HALIFAX: Nova Scotia farmers will get more support through a new federal-provincial funding agreement. The Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership will invest $46.25 million over five years in Nova Scotia’s agriculture sector.
“We have a long-standing partnership with the federal government to help our farmers be successful,” said Agriculture Minister Greg Morrow. “This agreement brings a 25 per cent increase in program funding to support our agriculture and agri-food sector.
“I want to thank the farmers and others in the agriculture industry who worked with us on the new programs and encourage them to make good use of them.”
The agreement will help strengthen and support the sector by focusing on five key priorities:
— building capacity, growth and competitiveness
— helping agriculture businesses adapt to climate change and protect the environment
— pursuing science, research and innovation
— developing markets and trade for agricultural products
— making farms more resilient and building public trust in food safety, animal welfare and environmental stewardship.
New programs under the agreement were developed in consultation with farmers and others in the agriculture sector. Their input helped shape new programs and strengthen and update existing ones to better align with the agreement’s priorities and the needs of the sector.
One of the new offerings, the Resilient Agricultural Landscape Program, will help farmers use their land in more ecologically sound ways. It encourages management practices that support healthy soil and water resources, wildlife habitat and biodiversity. It also helps farmers adapt to climate change by increasing carbon storage and making their farms more resilient in case of floods or droughts.
The agreement also includes federal and provincial funding to continue four agricultural business risk management programs. The AgriStability, AgriInsurance, AgriInvest and AgriRecovery programs will help producers manage significant risks that threaten the viability of their farms.
The AgriStability program protects farmers against large declines in income and under the new agreement, it provides a compensation rate of 80 per cent, up from 70 per cent.
Quotes:
“Today is an important investment for Nova Scotia. The 25 per cent increase in joint funding over five years through Sustainable CAP will deliver important programs for our farmers and agri-food processors with a focus on competitiveness and sustainability. If we have learned anything this past year, it’s the importance of food security, and today’s announcement will help to strengthen it here at home and across the country.”
– Kody Blois, Member of Parliament for Kings-Hants and Chair of the House of Commons Agriculture and Agri-Food Committee, on behalf of Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Marie-Claude Bibeau
“With the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership, we were pleased to see a 25 per cent increase in the overall funding pot for programming in Nova Scotia. With this additional funding, we will also see the new Resilient Agricultural Landscape Program. This program is designed to support our farmers in both conserving and enhancing biodiversity and environmental resiliency on our farms. We’re looking forward to the rollout of the new programs and the impact they will have on the economic, environmental and social sustainability of our farms.”
– Allan Melvin, President, Nova Scotia Federation of Agriculture
Quick Facts:
— the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (Sustainable CAP) is a five-year, $3.5-billion investment by Canada’s federal, provincial and territorial governments that supports Canada’s agri-food and agri-products sectors
— the agreement includes $1 billion in federal programs and activities and a $2.5-billion commitment that is cost-shared 60 per cent federally and 40 per cent provincially/territorially for programs that are designed and delivered by provinces and territories
— the new agreement came into effect on April 1, 2023, and will be in place until March 31, 2028; it replaces the previous Canadian Agricultural Partnership program that ended on March 31, 2023
— the previous five-year Canadian Agricultural Partnership invested $37 million in federal and provincial funding for Nova Scotia’s agriculture sector
— applications are being accepted for provincially run programs as they roll out; applications are also being accepted for federally run programs
Additional Resources:
Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership: https://agriculture.canada.ca/en/department/initiatives/sustainable-canadian-agricultural-partnership
