Conference Focuses on Agriculture's Future

Conference Focuses on Agriculture's Future

Nova Scotia is hosting one of the most comprehensive and forwarding-thinking agricultural conferences in the country this weekend at the Dartmouth Holiday Inn.

The Atlantic Farm Challenges Conference, held every second year, challenges farmers to think about the future. It provides an opportunity for leaders in agriculture, finance and farm business management to discuss national trends and the continued success of agriculture in the Atlantic provinces. In Nova Scotia, agriculture is an economic powerhouse that contributes $1 billion a year to the provincial economy, generating 12,000 direct and indirect jobs.

The conference is the only agricultural event in Atlantic Canada that brings together participants from all commodities with financial institutions, agri-businesses and governments to focus on future competitiveness. The theme this year is: Our Road to the Future, Farming into the 21st Century.

"Agriculture is a challenging yet rewarding business," said Ed Lorraine, Minister of Agriculture and Marketing. "People who farm are business people and need to have the most up-to-date information on business management practices and issues that could affect their individual operations and the industry as a whole. This conference is invaluable in giving farmers the important information they need to be competitive for the future."

The conference will cover topics such as what a world-level competitive farm will look like, biotechnology, the environment, risk management, developing export markets, financing the future, farm inheritance, and market outlooks. Speakers from across Canada who are leaders in their respective fields will address delegates. On Sunday, local farmers will share their insights during a panel discussion.

"This really is going to be a think-tank for all the players in the region who are involved in and have an investment in agriculture continuing to grow and prosper into the 21st century," said Gary Morton, conference chair and senior business management specialist with the Nova Scotia Department of Agriculture and Marketing. "It's proven to be invaluable to participants in past years, and this conference will be just as informative and thought-provoking."

Conference sponsors are: Nova Scotia Department of Agriculture and Marketing, Nova Scotia Farm Management Institute, Canadian Farm Business Management Council, Farm Credit Corporation, Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, Newfoundland Department of Forest Resources and AgriFoods, New Brunswick Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, and Prince Edward Island Department of Agriculture and Forestry.