Federal agriculture minister Lawrence MacAulay has announced that Ottawa plans to spend $1 billion on federal agriculture programs and share the $2 billion cost of federal-provincial initiatives. The programs under the Canadian Agricultural Partnership begin April 1, 2018, after Growing Forward 2 programs expire.
However, some of the programs will take effect before then.
“These programs will roll out starting the first of the year,” he told reporters at Canadian Western Agribition in Regina, where he made the announcement Nov. 24.
“What we heard is the agricultural sector did not want a gap in the programs. With that, we’re going to be able to start well before April to make sure that the money will start flowing to the agricultural sector.”
Read Also
Alberta crop diversification centres receive funding
$5.2 million of provincial funding pumped into crop diversity research centres
The federally funded programs under CAP include AgriMarketing, AgriCompetitiveness, AgriScience, AgriInnovate, AgriDiversity and AgriAssurance.
MacAulay said they address the three broader priorities of increasing trade, the sustainable growth of the sector and supporting diversity.
AgriDiversity is designed to help under-represented groups such as women and First Nations become more involved in agriculture.
The AgriScience component includes the research clusters, for which funding applications are now being accepted.
AgriAssurance is for national industry associations and small and medium enterprises to make verifiable claims about the health and safety of products.
MacAulay said there is no better place to announce support for agriculture than at Agribition. It represents trade, innovation and adaptation, he said.
“Isn’t that some picture?” he said, referring to the cattle displays visible behind him.
Earlier in the week, Saskatchewan Agriculture Minister Lyle Stewart announced the province would renew its $50,000-a-year funding arrangement for Agribition for the next four shows.
