BY ANNETTE KOURI
SASKATOON, Saskatchewan - An estimated 1,200 farmers
organized convoys of farm vehicles, tractors, combines, and
grain trucks along Saskatchewan highways August 2, causing
traffic delays of several hours on the last day of a holiday
weekend. Farmers wanted to draw attention to the severe crisis
hitting agriculture in this province and demand action from
the federal and provincial governments.
Federal government statistics show that this year will be the worst year for farm income since statistics were first recorded in 1926. Agriculture Canada has warned that national net farm income will be cut by half this year, dropping to Can$1.78 billion from an annual average of Can$3.33 billion between 1994 and 1998. In Saskatchewan, farmers will accumulate a debt of Can$48 million as opposed to the last five-year average net income of Can$685 million. Last year, net farm income in Saskatchewan averaged just Can$8,500 per farm (Can$1=US$0.67), according to Statistics Canada.
Denis Martine, who planned to protest near the Manitoba border, pointed to the escalating price of planting crops as he explained to reporters why he would be there. He said his area of southeast Saskatchewan is dotted with empty farms. According to federal statistics, 5,000 farmers have left the land in the 1990s. Martine told the Saskatoon StarPhoenix the mass departure will only continue next year.
Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food statistics provided at the beginning of the year estimated the cost per seeded acre in the province totaled Can$185.63. This compares with an average return per acre of Can$131.25; a loss of Can$54.38 per acre. "The message has to go to the chemical, fertilizer and fuel companies who make the cost of production so high. They're what's killing us," Jeff Lynchuk, a farmer near Smuts, said as he participated in the August 2 action.
Federal government cutbacks have meant that farm subsidies have been slashed on typical Saskatchewan crops. About 80 percent of the income derived from barley came from subsidies in 1986, compared to 7 percent in 1997. Wheat subsidies dropped from 55 percent to 10 percent at the same time.
The federal government phased out the Crow rail subsidy earlier this decade, so now farmers pay the whole tab on shipping and handling.
Robert Rusu from Kayville said, "I'm here today because we're losing our farms. I've farmed for 29 years and I'm broke. We can't get money for our grain. I can't make my payments and I'm going to lose my farm."
Scott Steeves from the Gainsborough area said, "I have no money and AIDA isn't working. My off-farm job doesn't seem to support the farm anymore. I won't go down without making a lot of noise." Steeves was referring to the Agriculture Income Disaster Assistance (AIDA), an aid program announced by the federal government last year. But most farmers can't use it because its based on the income made in the previous years, which has been very low for some time.
Saskatchewan New Democratic Party (NDP) premier Roy Romanow was initially very critical of the highway blockade and was quoted on local radio claiming to be worried about the possibility of violence. The premier changed his tune after 250 farmers burst into an NDP fund-raising picnic August 3, demanding he state his plans for action. Romanow was forced to take the floor and explained that he would insist that the federal government and other provincial premiers prioritize action on agriculture at the up-coming premiers conference in Quebec City August 10.
Farmers demonstrated again in the streets of Regina, the provincial capital, August 6, to drive home their grievances before the premiers meeting. "We've got to raise this issue, we've got to stay on top of it," said protest organizer Harvey Linen, announcing the Regina action
Lyold Pletz, a farmer in the Balcarres area who helped organize the August 2 protest, spoke to the Militant about the farmers' aims. "We're fighting back," he said. "You have to holler and scream. Both levels of government [federal and provincial] have declared war on us. Our only option is to declare war back on them." Pletz explained that farmers need immediate cash relief, but in the long-term they need to meet their production costs. "Nine years out of ten we lose money," he added.
Farmers are demanding Prime Minister Jean Chretien, Finance Minister Paul Martin, and Agriculture Minister Lyle Vanclief come to a large rally in Regina August 16 to address their concerns. If there is no action on the governments' part by then another province-wide farm protest is scheduled for August 17, targeting the cities. Pletz told the press, "We just want to let people in the city know that if agriculture goes down, basically this province is going down. The cities are going down, too."