SASKATOON — Due to budget cuts and strategic planning, Alberta Agriculture will lose 55 staff positions, 14 offices, and change the type of service offered to farmers.
Part of the paring is $2.5 million to be taken from the regional extension services budget. Mergers and changes in agricultural lending and crop and hail insurance will save another $3 million.
A press release from the minister of agriculture, Walter Paszkowski, says the changes are meant to streamline the department.
The director for the northeastern region at Vermilion, Ralph Berkan, said change will enable clients to do more “one-stop shopping” as most of the staff in regional and district offices will be specialists and not generalists.
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“The public will probably get their general information from the private sector and come to the department for more specialized information,” he said.
The offices will offer extension services, ag lending and insurance all in the same town, if not the same building. He said most farmers will be no further than 50 kilometres from an office.
New positions available
Berkan said the department is creating new positions. That means current staff will have to apply for jobs, which could mean a change of location and responsibilities. The new positions will only be available to current extension staff, and there will be 25 fewer district home economist jobs and 15 fewer agriculturalist positions available.
“We hope to finish the selection process by the end of March and have people in place by Sept. 1,” said Berkan. He said he is confident the changes will benefit the agriculture industry in the province.
However, farmer Lou Hrushka, of Heines Creek in the Peace River area, isn’t so sure.
“The government is restructuring everything and I’m not so sure where we’re headed,” she said. “I can’t be sure it’s all good. I know we have to do something about the debt but maybe not so fast.”
She’s concerned the reduction in staff will affect the regional farm women’s conference that’s been drawing hundreds of women annually for over 10 years. With less staff to help organize, the conference may be in jeopardy.
But Christine Mitzner from Strathmore doesn’t think the departmental cuts and shifts will have much effect. The Strathmore office remains intact.
To her, making the price of purple gas the same as regular hurts worse than the cutbacks.
“It really hurts hardest in the pocketbook,” said Mitzner, president of the Alberta Women in Support of Agriculture. She doesn’t feel their farm will be affected.
Verna Kett, president of Women of Unifarm, said the cuts will affect some areas more than others and farmers will have to travel farther to get information.
“They can phone different offices for information but will they?” asked Kett.
She said their farm has used the district home economist and agriculturist at Wainwright quite a bit and that office will stay open.
“I know we have to have cutbacks but it will have some effects.”
