Ontario MP Malcolm Allen made a stop in Powell River last week on his cross-country agricultural tour.
The federal NDP (New Democratic Party) agriculture critic met up with his provincial counterpart, Powell River-Sunshine Coast MLA Nicholas Simons to talk to local producers about how an national food policy can address their concerns on Monday, August 10.
“We went up to Creekside Farms and we talked to some farmers there,” said Simons, the newly appointed provincial agriculture critic. “We got to see how some small scale farmers are making a go of it.”
Simons said that he is adjusting to his new portfolio and learning about which issues are most important. “The agricultural industry is so diverse and huge,” he said, adding that his last portfolio of child welfare also covered a wide range of concerns. “They’re both big portfolios,” he said.
Allen has been going on tours of different parts of Canada and talking to farmers since the last federal election.
“One of the things we campaigned on in 2011 was the need for a national food strategy,” said Allen.
He explained that the national food strategy covers a whole range of areas, including imports and exports, large and small farms, organic farming, supply management, dairy and poultry production.
“It really is a comprehensive policy piece,” he said. “That’s why we’ve taken the time to talk to Canadians about their concerns.”
The pan-Canada tour started on the prairies because of the wheat board issue and then went east to the Maritime provinces. It then visited the southern interior of BC and Ontario. Ruth Ellen Brousseau, MP for Berthier-Maskinongé, toured Quebec because of what Allen called the limitations of his French ability.
Allen said that they have a rough first draft of the policy complete but wanted to visit the West Coast to make the policy inclusive. Despite differences in farm size and focus, Allen said that he has heard similar concerns about farmers being able to access financing, shortages of skilled labour working in agriculture and the need for more research and development.
