On April 11, Rebecca Lee, CHC Executive Director, and Mark Wales, CHC Business Risk Management Chair, attended an in-person stakeholder engagement session, hosted by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC), in regards to the effectiveness of existing Business Risk Management programs.
About 60 delegates were in attendance, including about 30 from government, about 25 from industry, including a handful of actual growers.
CHC emphasized the following key messages throughout the session, in cooperation with the AgGrowth Coalition:
- BRM programming today does not meet the needs and expectations of producers;
- The BRM review process has just begun – there is clearly more work to do;
- The analysis needs to be client-focused and with a defined strategic intent that goes beyond a mere tweaking of existing programs; and
- Working together, we need to analyze the effectiveness of these options in managing price, margin and production risks on the farm.
Outcome of meeting
AAFC heard these messages, and its external advisory panel agreed to consider the points during its third face-to-face meeting next week. This acknowledgement resulted in a generally positive mood among industry following the session.
CHC will continue to push for a greater analysis of BRM needs and to advocate for appropriate and effective support systems for Canadian horticultural producers.
About the AgGrowth Coalition
AgGrowth Coalition members include CHC, the Canadian Federation of Agriculture, Grain Growers of Canada, the National Sheep Network, the Canadian Canola Growers’ Association, and Grain Farmers of Ontario.
About the External Advisory Panel
The External Advisory Panel is a panel of producers, academics and experts that has been established to provide feedback and guidance on the review of BRM programs. The panel includes Rebecca Lee, Executive Director for CHC.