national farmers union

SASKATOON, Sask.-In a Dec. 1 news release entitled"Agri-Food Trade Can Help Farm Income Problem....", Minister of Agriculture Lyle Vanclief stated: "Canada-U.S. trade clearly benefits the incomes of producers in both countries."

The graph below was prepared using agri-food trade data from Minister Vanclief's own department and net farm income data from Statistics Canada (Cat. # 21-603E). That graph calls into question the benefits of trade to farmers.

Note that Canadian agri-food exports have quintupled since 1975. Realized net farm income, however, declined over that same period.

"It is unfortunate that Minister Vanclief declined an invitation to address the NFU annual Convention which begins Thursday in Saskatoon. The theme of that Convention is: Trade as if farmers mattered. Delegates would be very interested in discussing Minister Vanclief's statements about the benefits of trade to Canadian farm families," said NFU Region 5 (Manitoba) Coordinator Fred Tait.

"I suspect that the Minister has been misinformed by his officials about the benefits of trade. As farmers face the current farm income crisis, it is important to them that the Federal Minister of Agriculture is properly informed and understands the realities of the current environment," concluded Tait.

For More Information:

• Fred Tait, NFU Region 5 (Manitoba) Coordinator
• Darrin Qualman, Exec. Sec. (306) 652-9465