Spud and grain farmers are victims of wet weather
Published Friday December 5th, 2008
Frustrated growers want political action, feel
Like their Prince Edward Island counterparts, New Brunswick potato farmers are also victims of extreme wet conditions this summer and through the harvesting season.
But the difference in the way their respective governments are handling the situation have left numerous N.B. farmers frustrated and upset over being "abandoned" by Premier Shawn Graham's Liberal government.
The wet spring, summer and fall spelled disaster for many N.B. potato producers. Numerous growers reported much of their potato production was left in the field because of high incident of rot and the spuds in potato storage are causing more damages for farmers.
Growers said the dismal crop forecast was made even worse on Oct. 10, when Ronald Ouellette, minister of Agriculture and Aquaculture, announced the establishment of six task groups as a prelude to developing an agriculture plan for New Brunswick. On Oct. 1, Neil Leclair, P.E.I. minister of Agriculture, announced a $12.4 million disaster assistance program for his potato farmers that were victims of extreme wet weather conditions.
"This program is in response to requests from the potato industry which is facing serious losses due to acreages which cannot be harvested and which face the risk of rot in storage," LeClair said. "The program will help producers make timely decisions on the management of their crop."
The P.E.I. program provides assistance above and beyond the existing production insurance program. Growers with production insurance will receive additional assistance for all areas that are abandoned. All potato producers will be eligible for disaster assistance to destroy affected areas of their fields.
The P.E.I. announcement left many N.B. growers shaking their heads in disbelief, asking where are the priorities of their own Ag department, especially since N.B. received more rain than P.E.I.
"It's all across the province, there are people losing potatoes," said Kevin Jensen, a New Denmark seed grower. "I've heard of different ones, it's from Clair to Woodstock, as a result of too much rain this summer. There are programs that I understand in the new federal-provincial agreements if there is a wide spread of disaster in the ag sector.
"We read in the paper that P.E.I. growers are getting funding and we cannot understand why people here haven't applied for the funding as well. Their rain came after ours and their industry still applies to receive assistance. We had our damage almost earlier than P.E.I. did, they had $12.4 million and now we are going to compete with P.E.I. We are all competitors into the same market. We should have assistance the same way."
Environment Canada records show New Brunswick's north-west region received five more inches of rain than P.E.I. The north-west endured a whopping 19 inches of rain from June to September. The result was an estimated 450 acres of potatoes left in the ground because of the damp and rainy weather, according to the Department of Agriculture. Photos of harvested potatoes that were left on the field by growers were sent to the department, but the department had no response.
Today, growers are already seeing signs of potatoes rotting in storage. Some farmers are already sending their potatoes to livestock in Québec and into dumps. Grain farmers are also experiencing severe damage because of the excessive rainfall.
Extensive interviews were conducted with farmers who are concerned that the five years of production costs escalating past selling prices, and now the weather challenges, will force many growers out of business. Cereal growers Robert and Éric Thériault; Yvon Ouellette, a cereal and seed potato grower in Drummond; Kevin Jensen, a seed potato grower in New Denmark; and Gailen Allan, president of the Association of Potato Seed Growers of New Brunswick and a seed grower in Glassville, all have similar messages –N.B. farmers are at the breaking point.
Farmers are worried
"In agriculture, we could do all the efforts but if nature doesn't collaborate, the results are disastrous," said Robert Theriault. "That's what happened during this last summer. The excess rainfall washed out the necessary fertilizer that the plants would need and the sun was largely absent for photosynthesis. Efforts to control disease did not eliminate it completely. The quality of the wheat has gone from the category of cereal consumption to a quality animal feed. In consequence, we had a lost of $175 a metric ton without counting a lost of half a ton per acre."
Galen Allan called the 2008 growing season most peculiar.
"Weather patterns are changing. The rain this summer, we had five weeks of wet summer which was very different. We didn't want five weeks of rain, we had 15 inches during that time and we had seven inches of rain in the second week of harvest and we didn't need that."
Allan said some Carleton County growers measured almost 18 inches of water over five weeks.
