New funding on track

The federal government is now accepting applications for a suite of programs that will be funded under the five-year Sustainable Canadian Agriculture Partnership, which succeeds the current agricultural policy framework on April 1.

The funded programs include AgriAssurance, AgriCompetitiveness, AgriDiversity, AgriInnovate, AgriMarketing and AgriScience and are part of a $1 billion slice of the new $3.5 billion policy framework. The programs are led by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and focus on sector development at home and abroad as well as sector resilience.

But what has yet to be announced are the bilateral agreements with BC and other provinces that will ensure a further $2.5 billion in cost-shared programming also begins flowing come April 1.

“Bilateral agreements between the Government of Canada and the provincial and territorial governments are in the process of being finalized,” the announcement said.

While uncertainties surrounded the announcement of BC’s last bilateral agreement with Ottawa, BC Agriculture Minister Pam Alexis says the new five-year agreement will begin April 1 as scheduled.

“We are working diligently on that and we will be ready for April 1,” she told Country Life in BC this week, reiterating previous assurances that all is on track.

While federal agriculture minister Marie-Claude Bibeau will be in Abbotsford and Vancouver, March 14-15, and meeting with the province and industry representatives, Bibeau’s office could not confirm the details of any announcements.