Agriculture Policy

[coppertop]

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Information Bulletin


January 22, 2007

Albertans to have a voice in the future of agricultural policy

Edmonton... Albertans are invited to participate in public consultations and share their ideas on the next generation of Canadian agriculture and agri-food policy, January 29 to February 2. Input gathered at the consultations, hosted jointly by the federal and provincial governments, will play an important role in determining future policy direction for Canada's agriculture industry.

Interested Albertans must pre-register to attend one of the following public consultations:

Date:
Monday, January 29

Where:
Grande Prairie Inn
11633 Clairmont Road
Grande Prairie, AB

Date:
Wednesday, January 31
Elks Lodge

Where:
1499 1st Avenue
Wainwright, AB

Date:
Thursday, February 1

Where:
Red Deer Lodge
4311 49th Avenue
Red Deer, AB

Date:
Friday, February 2

Where:
Sandman Hotel
421 Mayor Magrath Drive South
Lethbridge, AB


To pre-register or for more information, please visit http://www.agr.gc.ca/nextgen. Albertans unable to attend a public consultation also have the option to participate online.

Media enquiries may be directed to:

Marcia Hewitt-Fisher
Branch Head
Program Policy Development and Coordination
Alberta Agriculture and Food
(780) 427-3315

[cowman]

Coppertop: So are you going?

[coppertop]

Unfortunately, I am in Edmonton at a convention on February 1 which is the date the session is in Red Deer, so I am not going to be able to attend. Hopefully those that are available and can get there and provide input will be able to do so. I am just a small player in the ag industry, and those who are involved on a larger scale can provide much more helpful input than I can.

[cowman]

Well I guess we will have representation through the ABP and CCA! Probably Wildrose too?
I wonder if any "radical" groups will show up? How about BIG C or maybe the NFU?

[grassfarmer]

I don't know about radicals Cowman but a number of us NFUers are going. We need someone to stand up for producers interests which clearly few of the widely recognised commodity organisations do.

[cowman]

Grassfarmer: Good for you. If this is a forum to decide policy every voice should be heard.

[blackjack]

...it should be interesting...with the feds and prov govt promoting the bios...the big players in the livestock industries are not happy about the heavy subsidization going into a competing industry...

[coppertop]

grassfarmer, I am pleased that you are attending. I hope that many of the regulars on this site will take advantage of the opportunity to be heard, if not, then it's a given that ABP will be considered to be the voice of the cattle sector.

[cakadu]

If all goes well, I should hopefully be attending. It is time that producers get recognized for the stewardship efforts that they incorporate every day. Not to mention the ecological goods and services that we practice for the good of all society.

80% of the land in watersheds is owned by about 10% of the population. It's time we get recognized for what we do.

Not to mention that the policies cannot keep treating all producers the same - as any woman can attest to - one size does not fit all.

[cowman]

My hat is off to anyone who makes the effort! Where would we be without people who try to do the right thing?
I have doubts that most will get anywhere as I suspect the "agenda" was written long ago! But hey, you go give them hell...while all us slackards cheer you on!

[WRAPper]

If you cannot attend or are distant from the locations coppertop posted or suffer from a case of pearfay ofway ublicconsultaionspay
(the fear of public consultations and wasting an entire day waiting for your time to present,I suffer from this affliction)

http://nextgen.dialoguecircles.com/

But it is worthwhile and important to participate.

[coppertop]

cowman, I would suggest that positive input will go a lot further than giving anyone hell. The folks that facilitate this sort of information gathering session aren't the legislators.

[cowman]

I would hope there is a strong case made for expansion of the biofuel industry? That truly is the "hot" topic right now!
I would hope they don't get bogged down by "yesterdays news" of exporting grain or cattle and hogs? Or value adding...the hottest value adding right now is turning food into gasoline and deisel!
There is a revolution coming in agriculture and I think it is very exciting? Mr. Bush pretty well assured that last night with his state of the union address? Once again we are going to produce something the consumer wants and become useful contributors to the nation, instead of perpetual welfare bums!

[Horse]

I wont be going as I have had my fill of consultation meetings over the yrs and my profesional opinion is that the answer was already wrote now they need the optics of public perticipation and I wont change my mind until I see some posative results. I know it is bad to be a cinic but you kind of get used to being rightall the time.

[cowman]

Horse: I guess I will join the cynic club right along with you! But I think you can voice your opinion, or even sort of follow along on the website?
www.agr.gc.ca/nextgen