Canadians are weeks away from choosing their next federal government and Glacier FarmMedia wants to know what farmers want to see on the electoral agenda.
An online survey went out March 26, posted to the websites of the Manitoba Co-operator, along with sister publications like the Western Producer, Grainews, Alberta Farmer Express, Canadian Cattlemen and Farmtario.
Producers were asked which issues they’d like to see candidates to address and what questions they would ask political leaders.
WHY IT MATTERS: Farmers head to the polls for Canada’s 2025 federal election on April 28, with trade being a top pre-election concern identified among Canadian farm groups.
As of April 7, six people had sent responses to the Manitoba Co-operator, not all of whom hailed from Manitoba. Of the local responses, most farmers expressed worry about government debt and spending, as well as trade and tariffs. Other worries included the Trump administrations’s talk around making Canada the 51st state, as well as capital gains tax rules. The controversial hikes to capital gains tax, a policy from the Liberal government that proved significantly unpopular with farmers, was cancelled last month.
Farmers had different ideas about the most pressing issues they faced. One respondent argued that Western Canadian grain, beef and pork farmers got little support compared to labourers in Eastern Canada. The same producer wanted Liberal leader Mark Carney to justify how a government headed by him would be different, given that the people of the old government are still running.
Another respondent wrote the biggest issue facing Canadian farmers were high input costs and low grain prices. Global trade was on another farmer’s mind. They wrote about the need for more global trade and interprovincial support. They also felt there was a need to invest in processing natural products at home. One farmer was concerned about Canadian sovereignty, while another one was worried about net-zero goals, and Chinese tariffs.
Another Manitoba response, submitted through Grainews, also pointed to interprovincial trade and business barriers, as well as a desire to remove the 100 per cent tariffs Canada has instituted on Chinese electric vehicles. The same response suggested more investment into local biofuel industries and infrastructure to support canola.
Yet another Manitoban, responding to the Canadian Cattlemen, said that, “As a younger farmer I’d like to see the removal of government subsidies such as crop insurance and the misuse of the corporate structure allowing the domination of larger farms, which in a free market would be limited by poor years such as this potential upcoming one.”
The rest of the west
As of April 7, the Western Producer had received 33 responses, largely from Alberta.
Many of those expressed worry about carbon pricing, the consumer portion of which was rolled back in April. Government spending and debt were also tagged as issues, with 17 survey takers expressing concern. A further 14 respondents pointed to trade and tariff issues.
Other main issues included capital gains tax rules, AgriStability and general support for agriculture. A few were concerned about the threat of annexation of Canada by the United States, supply management, and broadband connectivity and infrastructure. Farm labour was noted as a concern by several people.
When asked about the most pressing issue facing Canadian farmers, those same respondents noted government spending and the political landscape as concerns. Many farmers asked what the government could do to help Canadian farmers, especially Western Canadian farmers. Western survey takers indicated they felt ignored and taken for granted by the federal government. Government spending, government debt, government red-tape and government overreach were all noted. One person pointed to a lack of production capability and infrastructure required to enhance and support Canadian markets.
Other pressing issues included the cost of fertilizers, the cost of fuel, the cost of machinery and the rising cost of land.
“What consultation with farmers do you intend to do before setting limits on fertilizer, herbicide, pesticide and water application?” One repentant to the Alberta Farmer Express posed to political leaders. “How do you plan to assist farmers financially given the increased geopolitical turmoil that affects farmers access to markets for our products?”
One survey taker emphasized the importance of technology and innovation and asked about solutions to move people off of fossil fuels. Another said the most pressing issue was the lack of affordability for young farmers, while another said it was important to protect supply management.
That contrasted with another Alberta response, submitted to the Canadian Cattlemen, who argued that “As a beef farmer, I cannot compete for land against the chicken and dairy farmers in our area … Supply management is a golden egg for dairy and chicken but at the expense of all other farmers in Alberta.”
When asked for questions for politicians, one farmer wanted to ask about reducing government spending and civil service employees. Another wanted to ask about the tariffs against Canada and supply chain disruptions affecting fertilizer and equipment. They further wanted to know what long-term strategies the government would develop to ensure Canadian farmers can remain competitive, and food secure.
Another farmer wanted to ask Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre how he plans to address United States President Donald Trump and U.S. tariffs, and how Canada was going to find markets for Canadian goods, oil, gas, grain, meat and cars etc. “Canada cannot live by producing only for our small market. We must have a plan to reduce spending and increase sales,” they wrote.
One farmer wanted to ask each political leader what voting for them would mean for the benefit of agriculture in Western Canada, while another wanted to ask Carney about his career change from businessman to politician, while another suggested more civility between Conservatives and the Liberals and urged politicians to show that they cared about Canada and asked the politicians to make Canada strong.
One farmer from British Columbia, submitting answers to the Co-operator, argued for financial protection from severe weather events.
Others, responding to the Canadian Cattlemen, wondered whether producers would get adequate environmental credit for existing sustainable practices.
Eastern Canada
Eastern Canadian respondents echoes trade worries, capital gains questions and issues with AgriStability. One was concerned about farm labour and supply management.
Two farmers were concerned about the loss of land to subdivisions and urban development. Some of the land being developed was vital farmland, which, once developed, could never be put back into workable land again, they said.
Respondents argued for collective self-sufficiency and more reliance on locally grown and produced products and food. The same person wrote that American tariffs will damage the economy, pointing to the scope of farming equipment manufacturers in the U.S. Another said they were bothered by the processing capacity for all agriculture commodities:
“Here in Ontario, 25,000 to 30,000 hogs a week need to leave the province for slaughter. Canadians lose out on all value-added (profit). Is the federal government anti-ag or anti-meat?”
Others pointed to government red tape and rules as pressing issues. They were concerned about excessive taxation, poor financial support programs and a lack of manufacturing.
When it came to asking questions from politicians, one farmer wanted to ask politicians what they are doing to protect farmland and farmers. “The cost of living keeps rising and taxes seem to keep growing. What is your plan to combat the rising prices in essential items, especially our food?” they posed.
Another wanted to ask,”Will you change the AgriStability program to a meaningful program or design a new program that actually takes into account all your expenses and pays out, taking into account unforeseen circumstances like major weather effects and tariffs? AgriStability is a very ineffective program the way it performs now.”
Yet another argued that repeatedly raising the minimum wage just leads to larger costs for consumers. “Instead of raising minimum wage, why not cut the costs at the grocery store and gas pumps to make it more affordable for everyone?” they said.
Surveys will remain open on Glacier FarmMedia websites in the lead up to the election. To have your say, visit the online survey, using the instructions attached to the QR code attached to this story.
The post FARMERS SPEAK: What we heard from you on Canada’s 2025 federal election and what matters for Canadian agriculture appeared first on Farmtario.
