Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada will have funds for four different uses
By Diego Flammini
Staff Writer
Farms.com
While the federal government’s Nov. 3 Fall Economic Statement mostly focused on making life more affordable, helping Canadians with housing and investing in jobs and skills training, agriculture had its place in the document.
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) will receive more than $1 billion to support the ag sector in four different ways.
The largest portion of AAFC’s support is targeted for “full and fair compensation for supply managed sectors,” the Fall Economic Statement says.
This support is for concessions Canada made during the CETA, CPTPP and CUSMA trade agreements.
AAFC will receive $1.2 billion in 2022-23, and $145 million in each of 2023-2024, 2024-2025 and 2025-2026.
In 2026-2027, AAFC will receive $45 million, and in 2027-2028, AAFC will receive $42 million.
“Promise made, promise kept. We made a commitment to fully and fairly compensate the market losses suffered by dairy, poultry and egg producers and processors, and that is what we have done,” Marie-Claude Bibeau, Canada’s federal minister of agriculture, said in a Nov. 14 statement. “I would like to reiterate our government’s commitment not to concede any further market shares under supply management during future trade negotiations.”
The wine sector will also receive support.
Canada’s wine industry will receive $83 million in both 2022-23 and 2023-24.
Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland tabled the Fall Economic Statement on Nov. 3.
One week later, the government announced investments into the wine sector.
On Nov.10, Wine Growers Canada received up to $990,866 to help increase domestic and export sales of Canadian wine.
Another area of support for the ag sector is coming in the way of “interest relief for agriculture producers,” the economic statement says.
The federal government is providing AAFC with $30 million for this in 2022-23 and $35 million in 2023-24.
Ottawa is also providing Minister Bibeau’s department with funding to use for the swine sector.
$18 million in 2022-23, $21 million in 2023-24 and $7 million in 2024-25 is targeted for “enhancing African swine fever prevention and preparedness,” the economic statement says.