agreement covering tens of thousands of claims.

Hursh: A downward shift in fertilizer prices

War in the Middle East and the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz contributed to a rapid rise in nitrogen fertilizer values, but prices have dropped dramatically in recent weeks. Some analysts were worried that the normal price reset after spring seeding would not occur this year, but a price drop has happened quickly: There have been reports of international prices for urea, 46-0-0 moving lower, but what matters to farmers is the price locally. Up until a few weeks ago, the price of urea at farm input suppliers in Western Canada was around $1,250 a tonne. According to the Alberta Farm Input Price Survey, the lowest urea price of the past five years was just over $600 a tonne back in July of 2021. However, by April of 2022, world events had pushed urea prices to $1,350 a tonne. While prices this spring were not quite that high, they were onerous as compared to the price of grain. So where are prices right now? What would you need to pay for urea for summer or fall delivery? You cou

Soy Canada annual meeting highlights industry collaboration and future direction

Soy Canada’s 2026 annual meeting highlighted the power of collaboration across the soybean value chain and the opportunities ahead for Canada’s soybean industry. Discussions at the event focussed on strengthening market relationships, improving competitiveness and preparing for the future through a renewed strategic vision. The organization’s annual meeting was held June 18, 2026, in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ont. The event brought together industry leaders from across Canada to review progress over the past year and discuss future priorities for the organization. The 2025-2026 Annual Report highlights progress made in the past year. Brian Innes, Soy Canada Executive Director, shared key accomplishments from the past year, including strengthening relationships with international customers and improving collaboration across the soy value chain. Noted highlights included advancing discussions on soybean protein variability as part of the third Northern Soybean Summit and expanding participa

Two Nunavut communities strengthen access to traditional foods with new processing facilities

The Government of Canada is investing over $4.7 million on two community-led traditional food processing facilities that will help Gjoa Haven and Taloyoak residents access more local foods and strengthen food sovereignty in the region. The Government of Canada is taking action to address local food accessibility and high prices in Nunavut. That means advancing reconciliation with Inuit by investing in food systems to strengthen community infrastructure, reduce dependance on imported foods, and lower costs for Nunavummiut. Today, the Honourable Rebecca Chartrand, Minister of Northern and Arctic Affairs and Minister responsible for CanNor, announced a federal contribution of more than $4.7 million to create country food processing facilities in Gjoa Haven and Taloyoak. This includes $3,389,736 in funding from CanNor, $831,550 from Fisheries and Oceans Canada and $566,038 from Crown-Indigenous Relations and Indigenous Services Canada. The Gjoa Haven Country Food Processing Facility and

© 2026   Created by Darren Marsland.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service