Agriculture Minister Norm Letnick issued the following statement on the Agricultural Land Commission Act consultation:

“Last month, my ministry began a consultation process on the potential development of new regulations related to the Agricultural Land Commission Act. In recent weeks ministry staff, accompanied by representatives from the Agricultural Land Commission, has been meeting with key members of the agricultural community and local government representatives from around the province to hear their feedback and ideas.

“These meetings have been framed by 11 specific questions, and while there have been a variety of perspectives presented, the comments have been thoughtful, and the discussions have been productive. The goal is simple: at the end of the discussions, the B.C. government will have heard people's thoughts about the implications of what has been suggested, and will have the best ideas possible to help farmers earning a living on their land and ensure there’s another generation ready and willing to get into farming.

“All British Columbians can comment on the same 11 questions through, at: http://engage.gov.bc.ca/landreserve/ which will be open for comment until Aug. 22. I’d like to thank those who have taken the time to participate so far - and encourage those who haven’t yet, to take the time to get involved.

“We believe giving farmers more opportunities to grow their farming businesses is a benefit to them. We also think it’s a benefit to British Columbians who want access to more B.C.-grown foods. I look forward to hearing your ideas and opinions so together we can ensure a strong future for farming in British Columbia. Thank you.”

Media Contacts:

Jason Macnaughton
Communications Director
Ministry of Agriculture
250 356-1812