Ottawa and British Columbia have joined forces with the province’s farm organizations to unveil a $24 million environmental farm plan system in B.C.
Five farm groups – the B.C. Cattlemen’s Association, B.C. Fruit Growers’ Association, the Organic Association of B.C., B.C. Greenhouse Growers Association and the Comox Valley Farmers’ Institute – agreed to deliver the program to their members.
Agreements with as many as 12 other farm groups are being negotiated.
The program runs until March 31, 2008.
“The target is to have at least 50 percent of our membership with environmental plans by the end of the program,” said B.C. Agriculture Council executive director Steve Thomson. “We have 10,000 members and they represent up to 90 percent of farm cash receipts. We are targetting the farmers with the bigger operations that have the biggest environmental impact.”
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Federal agriculture minister Andy Mitchell promised $24 million in federal funding under the agricultural policy framework while the province promised $10 million in staff assistance and development of planning material.
Thomson said the difference between B.C. and other provinces is that farm organizations will be delivering the program to their members.
