The federal government announced last week a four-year, $240 million extension of its Canadian Adaptation and Rural Development fund, with new money distribution rules that will send more to the Prairies and less to Quebec.
Agriculture minister Lyle Vanclief said March 29 the money will fund programs as diverse as environmental sustainability, farm business management and personnel training, 4-H, rural adaptation and research, marketing and farm debt mediation.
The CARD fund was established in 1995 to help Canadian farmers adjust to the loss of various subsidy and support programs for the next four years. Agricultural diversification was one of the themes.
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Money was also spent on improving the food safety system, Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points programs and in Ontario, on-farm environmental plans.
The new program has different and evolving priorities, Vanclief told a news conference.
“But we are basing this announcement on the successes of the last four years,” he said.
Most of the money – $35 million per year – will be spent on national programs chosen from a list of proposals. The remaining $25 million per year will be shared among provincial and territorial adaptation councils run by farmers.
The minister said that under the new formula for distributing the regional money to provincial adaptation councils, Quebec’s share of the funding will fall 35 percent during the next four years. Instead of the $40 million the province received from 1995-99, Quebec’s share of the new program will be $26 million over four years.
In contrast, Alberta’s four-year share of the $100 million adaptation fund will rise from $9 million to more than $14 million. Saskatchewan’s share will jump from $8.8 million to $11.3 million and Manitoba’s will increase to $6.1 million from $4.7.
Vanclief said that in 1995, the Prairies were benefiting from Crow Benefit buyout payments and other freight rate adjustment funds. “At that time, it was felt the CARD could be used to put more emphasis on adaptation in Central Canada.”
Now, the emphasis is switching to the West, where the other adjustment programs have petered out.
Among projects already approved for funding are:
- A $15 million, four-year commitment to the Canadian Farm Business Management Program. After that, industry and the provinces will be expected to pick up most of the program tab.
- The Canadian 4-H Council will receive $300,000 per year.
- The Canadian Farm Debt Mediation and Farm Consultation Services will receive $4 million annually “to provide mediation services for insolvent farmers and their creditors” as well as counselling for farmers falling into financial trouble.
- $1 million per year will be spent on farm safety education.
