The end of the last Parliament killed farm initiatives that were in the parliamentary or policy hopper.
Key among them were bills to implement free trade deals with Jordon and Panama, which had limited agricultural benefits but were strongly supported by agricultural export lobbyists.
The election call also ended a study by the House of Commons agriculture committee into agricultural biotechnology.
As well, it stopped a stalemated committee debate over a Liberal proposal, supported by opposition MPs, to declare a moratorium on approving genetically modified alfalfa varieties.
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The end of the 40th Parliament also aborted a plan by the Senate agriculture committee to hold a year of hearings into research funding.
The committee decided to hold the hearings after being lobbied by Grain Growers of Canada, a national lobby group that has made increased research funding a priority.
GGC is asking all parties to commit to increased research funding and an improvement in the ability of farm groups to create a checkoff that will allow them to raise money for their own research projects.
The election also killed farm initiatives in the March 22 budget.
They included $100 million over five years to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and a $50 million two-year investment in a new Agricultural Innovation Initiative that has yet to be defined.
Agriculture minister Gerry Ritz complained that the budget defeat will delay important help for the farm and food sector.
“All of these budgetary items disappear, cease to exist until a government forms itself again, has a throne speech and a budget,” he told reporters March 23.
“We’re going to lose months here, which is unfortunate as we rebuild the economy.”
The government also told farm groups that consultations on the next generation of farm programming, Growing Forward Two, are suspended until after the election.
“That is unfortunate,” Canadian Federation of Agriculture president Ron Bonnet said.
“The last time we transitioned to a new program, they weren’t ready for it. We don’t want to see that happen again.”
