Ottawa, ON (July 9, 2018) – Canada’s AgGrowth coalition and our members believe it is critical to continue the Business Risk Management (BRM) review with a comprehensive mandate, and encourage the Federal Provincial Territorial (FPT) Agriculture Ministers to extend the review process without delay.
In summer of 2017, the FPT Agriculture Ministers initiated a review of the BRM programming in response to concerns that BRM programming did not meet farmer’s needs. The review is not complete, and more work needs to be done to achieve a complete picture of gaps in the BRM suite and identify solutions.
“We urge Canada’s Agriculture Ministers to extend the BRM review process under the guidance of a new steering committee, including more participation from our farming organizations.” said Mark Brock, Chair, AgGrowth Coalition. “This will help ensure that BRM programing is more effective at managing risk for producers on the farm.”
The External Advisory Panel, established to advise on the BRM review, will be submitting recommendations to the FPT Ministers this July in Vancouver. AgGrowth encourages the FPT Ministers to support their work to find solutions for farmers. The AgGrowth Coalition supports the work of the External Advisory Panel (EAP).
“The Canadian agri-food sector has great potential – it is a strategic national asset,” said Jeff Nielsen, Vice Chair, AgGrowth Coalition. “There are many opportunities for growth, but they come at a time with increased volatility and risk. Canadian farmers need a suite of BRM programs that they can use to effectively manage risk so they seize these opportunities.”
AgGrowth Coalition was established by farmers to advocate for a comprehensive reform of risk management programming. The agriculture sector wants to continue to work in partnership with governments across the country to establish the right policies and programs to better reflect modern farming needs in Canada.
AgGrowth Coalition – www.aggrowthcoalition.ca
The AGgrowth Coalition is comprised of the Canadian Federation of Agriculture, Canadian Canola Growers Association, Grain Growers of Canada, Grain Farmers of Ontario, the National Sheep Network, and the Canadian Horticultural Council. The coalition is working towards comprehensive reform of business risk management programming for Canadian farmers.
Media Contacts:
Canadian Federation of Agriculture
Janice Hall
Director of Communications
Phone: 613-236-3633 ext. 2322
Email: communications@canadian-farmers.ca
Grain Growers of Canada
Lindsey Ehman
Manager, Communications & Stakeholder Relations
Phone: 613-233-9954 ext. 202
Email: lehman@ggc-pgc.ca
Canadian Canola Growers Association
Catherine Scovil
Director, Government Relations
Phone: 613-232-0223
Grain Farmers of Ontario
Debra Conlon
Government Relations
Phone: 416-805-4490
Email: dconlon@gfo.ca
Canadian Horticultural Council
Mark Wales
Chair of Business Risk Management Committee
Phone: 519-773-6706
National Sheep Network
Jennifer MacTavish
General Manager
Phone: 519-836-0043
Email: jmactavish@ontariosheep.org