Progress on Agricultural Services
Substantial progress has been made on a new and innovative way to provide specialist services to the agricultural industry announced Agriculture and Marketing Minister Ernest Fage.
Mr. Fage also announced the appointment of a transition co-ordinator to assist farmers with any issues or services they may need while the new service plan is being developed.
"There are a number of initiatives being undertaken in agriculture that are going to be very positive for the industry," said Mr. Fage.
In the recent budget, $2.7 million was made available to restructure services so industry could have a more hands-on and leadership role in determining what specialist services were essential and how they should be delivered to move the industry forward. This funding also includes the department's five regional agricultural development centres in Sydney, Antigonish, Truro, Kentville and Weymouth. Specialist services can range from providing advice on specific commodities (like beef or blueberries) to specialists in soil, forages or entomology.
Mr. Fage met yesterday for the second time in five days with the industry restructuring committee established to identify essential services and develop the best way to deliver those services. The committee presented its findings and recommendations to the minister last Friday.
"This committee has done an extraordinary job in identifying needs and putting together a plan for providing services to the industry," said Mr. Fage. "The department has worked hard to respond very quickly since this is our priority right now.
"We are still in the discussion phase, but we are definitely on the same path and the progress made in the last week has been remarkable. Right now, we are not releasing any details but I anticipate having concrete information to release within the next month."
"I am very pleased with the positive response to the report from the minister and I am particularly encouraged by the government's initiative in appointing a transition co-ordinator," said Peter Hill, president of the Nova Scotia Federation of Agriculture. "The federation has been concerned that some essential services may be lost during the process of establishing a new services structure and this position will give us some time to do a thorough job."
"I am pleased with the minister's response to our report," said Peter Clarke, chair of the Industry Steering Committee on Restructuring. "He has now offered some suggestions for modification and we will work with him and staff to see if we can work those suggestions into a model that can eventually be presented to the federation's Council of Leaders."
Dr. Rick Whitman, the department's manager of horticulture in Kentville, will assume the duties of the transition co-ordinator effective immediately. A toll-free number is being established to facilitate the transition.