Minister Byrne says closure of federal research station could negatively impact agriculture industry

Ed Byrne, Minister of Natural Resources, said today he has great concern with the decision of Agriculture and Agri-food Canada to close its research station in the province. Minister Byrne indicated he had not received any information from his federal government colleague, Andy Mitchell, of the decision to close the Atlantic Cool Climate Crop Research Station located on Brookfield Road in St. John�s by April 1, 2007.

"It was quite a surprise and, indeed a shock, that officials of my department heard of this decision through other sources," said Minister Byrne. "I quite understand the federal department had to ensure that its employees were made aware of this decision in the first instance. Having said that, shortly thereafter, it would have been appropriate for Minister Mitchell to contact me to explain the rationale for the decision and what alternative plans the minister has for the work that is being carried out at the research facility."

Minister Byrne said the federal research facility provided great support to the growing agriculture industry in Newfoundland and Labrador and its closure will mean that this province will be the only province in Canada that does not have at least one federal agriculture research centre.

"We are currently partnering with the research centre on such initiatives as small-feed grain and corn silage research, integrated pest management and clonal selection and commercialization of local wild partridgeberry and bakeapple plants," said Minister Byrne. "It is difficult to understand how the federal government could make this decision in absence of consultation with our government or with the provincial agriculture industry. In fact, when you look at the industry across the country, it is in Newfoundland and Labrador where there is real growth occurring and real growth forecast for the future. It just does not make sense for the federal government to make a decision that could impede the continued development of this industry."

Furthermore, Minister Byrne raised the concern the closure of the research facility is again another diminishing of direct federal government operations in Newfoundland and Labrador.

"This decision is hard to comprehend, particularly at a time when there have been repeated calls from many corners of this province for the Government of Canada to increase its presence in this province and in light of recent reports out of Ottawa that it had plans to decentralize its operations," said Minister Byrne. "It is our intention to ensure that the federal government is quite clear as to where we stand on that issue."

Media contact: Carmel Turpin, Communications, (709) 729-5282, 685-4624

2005 02 25                     11:15 a.m.