Politicians discussed labour shortages, trade activities and cannabis production
By Kaitlynn Anderson
Staff Writer
Farms.com
Federal, provincial and territorial ag ministers met in Vancouver for two days last week to discuss key issues in the agri-food industry.
The Business Risk Management (BRM) programs, such as AgriStability and AgriInsurance, were on the agenda. An external advisory panel recently completed an assessment of these programs.
The government has agreed to extend this review process.
“You must be continually consulting the agricultural sector,” Lawrence MacAulay, Canada’s minister of agriculture and agri-food, told the media on Friday. “We need to address the problem not from the top-down but from the bottom-up.”
In response to suggestions from the advisory panel, the feds renewed the AgriRisk Initiatives Program under the Canadian Agricultural Partnership.
This program will “help protect our hardworking farmers from the risks they face,” MacAulay said.
The politicians discussed the roles such Partnership programs will play in the cannabis sector.
“It’s important to recognize that cannabis is an agricultural product,” MacAulay said.
While these producers will be able to apply for federal funding, they will not be eligible for income support under the AgriStability and AgriInvest programs. Provincial and territorial governments will independently determine whether cannabis producers will be eligible for other cost-shared programs.
Ag ministers also had opportunities to address the labour shortages within their provinces and territories, Lana Popham, B.C.’s minister of agriculture, said during the media conference.
“The expanding agricultural economy … needs more workers,” MacAulay said. “If there are jobs that need to be done and no Canadians want to (fill them), we want to be sure that we have the workers to do these jobs.”
Minister MacAulay spoke with farmers about their labour challenges during his cross-country agricultural tour.
While the politicians discussed ongoing issues, they also celebrated the industry’s successes.
“Demand for our products is growing both domestically and around the globe,” MacAulay said. “Our agriculture and seafood industry hit an all-time high of over $64 billion (in exports), moving us closer to the (target of) $75 billion by 2025.”
Alex Belomlinsky/Digital Vision Vectors/Getty Images photo