Nickel Belt MP Claude Gravelle says the federal government has a role to play in farming. Gravelle says a problem older farmers in his riding face, and also across Canada, is trying to sell their farms to family members. He says banks rarely provide loans to buy the family farm because it’s a risky business but the feds can help out by providing loan guarantees. Gravelle also wants to see a return to grants for drainage pipes to run off water when there’s too much rain. He says considering the wet summer farmers experienced this year, the grants come in handy. Gravelle says farmers with drainage pipes had an easier time harvesting their crops, but those without them would have seen some crops likely destroyed because of too much water. Gravelle adds it’s important that farms in the north remain viable so that we don’t have to depend as much on importing food.
