Agriculture and Forestry Minister Mitch Murphy said he is anticipating a good meeting with Prince Edward Island industry representatives next week following a meeting of federal, provincial and territorial ministers in Toronto on Friday.
"Up until now, many of the federal proposals, especially those related to business risk management programs, have lacked clarity around the details," said Mr. Murphy. "Today we were presented with clear proposals which address some concerns raised by the industry."
Prince Edward Island, along with Saskatchewan and Quebec, are the only provinces which have not yet signed the new, five-year agreement.
Mr. Murphy said that the level of funding is not an issue. Bob Friesen, President of the Canadian Federation of Agriculture, met with ministers before Friday's meeting and expressed the view that the issues relate more to program design than the amount of funds available from both levels of government.
Mr. Murphy reiterated he would not be signing the agreement until he provided the details from Friday's meeting to the provincial safety nets advisory group. "I will be looking for clear direction from the industry on the next steps to be taken before entering into final negotiations on a federal-provincial agreement for Prince Edward Island," he said.