Rethink Farm Support, Former Farm Economist Says

Government farm aid is being misspent on farmers who don’t need the help, and Ottawa and the provinces are misguided in their support for supply management, according to a man who was once the voice of Quebec’s powerful Union des Producteurs Agricoles. Instead of subsidizing farm incomes, governments should “support agricultural entrepreneurship in order to

African Agriculture Coming Of Age

Agrowing African food sector can yield private sector returns on the back of government support, said a report on Oct. 26, which also said that a global grain reserve may be needed to protect consumers from price spikes. Local initiatives aiming for an African equivalent of the Green Revolution, which swept developing countries in the


Tying Farm Subsidies To Job Creation

The number of rural jobs created by individual farms should be one of the criteria used to decide the level of European Union subsidies they receive, a European Commission spokesman said April 22. The European Union executive is developing its ideas for reforming the 27-nation bloc’s common agricultural policy (CAP) from 2013, and a key

WTO Members Behind In Their Books

Most members of the World Trade Organization are years behind in providing data about farm subsidies, essential to see whether they are sticking to agreements, an internal WTO document shows. The document, prepared by the WTO secretariat for a meeting on Wednesday of its agriculture committee, which monitors adherence to agreements, shows that 81 of


India Reforms Fertilizer Pricing, Farms To Gain

India has eased controls on several fertilizers and raised prices of the popular urea nutrient by 10 per cent, raising hopes of more reforms, lower subsidies and higher margins for producers. The government, facing protests against soaring food prices, has cautioned fertilizer firms that if prices rise sharply, it will reimpose controls to protect farmers

Modest U. S. Farm Subsidy Reforms Criticized

The U. S. Agriculture Department unveiled tighter eligibility rules for farm subsidies on Jan. 6 but a small-farm group says they don’t live up to President Barack Obama’s call for reform. The rules, effective Jan. 7, bar subsidies to the wealthiest Americans, as required by the 2008 farm law. There is no limit on how


Ghost Of The Crow

JOHN MORRISS EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Afew years ago CBC’s “As it Happens” radio show host introduced a political panel on federal-provincial equalization with the question “Now that the Crowsnest rate is no longer an issue, is equalization destined to take its place as a synonym for ‘bore you to death?’” For those who participated in the

U. S. Lawmakers Seek Dairy Subsidy Boost

The leaders of a Dairy Farmers Caucus in the U. S. House said July 29 they sought a $211-million increase in U. S. dairy subsidies to offset the lowest market prices in three decades. The money would flow through an increase in the payment formula for the Milk Income Loss Contract subsidy, which is based


Canada Must Be Cautious In Trade Talks

Canada has good reasons to be leery of the outcome of the negotiations for a new world trade agreement, says veteran trade observer Peter Clark. “We bought and paid for in the Uruguay round better behaviour by other countries on their subsidies,” he told the Commons agriculture committee June 2. “It hasn’t been delivered. We’re

Recession Shows Advantage Of Supply Management

While farm incomes have plummeted in many sectors, they have remained stable for dairy farmers without any jump in the cost of milk products to consumers, says Richard Doyle, executive director of Dairy Farmers of Canada. “Most of the dairy industry around the world is in crisis,” he told the Commons agriculture committee in late