Thank you very much for giving me this opportunity to talk to you on behalf of the very few young farmers who are left in Canada.
I'm a fifth-generation Saskatchewan farmer. I was raised on a family farm north of Saskatoon with three older siblings, who are all now engineers. When I came back to the farm four years ago, it was a typical prairie grain farm. In the last four years it has undergone some major changes.
I am now the primary operator of our 1,500-acre family farm. We've been licensed to produce hemp since 2004 and have recently been certified for organic production. The farm also produces wheat, barley, lentils, peas, flax, oats, and rye. I have recently renewed another term with the National Farmers Union as the youth vice-president.
It is a very difficult time to work around the issues involving young people in agriculture in Canada. In the last 15 years, the number of farmers under the age of 35 has gone from over 80,000 to under 30,000. That's a loss of over 60%. The average age of Canadian farmers has gone from 50 to 53 in one year alone.
These statistics are not surprising, given that the last several years have seen the lowest farm incomes in Canadian history. Until long-term profitability can be ensured for our young farmers, their numbers will continue to decline.
One of the keys to sustainable profits for young farmers lies in market stability. All too often young farmers lack the financial flexibility to take advantage of our open markets. They are often required to sell their products as soon as they can at a lower price in order to make their payments. The Canadian Wheat Board, along with other supply management strategies, plays a critical role in providing stability to farmers in an increasingly volatile industry.
The initiatives put forward by the new business risk management programs of growing forward are short-term solutions that are effective only after income loss. A true agri-stability program would focus on policies that strengthen farmers' collective bargaining power, thereby lowering individual risk and the need for federal support.
Making the decision to return to rural Saskatchewan and commit myself to a career in farming goes radically against what statistics in agriculture would recommend. Social norms make it acceptable and reasonable for young people to desert their rural roots.
Food and farming are fundamental components in our society as a whole. As a young farmer, my success is dependent not only on my own knowledge and expertise, but on farm policy that is fair and just and puts the interests of farmers first.
Thank you.