As the Legault government drives the nail on food self-sufficiency, Quebec farmers are crying out for help because of the “perfect storm”, which is driving a sharp rise in product prices.
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“Special aid is now necessary to avoid a financial disaster for thousands of agricultural businesses,” warned the general president of the Union des producteurs agricole (UPA), Martin Caron, in a letter sent to the ministers of Agriculture. , yesterday, obtained by Le Journal.
To do this, this assistance can be inspired by the Emergency Account for Canadian Businesses, which makes it possible to combine both liquidity support (repayable portion) and assistance aimed at supporting the profitability of businesses (non-reimbursable portion). refundable),” he added.
1990s
In their letter, the UPA argues that it is necessary to go back to 1991 to find an annual growth rate of the Consumer Price Index (CPI) higher than that of 2021 in Quebec.
Farmers lament that since the beginning of the year, the rise in prices has continued and even accelerated, peaking at 6.8% last April.
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