For Immediate Release
June 17, 2005

Tobacco farmers must ‘stay the course’: Barrett

Delhi- MPP Toby Barrett stressed government support in his address to farmers at a Tobacco Farmers In Crisis meeting in Delhi last night. “When farmers suffer, everyone is affected, said Barrett. “The Ontario government has declared war on tobacco. They are threatening our rural way of life.” Government support for positive alternatives in the tobacco belt has been limited, despite constant reminders from the local MPP. At the Delhi meeting, Barrett outlined his support for three initiatives, he referred to as a three-legged stool.“The first leg is the need for a rural jump team to set up shop in tobacco country,” Barrett asserted. “It could be an on-site, store-front operation in Delhi or Tillsonburg.”Barrett then called on government to support the call for, “an agriculture innovation centre to help farmers look to other commodities and other sectors.”And thirdly, Barrett stated:“I am asking government to support a feasibility study to pipe raw water from Lake Erie to be used, not only for irrigation-based agriculture, but also, once properly treated, to serve municipal needs.”

In order to alleviate immediate hardships, Barrett further called on the government to provide a dignified and continued quota buyout, more assistance for alternative economic activity, and assistance for locally grown tobacco.“We need home-grown tobacco- we know what is in it and where it came from,” said Barrett in reference to the problems of imported leaf.Until government listens, Barrett called on local farmers to remain united and stay the course in their deliberations with government. “You can hang alone, or you can hang together,” he said.

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For more information please contact MPP Toby Barrett at: 519-428-0446, 416-325-8404 or 1-800-903-8629