The Calgary Stampede made a splashy comeback following two years of COVID-19 restrictions and with the return comes Alberta politicians making a play for votes.
“We should never forget for all the fun, the midway and the breakfasts around town that the Calgary Stampede is an agricultural exhibition,” stated Premier Jason Kenney during the opening day before rehashing the UCP government’s achievements over the past three years.
Alberta set a record $14.1 billion in agriculture and food exports last year, with the premier outlining his government’s goal during the pandemic to see $1.4 billion in investment in the agri-food sector.
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Farm to Table Tour highlighting to consumers where their food comes from features Molnar Farms which grows a large variety of market fruits and vegetables including corn, with Taber being known as the Corn Capital of Canada.
“I’m now pleased to report that Alberta has not only met that goal but we have crushed it. Since setting that goal, we have seen $1.5 billion in new investment in agri-food and food processing,” said Kenney.
The nearly $1 billion in additional investments in irrigation expansion in southern Alberta will also bolster the industry while providing jobs, he added.
There were no new announcements in the brief media event.
Alberta’s NDP also took the opportunity of the Stampede to outline its vision with the release of its policy paper, Championing Alberta Agriculture and Agri-Food: Increasing Value-added Processing and Production.
The report promised to streamline regulations for value-added projects, provide more access to capital, improve access to locally produced goods, boost agricultural post-secondary courses and improve rural internet under a government led by Rachel Notley.
One of the centrepieces of the report would see the establishment of a value-added incentive program to attract more agri-food business in the province.
“We’ll form a task force to guide exactly what form those incentives should take, whether it’s loan guarantees grants or tax credits,” said Notley, adding that such a program would take a page from the former NDP government’s value-added petro-chemical initiative from 2016.
“I believe the same type of breakthrough is possible in the agri-food and upgrading.”
The NDP’s agricultural critic, MLA Heather Sweet, rounded out the 10-day Stampede by joining calls by the Saskatchewan Stock Growers Association to launch an investigation into beef pricing.
Sweet said the 11 to 43 percent retail beef price increase over the past year is “far above inflation.”
“I’m calling on the provincial and federal governments to open an investigation into the rising costs of beef and who is actually benefiting from it,” she said.
With an election looming before the 2023 edition of the Calgary Stampede rolls around, Notley appeared to acknowledge a divide between the NDP and rural voters.
“One of our bigger mistakes was we didn’t take time to listen and consult with families, residents and business owners across rural Alberta,” said Notley, promising to do a better job with the NDP’s policy paper as a roadmap.
Meanwhile, Kenney will be replaced as premier following the UCP leadership vote in October, with a provincial general election slated for May 2023.
