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Results: 331 - 342 of 342
View Gerald Soroka Profile
CPC (AB)
View Gerald Soroka Profile
2020-03-10 17:26
A problem with many of the programs is that by the time they are triggered, you're almost destitute. By that time it's too late, so what does the program help? This is why the uptake isn't coming forward on these programs.
But what about the young farmers? You talked a bit, Patty, about their not being able to even get crop insurance. For with many of these other programs, though, if you don't have a parent or family to start you off, how are you even going to start in agriculture now?
Do you think we need a program that way?
Patty Rosher
View Patty Rosher Profile
Patty Rosher
2020-03-10 17:27
Oh, yes. That's a very interesting point. Most of our young farmers are attached to their parents' farm. We run into city kids who want to get into agriculture, and that's great. Their entry has mostly been into market-garden farming or very small-scale direct marketing farms. That's great; we like to see that influx. We'd like to support it as well. I'm not sure how the business risk management program we're talking about helps those people, but this is a really interesting area to talk about.
View Lianne Rood Profile
CPC (ON)
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I will be splitting my time with Mr. Lawrence today.
Thank you very much for being here today. You have some great information here in your briefing.
I'm a young farmer myself and I'm very interested in some of the statistics you have in here, because as I see it—and I see this on an everyday basis—I don't see young people wanting to get into the business of agriculture anymore.
You have some statistics here saying that the farms have decreased by half, and yet there's an increase in production.
I'm wondering if you have statistics that break that down, not necessarily by commodity but by cash crops versus fresh fruit and vegetables. What I see—and I'm not sure if we do collect the data on that—is a lot of folks and young farmers getting into cash cropping or into livestock but I really don't see young farmers wanting to get into the fruit and vegetable sector. I foresee that 20 years from now we are going to have a major food security issue with being able to secure our own food here in Canada.
Can you speak to any of that?
Tom Rosser
View Tom Rosser Profile
Tom Rosser
2020-02-27 15:48
Mr. Chair, thanks so much to the member for the question.
She's absolutely right—and Marco touched on this— that attracting the next generation to the sector is important and a priority. You'll notice that the relevant slide in the deck shows, from the most recent census of agriculture, a bit of an uptick in people under 35 entering farming. The challenge is twofold: first, to get people excited about careers in the sector, and then to help them get started.
In terms of a breakout of young farmers by farm type, Kara may know off the top of her head what the statistics show, but, if not, we'd be happy to look into what data's available and share that with the committee.
Kara Beckles
View Kara Beckles Profile
Kara Beckles
2020-02-27 15:48
Off the top of my head, I don't necessarily know about farm type, but I do know that as more women farmers have gotten into the business, there's a tendency for them to get more into mixed farming and crop and greenhouse operations as opposed to the large crop or large animal-type farms.
We do have the statistics on that from the census of agriculture in terms of the breakdown on young farmers and the types of farms, but I don't have that information with me.
View Kody Blois Profile
Lib. (NS)
View Kody Blois Profile
2020-02-27 15:56
The member opposite, my colleague Lianne, mentioned youth in agriculture and some of the different initiatives. Do you have some broad statistics? Can you talk about the need to ensure that we have new entrants? Can you speak to that?
Tom Rosser
View Tom Rosser Profile
Tom Rosser
2020-02-27 15:56
I'll maybe invite my colleagues to comment too, but I was remiss, in responding to the earlier question, not to mention that, as some members may be aware, several weeks ago Minister Bibeau did a call for interest in a youth council to get at exactly that, to hear directly from younger people involved in and interested in farming and agri-food what their perspectives and priorities are.
Marco may be able to offer greater precision. My understanding is that the hope is for an inaugural meeting of that council to take place in the coming weeks this spring.
Marco Valicenti
View Marco Valicenti Profile
Marco Valicenti
2020-02-27 15:57
Thank you, Tom.
Yes, we're looking at having an inaugural meeting sometime this spring.
The intent is to allow the council to provide perspectives in the context of whether.... I should talk about how this council will be represented across the country. We'll look at it from a producer lens as well as a processing lens, and at the supply chain and the value-added perspectives. We are very much looking forward to hearing from them to see how we can engage with and define priorities from a youth perspective.
View Francis Drouin Profile
Lib. (ON)
Last year or the year before, we had a program encouraging young people to work on farmland. Do we know the results of that program?
Tom Rosser
View Tom Rosser Profile
Tom Rosser
2020-02-27 16:20
I'm not sure whether Mr. Valicenti can answer that. You're right, there is a program in place. We will follow up and see what information is available on the results of that program to date.
View Philip Lawrence Profile
CPC (ON)
On a different topic, we've had some discussion about getting young people involved in farming and the challenge that will be. As farms grow bigger and more expensive to invest in, are there programs designed or considered that will allow young people to enter farming?
Paul Samson
View Paul Samson Profile
Paul Samson
2020-02-27 17:12
Here is where I would point to programs outside the business risk management suite, which we've been focusing on here. We have a large number of innovation-focused programs that are focused on promoting new technology use and the kind of thing that would not only improve productivity, but also attract new entrants to farming.
Results: 331 - 342 of 342 | Page: 23 of 23

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