Montague, PEI -
The collapse of the Island beef industry will create an economic tsunami across rural Prince Edward Island and a moratorium should be implemented on such actions right away.
Those are the messages coming from the National Farmers Union, farm groups and Opposition politicians in the wake of the pending farm foreclosure on a Village Green beef farmer described as having one of the best herds on the Island.
"There should be a moratorium implemented on farm closures right away," said Peter Verleun, chair of the PEI Cattlemen's Association. "We're going to lose so many farmers that it will knock agriculture out of balance."
Reaction to the pending farm foreclosure of Sterling and Cynthia Mitchell in Village Green has sparked a donation fund to be established at Islandwide credit unions and a Facebook Internet help site.
"The Farm Credit Corporation's foreclosure attempt last week on Greencrest Farms is just one example," said Opposition critic Jim Bagnall. "Farmers are being forced to sell off their cattle and get out of the beef industry because they can't make it financially anymore. We have a crisis in the agriculture industry and it's one that this government continues to ignore."
Opposition politicians want an emergency session involving all agricultural sectors to be held to stem the tide. The Federation of Agriculture also insists the crisis in the farming sector is escalating.
"It's getting out of hand," said federation executive director Mike Nabuurs. "All sectors are integrated to help each other with cropping and rotations and fertilizer, but take away too many and the whole wheel collapses."
Elwin Wyand of the National Farmers Union said the Farm Credit Corporation was ruthless last week in dealing with the Mitchell family and is calling on the support of all Islanders to help the family. The couple has about two weeks to come up about $250,000 to help curb FCC from foreclosing on their beef operation with 500 head of cattle.
FCC tried to move in and haul the cattle away on Friday (June 12) and that sparked a blockade by farmers from all over eastern PEI.
"Rather than take the cattle back to the Mitchell farm where their supply of feed was, Farm Credit ordered them to be housed several miles away and then tried to move them on Friday to Nova Scotia," said the NFU. "It's a shame to see the honesty and integrity of this fine farm family undermined in this way."
Bagnall said that all Islanders will suffer from the loss of the beef and hog industries because farms will no longer be able to utilize organic manure and be forced to use costly chemical fertilizers which are more harmful to the environment.
"The ripple effect will be felt like a tsunami across this province, especially in rural PEI," warned Bagnall.
Wyand said it's time for government to structure orderly marketing systems for all production to help farmers survive. -The Guardian
