(File photo/farmnewsNOW Staff)

By Alice McFarlane

Agriculture Roundup

Agriculture Roundup for Monday May 25, 2020

May 25, 2020 | 9:41 AM

The federal agriculture minister said farmers and producers aren’t making enough use of long-standing agricultural aid programs.

Marie-Claude Bibeau said it’s hurting her efforts to potentially secure more federal money to help the sector cope with the COVID-19 pandemic.

Bibeau said the Liberals are an evidence-based government, and without farmers tapping into existing programs first, it’s hard to figure out where there are gaps in support.

Earlier this month, the Liberals rolled out a $252 million aid program for the industry dealing with problems triggered by the pandemic.

The package was announced as the Canadian Federation of Agriculture was asking for nearly 10 times that amount, arguing that existing financial support systems weren’t enough.

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Bibeau said she understands their concerns, and the possibility that family farms in Canada will go under is one of the many things she worried about as the pandemic continues.

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The annual meeting of federal, provincial and territorial agriculture ministers has been been postponed much to the disappointment of farm groups.

Agriculture organizations have been pressing the federal government to make changes to business risk management programs and the meeting was seen as a first step in the process.

The annual meeting of agriculture ministers was slated to be held in July but now will be held Oct. 14 to 16 in Guelph.

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Applications are being accepted for the Agri-Food Pilot.

The three-year project will help employers in the meat processing, mushroom and greenhouse production, and livestock-raising industries ongoing labour needs for full-time, year-round employees.

It will also provide a pathway to permanent residence for many temporary foreign workers already in Canada.

A total of 2,750 applications will be accepted annually throughout the pilot, which applies primarily to people who are already in Canada.

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alice.mcfarlane@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @AliceMcF