Alberta has signed on to the Canadian Agricultural Partnership, which provides $406 million over the next five years.
The $3 billion federal CAP program has set priorities to support markets, trade, innovation, sustainability and clean growth.
“The investment we are announcing will help Alberta farmers and processors meet the growing needs for the quality food we are so capable of providing,” said federal agriculture minister Lawrence MacAuley before signing the agreement in Calgary on March 26.
The new money becomes available April 1 and should help take advantage of the new trade agreements that are opening with Europe, Asia and South America.
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“The investments we are making here will help us meet our target of $75 billion in agriculture and agri-food exports by 2025,” he said.
Federal ag minister Lawrence MacAuley and Alta ag minister Oneil Carlier sign on to Canadian Agricultural Partnership, the successor to Growing Forward. The farm program delivers $406 million to Alberta over the next 5 years for market development, sustainability et al pic.twitter.com/NrWjhObo9A
— Barbara Duckworth (@Duckworthbj) March 26, 2018
Business risk management programs like AgriStability, Agri-invest, Agri-insurance and AgriRecovery will remain basically the same under the new partnership, said Oneil Carlier, Alberta minister of agriculture.
“Nobody will notice any difference. It should be seamless,” he said.
“There are going to some changes in Agri-Stability that farmers will be able to look at and there will be more of a focus on those environmental efficiencies,” he said.
Alberta plans to divert its money toward environmental sustainability, market growth and diversification, risk management and public trust.
Alberta will offer 15 programs with four launching in April focusing on an environmental theme. The other programs will roll out over the next few months.
Full details of the new initiative, which succeeds the Growing Forward II are available online April 1.
Contact barbara.duckworth@producer.com
