Features Business Policy
Pre-budget roundtable held with farmers in B.C.

January 10, 2013, Chilliwack, BC – Pierre Lemieux, parliamentary secretary to the Minister of Agriculture, met with farmers in the Chilliwack area to get their input on agriculture policies and to discuss ideas to generate future growth and economic prosperity.

“Meetings like this allow government to work directly with farmers to develop innovative programs that will ensure agriculture remains a key driver of the Canadian economy,” said Lemieux.

In partnership with British Columbia, the federal government is working to approve and implement projects under the AgriFlexibility Agreement to revitalize ranching in British Columbia and create long-term benefits for the tree fruit industry. The recently announced Growing Forward 2 suite of programs will invest in strategic initiatives in innovation, competitiveness, and market development to further strengthen the sector’s capacity and earnings potential from a growing marketplace for Canadian agricultural products.

This roundtable was part of ongoing pre-budget consultations with farmers and agricultural stakeholders.