"There’s been a lot said about the need to reduce subsidies. Don’t be fooled. The United States and the European Union will always stand behind their farmers.

"I was representing you in Winnipeg last week at a National Symposium on Ecological Goods and Services. Representatives from the United States, England, France, the OECD and Australia all had the same message. The message was simply that they were committed to moving away from production subsidies, but were going to redirect those same dollars to payments for clean air, clean water, green-space and so on. Farmers in those countries and many others are going to go to the fields this spring knowing fully well their governments and their citizens understand that their domestic supply of food is fundamental to their success as a nation and they are prepared to pay whatever it costs to keep it.

"When we started rallying six years ago, our banners read: "Equity with the U.S." Since that time, we the farmers of Canada and Ontario have developed a menu of farm programs that will work for Canadian farmers to keep us producing the safest food in the world. They are programs like the Risk Management for the grains and oilseed sector in Ontario; Self Directed Risk Management for the horticultural sector; and a slate of others. Our colleagues in Quebec and Atlantic Canada, and the Western Provinces have similar programs. Programs that will work for farmers in each region of Canada. Programs modeled on the one remaining jewel in Canadian agriculture, supply management. Programs based on recovering costs of production...

"Minister Strahl; are you our champion? Are you our minister for agriculture? Or are you just another minister of agriculture?

"Are you going to deliver a fully funded Risk Management Program? Are you going to deliver Self Directed Risk Management for horticulture?"

"Are you going to secure the funding necessary for the program that we the industry have developed? Are you going to let the provinces do the distribution?"