Alberta has officially signed onto Growing Forward 2.
The province’s farmers will have access to $406 million in federal and provincial money over the next five years to develop programs that enhance Alberta’s competitiveness in the market.
“We need to stay on the cutting edge,” provincial agriculture minister Verlyn Olson said during a joint announcement with federal agriculture minister Gerry Ritz in Leduc, Alta.
“That is what Growing Forward is all about, something that will allow us to remain competitive and stay out on the sharp end of all development.”
The money is part of the $3 billion Growing Forward 2 initiative to boost agricultural diversification in Canada.
The federal government funds 60 percent of the initiative, and the provinces and territories pick up the rest of the costs for each province.
Not all the agreements are the same.
Olson said Alberta farmers indicated during provincial consultations that they wanted to have flexibility in the new agreement.
The money will focus on 30 programs designed to enhance marketdevelopment, research, science and innovation.
