Survey Reveals Most Canadians Support Government Assistance for Agri-food Sector

Nine out of 10 Canadians support government assistance for the agri-food sector, suggests a new survey by Grassroots Public Affairs

by Rachel Emmanuel and Anchal Sharma – The Sprout on iPolitics

The survey was directed at over 1,000 Canadians online and analyzed their opinions on agriculture, food security and the Canadian food industry as a whole. Over 90 per cent of participants said they agreed with a question asking whether the government should prioritize the agricultural sector with regards to financial support, Farmtario reported.

“The survey comes months into the COVID-19 pandemic in which farm groups have been asking the government for more support for the agriculture sector”

 

When participants were asked which agri-food sector should be granted government subsidies to protect them from the impacts of foreign government decisions, fruits and vegetables ranked highest at 79 per cent, followed by grains, dairy, poultry, beef, aquaculture and pork.

The survey comes months into the COVID-19 pandemic in which farm groups have been asking the government for more support for the agriculture sector. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced a $252-million aid package in May, of which $77.5 million went to food processors for personal protective equipment for workers and to upgrade facilities to better promote current public health recommendations, $50 million went to a purchase program for surplus food, and the remaining $125 million topped up the existing AgriRecovery program.

However, the package fell far short of the $2.6 billion the Canadian Federation of Agriculture estimated would be needed, and it was heavily criticized by opposition parties and industry groups, who continue to call on federal Agriculture and Agri-Food Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau to offer more support outside of loans.