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Agrimart: CCA, national voice for beef producers, comments on federal budget

The 2022 budget will encourage Canada's position as a global agriculture leader reads the recent release by CCA
bulls
Herd of yearling bulls pictured at Peak Dot Ranch’s Annual Spring Bull Sale on April 6th 2022.

The Canadian Cattlemen's Association (CCA) has recently reacted to the federal budget regarding its focus on Canadian agriculture. The 2022 federal budget was presented by the Honourable Chrystia Freeland, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance on April 7th.  

The Canadian Cattlemen's Association is the national voice for beef producers. 

After the budget's presentation, CCA said they were satisfied with many aspects of this year's budget. Among the features of the budget focused on agriculture were supply chain resiliency, climate-smart agriculture, labor, and key investments in rural infrastructure, and to continue supporting the Canadian Agriculture Partnership.

The 2022 budget will encourage Canada's position as a global agriculture leader reads the recent release by CCA. CCA stated that it was pleased to see increased investment in resilient supply chains since they are critical to retaining the ability to function essential businesses and access to world trade. There is also funding for agricultural recovery in the aftermath of the BC floods, which severely impacted farmers and ranchers.

"Budget 2022 includes strategic investments that can support and enhance our industry's role in Canada's green economy," said Reg Schellenberg, CCA's recently elected President. "The impact of the devastating flooding in BC is just one example of many highlighting the need for investment in critical infrastructure to ensure supply chain resiliency."

Canadian Cattlemen's Association says it is pleased with the investment made to address the recent labour shortages in the agricultural sectors, including $48.2 million in new foreign labour programs for agriculture and food.

The 2022 budget includes a $469.5 million six-year commitment, starting in 2022-23, for Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada to expand the Agricultural Climate Solutions program's On-Farm Climate Action Fund.

The significant investment being made in the intersection of agriculture and the environment is something that CCA also feels aligns with their current focus as a commodity group. 

Finally, CCA shared that a highlight of the rural investment portion of the budget was the $2.75 billion earmarked for the Universal Broadband Fund to improve high-speed Internet access in rural and remote areas.

While CCA successfully advocated for many budget elements on behalf of Canadian beef producers, others require further discussion. Among these concerns are funding a vaccine bank for Foot and Mouth Disease and providing additional technical assistance to the Indo-Pacific region.
 

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