Finance Minister Jim Flaherty read the federal budget speech this afternoon in the House of Commons. Agriculture did not feature prominently in the budget, with only relatively minor expenditures being announced, including:
• Increased funding for the Slaughter Improvement Program by $10 million (pg. 98);
• $40 million for technology development and commercialization for SRM removal under the Agri-flex program (pg. 98); and
• $75 million over three years to support Canadian cattle processing plants (pg. 68).
Meanwhile, unlike the Feds, let us not forget a largely ignored bit of information from the February 17 StatsCan Cattle Statistics report:
"A total of 99,265 farms reported beef or dairy cattle on their operations as of January 1, 2010. This is the first time since data has been collected that the number of cattle farms has fallen below 100,000."
That would be 23,000 fewer Canadian farms reporting beef or dairy cattle on their operations than in the spring of 2003 before BSE hit.
There is a wise old saying that God helps those who help themselves. I look forward to the opportunity of chatting with you at the Stockmens Pavilion in Westerner Park, Red Deer at noon on Mrach 31st.
• Increased funding for the Slaughter Improvement Program by $10 million (pg. 98);
• $40 million for technology development and commercialization for SRM removal under the Agri-flex program (pg. 98); and
• $75 million over three years to support Canadian cattle processing plants (pg. 68).
Meanwhile, unlike the Feds, let us not forget a largely ignored bit of information from the February 17 StatsCan Cattle Statistics report:
"A total of 99,265 farms reported beef or dairy cattle on their operations as of January 1, 2010. This is the first time since data has been collected that the number of cattle farms has fallen below 100,000."
That would be 23,000 fewer Canadian farms reporting beef or dairy cattle on their operations than in the spring of 2003 before BSE hit.
There is a wise old saying that God helps those who help themselves. I look forward to the opportunity of chatting with you at the Stockmens Pavilion in Westerner Park, Red Deer at noon on Mrach 31st.
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