A new federal aid package for farmers and agriculture producers falls short of what some groups have been asking for.
The Canadian Federation of Agriculture (CFA) has been advocating for a $2.6 billion emergency preparedness fund.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the $252 million announced yesterday is just an initial investment, and “if we need to add more, we will.”
Keystone Agricultural Producers (KAP) president Bill Campbell says this financial assistance is a good start.
“It’s good that the government has finally acknowledged some of the impacts of COVID-19, but I’m not sure if this amount of money actually deals with the impact being felt.”
When looking at how much is being set aside for cattle producers, Campbell says there “isn’t a large amount of money to help producers”.
He says it’s encouraging to see $50 million set aside for the purchase of surplus Ag commodities, so some food doesn’t go to waste.
Going forward, the KAP President hopes to see a movement amongst Canadians, engaging with their MP’s and MLA’s, and even grocery chains, to make sure Canadian food production is top of mind.
