By Norm Letnick
Minister of Agriculture
February, 28, 2013

VICTORIA - Despite the economic challenges governments around the globe are facing today, and the impact the global financial uncertainty has on a trading province like ours, British Columbia's Balanced Budget 2013 reaffirms our government's support for agriculture. The ministry's 2013-14 operating budget is $79.3 million - an increase of about 20 per cent from the year before.

The increased funding builds on the BC Government's Agrifoods Strategy, a roadmap to the sector becoming a $14-billion-a-year industry by 2017. One of the main commitments in our Agrifoods Strategy is to provide a sustainable land base for production. By protecting B.C.'s farmland, we're ensuring the farmers and families who grow our food will continue to share their passion and knowledge with the next generation.

One of the elements of the budget I find most rewarding is the additional $4 million the B.C. government is providing to the Agricultural Land Commission over the next three years. The boost in funds results in the ALC receiving almost $3 million in operating funding from the B.C. government this year, and re-emphasizes our government's commitment to help the Agricultural Land Commission become a stronger organization, and transition to a more self-supporting operating model.

ALC chair Richard Bullock said the new funding will result in increased compliance and enforcement activities, continued boundary reviews, digital conversion and mapping projects. He also added it further supports the $1.6 million in one-time funding the B.C. government provided the ALC in 2011, as part of a larger package that gave the ALC greater ability to focus on preserving farmland, increasing enforcement and to evolve into a sustainable organization.

The Province supports British Columbia's diverse agrifoods industry in different ways and Balanced Budget 2013 includes a significant action that provides relief to an industry that employs about 5,500 of the 61,000 British Columbians working in our agrifoods sector.

The budget provides $20 million in carbon tax relief over three years to help offset carbon tax costs for commercial greenhouse vegetable and horticulture operations. The new funding follows the $7.6 million the Province provided in temporary funding in 2012. Providing the sector with carbon tax relief is one of 49 actions in the Agrifoods Strategy that will help ensure our greenhouse sector grows and supports valuable jobs and healthy communities.

Linda Delli Santi, executive director of the B.C. Greenhouse Growers' Association said the expansion of the rebate creates a predictable tax regime and allows their members to keep their competitive edge by reinvesting in the sector while bringing new dollars to our province through the export of high-quality and high-value B.C. greenhouse products.

In addition, we intend to introduce legislation this fall to provide a carbon tax exemption for farmers for motor fuels used in on-farm equipment such as tractors, and fuel used on-highway in eligible farm vehicles. This is something producers raised that we listened to, and acted on. Together with the carbon tax relief these measures will result in B.C. farmers being about $11 million more competitive a year.

Other elements of the budget that benefit the agriculture sector include changes to the Property Transfer Tax Act that support farm succession and an additional $1 million to expand the School Fruit and Vegetable Nutritional Program to include local milk, at no cost to students or their families. Our government has supported this program since its inception as a pilot project in 2005, which now supplies fresh produce to more than 1,400 schools. This not only provides students with healthy foods, but it also supports our agriculture producers.

Balanced Budget 2013 carries on the constructive working relationship we've established with B.C.'s agriculture sector and builds on initiatives like the $2 million buy local program, that promotes B.C.'s diverse agrifoods industry, by offering applicants matching dollars and the freedom and expertise to market their product as they see best. The funding is helping to promote B.C.'s diverse agrifoods industry and is an example of how government and the agrifoods industry work together to promote local foods and generate economic benefits for B.C.'s food producers and communities.

Our role as government is to create an environment in British Columbia where agrifoods producers succeed. Budget 2013 supports this, and outlines a sustainable fiscal plan that supports our economy and our communities.