Agriculture takes a hit in the new Alberta deficit-cutting budget.
The Alberta budget will slice $145 million from last year's $967 million budget for agriculture over four years.
The 2019-20 budget will be $879 million — a one-year reduction of nine per cent.
By 2022-23 the budget will be down to $822 million with much of the cuts coming from a re-arranging of priorities and a freeze on filling vacant positions.
The reduction includes government-funded research and production and partnering associations and with universities.
Research will be transitioned to the joint federal-provincial Canadian Agricultural Program (CAP) and cuts will shift research to farm groups.
Crop insurance and CAP income stability programs will be unaffected.
Ron Walter can be reached at ronjoy@sasktel.net
