(Montreal) In response to the crisis currently affecting the agricultural sector in Quebec, Québec solidaire (QS) is asking the Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) government to create an emergency fund for farmers in anticipation of the harvest season .
At the end of March, Prime Minister François Legault called the difficulties facing farmers a “crisis” and promised to help them more. However, according to QS co-spokesperson Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois, the government must act more quickly.
“We cannot wait for the next budget to give agricultural producers a little breathing room. Of course, there are many things to do, there are many programs to review, and there are issues that will not be resolved in a few days. But one action that the Prime Minister must take quickly is to release an emergency fund to provide immediate financial assistance to agricultural producers who need it, because the last season was catastrophic, and 2024 is coming. difficult too,” he detailed in an interview.
Several farmers’ protests have taken place in different regions of the province in recent weeks. Friday, the Federation of the Union of Agricultural Producers (UPA) of Montérégie held a demonstration in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, where more than a hundred tractors circulated in the streets. Mr. Nadeau-Dubois was on the scene.
PHOTO MARCO CAMPANOZZI, THE PRESS
Farmers’ demonstration in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu on Friday
“I’ve done a lot of demonstrations in my life, but I’ve never seen so much distress in a demonstration, (what) I saw on Friday,” he said. I have never seen this in a demonstration of 40, 50 year old men having to interrupt their speech because they start to cry. »
The QS co-spokesperson believes that the amount of the emergency fund must be determined in discussion with agricultural producers. He emphasizes that the amount allocated to agriculture in the government’s latest budget is, however, insufficient.
“Agricultural producers are being hit hard by climate change, and they are a bit like the canaries in the mine. It is the first sector of the economy to be hit so hard, but gradually, all sectors of the economy will end up being hit,” said Mr. Nadeau-Dubois.
Protests continue
Agricultural producers will continue to make their voices heard in the coming weeks. The UPA Federation of Montérégie plans to hold a new event on Wednesday in Vaudreuil-Dorion, and another on Friday on the site of the Saint-Hyacinthe Agricultural Expo.
A demonstration should also take place in Outaouais this week, and in other regions in the following weeks, including Chaudière-Appalaches and Centre-du-Québec, indicated Martin Caron, general president of the UPA.
“Currently, we have nothing to say to our people,” said Mr. Caron in an interview. Yes, people in the government are listening to us, but beyond that, it will take concrete actions. »
While agricultural producers are still feeling the aftershocks of last year’s harvest season, many are making changes in preparation for this year.
“Knowing that 2023 is not settled, there are credit lines that are made fuller,” explained Mr. Caron.
“People have chosen to cover less surface areas, to put themselves at less risk. There are other companies that have decided to move into other productions that are less risky. »
The president of the UPA deplores that aid programs for farmers are not adapted to the new reality of climate change, while, for example, producers in Abitibi-Témiscamingue have had to deal with drought and fires of forest last year.
He points out that production costs have also increased in recent years. “It adds to this economic storm that we are seeing on our businesses,” said Mr. Caron, who also highlighted the rise in interest rates as an aggravating factor.
Mr. Caron also deplores that the programs intended for young farmers are not updated, in a context where 40% of farms in Quebec do not have a succession plan, according to the UPA.
“The data we are currently seeing and which concerns us is 44% of young people (where) there is a spouse who will get money from an outside job to be able to make payments on their farm. And that is the new reality that we see, that is where we see that there is discouragement among our young people,” he explained.
Agricultural producers are asking in particular that federal and provincial programs be updated in anticipation of the impact of climate change. Mr. Caron indicated that the UPA is asking for an “agricultural financial shield” from the provincial government to compensate for the increase in interest rates for agricultural businesses in difficulty and start-ups.
The office of the Minister of Agriculture, André Lamontagne, reacted by email to QS’s request on Sunday.
“Currently, the Financière agricole teams are working to reach more than 2,600 companies deemed to be at higher risk to offer them personalized support. We don’t want to leave anyone behind. In anticipation of the 2024 season, Minister Lamontagne asked Financière agricole to be ready to react quickly in the event of difficult weather,” we can read.
The firm also said that it will “continue to be there for our producers who are facing a difficult situation.” “From the start of summer 2023, we created an Emergency Fund which can inject up to 167 million to support farmers with their liquidity,” underlined the cabinet.