Alberta Agriculture and Forestry Minister Devin Dreeshen is resigning from cabinet, following allegations made against him related to excessive alcohol consumption. The former minister made the announcement via social media November 5. “This morning, I offered Premier Jason Kenney my resignation as Minister of Agriculture and Forestry and he has accepted,” Dreeshen wrote. He went on… Read More

Provincial governments across Canada are consulting with farmers and the agriculture industry as they prepare to hammer out a new five-year federal-provincial-territorial agricultural policy framework. The Canadian Agricultural Partnership (CAP) — the $3 billion 5-year investment by federal, provincial and territorial governments — is set to expire in 2023. While federal Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau… Read More

Reforming business risk management (BRM) programs, such as the AgriStability program, has been top of mind for many across the agriculture industry. Federal Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau proposed changes to the program at the federal-provincial-territorial agricultural ministers’ meeting in November, which the federal government says would increase AgriStability payouts by 50 per cent, but the… Read More

Farmers in Alberta will see a significant reduction in their crop insurance premiums for the 2021 growing season. Announced January 25 by the Alberta government and the Agricultural Financial Services Corporation (AFSC), a 20 per cent reduction will save farmers more than $55 million on their crop insurance premiums this year. Minister of Alberta Agriculture… Read More

Alberta’s agriculture minister says his federal counterpart’s proposal to move ahead with changes to AgriStability at the annual agriculture ministers’ meeting was “set up to fail.” Reforming business risk management, specifically the AgriStability program, was the top item on the agenda heading into the annual federal-provincial-territorial agriculture ministers meeting, which wrapped up with a final… Read More

The Alberta government has been making good on its promises to tighten budgets and revamp how agriculture research is done in the province. Earlier this year, the province announced the Results Driven Agriculture Research program— RDAR — an arms-length government entity that would administer funding and guide agriculture research. Then, last week, approximately 250 Alberta Agriculture… Read More

Alberta Agriculture and Forestry has reached an agreement to transfer key research programs to the University of Alberta (U of A), expanding its agriculture research capacity. The $3.7 million grant will assist in the transition of critical agriculture research programs and researchers. Devin Dreeshen, Minister of Agriculture and Forestry, says that the U of A… Read More

Leveraging a loan from the Canada Infrastructure Bank, the province of Alberta and eight southern irrigation districts will pony up over $400 million for new irrigation projects. A 50 per cent commitment from the federally-backed bank will cover off the remaining $407 million, for a total funding of $815 million for new reservoirs, enhancements to… Read More