From iPolitics The Sprout: Canada’s Agriculture Ministers kick off two-day annual meeting
Canada’s agriculture ministers are kicking off two days of virtual meetings today after their annual Federal-Provincial-Territorial meeting was delayed because of the coronavirus pandemic
The meeting will start at noon ET and run for about four hours, an official close the meeting told iPolitics, with a second meeting set for next week.
Ahead of the meeting, Federal Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau told the Financial Post she’s worried about a decision by some of the country’s biggest supermarket chains to impose new fees on suppliers in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. In an interview with the Financial Post, Bibeau said the company’s treatment of food producers is a “big disappointment.”
“I know how our farmers are working with very tight profit margins … And we know that retailers have had quite a good year”
“I know how our farmers are working with very tight profit margins … And we know that retailers have had quite a good year,” Bibeau told the Financial Post. “I think it’s unfair.” The fee issue is expected to be raised at today’s meeting and is said to be of significant concern to Quebec Agriculture Minister André Lamontagne, the official told iPolitics.
The ministers are also expected to discuss Canada’s suite of business risk management programs, which producers and industry say must be reformed. As 620 CKRM, the Canadian Federation of Independent Businesses is among the groups calling for changes to AgriStability, saying the program must be more responsive.
Other items set to be discussed, the official said, include: trade, including discussion around new markets and trade irritants and Canada’s preparation plan for a possible African Swine Fever outbreak as well as continued prevention efforts.
Meanwhile, the Agricultural Manufacturers of Canada (AMC) has released their list of priority items ahead of the meeting, including a request for the federal government to prioritize growing exports, fostering innovation and ensuring a strong workforce. You can find their full press release here.
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