Sheridan expecting help for livestock industry

P.E.I. provincial Treasurer Wes Sheridan returned Thursday from meetings with finance ministers in Ottawa saying they told him the livestock industry is in crisis across the country.

Sheridan said 30 to 40 per cent of Island farmers could be out of business come spring unless there is help from Ottawa, with the problem particularly acute in the livestock sector. Sheridan said he went to Ottawa wanting to know if other provinces were facing similar problems and discovered P.E.I. isn't alone.

"I wanted to see if these two commodities, beef and hog— and in our case potatoes— were being impacted as heavily right across the country," he said.

"Every minister to a person said the exact same thing."

Sheridan said all the finance ministers agree this is an issue that needs to be dealt with by the premiers and Prime Minister Stephen Harper. He was encouraged by the response he got from federal Finance Minister Jim Flaherty.

"Mr. Flaherty made very, very clear to us is that he is not in any way, shape or form a Band-Aid solution kind of finance minister," said Sheridan.

"We took from that that he doesn't want to throw good money after bad, and he does not want to just put another Band-Aid on agriculture."

The premiers and Harper will discuss options for the Canadian agriculture industry when they meet next month.

There has been some assistance already for agriculture.

Last Sunday, the Maritime provinces and the federal government announced a $12-million aid package for the beef plant on P.E.I., the only federally inspected beef plant in the region. But some farmers complained that the benefits of the plant are long-term and they need help right now.

On Wednesday, the provincial government announced there would be no new money for the Island's pork processor. The plant has gone into receivership. The province is continuing to run it under a receiver, but operations at the plant are expected to be wound down fairly quickly.