FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

APRIL 23, 2012 

CONSERVATIVES ANBANDON EXPERIMENTAL FARMS

Government turns its back on stated priorities and regions

 OTTAWA – Farmers who benefitted from the good work done by Canada’s experimental farms are wondering why the government has cut these important research tools lose, according to New Democrats MP Pierre Jacob (Brome-Missisquoi). The cuts, which were part of last month’s budget, were made behind closed doors and without input from the operations that benefitted from them.

Jacob, whose constituency is losing an experimental farm noted the private sector is unlikely to replace each of the farms even though they do different work and service unique regions like Quebec’s Eastern Townships.

“These farms are important for agricultural research,” said Jacob. “The work they do is at the core of Agriculture Canada’s mission which the private sector is now supposed to take over - but with no guarantees that will happen.  What’s worse is the way the farm’s employees only learned at the last minute that they were losing their jobs.”

“This flies in the face of the government’s stated priority of research and innovation,” added Official Opposition Agriculture Deputy Critic, Ruth Ellen Brosseau. “People are wondering what the Conservatives are up to given that it is the government’s job to monitor agricultural research and direct it towards the right priorities. What we need are explanations for these cuts and their effects on food production across Canada.”

New Democrats are urging the Conservatives to review their decision and commit to protecting the experimental farms in Kapuskasing and elsewhere in Canada. Closures or cuts are anticipated for farms in Kapuskasing (Ontario) and Bouctouche (New Brunswick), with the possibility of some positions being relocated for the farms in Delhi (Ontario) and Winnipeg (Manitoba).

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