By Alice McFarlane

Agriculture ministers set direction for the next agricultural framework

Nov 12, 2021 | 12:17 PM

MELFORT, Sask. — Canada’s federal, provincial, and territorial (FPT) agriculture ministers wrapped up their annual conference by setting five broad priorities for the next suite of business risk management programs (BRM).

Following three days of meetings, the ministers released the “Guelph Statement” which will be starting point for discussion on the next agriculture policy framework for 2023 to 2028.

Ministers agreed on the sustainable agriculture approach which includes climate change and the environment; science, research, and innovation; market development and trade; building sector capacity and growth; and resiliency and public trust.

The goal is to sign the partnership agreement for the next five-year framework at their 2022 annual meeting in Saskatchewan in July. The current five-year, $3-billion Canadian Agricultural Partnership is set to expire at the end of March 2023.

Federal Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau said this is just the starting point and the dollar amount has not been agreed upon.

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“We all want to ensure that our agriculture is sustainable and that our farmers and agri-food entrepreneurs succeed. They must be incredibly resilient and innovative in the face of many challenges, including climate change, fluctuations in international trade, and labour shortages,” Bibeau said.

There were discussions on a climate incentive that could push adoption of best practices, according to Bibeau.

“We want to encourage producers to go faster in the adoption of these practices that can make a difference in reducing our emissions or raising carbon sequestration, having better management of fertilizer, and others, so we’ll try to be creative in our ways to recognize these efforts and accelerate the movement in this direction,” Bibeau said. “All options are on the table. BRM could be a tool to do that, and other programs as well.”

Ministers also agreed to continue to improve BRM programs to make them timely, equitable, and easy to understand, while supporting the competitiveness and sustainability of the sector.

Co-chair and Ontario Agriculture Minister Lisa Thompson said discussion focused on ways to build a competitive, sustainable agriculture sector.

“This includes the use of research, technology and innovation to help us meet the challenges of the future, and the Guelph Statement reflects this,” Thompson said.

The ministers also discussed improvements to agri-food labour, increasing trade and investment, enhancing mental health supports for farmers and their families, and protecting the hog sector from African Swine Fever.

The ministers also heard presentations from the Canadian Federation of Agriculture, Canadian Cattlemen’s Association, Canadian Canola Growers Association, Grain Growers of Canada, and the Canadian Pork Council.

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alice.mcfarlane@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @farmnewsNOW