The burden that Alberta’s big crop has imposed on grain storage and the transportation system is “not the worst problem to have,” says the provincial agriculture minister.
In a Dec. 12 year-end review of agriculture and rural development, Verlyn Olson said total production in Alberta was 27 million tonnes, up 26 percent from 2012 and 37 percent higher than the 10-year average.
“That has presented us with some challenges, but if we can have our choice of what challenges we have to face, I think that most producers would say, ‘well I’d sure take that rather than having a drought.’ ”
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Olson said he’s heard complaints about shipping progress on this year’s large crop and has spoken with rail company officials.
However, he said more rail cars will not solve the problem as some have suggested.
Alberta led the nation this year with $12 billion in total farm cash receipts.
“We’re obviously producing an awful lot of stuff and we need to find new markets for our commodities and we need to preserve the markets that we have.”
Olson said he hears a lot about the availability of foreign workers to staff the province’s agricultural enterprises.
“We’re doing our best to motivate the federal government to relax their rules and make their rules more amenable to more foreign workers, but that’s also a work in progress.”
He praised the promise of the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement with the European Union and also noted trade opportunities in Asia and Kazakhstan.
On the wider rural front, Olson praised the success of the province’s first open farm days this year, which saw 40 farms open their gates to several thousand urban visitors.
The Tour of Alberta cycling race was another coup to showcase the province, he added.
Olson listed Lethbridge’s EPIC egg plant and Lethbridge Biogas, both of which opened this year, as examples of agricultural innovation.
