The party commits to extending the Extended Railway Interswitching pilot by three years
Canadians head to the polls next week and political parties are beginning to release their platforms.
As they become available, Farms.com is combing through them to identify the promises political leaders are making to farmers and rural Canadians.
First up is Mark Carney’s Liberal Party of Canada.
The platform overall is Carney’s plan to unite, secure, protect, and build the country.
Here’s how farmers and rural communities fit into that vision.
The party document has a portion titled “Food Security.”
This includes measures to invest in “controlled environment agriculture”, and mandates agencies related to AAFC to operate through a food security lens.
The CFIA and PMRA, for example, would be asked to “ensure they consider food security and the cost of food in all their regulatory decisions without compromising on health and safety,” the platform says.
The Liberals commit to directing the Canadian Infrastructure Bank to prioritize investments in ag and food supply chains, and to extending the Extended Railway Interswitching pilot by three years.
The party says it will also support modern water management practices.
The Liberal platform includes a specific section dedicated to farmers and agri-food.
The first promise in that section is to protect supply management in any trade negotiations with the U.S.
“This will protect Canadian jobs, insulate these segments of our food supply from fluctuations in production costs, and guarantee Canadian farmers a minimum price for their products,” the document says.
A Liberal government is committed to permanently doubling revenue protection under AgriStability “from $3 million to $6 million per farm, in the case of significant revenue drops caused by tariffs, extreme weather events, and other external shocks.”
The Liberals also promise to invest in domestic processing capacity with a new $200 million fund.
When it comes to helping farmers reach new markets, the Liberals are earmarking an additional $30 million for the AgriMarketing Program.
“This will build on recent successes, including the recent opening of new Agri-Food Offices abroad, which helps our farmers access new markets and diversify away from the United States,” the platform reads.
The party plans to increase support for farmers and ranchers to buy more efficient farm equipment, but the platform has no details about how it would achieve this.
To help young farmers acquire land, or support overall farm infrastructure, the Liberals plan to double the loan guarantee limit of the Canadian Agricultural Loans Act program from $500,000 to $1 million and expand terms to 20 years.
The Liberals say they’ll work with the National School Food Program to ensure Canadian products are purchased where possible, and work with the CFIA to ensure mutual recognition of food safety standards with reliable trading partners.
For rural communities specifically, the Liberals promise to create a $250 million Rural Transit Solutions Fund to make rural communities affordable and accessible.
The fund would support “local, regional, and cross-Canada transit and bus solutions that help Canadians get to work, school, medical appointments, and visit loved ones,” the platform says.
And improving rural broadband is part of the party’s plan to invest in AI infrastructure.
Here are some other related promises from the Liberals:
- Reducing the reliance on imported clean fuels to support farmers.
- Work with ag producers and other stakeholders to increase transparency “to identify what is a truly Canadian product.”
- Issue transition bonds by 2027 “to finance projects that help industrial and agricultural sectors get cleaner and more competitive.”
Be sure to check Farms.com often this week as more party platforms will be highlighted.