COMMENTARIES

Federal support for young farmers

OFA Commentary 2210 Click here for audio version

By Joe Dickenson, OFA Director and Ontario - Quebec member of the Canadian Young Farmers’ Forum 

Through its work with young farmers in Ontario, the Ontario Federation of Agriculture has found a number of impediments to young people getting into agriculture – not only in Ontario, but across Canada.

To get a better understanding of those impediments, the Hon. Jean-Pierre Blackburn, Minister of State for Agriculture, has been travelling across Canada, meeting with young farmers and potential new farmers. OFA President Crews and myself attended the Guelph session. His report on the extensive roundtable discussions has just been released. It provides some promise for young people already in agriculture or wishing to get into the industry.

In a recent news release, Minister Blackburn said: “we are committed to improving existing tools and programs to ensure that Canada’s young farmers have what they need to succeed.”

One of those tools is the National Future Farmers Network, announced by the minister this week. It will be part of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s website, and will be devoted entirely to beginning farmers.

That concept came from discussions hosted by OFA for young farmers. It was felt there was a void in the information network aimed at helping young farmers get into farming. It is anticipated the website section will provide single window access to information on tools, programs and services available to help guide young farmers.

The minister is also planning to seek direct input from farmers when developing agricultural policy and programs. He will do this by hosting a National Future Farmers Network in the fall – bringing together young and beginning farmers as well as industry leaders, and provincial and federal government representatives. According to a news release from the minister, this will be aimed at bringing the voices of young farmers to the fore, and put their ideas into action.

Minister Blackburn has expressed the hope that his report on the cross-Canada consultations with young farmers will be closely examined by members of the Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food. That committee is reviewing government and industry initiatives around the future of farming.

We know that MP Larry Miller, chair of that committee, has spoken publically about the difficulties young people face when attempting to get into farming. Among the obstacles discouraging these young people are the low returns and the long hours of hard work facing farmers.

OFA has developed a list of changes needed to encourage young people to get into farming. Included in that list are changes to help beginning farmers get a Farm Business Registration number to immediately qualify for the Farm Property Class Tax Rate Program.

The list also calls for an industry average Allowable Net Sales for the size and type of a beginning farmers’ operation for programs otherwise calculated using an historical base period. OFA also recommends providing beginning farmers with 100 per cent funding for Environmental Farm Plan projects – another means of making more capital available for those starting up a farming operation.

OFA’s proposal also calls for the development and funding of a loan guarantee and interest subsidy incentive program for beginning farmers. 

Beyond these specific measures, first and foremost, beginning farmers will need bankable and predictable risk management programs such as a revised AgriStability and a Business Risk Management Program. We strongly urge Ministers Blackburn and Ritz to no wait to hear this yet again from our young farmers before taking action. 

If all of these initiatives can be put in place, and promoted on the website now provided under the National Future Farmers Network, the process for getting started in farming should be much simpler.