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Cow calf operators must get politically active, Sytsma says
ATHENS — Cow calf operators must start telephoning and writing their members of parliament at both the provincial and federal levels, says Kim Sytsma, a member of the Ontario Cattlemen’s Association (OCA) executive.
She said NISA was designed to
stabilize income for crop farmers, and is a poor fit for the beef
industry. It is not designed for disasters of this magnitude, she said. "Get politically active,"
she said. "Demand that Canada stop supplementary imports."
Supplementary imports are those that are in excess of a country’s import
commitments. Many cow-calf operators are living
in a dream world, a Renfrew County cattleman told Farmers Forum. If
they don’t get active, they might be bankrupted in the fall when stocker
sales begin. If producers need more information,
they can call the OCA office. Sytsma’s number is 613-924-9241. Sytsma’s four point program for
cow calf producers: 1. Write
letters to MPPs and MPs 2.
Campaign against NISA as a substitute for stronger relief 3.
Support the Renfrew County position on cow calf compensation 4. Demand Canada stop
issuing supplemental permits for imports
Federal minister of Agriculture Lyle
Vanclief wants to use the stabilization part of the Agricultural Policy
Framework (APF) to handle the deepening crisis. But "the new NISA
(Net Income Stabilization Account) is not going to cut it," Systma
said. "This (border closing) is the worst thing to ever happen to
anything in agriculture in Canada."