Next Policy Framework Must Ensure Farmers are Competitive, Viable: CFIB

With the expiring Canadian Agricultural Partnership largely getting a failing grade, the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) said Canada’s Next Policy Framework needs to lay out a clear roadmap to ensure farmers are competitive, productive, and viable. 

As Canadian agriculture ministers – who will meet in July in Saskatoon - work on finalizing the policy framework, the CFIB is urging all levels of government to focus on agri-businesses’ top priorities, particularly reducing the total tax burden and red tape, the organization said in a release Monday.  

“Less than one-quarter of our agri-business members said the current five-year Canadian Agricultural Partnership was effective at improving the competitiveness of their agri-business. It is important new policies focus on ensuring agri-businesses’ voices are heard, so that they are profitable and more competitive,” said Jasmin Guenette, Vice-President of National Affairs at CFIB.

The Next Policy Framework (NPF) is a five-year (2023–2028) investment by federal, provincial and territorial (FPT) governments aimed at strengthening and growing Canada's agriculture and agri-food sector. It will replace the Canadian Agricultural Partnership (CAP), which ends March 31, 2023. 

According to the CFIB, an overwhelming majority of agri-businesses (94%) said the rising prices of inputs have impacted their business, followed by supply chain challenges (83%) and government increasing business costs (72%). Labour shortages (57%) also pose difficulties.  

With these obstacles in farmers’ way, governments must consider the financial and practical impact of new policies and regulations on the sector before implementing them, the CFIB said. 

“Governments should work on removing roadblocks, namely red tape, government regulation and the excessive carbon tax burden, that are hampering agri-businesses’ recovery,” said Virginia Labbie, senior policy analyst for agri-business at CFIB. “Canadian food producers don’t have room for innovation or improvement if they’re constantly facing the burden of new regulations and escalating carbon taxes.”