Agriculture, Fisheries and Aquaculture Minister Jim Bagnall said today in the Legislature that his department has been reorganized to better meet the needs of the primary industries. He said that staff and financial resources are being focussed on providing more information to farmers, fishermen and aquaculturalists, and helping them identify new value-added opportunities for their products.
“The continued growth and diversification of the province’s primary industries is our overriding objective,” said Mr. Bagnall in his statement. “Staff have been assigned to work closely with all sectors of these industries to identify new and innovative strategies that result in new products that contribute to growth and development.”
One example of this is a commitment of $4.5 million over the next five years to expand organic production in the province. The Minister said that demand for organic products now exceeds supply, and he expects that trend will continue. He also said that more than $5.0 million has been allocated over the next two years to help producers improve the productivity and competitiveness of their operations and meet market demands for products produced in an environmentally responsible fashion.
Mr. Bagnall said one of his priorities over the coming year is to work closely with the industry and with other federal and provincial governments to improve the effectiveness of risk management programs. Roughly one-third of the department’s budget is allocated to supporting producers facing financial difficulties. He will also be discussing the establishment of an aquaculture framework agreement with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans to improve production and management.
“I am looking forward to working closely with farmers, fishermen and aquaculturalists over the coming year on these and other initiatives to ensure the continued growth and development of the primary industries of this province,” said Mr. Bagnall.