On May 9, 2017, Alvin Keenan, President of the Canadian Horticultural Council (CHC), Rebecca Lee, Executive Director, and Mark Wales, Chair of CHC’s Business Risk Management Committee, joined other members of Canada’s AgGrowth Coalition in a meeting with Lawrence MacAulay, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC).
The meeting participants discussed a joint industry-government review of the whole suite of Business Risk Management programs. The Coalition noted that such a review should not delay implementation of the rest of the National Agricultural Policy Framework (NPF). After the Coalition reiterated that it was not asking for additional funds, but a comprehensive review of the programs to get the best package for growers, the Minister seemed to be more receptive of the idea for a review. Moving forward, the Coalition will continue to pursue a review of AAFC’s Business Risk Management programs in order to maximize benefits for growers.
AgGrowth Coalition members include CHC, the Canadian Federation of Agriculture, Grain Growers of Canada, the National Sheep Network, the Canadian Canola Growers’ Association, and Grain Farmers of Ontario.