"With the fertilizer already in the soil, it was gone; the water leaches the fertilizer all out. The consequence with all this rain, the potatoes didn't size up and, on top of all, we had a killing frost in mid-September, and then we had another killing frost the week after and that was the end of the Russet crop. Some of the farmers were saying that was the smallest crop that they harvested in their life," Allan stated.
Some seed growers are cutting their losses and moving their spuds to the table market because it looks like the longer the crop remains in storage, there may be a problem. That could mean seed potatoes will be scarce next spring.
Faced with a soggy, rotting crop, growers said Potatoes NB should have immediately started lobbying for disaster assistance.
"Potatoes NB has to make the request to the New Brunswick minister of Agriculture," Jensen stated. "That is how we are structured. They are supposed to be the voice for the industry, that's what we were told. If an individual went to the minister and said why aren't we doing something, well I am sure he will be told that Potatoes NB haven't told us anything about this. If Potatoes NB does not make the request, I don't think anything will come. The P.E.I. Potato board is the equivalent of Potatoes NB and it appears that they made the request to their provincial Department of Agriculture in collaboration with the federal department."
Jensen said the request for financial assistance is urgent.
"We have been losing farmers, I don't see new ones coming and, I think just three years ago, there were 13 farmers in New Denmark and now we are at seven farmers. We have lost half in about three years. If I look across the Salmon River, to the Desjardins Road, Price Road, Main 108, the number of farmers of Drummond are just falling. So we have to look at new programs for the future. I think we have to change, we have to change quickly. We are losing farmers every year; we are seeing our neighbours drop out each year," Jensen stated.
A recent Potatoes NB study showed that producers lost 60 per cent of their equity in the last five years.
"If we have lost 60 per cent in five years and if we are going at the same pace, where we will be in five years from now?" Jensen asked. "On top of the financial aid asked for, the provincial government has to sit down with the farmers and address these issues quickly. Potatoes NB should set the stage right now; meet all farmers in small groups if they want to be the voice of the industry. Somebody has to initiate this quickly."
Potatoes NB did not respond to numerous media phone calls on the matter.
Crop insurance inadequate
Gailen Allan, who sits on the New Brunswick Crop Insurance Commission, said the insured price for potatoes at $12 a barrel is simply too low.
"It's not covering the cost of production," he said. "Now we are faced with huge problems. The minister of Agriculture has got to listen to the farmers that are growing potatoes. He can't say buy crop insurance and use CAIS. It amazed me P.E.I always gets help for their agriculture industry … If New Brunswick farmers don't get anything for their product and we had five bad years, eventually who is going to grow the food, who is going to feed the people if there are no farmers? People have to realize that there is somebody out there growing their food and that didn't come out of a package or a can, there is a person there."
Allan estimated up to 20 Northwest farmers will not be planting next spring, and he is uncertain if he will plant a crop. Banks and credit unions are also becoming increasingly conservative with their lending practices to struggling farmers.
"The banks are very reserved on funding for agriculture, especially potato production ... They are 20 years behind, when the cost of production was low and the price of farms was a fraction of today's value. Today, with the cost of production at $4,000 per acre and a farm's operation costing millions, farmers need cash flow to operate. They are delaying the progress of the region's economy," Yvon Ouellette said.
Farmers say addressing the problem will require more co-operation from farmers and government, especially for young farmers contemplating their future in agriculture.
"The government and the potato industry should immediately begin working together to develop solutions for all sectors of the potato industry, recognizing that processing potatoes, table potatoes and seed potatoes must all be prosperous to have a truly prosperous industry," Jensen commented.
"The next generation will not be able to take over in agriculture. Farmers are disappearing and will continue to do so and the result will be a tremendous drop for the Grand Falls economy," Yvon Ouellette added. "Government has to realize that the farming industry contributes to its public treasure."
But some farmers question if the potato industry and agriculture as a whole is even on the provincial government's radar.
"Inside the report The Road to Self-Sufficiency, A Common Cause, the agriculture sector was not mentioned," Robert Thériault stated.
More News
Search Articles
More CE Network Sites & Partners:
