More than 300 farmers in Quebec led their tractors through the streets of Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu yesterday  Friday to send a message to the provincial government saying they are facing an existential crisis.

 They say their costs have ballooned and it has become impossible to make a living.

Their message was simple: no farmers, no food, no future.

"We already have people who have gone bankrupt. We already have people who have closed their doors and are doing something else. And many farmers already have to work nearly part-time, if not full-time, outside the farm to cover their expenses," said Stéphanie Lefebvre, Vice President of the Agricultural Producers Union, the farmers' union in Quebec.

Production costs have doubled or tripled, and high-interest rates make covering expenses more difficult.  Farmers say, moreover, Quebec has some of the strictest regulations in the world.

 Lefebvre said: "It's a whole accumulation of different things that ultimately make it impossible."  "The Canadian Ministry of Agriculture released numbers two weeks ago that farm net income in Canada will be $66 million in 2024. This is illogical. There are 180,000 farms in Canada, which means there is $350 left in each farm's pocket  at the end of the year to pay your salary."

 In an attempt to attract the government's attention, farmers lined up in the streets of Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu with their tractors, demanding more respect.

 Deputy Premier Geneviève Guilbault, who represents the area, addressed the crowd and tried to reassure them that the government supports them.

 But some farmers said this is not enough; there are too many regulations and administrative tasks that prevent them from staying in the fields for a period of time.

 Guilbault said she received the message.

She confirmed, "They said earlier: We don’t want to be in our office doing paperwork. We want to be out there producing food for our people."  She said, "And we agree with that," but the opposition in Quebec City said the recent budget shows that CAQ does not prioritize farmers.

 Gabriel Nadau-Dubois, spokesperson for Québec solidaire, said: "Mr. Legault decided to invest less than 1 percent of his budget in favor of Quebec’s farmers. It’s unacceptable. It’s insulting."

 Liberal agriculture critic in Quebec André Fortin agreed with that.

 He said, "They missed their chance to tell these people here that the government will be there for agriculture. So this will continue."