(Sherbrooke) Monday morning in Sherbrooke: dozens of tractors drive slowly on a section of street connecting the regional offices of the Union of Agricultural Producers and the Ministry of Agriculture, a few hundred meters away.
As unusual as it is, this scene has become frequent in Quebec since December. Affected by high interest rates and the heavy regulatory burden, Quebec farmers are increasing mobilization actions to make themselves heard.
“It’s not easy to convince farmers to leave their farms to come and demonstrate, because they already have a lot of work. So when we see them all here, it shows that something really serious is happening at the moment in the agricultural sector,” said Benjamin Boivin, a corn and wheat producer from Estrie, who was present at the demonstration.
Government assistance programs no longer meet the needs of farmers, while only 1% of the provincial budget is devoted to this area. Most of this money finances a tax credit to help farmers pay municipal taxes, recalled Mr. Boivin.
The president of the Union of Agricultural Producers, Martin Caron, noted that net farm income fell by an average of 50% last year, largely due to rising interest rates and high costs agricultural products, fuel and equipment.
Burdened by falling profits, farmers are also forced to comply with more and more red tape. Forms required to expand farmland can be 100 pages long, and approval of new buildings can take months.
“When you have bureaucrats coming to you to tell you how to do your job, it no longer works for producers,” Mr. Caron insisted in an interview.
Disadvantaged farmers
Since 2015, farmers have paid the government more than 400 million in environmental taxes, levied on a range of plastic products, such as seed, fertilizer and pesticide containers.
Mr. Caron would like this money to be returned directly to farmers to help them adapt to climate change.
These fees, which do not exist elsewhere in Canada or internationally, have put Quebec farmers at a commercial disadvantage, he said.
Also, farmers want the government to cap interest rates on loans granted to them at 3%. And even though the province has created an emergency financing program, Mr. Caron clarified that it consists of loans at unaffordable rates for farmers already in debt.
High interest rates
According to the director of the agricultural business management and technologies program at McGill University, Pascal Thériault, when interest rates were low, farmers were encouraged to invest in their farms. But rising interest rates have contributed to declining profits, he said.
Farmers at Monday’s protest said government programs remain focused on new investments, rather than supporting existing operations.
Due to the seasonal nature of agriculture, producers often have to borrow money, argued Mr. Thériault.
“In the spring, they don’t have any income yet, so they have to borrow: borrow to get seeds, fertilizer and everything they need,” he said in an interview.
“You have to have a lot of assets to generate income, so they have no choice to borrow. And when there is an increase in interest rates, it hurts the portfolio. »
The bureaucracy linked to aid programs also annoys farmers, according to Mr. Thériault.
For example, an agronomist – a soil specialist – must sign certain documents, and farmers can get a grant to hire one, but that entails even more paperwork.
“They therefore have to complete documents to be able to ask someone to help them complete the documents,” illustrated Mr. Thériault.
The government is listening
Quebec says it is listening to farmers’ concerns.
“We are talking about a perfect storm here, so we understand why our producers are worried,” said Sophie J. Barma, press secretary to Agriculture Minister André Lamontagne, by email.
Farmers who are struggling can apply for an emergency funding program created last year, she said, adding that the government is working with the Union of Agricultural Producers and other groups to reduce the burden. regulatory and administrative.
But Mr. Caron replies that he wants to see results.
“Our people want concrete actions. We’ve been told for too long: ‘We understand, we’re going to create committees’,” he denounced.
“Our people want to be respected. »
reference: www.lapresse.ca