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NDP's Wyse says regs will hurt farms
By NEIL HORNER
News Reporter
September 21st, 2007
Wayne Osborne and other smallhold farmers upset with stringent new meat industry regulations got a boost this week from the official opposition. Charlie Wyse, a New Democrat MLA expressed deep concern Tuesday about the regulations, arguing they will devastate the livelihoods of small processors, some of whom have been safe for over 40 years. "Advancing food safety in B.C. is paramount to consumer confidence, however, the Campbell government has implemented the meat inspection regulations without adequate consultation or assistance to smaller players in the meat industry,"Wyse said. The new regulations come into effect on Sept. 30, requiring meat processing facilities to invest in equipment upgrades to meet the new provincial standard. "My main concern is that ... it will concentrate food production to the point that producing local and buying local will get much harder,"Wyse said. "It is a clumsy attempt to advance food safety and will result in larger players gaining more market share." Wyse called on agriculture minister Pat Bell to meet with local meat processors immediately and assist existing facilities so they are not left behind. Nanaimo-Parksville MLA Ron Cantelon said agrees the new regulations pose a problem to small farmers and expressed frustration with what he called "a horrible bureaucratic mess." "I've been on this file as part of the agriculture planning committee,"he said. "Quite a bit has been done, but it hasn't been nearly enough." Cantelon said he talked to agriculture minister Pat Bell last week on the issue. "I told him we are going to hit the wall soon and nothing has happened,"Cantelon said. "I don't know what we are going to do, but but I hope we can reach some sort of accommodation." Cantelon said he would like to consider some form of conditional licensing so regulators can take a second look. "We are going to have to be more flexible,"he said. "Otherwise, ... this is going to be very bad. Farmers will either go out of business or they will go underground." news@pqbnews.com
Original Source:
http://www.pqbnews.com/portals-code/list.cgi?paper=50&cat=23&id=1069356&more=1
By NEIL HORNER
News Reporter
September 21st, 2007
Wayne Osborne and other smallhold farmers upset with stringent new meat industry regulations got a boost this week from the official opposition. Charlie Wyse, a New Democrat MLA expressed deep concern Tuesday about the regulations, arguing they will devastate the livelihoods of small processors, some of whom have been safe for over 40 years. "Advancing food safety in B.C. is paramount to consumer confidence, however, the Campbell government has implemented the meat inspection regulations without adequate consultation or assistance to smaller players in the meat industry,"Wyse said. The new regulations come into effect on Sept. 30, requiring meat processing facilities to invest in equipment upgrades to meet the new provincial standard. "My main concern is that ... it will concentrate food production to the point that producing local and buying local will get much harder,"Wyse said. "It is a clumsy attempt to advance food safety and will result in larger players gaining more market share." Wyse called on agriculture minister Pat Bell to meet with local meat processors immediately and assist existing facilities so they are not left behind. Nanaimo-Parksville MLA Ron Cantelon said agrees the new regulations pose a problem to small farmers and expressed frustration with what he called "a horrible bureaucratic mess." "I've been on this file as part of the agriculture planning committee,"he said. "Quite a bit has been done, but it hasn't been nearly enough." Cantelon said he talked to agriculture minister Pat Bell last week on the issue. "I told him we are going to hit the wall soon and nothing has happened,"Cantelon said. "I don't know what we are going to do, but but I hope we can reach some sort of accommodation." Cantelon said he would like to consider some form of conditional licensing so regulators can take a second look. "We are going to have to be more flexible,"he said. "Otherwise, ... this is going to be very bad. Farmers will either go out of business or they will go underground." news@pqbnews.com
Original Source:
http://www.pqbnews.com/portals-code/list.cgi?paper=50&cat=23&id=1069356&more=1
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