Key funding for Alberta's agriculture sector

Mar 01, 2022

For the first time in ten years, Alberta is looking at a balanced budget for the year ahead.

The Province is forecasting a $500 million dollar surplus for 2022 the increase in revenues mainly due to the increase in oil prices.

Agriculture Minister Nate Horner says as part of Alberta's Recovery Plan they are working to attract $1.4 billion in investment, creating more than 2000 jobs in emerging sectors like hemp, agtech and value-added processing by 2023-24.

Included in the 2022 Ag Budget is $3.7 million for producer driven research thru the Results Driven Agriculture Research program with a goal for the ag sector to improve productivity, profitability, competitiveness and sustainability.

There's also $15 million dollars for the Investment and Growth fund to create a new rural investment attraction stream to attract investment and create jobs, the funding coming through the Alberta at Work Investment Fund.

The Province also tackling the growing concern around the shortage of large animal vets by investing $59 million over the next three years to expand the Veterinary School at the University of Calgary.

Horner says great things are happening.

"To date, our $1.4 billion investment targeted toward value-added processing has led to 2,128 new jobs and $886 million in new investments."

He notes they thought the funding would create more than 2000 jobs over the entire project and are already past that initial estimate.

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Video: Secure Pork Supply Plan | Prepare to Protect Your Herd | U.S. Pork Producers

Join Jill Brokaw, a third-generation pig farmer and staff member of the National Pork Board, as she dives into the vital role of the Secure Pork Supply (SPS) Plan in preparing the U.S. pork industry for potential foreign animal disease outbreaks. This video is an essential watch for pork producers who are looking to safeguard their operations against the threats of diseases like foot and mouth disease, classical swine fever, and African swine fever.

•Why Should Pork Producers Care?

An outbreak of foreign animal diseases in the U.S. could lead to severe restrictions and potentially result in industry-wide financial losses estimated between $15 to $100 billion. The SPS Plan is a collective effort to prevent such catastrophic outcomes by enhancing biosecurity, ensuring animal traceability, and promoting effective disease monitoring.

What You'll Learn:

The Importance of Preparedness: Understand why being proactive is crucial for maintaining business continuity during an outbreak.

•Enhanced Biosecurity Measures:

Write a site-specific biosecurity plan that can serve as the first line of defense against potential outbreaks.

•Animal Disease Traceability:

Learn about the significance of tracking animal movement and how acquiring a premises identification number (PIN) and using AgView can facilitate this process. Disease Monitoring: Find out how continuous observation and reporting can keep your herd healthy and disease-free.

•Getting Started with SPS:

The video breaks down the seemingly daunting task of preparing for a foreign animal disease outbreak into manageable steps. With free resources available at www.securepork.org, including templates and instructions, Jill guides producers on developing a customized plan to enhance their farm's defenses.

•Expert Insights:

Hear from Dr. Pam Zaabel on collaborating with your herd veterinarian to develop and implement your SPS plan effectively.

•Takeaway:

The Secure Pork Supply initiative is more than a plan; it's a commitment to the resilience of our food supply and the livelihoods within the pork industry. By embracing these proactive measures, we can collectively enhance our preparedness for foreign animal disease outbreaks.