Mr. Speaker, the new U.S. farm bill that has just been handed out means further subsidy payments that would drive down international prices of grains and oilseeds even further, and to that would be added pulse crops.
That could deal a fatal blow to many Canadian farm families. Saskatchewan's agriculture minister says the cost to farmers in his province alone would be $500 million to $600 million, money the province does not have. The federal government has an abysmal record when it comes to helping our farmers, but let us concentrate on solutions.
Canada's agriculture ministers have just wrapped up a two day meeting in Ottawa. They are asking the federal government for a minimum of $1.3 billion to offset the trade injury Canadian farmers would suffer from this newest subsidy program. The federal agriculture and finance ministers say they cannot help, but Canadians know there is at least $10 billion of unexpected surplus in our revenues this year.
The government can help and it must before thousands of Canadian farm families are forced off the land.