NLIS 2
July 23, 2004
(Natural Resources)
(Labrador and Aboriginal Affairs)

Northern Agrifoods Development Strategy released

Ed Byrne, Minister of Natural Resources, and Trevor Taylor, Minister Responsible for Labrador Affairs, today released the Northern Agrifoods Development Strategy which identifies opportunities and initiatives to further enhance the agrifoods industry and its economic benefits throughout Labrador.

The development of the Northern Agrifoods Development Strategy was initiated by the Department of Natural Resources and the Department of Labrador and Aboriginal Affairs. The strategy reflects consultations which were held in Labrador with agriculture producers and the general public.

"This government is committed to ensuring the growth potential of the agriculture industry in this province is realized and the development of the industry in Labrador is important in helping us reach that objective," said Minister Byrne. "We committed to the people of the province in our Blueprint policy that we would develop agriculture opportunities in Labrador. The Northern Agrifoods Development Strategy fulfills this commitment as it is a comprehensive document that identifies the challenges of the agriculture industry in Labrador and sets out some long-term strategic actions to move this sector forward."

The Northern Agrifoods Development Strategy identifies a range of strategic actions within the following areas: land management; environmental sustainability; infrastructure, production, research and development; economic/market development; human resources; information technology; and, the circumpolar agricultural association. These strategic actions range from conducting soil surveys to implementing various research projects to exploring opportunities for market development between Labrador and Nunavut.

"Significant agricultural opportunities exist in Labrador," said Minister Taylor. "We will work with industry in Labrador to identify real opportunities for growth in the region."

"We are very encouraged on the vision and the recommendations released in the Northern Agrifoods Development Strategy," said Merv Wiseman, president of the Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of Agriculture. "The federation is committed to working with industry and government to help in the development of agriculture and agrifoods initiatives in Labrador."

"I am extremely pleased with this commitment on behalf of our government," said John Hickey, MHA for Lake Melville. "This Northern Agrifoods Development Strategy will help those who wish to farm grow the agriculture sector here in Labrador. This initiative is a great step forward to that end."

A steering committee has been established which will lead the implementation of the strategy. All key stakeholders are represented on the steering committee including: Lake Melville Agricultural Association, the Central Labrador Economic Development Board, and the provincial departments of Natural Resources, Labrador and Aboriginal Affairs, and Innovation, Trade and Rural Development, and the federal government including the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA) and the National Research Council. This committee has prioritized five strategic actions:

  1. Conduct an economic analysis to ascertain the feasibility of primary and secondary production supply managed commodities such as egg, chicken and dairy;
  2. Plan for agriculture land development in Labrador;
  3. Explore secondary processing opportunities for vegetables and wild fruit;
  4. Conduct a needs assessment to ascertain the skills and training required for Labrador farmers;
  5. Conduct cost of production studies for agricultural opportunities in Labrador;

The implementation of the Northern Agrifoods Development Strategy will be financially supported through the Agricultural Policy Framework (APF) Agreement - a five-year, $32.5 million federal-provincial agreement signed in 2003.

"I believe there is reason for enthusiasm and optimism on the development of this strategy," said Minister Byrne. "We are committed to developing Labrador�s agrifoods industry and we will continue to work with industry by taking actions to turn opportunities into realities."

Media contact:

Carmel Turpin, Communications, Natural Resources, (709) 729-5282
Alex Marland, Comunications, Labrador Affairs, (709) 729-3733

2004 07 23                                      11:45 a.m.


SearchHomeBack to GovernmentContact Us


All material copyright the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador. No unauthorized copying or redeployment permitted. The Government assumes no responsibility for the accuracy of any material deployed on an unauthorized server.
Disclaimer/Copyright/Privacy Statement