U.S Government Leaves Farmers in the Dust

Aug 08, 2012

Summer Break Takes Highest Priority for Government Officials

In what seems to be a cruel joke, officials in the U.S. Senate have packed up and left Washington for their August break - while farmers, ranchers and livestock suffer from the worst drought conditions in decades. Instead of getting help out to those in need, officials decided not to take up an essential disaster relief package that would have helped alleviate the intense toll of the drought on farmers.

What does this mean for farmers? It means that we will need to do all that we can to keep our animals alive and livelihoods intact. It means that we need to rely on our fellow farmers and producers to help each other through the tough times – something we farmers are all too familiar with. We need to recognize that our security is jeopardized by the very people who were voted into office to represent us.

Agriculture generates roughly 16 million jobs across America; and while there is always risk in our sector with nature ultimately being in control, we should be able to count on our Government representatives to do all they can to help us out when times get tough – not go on vacation and hope that the problems will just disappear by the time they get back.

According to a crop report issued by the USDA, about half of the country’s corn crop has been rated as “poor” to “very poor”, the worst condition classification. Today, the overall number of counties included on the list of natural disaster areas in the U.S stands at 1,584, spanning 32 states. But corn is only a fraction of the issues faced by farmers in these harrowing drought conditions. With pasture land reduced to almost zero in many states, livestock producers are already tapping into feed reserves normally used to maintain herds during the winter months, causing a potential feed shortfall in the near future.

With our backs to the wall and an entire nation to feed, we have trouble believing that we would be abandoned in our time of need by the people we trusted to protect us. Send a message to your local Senator and let them know that we’re still here and we’re not happy.

Video: Finding a Balance of Innovation and Regulation - Dr. Peter Facchini

Regulations help markets and industry exist on level playing fields, keeping consumers safe and innovation from going too far. However, incredibly strict regulations can stunt innovation and cause entire industries to wither away. Dr. Peter James Facchini brings his perspective on how existing regulations have slowed the advancement of medical developments within Canada. Given the international concern of opium poppy’s illicit potential, Health Canada must abide by this global policy. But with modern technology pushing the development of many pharmaceuticals to being grown via fermentation, is it time to reconsider the rules?

Dr. Peter James Facchini leads research into the metabolic biochemistry in opium poppy at the University of Calgary. For more than 30 years, his work has contributed to the increased availability of benzylisoquinoline alkaloid biosynthetic genes to assist in the creation of morphine for pharmaceutical use. Dr. Facchini completed his B.Sc. and Ph.D. in Biological Sciences at the University of Toronto before completing Postdoctoral Fellowships in Biochemistry at the University of Kentucky in 1992 & Université de Montréal in 1995.