Prince Edward Island Agriculture Minister Neil LeClair said he is pleased with the outcome of the federal, provincial and territorial conference of Ministers of Agriculture which ended today in Whistler, British Columbia. The major topics on the agenda included a new agricultural policy framework and changes to business risk management programs.
A communique from the conference said that Ministers have come to an agreement in principle on Growing Forward, a bold, market-driven vision for Canada’s agriculture industry in every region of the country. They also announced agreement on a new suite of programs to help producers manage the risk of doing business.
“I am very pleased with the outcome of the conference, and believe it will better enable us to respond to opportunities in Prince Edward Island,” said Mr. LeClair. “The new agreement which has been reached in principle will support more innovation and help producers capitalize on new and evolving domestic and international markets.”
Mr. LeClair said that the Ministers agreed to replace the Canadian Agricultural Income Stabilization program with new programs that are more responsive, predictable and bankable. “The new program will include a savings account for producers that provides improved coverage, along with a margin-based program that provides income support when producers experience larger income losses,” he said. “Production insurance will also be expanded to include other commodities.”
The Minister said that details of the program will be developed over the coming months.
“As the new Minister, I welcomed the opportunity to discuss these and other issues with my federal, provincial and territorial counterparts,” said Mr. LeClair. “The agreements which have been reached at this conference reflect what we have heard from producers across the country in recent months.”