Minister to attend agriculture ministers meeting in Quebec

The Minister of Forest Resources and Agrifoods, Rick Woodford, will be attending the annual meeting of federal-provincial-territorial ministers and deputy ministers of agriculture on March 5 in Quebec City.

Mr. Woodford said he is looking forward to joining his counterparts to discuss many challenges facing the agriculture industry, adding the meeting will focus on the cash crunch facing Canadian farmers, especially the grains and oil seeds farmers of western Canada.

"Although farmers in this province are not faced with the same problems as those in western Canada, they are still faced with the increasing costs and low product prices being experienced by other Canadian farmers," said Mr. Woodford. "This problem requires a joint federal-provincial response and resources must be applied equitably and fairly across the country."

Mr. Woodford noted that a soundly developed and diversified industry is essential to ensuring stable farm incomes, adding that both levels of government should share the cost of achieving this goal.

Media contact: Sonia B. Glover, Communications, (709) 729-6183. 

2001 03 01                                    12:45 p.m.