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.
