WHEREAS British Columbia generated 2.342 billion in total farm gross revenues 2006 census which is less than 48 of total BC consumption, and British Columbia has an opportunity to significantly expand agriculture and food production which will generate four-fold stimuli to the relative service industries machinery, crop supplies, labour and processing sectors; AND WHEREAS BC farmers compete with other provinces and jurisdictions that provide a much higher level of support to their agricultural sectors in BC, the total of provincial and federal support for agriculture combined is 8 versus 33 for Saskatchewan and the Canadian average of 17: THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the provincial government take seriously the responsibility to support the Ministry of Agriculture and Lands that is essential to help BC grow, by implementing a consistent, sufficient, and reliable budget mandatory to support and hire the necessary staff and resources within the agricultural areas of British Columbia.
MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE LANDS There are many factors that must be considered when looking at the level of government support for agriculture. They include composition of the sector, market realities and the impact of weather or disease on the sector. Our governments approach to the budget for agriculture is to ensure that we can be adaptive while trying to maintain stability in the delivery of programs and services, e.g., work within the national Growing Forward framework to provide targeted assistance to sectors to transition to new market conditions in areas such as: - age verification program for cattle; - replant program for tree fruits; - differentiated pork production; and, - biodiesel opportunities for the grains and oilseeds sector. BC is unlike most other provinces and many other jurisdictions in that a high proportion of agriculture is in supply managed sectors. These sectors typically do not receive direct government expenditures except in unusual circumstances as Avian Influenza or Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy for dairy cattle. The provincial strategy and support for this industry to date has been successful by most measures. At 1.909 million farm, BC has the highest average net worth per farm among all the provinces. The next closest is Alberta at 1.467 millionfarm on average, or close to half a million dollars lower in average net worth per farm than BC. Moreover, BCs average net worth per farm has grown at a rate of 12 per year, on average, over the past five years the highest amongst all of the provinces, followed by Alberta at 8 per year. BC dairy farms, with an estimated 139,000 average profit per farmyear, realize operating profits at 35 above the national average. BCs dairy, turkey, chicken and egg sectors rank third largest in Canada and account for more than 920 million in annual farm cash receipts. British Columbia leverages federal dollar expenditures in the British Columbia agricultural and agri-food sector at a 3 to 1 ratio which is the highest leveraging ratio in Canada. Saskatchewan has the second highest leveraging ratio of 2.4 to 1, followed by Manitoba at 2.3 to 1. The ministrys operating expenditures include 275 full-time equivalent staff covering the areas of food safety and quality, plant and animal health, water, soil, waste and environment management, and marketing and trade, amongst others.