Some farmers are worried as Parliament is deciding the future of single-desk selling of prairie grain through the Canadian Wheat Board.
A protest on Parliament Hill Tuesday showed the government many farmers aren't happy with the move away from the board's monopoly. Now, there are growing concerns that the conservative government has a plan to target and dismantle Canada's supply-managed sectors.
Art Pruim is busy building a barn for chickens. It'll be a new venture for Pruim, to compliment his dairy, which was started 14 years ago. He plans to have 10,000 hens in the barn by February, so he can begin producing and selling eggs. "There's a better demand for eggs today in Saskatchewan than there has been. So there's been a growth in the industry and i see it continuing to grow as the province grows in population especially."
Canada's supply-managed industries limit domestic production and set-prices for milk, poultry and eggs. That means the producer has a guaranteed price, and consumers have a reliable supply. But there are concerns that once the federal government eliminates the Canadian Wheat Board's single-desk grain marketing system, it will set it' sights on the supply managed systems.
In Ottawa, Interim federal NDP leader Nycole Turmel says that farmers are right to be scared. "No wonder dairy and poultry farmers are worried. First they attack wheat farmers, next dairy and poultry farmers are out of luck. Is supply management on the table, yes or no?"
Prime Minister Stephen Harper replied that his conservative government is in favour of supply management. "It's always our intention when we go to the table to make sure we produce and we protect and we promote the interest of all Canadian sectors, including supply management. That's the position we've taken in all negotiations so far, including negotiations with the European Union."
Pruim says it would be a mistake to dismantle Canada's supply-managed sector, which has become a model for collective marketing systems around the world.
"We've always been a target in WTO talks and NAFTA talks and all the trade talks. But at the end of the day we have to believe in the system, which we do. And we believe that it is in the best interests of us as producers and as consumers and as processors. So we keep moving forward," says Pruim.
It remains to be seen if anything will change for Canada's supply management system. For now, producers like Pruim will keep on planning for the future, and hoping for the best.
