By Alice McFarlane

Agriculture Ministers discuss sustainability, AgriStability

Jul 21, 2023 | 3:23 PM

Federal, Provincial and Territorial (FPT) Ministers of Agriculture wrapped up their annual meeting in Fredericton and committed to improvements in business risk programs and the creation of a Foot and Mouth vaccine bank.

Agriculture and Agri-Food Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau said the ministers want to ensure programs are timely and reliable. She said there was an agreement to implement a new, optional model of AgriStability.

“To make it simpler at the moment you want to apply and also to make it faster when it’s time to receive support,” Bibeau said. “Depending on the province, there will be two possibilities to register. It might be a bit technical, but it could make a significant difference in terms of accessibility, making it easier to access.”

Details were not made available but provinces could choose to use a cash or accrual accounting method. Bibeau said a pilot program was successful.

The ministers also committed to working together to share data and complete AgriRecovery assessments.

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Funds have been committed for a Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) vaccine bank for Canada. There will be $57.5 million over five years (starting in 2023-24) and $5.6 million in ongoing funding to support the banks and the creation of response plans with provinces and territories.

Canadian producers need effective tools to manage weeds, pests and plant diseases. The Ministers agreed that science and evidence-based decision-making on regulating crop protection products is crucial. They also recognized the importance of supporting research into pest management tools, practices and solutions such as biopesticides and integrated pest management approaches.

Following the Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) presentation, an FPT working group was created to explore the challenges of pesticide management.

Canada’s readiness and capacity to respond to potential disease outbreaks were examined and the importance of ensuring public confidence in the Canadian food supply and mitigating trade-related market disruptions.

Consultations on the Grocery Sector Code of Conduct were held in May. Ministers were told an office will be established to provide training, education, dispute resolution services and oversight. Short-term funding has been provided for a grocery advocate office.

There was also discussion regarding the extreme weather situations currently impacting producers across the country, including drought and wildfires. Labour unrest, including recent disruptions at the Port of Vancouver, Clean Fuel Regulations as well as honey bee health were on the agenda.

The next annual FPT Ministers’ meeting will be held in Whitehorse in July 2024.

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alice.mcfarlane@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @farmnewsNOW