As fire breaks out in Europe and farmers lose their patience, producers here are taking turns raising their fists, and between the bitterness and the feeling of being misunderstood there is a dull anger that is about to erupt.
• Also read: Farmers' Protests: Demystifying the Economic Impact of Grain Production in Quebec
“Severe actions will take place. This is the beginning of the anger,” says Adrien Papin, grain producer who was forced to close his farm in Saint-Irénée in the MRC Charlevoix-Est.
“The price of gasoline has skyrocketed. We have interest rates that are extremely painful. The climate has intervened and it is difficult for us to get compensation,” complains the man who gave a heartfelt cry in La Terre de chez nous earlier this month.
Adrien Papin has given up farming, although it is a profession that fascinates him. Photo provided by Adrien Papin
The owner Pierre Bourdages, 750 kilometers away, at the Ferme Pierre Bourdages in Saint-Siméon-de-Bonaventure, also complains about a lack of listening.
“We have bitterness. “We have the feeling of being misunderstood,” breathes the strawberry and gardening manufacturer at the head of around a hundred employees.
“We compete with products from Mexico, which have an average wage of $2 an hour,” continues the man, who has a popular agritourism site near him.
- Listen to the interview with Martin Caron, President of the UPA, on Richard Martineau's show QUB :
Falling income
In Quebec, net agricultural income fell from $959 million in 2022 to $487.1 million last year (-49.2%). According to Union of Agricultural Producers (UPA) forecasts, it could even fall to $66 million (-86.5%) in 2024, unprecedented in 86 years.
Worse, between 2010 and 2022, agricultural debt increased by 139% ($11.4 billion in 2010; $27.2 billion in 2022), while net income stagnated in 2022 ($958.6 million -dollars in 2010; 959.0 million US dollars).
Provided by UPA
In an interview with the Journal, UPA President General Martin Caron speaks of a general weariness that is corrupting the industry.
“We talk about food autonomy, but the producer can no longer go into debt for it. “That doesn’t happen anymore,” sums up the man on the other end of the line.
Last April, Le Journal reported that half of farmers had been squeezed by inflation and that one in ten farms were at imminent risk of closure.
The next generation of farmers is at stake with rising debt, the union warns. Union of Agricultural Producers
“In Canada and Quebec we receive three times less support than in the United States. We have to correct the situation. It will require an investment of $130 million,” he says.
Provided by UPA
The number 1 UPA also complains about the regulatory burden and the enormous delays that are necessary in the implementation of projects, such as green fees on diesel and propane.
The company reacts
Asked for comment by Le Journal, the office of Agriculture Minister André Lamontagne recalled that it had increased its agri-environmental practices program by $34 million.
Inflation context, rise in interest rates, freak weather… He recognized that the last few months had been tough.
André Lamontagne, Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food of Quebec (MAPAQ) Photo Francis Halin
“The programs have supported our producers with more than $1 billion through 2023, compared to an average of $440 million over the past 10 years,” it said.
“We are always looking for improvement,” we emphasized. The crop insurance program is currently under review.
“We also want to reduce restrictions by working to reduce paperwork. “We want to give producers a breathing space so they have more time to focus on what they do best: feeding Quebecers,” he concluded.
Highlights
Input prices exploded twice as fast as the consumer price index between 2020 and 2023 (intermediate goods: +31%; CPI: +16%), the UPA notes. Labor costs have also increased significantly (+88% between 2010 and 2022).
Can you share information about this story?
Write to us or call us directly at 1 800-63SCOOP.