Team Alberta looks forward to working with new government on priorities for farmers

Team Alberta extends congratulations to Premier-elect Jason Kenney on his party’s victory in the province’s 30th general election.

Team Alberta is committed to working with the new government to advance Alberta’s $6 billion crop sector. Team Alberta is a collaboration between four of the province’s crop commissions: Alberta Barley, Alberta Canola, Alberta Pulse Growers and the Alberta Wheat Commission.

Key priorities toimproving farmers long-term success: • Continued access to international markets for nearly $5 billion of Alberta crop exports; Enhanced competitiveness through research and innovation; Recognition of agriculture’s contribution to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and exemption from carbon levies for all sources of energy used on farm; and overcoming regulatory hurdles.

“As Alberta is the primary source for canola and other agricultural exports to Asia, we look forward to continued and increased support from the Government of Alberta in export market development and diversification,” says John Guelly, Alberta Canola chair.

“Innovative agronomic and genetic research directly affect our bottom line on the farm,” says Gary Stanford, Alberta Wheat Commission chair. “To ensure farmers remain competitive, we seek to build strong funding partnerships with the provincial government and collaborate on crop production research and extension.”

“Farming actually removes carbon from the atmosphere. We’ve been sequestering carbon through improved farming practices for a long time,” says Dave Bishop, Alberta Barley chair. “Currently, the crop sector isn’t being rewarded for our positive contributions in reducing greenhouse gas emissions, instead we’re being penalized by the carbon tax.”

Team Alberta looks forward to the swearing-in of the Premier and cabinet ministers and is eager to collaborate to ensure Alberta’s crop sector continues to be a major driver of economic growth in the province.

Alberta is one of the world’s most productive agricultural economies, with a total cultivated farm area of 31.3 million acres that produces about 20 million tonnes of wheat, canola, pulses and barley every year. In 2017, crop production employed nearly 20,000 Albertans and indirectly supported 278,000 workers in Canada’s agri-food sector. Alberta’s processed food and beverage manufacturing sales reached a record $14.5 billion in 2017, making it Alberta’s top manufacturing industry on a revenue basis.