The province has failed its farmers once again.

The United States dumps corn into Canada at below cost of production prices and tops up the producers take home pay with a subsidy. Quebec and Alberta respond with programs to protect their crop farmers. That leaves Ontario surrounded by subsidized farming and our province hasn’t an idea of what to do about it.

The Ontario Corn Producers Association (OCPA) came to the rescue with its risk management program but the McGuinty government said forget it. So did Federal Agriculture Minister Andy Mitchell. Granted, the corn producer program is a little rich but the only solution the two levels of government have is to wait for the December World Trade Organization talks in Hong Kong. Maybe, they say, just maybe, the Americans will lower their subsidies. But that’s like asking Canada’s Liberal government for a straight answer. It’s not going to happen. Just ask Mr. Gomery.

The U.S. has not reduced its subsidies in the past and if no one else budges, there is no way the U.S. will be sweet on Canada in return for all our good neighbourliness, like lambasting their war on terror after 3,000 of theirs were murdered. Waiting for Hong Kong reveals the sorry truth: no leadership, no vision, no guts, no plan.

Agriculture and food-processing is the second largest industry in Ontario. Yet we have no plan to deal with corn selling at $100 a tonne and the prospect of corn selling for an equally low price next year. We have no plan to deal with the U.S. farm bill, which loves its farming. American farmers, God bless them, harvested their second largest corn crop this year. Last year was the largest. Wouldn’t you pump out the corn in return for a fat U.S. treasury top-up?

While some Ontario farmers might plant corn next year. They might not in 2007, unless they’re growing it for their own cattle. But at current prices OCPA’s economist Brian Doidge says he wouldn’t even grow corn if he had his own cattle because it’s cheaper to buy U.S. imports.