Canada-Help need now for farmers.

CANADA-GOVERNMENT HELP FOR FARMERS.

Are beleaguered cattle producers going to receive any support from the federal budget? The information released pre-budget sounded hopeful, but it remains to be seen if any dollars will actually end up in the pockets of cow-calf producers.

Before the budget, Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz told reporters about a $500-million commitment to Agri-Flexibility, which basically is money provided to the provinces to use on agriculture according to their own priorities.

How much of this might come to Saskatchewan and whether it would be used to prop up the ailing livestock sector are open questions.

Ritz also talked about a billion-dollar Community Adjustment Fund, which would help communities adjust to the current economic hardship. This would be similar to programs announced for rural communities built around the forestry and manufacturing industries.

While Ritz implies this will provide assistance to the livestock sector, it’s hard to fathom how a program to support communities will translate into dollars for primary producers.

The feds are also throwing $50 million at new slaughterhouse initiatives. Hopefully attempts at new facilities will be more successful than the initiatives that were launched during the BSE crisis a few years ago.

To his credit, Premier Brad Wall has raised the problems in the livestock sector at the national level. To the discredit of his government, the province has done very little to help producers.

The cattle industry is not used to asking for ad-hoc handouts, but the dismal state of the industry has more producers than ever suggesting this is necessary.

The recent annual meeting of the Saskatchewan Cattle Feeders Association wrapped up with an interesting panel discussion. The panel members were Bill Jameson, outgoing president of the Saskatchewan Cattle Feeders, Ed Bothner, president of the Saskatchewan Stock Growers, and Jack Hextall, president of the newly formed Saskatchewan Cattlemen’s Association.

Jameson expressed the opinion that in order to help preserve the province’s cow-calf sector, there should be a government support payment of around $100 per cow. Bothner and Hextall didn’t argue with Jameson’s opinion, noting many producers are exiting the business, tired of dismal returns.

However, Brad Wildeman took the microphone and expressed different sentiments. Wildeman is president of the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association, but he made it clear this was his personal opinion..

Wildeman believes an ad-hoc payment would do nothing to preserve the industry and permanent fixes