Renewing farm program agreement first order of business for Bibeau

Federal agriculture minister Marie-Claude Bibeau, reappointed to the post Oct. 26, meets with her provincial and territorial counterparts next week to work on the next agreement for farm programs.

Some are expected to attend the Nov. 8-10 meeting in Guelph in person while others will join virtually.

In an interview after her re-appointment following the September federal election, she said renewing the agreement as a whole is the important first step to securing programs and funding.

“We are at the point where we want to agree on the priorities, give directions to our officials to review the agreement for 2023 till 2028. This will be the core of the next meeting. Obviously, the improvement of business risk management is one element inside the discussions,” she said.

The ongoing question of what to do with AgriStability in particular could be a sticking point. The prairie provinces balked earlier this year at paying to increase the compensation rate under the program.

It’s unknown whether a report spearheaded by the prairies on how a margin insurance program might replace AgriStability will be presented at this meeting.

Prime minister Justin Trudeau has not yet issued mandate letters for the new cabinet, but Bibeau said sustainable agriculture is a top priority.

“The climate crisis is obvious. Farmers are the first ones to be hit, to feel it, so we definitely have to double down on making sure our agriculture is more and more sustainable, making sure our farms and processing facilities and food supply chain is resilient as well,” she said.

Consumers at home and abroad are asking if their food is sustainably produced, she said.

Bibeau said adding value to agricultural products and taking advantage of the opportunities the sector presents can be done sustainably and the government wants to work with industry to make sure of that.

She tried to reassure a nervous farming community about the appointment of former Greenpeace activist Steven Guilbeault as environment minister, describing him as a “reasonable man.”

She said she expects transparent conversations with him.

“I think we should see Minister Guilbeault as an ally,” Bibeau said. “He will work with us, be creative, give us ideas to be efficient, but he’s a reasonable man and I’m positive he will look at it as an ally.”

She also said the journey to sustainability is one everyone has to go through.

“He will push us, and I will too, actually,” she said. “It is so important for the next generations of farmers, for them to be sure that they will have access to this land that is healthy and that we have enough water and that it’s good quality, so it is the most important thing for our farmers. Consumers are asking for that as well. We have to do it.”

Bibeau identified labour shortages and temporary foreign worker policies as significant issues for her and the government.

She also said the review of the Canada Grain Act is a priority that she has already started working on. It’s a complicated issue, she said, but she is learning.

Bibeau said there seems to be consensus on some elements within the review but others, such as inspection, require more discussion.

“There will be hard decisions to be made, financial considerations, so there is still work to be done but there is already significant work that has been completed,” she said.

Other cabinet appointments of note to prairie farmers include Jean-Yves Duclos in health, which oversees the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Mary Ng to international trade, and Jonathan Wilkinson in natural resources. Northern Affairs minister Dan Vandal is responsible for Prairies Economic Development Canada, Omar Alghabra remains in transport and Gudie Hutchings takes over rural economic development.