WHITEHORSE, YT,
July 19,
2024 /CNW/ - The annual conference of Federal,
Provincial and Territorial (FPT) Ministers of Agriculture was held
in Whitehorse, Yukon, from July 17 to
19, 2024. FPT Ministers of Agriculture discussed several
areas of interest for Canada's
agriculture and agri-food sector. The meeting focused on work to
advance the resilience and competitiveness of the sector and
strengthen the food supply chain. Ministers acknowledged challenges
facing many producers in the sector, such as operational costs,
labour shortages and potential disruptions. Ministers spoke of the
need to continue working across orders of government, and listen to
the concerns stakeholders bring forward, to support hard-working
Canadian producers and processors.
Following agreement from all major retailers to participate in
the industry-led Grocery Sector Code of Conduct, Ministers agreed
to provide $1.2 million in short-term
funding to support the Grocery Sector Code of Conduct Adjudication
Office. Work will advance to bring more fairness, transparency, and
predictability to Canada's grocery
supply chain and for consumers.
To help ensure the full suite of business risk management (BRM)
programs meet the current and future needs of producers, Ministers
expressed the importance of improvements to the AgriRecovery
framework and its interaction with BRM programs, notably
AgriStability and AgriInsurance. Ministers recognized that BRM
programs are the first line of defence for producers and that it is
critical that they are working for the entire sector. Ministers
agreed to continue to prioritize work to ensure BRM programs, as
well as the AgriRecovery framework, are timely, responsive, and
predictable to help producers manage business risks. Ministers
committed to improve BRM programs and strengthen the supports
available to address recurrent and emerging risks. Ministers also
discussed potential adjustments to AgriStability for livestock and
agreed to further decide on potential improvements at their
next meeting. Ministers agreed to further discussion on livestock
price insurance and equivalent programs.
Ministers reviewed and endorsed the FPT Action Plan to address
the recommendations by the FPT Working Group on Pesticide
Management. The FPT Working Group on Pesticide Management will
continue to work directly with Health Canada's Pest Management
Regulatory Agency and ensure meaningful participation to advance
the Action Plan. In an effort to enhance transparency, Ministers
will receive regular progress reports. This work will support the
continued competitiveness of Canadian growers with access to safe,
effective and varied pest management tools. Ministers agreed to
create an additional working group to explore approaches that meet
the needs of producers and protect human and ecosystem health,
while using a science and evidence-based approach to regulatory
decisions.
Ministers also discussed international trade, market
diversification, and building the sector's ability to grow and
compete in global markets. This included supporting Canada's ongoing trade negotiations with key
partners and continuing to promote the benefits of Canada's existing free trade agreements,
particularly the Canada-United
States-Mexico Agreement. Ministers discussed various export market
access issues to support alignment when advocating for the sector,
as well as examining opportunities to ensure that imports meet the
equivalent standards as those of domestic products to support a
level playing field. Ministers highlighted the importance of
continuing to work together to minimize potential labour and supply
chain disruptions, demonstrating that the Canadian agriculture and
agri-food sector is a trusted supplier of high-quality products to
countries around the world. Continued engagement and cooperation
with the United States, as
Canada's largest trading partner,
and the mutually beneficial integration of our cross-border supply
chains in the agri-food sector, were reinforced. Ministers
highlighted the importance of the work to increase exports to the
Indo-Pacific region by leveraging Canada's new Indo-Pacific Agriculture and
Agri-Food Office and other FPT and industry resource investments in
the region.
Ministers agreed to continue their efforts on several priority
initiatives related to animal disease preparedness and response and
also acknowledged the significant impact animal disease has on
farmer mental health. Discussions included the need for a
coordinated, immediate and longer-term response for a potential
African swine fever outbreak, next steps to support a
Foot-and-Mouth Disease vaccine bank and accompanying preparedness
activities, and the continued actions to respond to the
identification of highly pathogenic avian influenza in dairy cattle
in the United States. On African
swine fever, Ministers noted the significant progress made on
readiness to protect the health of animals and the importance of
having measures in place, including international zoning
arrangements to mitigate any possible risks of trade-related market
disruptions. They acknowledged the need for a continuation of
strong collaboration and communication between FPT governments and
industry stakeholders on integrated disease prevention,
surveillance, and response plans.
Ministers encouraged further progress on interprovincial trade
and regulatory items such as working towards the harmonization of
Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) Specified Risk Material list
with the United States. Ministers
were also apprised of the progress on the risk assessment for honey
bee package imports from the United
States. Ministers agreed that efforts be made to accelerate
pilot projects for interprovincial trade in meat, in cooperation
with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and provinces,
while respecting food safety for Canadians, not violating Canadian
trade agreements or putting exports at risk. The CFIA Executive
Vice-President, who was also in attendance, agreed to accelerate
cooperation with provincial and territorial partners.
