NDP Leader Tom Mulcair wants to make the agriculture sector a priority for the federal government.
He introduced his Farm-to-Fork plan while visiting a pepper farm in Chatham-Kent on Wednesday. It includes a payment protection program for produce farmers. "The Conservatives have allowed it to lapse. The Americans had asked to integrate our system with theirs -- we failed to do it. They continue to have protection for their producers -- we don't," explains Mulcair.
He says Canada's supply management system needs to be maintained, there needs to be more support for farm families, and healthy food needs to be more affordable.
The NDP Leader believes agriculture's been neglected by the Conservatives, with 30,000 family farms closing and farm debt rising by 70% on the government's watch.
