EDMONTON – The Alberta government may have a laundry list of disagreements with the federal government, but it doesn’t have a problem with the new agriculture policy.
“I’m proud that we were one of the first signatures to the agricultural policy framework,” Alberta agriculture minister Shirley McClellan told federal agriculture minister Lyle Vanclief during the Alberta stop of his cross-country tour to sell the APF.
“It’s not perfect, but it’s a perfectly good start,” McClellan told Vanclief. “We want to get on with it and we want to work with you.”
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Other provincial agriculture ministers and farm groups have told Vanclief the program must be delayed past the April 1 implementation date to ensure all the details of the agreement’s business risk management section are clear.
McClellan disagreed.
“There comes a point in time when you have to get on with it. There was no way I could stand in front of my producers and my industry in this province and say ‘we’re going to think about this for another year.’ It wouldn’t have been fair to our industry.”
The program will ensure agriculture will receive $8 billion of stable funding over the next five years. McClellan said that’s important to keep the agriculture industry growing.
“It isn’t enough money, Lyle, it never will be, but you’re the first minister that’s come to the table with a set amount of money on a five-year agreement in my 15 years at the legislature, and I say hats off to you, and I don’t want to lose it. This industry needs it.
“Keep working with us. Give us good advice. You’re the engine that drives this. We just want to be on the train with you.”