Throughout the conference, Ministers underscored the importance
of working with producers and processors to leverage technology,
data, and scientific research and development to increase the
productivity, profitability, sustainability, resiliency and
competitiveness of the agricultural sector. This included a panel
discussion on food production, security and resiliency in a
Northern and Indigenous context. Ministers also discussed labour
shortages and single-use plastics.
The next Annual FPT Ministers' meeting will be held in
Winnipeg, Manitoba, in
July 2025.
For more information, please see the Backgrounder: Summary of
Items from the 2024 Annual Meeting of Federal, Provincial and
Territorial (FPT) Ministers of Agriculture.
Quotes
"Thanks to the hard work of our farmers, ranchers and
processors, Canada produces the
best agricultural products in the world. This year's conference was
another great opportunity to highlight the excellent work being
done right across the country and discuss some of the most
important issues we face, to help ensure that folks working in the
sector have the tools they need to manage risk, grow their
operations, and earn a good living."
-
The Honourable Lawrence MacAulay, federal Minister of Agriculture
and Agri-Food
"It has been an honour and a pleasure to host this year's
conference of Federal, Provincial and Territorial Ministers of
Agriculture here in Whitehorse. We
were able to discuss and strengthen the ongoing collaboration and
support of agriculture and agri-food development in the North. Our
diverse and growing agricultural sector in the Yukon underscores the importance of these
discussions with other jurisdictions."
-
The Honourable John Streicker, Yukon Minister of Energy, Mines and
Resources
Quick facts
- Canadian agri-food and seafood exports reached $99.1 billion in 2023, compared to $92.9 billion in 2022.
- The Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership is a
five-year, $3.5-billion investment by
Canada's federal, provincial and
territorial governments that supports agri-food and agri-products
sectors in Canada. This 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.
Related products
- Report to agriculture ministers from the FPT Working Group on
Pesticides Management
- Emergency Management Framework for Agriculture in Canada
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Web: Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
Backgrounder: Summary of Items from the 2024
Annual Meeting of Federal, Provincial and Territorial (FPT)
Ministers of Agriculture
Grocery Sector Code of Conduct
Ministers are pleased that all major retailers have now joined
the industry-led Grocery Sector Code of Conduct. The Grocery Sector
Code of Conduct will be implemented by June
2025.
FPT Pesticide Management Working Group
This working group was formed to improve pesticide management
and gain insight into the regulatory decision-making processes on
issues such as changes to the registration of lambda-cyhalothrin.
The Action Plan focuses on: enhancing consultations, increasing the
sharing of science and evidence-based information and expertise,
and advancing research and knowledge transfer to support the
adoption of effective, innovative and diverse pest control products
and approaches, including biopesticides and other alternatives.
Specified risk material (SRM)
Ministers discussed considerations and possible approaches to
harmonizing with the United States
on the issue of material prohibited from animal feed (currently,
SRM) and disposal requirements. They noted the need for the
Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and cattle sector to
continue working towards this objective, while ensuring appropriate
safeguards are in place to protect animal health and food safety,
as well as Canada's international
trade reputation.
Honey bee imports
Ministers discussed the work that is underway on the CFIA risk
analysis on the importation of honey bee packages from the United States. Once complete, the risk
assessment and a risk management framework outlining the associated
expectations for risk mitigation proposals will be consulted with
the stakeholders. All risk mitigation proposals submitted to the
CFIA will be reviewed to determine if they may significantly reduce
the risk posed to Canadian bee health. Currently, the importation
of honey bee packages from the United
States is not permitted. The import status remains unchanged
until all activities associated with the risk analysis are
completed.
Interprovincial trade
Ministers raised issues related to administrative burden and
highlighted the importance of working collaboratively with
stakeholders to address these concerns. Ministers highlighted the
progress made on several interprovincial trade pilots, such as the
upcoming publication of a regulatory amendment related to the
Lloydminster pilot, advancing work
on a plan with Ontario and
Quebec for slaughter availability,
and exploring opportunities to support provincially regulated meat
establishments seeking growth opportunities outside their province
within Canada, such as "Ontario
Ready to Grow." Ministers signaled interest in accelerating these
efforts and exploring the possibility of additional interprovincial
trade pilots. Any efforts in this area must protect Canada's food system, without compromising
Canada's international trade
agreements and market access opportunities.
AgriStability
Alberta is presently running a
pilot to explore potential changes to the program to the benefit of
livestock producers. The pilot is currently collecting data
from producers. The results of the pilot will help to inform any
future changes to AgriStability.
Emergency management
Ministers were apprised of efforts underway to renew the 2016
FPT Emergency Management Framework for Agriculture. This
renewal will aim to help ensure an integrated and collaborative
approach to dealing with emergencies impacting the full value
chain. The updated framework stresses the need for enhanced
collaboration, improved data sharing, and continued partnership
with industry.
SOURCE Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada