New program to assist Prince Edward Island farmers in building resiliency

A new program will help the agriculture industry on Prince Edward Island better prepare and address current and future challenges that face the industry.

Through the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (Sustainable CAP), Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and the PEI Department of Agriculture are investing more than $1.3 million in the Agriculture Resiliency Program, which will support farmers to build the strength and viability of the industry. This new program will consist of three (3) funding streams:

• Agriculture Resiliency Research Sub-Program
• Extreme Weather Preparedness Sub-Program
• Producer Wellness Sub-Program

Each funding opportunity through the Agriculture Resiliency Program was created to help the local agriculture industry proactively address risks that producers are facing in a changing climate. This includes providing funding for research to assess opportunities, supporting preparedness and resiliency efforts in dealing with the effects of extreme weather events, and

ensuring that our local industry continues to lead and have the necessary mental health supports that are needed to deal with the challenges of farming.

The Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (Sustainable CAP) is a five-year (2023-2028), $3.5 billion agreement between the federal, provincial and territorial governments to strengthen the competitiveness, innovation and resiliency of Canada's agriculture, agri‐food and agri‐based products sector. This includes $1 billion in federal programs and activities and a $2.5 billion commitment that is cost-shared 60 per cent federally and 40 per cent provincially/territorially for programs that are designed and delivered by provinces and territories.

Quotes:
"There's no doubt that farmers right across Prince Edward Island have faced challenges in recent years, but they continue to work tirelessly to produce top-quality food. From important research to mental health support, this program will make sure folks have the tools they need to protect their operations and succeed for generations to come."

- The Honourable Lawrence MacAulay, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food

"Since announcing the Sustainable Canadian Agriculture Partnership almost a year ago, I've been pleased with the increased amount of support that we've been able to invest into our farmers, and agriculture industry as a whole. This program is something that we are really proud of, as we know in order to stay competitive and leaders on the global stage our farmers will have to have access to data that will allow them to adapt and grow, as well as be better prepared for extreme weather events. Since assuming the role of Agriculture Minister I've been committed to ensuring our farmers have access to mental health supports, and now alongside our FarmersTalk initiative, we are adding more resources for our agriculture industry."

- The Honourable Bloyce Thompson, PEI's Deputy Premier and Minister of Agriculture

Media contact:
Kip Ready
Senior Communications Officer
PEI Department of Agriculture
[email protected]

Annie Cullinan
Director of Communications
Office of the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food
[email protected]

Background:

Through the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (2023-2028), the Agriculture Resiliency Program will invest more than $270,000 annually for a total investment of more than $1.3 million. A full breakdown on the three funding streams available through the Agriculture Resiliency Program can be found below:

Agriculture Resiliency Research Sub-Program:
This sub-program is designed to support research efforts and industry development activities to better evaluate and develop resilience and adaptive capacity in the Island's agriculture sector. The goal is to support the PEI agriculture industry to identify, prioritize and develop agriculture adaptation and resilience initiatives.

Extreme Weather Preparedness Sub-Program:
This sub-program supports producers to make infrastructure improvements to increase farm preparedness for extreme weather events, recognizing it can be challenging to accept responsibility for the full cost of retrofitting for future extreme weather events. This sub-program supports activities in four streams:

1. Extreme Wind Preparedness;
2. Extreme Heat Preparedness;
3. Flood Preparedness; and
4. Critical Systems Backup Power.

Producer Wellness Sub-Program:
This sub-program will support producer wellness initiatives, such as but not limited to:

• Organizing and delivering mental health first aid training;
• Hiring speakers or presenters;
• Networking and community events to promote community engagement around farmer wellness;
• Forming community networks to improve farmer wellness;
• Programs, educational campaigns, and initiatives to decrease isolation and promote farmer well-being;
• Attendance fees for agricultural producers or agriculture industry organizations, clubs and associations to attend mental health workshops or training;
• Administrative/overhead fees (up to 10%).

Associated Links:

• Agriculture Resiliency Program
• Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership
• Business risk management programs