The international political context is hitting the agricultural sector hard. Gathered in Drummondville for their general meeting, the Producteurs de grains du Québec discussed the challenges they will face in the coming months.
© Jean-François Dumas/Radio-Canada
Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau spoke to the Grain Producers of Quebec.
The big sinews of war will be fertilizerssays Werner Schur, who produces field crops in Centre-du-Québec.
Like his colleagues, he fears the negative impacts of the Russian invasion in Ukraine, since the two countries are major fertilizer exporters.
Our suppliers are concerned that not all the orders that have been placed at the moment will be available for this spring. Substituting them in the short term is impossible“, he worries.
Christian Overbeek, president of Les Producteurs de grains du Québec, shares these fears.
All of our producer members are extremely worried and are uncomfortable with the current situation of the evolution of the markets in terms of the acquisition of the various inputs.“, he remarks.
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Price increases have been increasing for several weeks.
We will do everything to help you»
The producers shared their feelings with Federal Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau. She assures us that her government is making every effort to support them.
We will do everything to help you, to help Canadian and Quebec farmers, so that you have access to the essential inputs you need. It’s important for your families, your business and your employees, and it’s also a matter of food safety“, she says.
Christian Overbeek says he is reassured by this message. I think that Ms. Bibeau delivered a message of commitment to us, and that she will make sure to make all possible representations to her colleagues from other departments in order to ensure that we have supplies such as foreseen.»
Quebec has approximately 9,500 grain producers. They are now holding their breath as the good weather approaches.
With information from Jean-François Dumas
