The federal government has extended its $60 million Canadian Adaptation and Rural Development fund for another year.
The CARD fund was created after the demise of the Crow Benefit subsidy in 1995 and was designed to help farmers and rural areas diversify and reduce dependence on the sale of raw commodities.
Agriculture minister Lyle Vanclief said $25 million will fund regional projects designated by industry-organized adaptation councils in each province. The remaining $35 million will fund national projects.
Since the CARD fund was started, almost $500 million in federal money has been spent to support a diverse range of projects involving such issues as swine genetics, infectious disease control and apple industry promotion.
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The government says more than 4,800 projects have been funded.
“The extension of CARD is a reflection of its overwhelming success,” agriculture minister Lyle Vanclief said.
By funding environmental and food safety projects, the department says CARD helps promote the principles of the agriculture policy framework, now being negotiated between federal and provincial governments.
The CARD program was created by former agriculture minister Ralph Goodale as a carrot to convince prairie farmers they could move beyond selling bulk grain. It has been embraced by the farm community in large part because farmer representatives have a direct part, through adaptation councils, in deciding how to spend the money.
Funding for the program will be extended until March 31, 2004.
