Disastrous crops: Farmers demand the government again

Two months after 100 horticultural producers asked the regional government for emergency financial aid to compensate for disastrous harvests, many farmers are once again calling on politicians.

• Read also: The suffering of farmers: “If it were not for ordinary workers, my farm would have been burned.”

• Read also: ‘It’s been hell’: Farmers end up after disastrous season

• Read also: ‘Extreme weather events’: Horticultural producers request emergency aid

In addition to the disastrous weather for crops this summer with record rainfall in some areas, inflation and new environmental protection standards that producers must adapt to have caused operating costs to rise significantly.

Many farmers also fear for the next generation in this field, as increasing expenses make it difficult for new producers trying to enter this field.

That is why assistance from the provincial government is being requested once again by the Union of Agricultural Producers (UPA).

“When I look at what happened with the battery sector last week, the announcement that we’re going to blow up BAPE for a company that’s going to come in and set up, and that we, for example, if a pork producer wants to make a project for 2,500 pigs, should move to BAPE, I apologize, but now I am beginning to think that our Minister Lamontagne is alone in fighting for us and that Mr. Legault and Mr. Fitzgibbon no longer want to know anything about agriculture », says the head of the UPA in Capitale-Nationale-Côte-Nord, Yves Laurencel.

For its part, the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food indicated in an email sent to TVA Nouvelles that means have been put in place to support producers’ liquidity.

“In May, Financière Agricole du Québec announced the creation of a working capital loan guarantee of $50,000 without repayment of principal and interest for the first three years, we note. A special committee has also been formed to identify possible solutions to support producers affected by the difficult weather.

We add: “Many adjustments have already been made to take into account the summer of 2023.” “We will continue to improve the programs.”

In a press release published on Thursday, the United Progressive Alliance acknowledged that the government had acted, but according to the organisation, the aid would not be enough.

“The Quebec government has taken concrete actions in response to this perfect storm,” she says. But it is already clear that additional measures will have to be taken.”

Watch the full explanation in the video above