Perennia More Effective, Accountable as Crown Corporation

The government is making Perennia Food and Agriculture Inc. a Crown corporation so it can work more closely with the government, increase public awareness of its services, and be more transparent.

“Perennia will continue to provide the same great services to the agriculture, seafood, and food and beverage industries, with a strengthened alignment with our government mandate and with better reporting requirements,” said Agriculture Minister Greg Morrow. “We’re helping to improve government effectiveness and accountability to Nova Scotians.”

Minister Morrow introduced legislation today, October 20, that establishes the mandate, structure and guidelines for Perennia to operate as a Crown corporation.

Perennia currently operates as a not-for-profit corporation managed by a CEO and governed by an 11-person board of directors made up of industry representatives appointed by the agriculture minister.

Quick Facts:

• on July 26, the Province announced changes to streamline, modernize and improve accountability of several organizations, including Perennia, following a review of provincial boards, agencies and Crown corporations
• Perennia was established in 2012 under the Companies Act as a continuation of other agricultural extension entities first established in 2000
• Perennia supports competitiveness and sustainability in the agriculture, seafood, and food and beverage sectors
• it has 90 employees, in Kentville, Halifax Regional Municipality and Bible Hill

Additional Resources:

Bills tabled in the legislature are available at: https://nslegislature.ca/legislative-business/bills-statutes/bills/assembly-64-session-1

News release – Streamlined Crown Corporations to Drive Province’s Economic Agenda: https://novascotia.ca/news/release/?id=20220726001

Perennia Food and Agriculture Inc. website: https://www.perennia.ca/