NB 1102
July 30, 2008
DRUMMOND (CNB) - The Province of New Brunswick is investing $850,000 to help the agriculture and agri-food sector become more profitable and sustainable. The funding, announced today by Agriculture and Aquaculture Minister Ronald Ouellette, will support a variety of strategic initiatives that are part of the government's self-sufficiency strategy.
"These initiatives are being implemented to assist the agriculture and agri-food sector improve its long-term viability by capturing opportunities and addressing industry challenges," Ouellette said. "Investing new money in agriculture shows how serious this government is about enhancing the ability of the agriculture industry to be an important player in our goal of achieving self-sufficiency."
The initiatives will provide funding to agricultural producers in the areas of livestock genetic enhancement, honeybee revitalization, apple industry development, export market development, and organic industry development.
Coupled with the recent announcement of the $650,000 Agri-Land Development Program, today's announcement brings the total investment of strategic agriculture and agri-food initiatives by the province to $1.5 million in this fiscal year.
The agriculture and agri-food industry in New Brunswick accounts for $450 million in farm cash receipts and close to $1.2 billion in agri-food and beverage products, providing direct employment to more than 13,000 New Brunswickers.
For more information on these investment initiatives, visit www.gnb.ca/agriculture and click on Strategic Agriculture Initiatives 2008.
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EDITOR'S NOTE: Following is a backgrounder outlining the details of the 2008 Strategic Agriculture Initiatives. MEDIA CONTACT: Alain Bryar, communications, Agriculture and Aquaculture, 506-444-4218.
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Strategic agriculture initiatives 2008
Livestock genetic enhancement initiative - $300,000
The objective is to foster the continued improvement of the genetic base of the New Brunswick livestock sectors through the purchase or retention of genetically superior animals. The continued introduction of genetically superior animals will ensure that producers can produce consistently the highest-quality livestock products on a competitive basis, thereby enabling them to adapt to and take advantage of new production and marketing opportunities in their respective sectors.
This initiative is composed of six distinct genetic enhancement and expansion elements for the beef, swine, sheep, goat, mink and farmed fox sectors.
Honeybee expansion initiative - $150,000
This initiative is designed to help New Brunswick beekeepers expand their operations through the purchase of colonies, nuclei colonies and /or provision of financial incentives to encourage splitting of existing strong colonies. This will help the industry expand colony numbers and work towards self sufficiency for blueberry pollination in New Brunswick.
Market development initiative for export opportunities - $150,000
This initiative has been developed in consultation with agricultural producers, shippers and exporters to support and revitalize the development and expansion of export markets for New Brunswick primary agriculture products. Activities that contribute to the long-term sustainability of agriculture export markets will be given preference. The three key elements of the initiative are market development and expansion; market promotion; and product evaluation, training and technology transfer.
Apple development initiative - $100,000
This initiative will provide assistance for the establishment of new and more productive orchard systems, apple varieties and rootstocks. It will also help with the adoption of new technologies that will improve post-harvest apple storage systems and improve on-farm food safety and quality assurance. This support will facilitate the installation of more productive orchard systems that will generate higher yields and higher market returns, while helping producers with the purchase of equipment required to maintain optimum fruit quality until it is delivered to the consumer.
Organic Development Initiative - $90,000
The objective is to support established organic operations and individuals, and agri-businesses in transition to organic production or considering establishing commercial-scale organic production and/or organic value-added activities, as well as to support and augment the organic certification system.
Strategic projects - $60,000
Programs will be developed to help strategic planning and the development of directions for industry.
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