Budget contained $50 million for agricultural innovation

Although finance minister Jim Flaherty did not mention agriculture in his budget speech today, his 2011-12 budget did include some small spending programs for the sector.There were few details.A new $50 million, two-year investment in agricultural innovation was announced.Budget papers said the money would be used “to support knowledge creation and transfer and increased commercialization of agricultural innovations.”A finance department official said in a background briefing that details of the Agricultural Innovation Initiative will be announced later by agriculture minister Gerry Ritz.The budget said the Canadian Food Inspection Agency will receive $100 million over the next five years to fund “targeted investments in inspector training, additional science capacity and electronic tools to support the work of front-line inspectors.”The fight against plum pox also is receiving a $17-million, five-year extension.The government says it will commit $24 million over the next two years to extend the hog disease control program although the Canadian Swine Health Board did not spend $24 million that was available to it in this fiscal year and the money goes back to government.The budget also highlighted the government’s commitment to free trade deals, particularly talks with India, since ‘a timely conclusion to the (World Trade Organization) round is uncertain.Farm leader reaction was muted. Canadian Federation of Agriculture president Ron Bonnet said there was little specific and the numbers are small but he was happy agriculture was mentioned.“We were looking for them to say that agriculture is important,” he said. “If agriculture had not been mentioned, that would have raised a flag.”Richard Phillips, executive director of Grain Growers of Canada, said the trade emphasis was welcome but the lack of detail means that if not clear whether the announcement of $50 million for an Agricultural Innovation Initiative is merely replacing the Agri-Opportunities program that is being dropped at the end of March.The budget also noted that federal-provincial negotiations continue on new business risk management farm support programs that will take effect in 2013.

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