Sask.’s former premier delivered remarks during the Canadian Western Agribition
By Diego Flammini
Staff Writer
Farms.com
The Canadian ag industry needs to continue to defend itself from groups that challenge agriculture.
That’s the message Brad Wall, Saskatchewan’s former premier, had for farmers attending the Canadian Western Agribition yesterday.
Wall cited examples from the energy sector and warned farmers that they could receive backlash from some consumers.
“Let’s not take a knife to a gun fight… we ought to learn from what happened in oil in general, the energy sector, and the agriculture sector,” he said during his presentation, CTV reported. “We ought to be ready to put resources and effort and effect into countering what is already out there, and what's probably coming from groups that want to have a run at modern agriculture.”
And the industry is ready to stand up for itself, said Gerrid Gust, vice chair of Saskatchewan Pulse Growers (SPG).
Groups like SPG provide funding to organizations like Farm & Food Care Saskatchewan. Continuing to educate the public about agriculture is the best way to combat misinformation, he said to Farms.com.
“We’re very aware that, if we just put our heads down and don’t respond to some of the false information that’s out there, then we could lose valuable tools that we need to farm successfully.”
One of the challenges is a lack of consumer awareness about what it takes to raise food and run a business, Gust added.
“I think most people just aren’t aware of what it takes to grow food on a massive scale and still make money at it,” he said. “It takes a lot of effort and a coordinated supply chain for people to have access to food in their grocery stores 365 days a year.
“We have to make sure that, when questions do come up, we answer them honestly and provide explanations about why we do certain things on our farms.”
Swift Current Online photo