In her letter, the Premier outlines her expectations that Alberta continues to be the economic and job creation engine of Canada and asks Minister Sigurdson to deliver on a platform commitment to expand the Feeder Assistance Loan Guarantee to $3 million to support Alberta producers as they feed the country and compete in the global economy.
The Premier also tasks Minister Sigurdson with:
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Advocating on behalf of Alberta farmers and ranchers by promoting Alberta agriculture and pushing back against policies passed by other jurisdictions that hinder the sector.
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Promoting the newly passed agrifood tax credit with a view to accelerating international and domestic business attraction and investment.
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Working to reduce barriers to interprovincial trade of meat products.
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Continuing work towards a customs pre-clearance process for the export of Alberta agricultural products.
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Completing ongoing irrigation modernization commitments and exploring options for additional investment in the optimization and expansion of irrigation and water storage infrastructure in the province.
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Exploring ways to encourage increased nitrogen production in our petrochemical sector to reduce costs and improve availability of fertilizer for Alberta farmers.
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Exploring options to address opportunities identified in the Beef Competitiveness Study to improve Alberta beef-producer competitiveness; and
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Exploring options to support entry and succession in our primary agriculture sector.
“It is the greatest honour to accept this role as Minister of Agriculture and Irrigation. I appreciate Premier Danielle Smith entrusting me with this position. Agriculture is a vital part of this province and plays an essential part of the everyday life of Albertans. I am beyond thrilled to hit the ground running and keep moving Alberta forward with the help of my Cabinet and Caucus colleagues.”