Agriculture is at the heart of Alberta.

In our province, more than 40,000 farms stretch over an area larger than Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island combined. Ranchers and farmers contribute billions of dollars to Alberta’s economy and continue a history that goes back generations.

Alberta’s agriculture is the engine of Canadian agriculture.

Our ranchers and farmers produced 68 percent of Canada’s beef, 49 percent of its barley, and 31 percent of its wheat in 2020.

But they face serious challenges and they need a government that is on their side.

We have heard clearly that there is a need to address regulatory capacity, improve access to capital, and increase value-added capacity, and the Alberta NDP is committed to addressing these issues for Alberta's ranchers, farmers, and producers.

To help support and grow the sector, The Alberta NDP proposes to:

• Create an Alberta Value-Add Incentive Program to help companies access capital.
• Set up a Local Food Incentive task force to incentivize small-scale, rural start-ups that can upgrade local ingredients to new food products.
• Increase staff dedicated to help navigate services and agri-food and value-added approvals.
• Lower capital borrowing costs for irrigation districts and municipalities.
• Bridge the digital divide and bring high-speed internet to every Albertan by 2027.
• Support post-secondary schools with agriculture programs and ensure agriculture and AgTech are core to any technology strategy.

Provincial governments need to be a champion for agriculture and for the innovation that will ensure ranchers, producers, and farmers flourish for generations to come.

Rachel Notley and the Alberta NDP will be that champion for agriculture.