Members of the province's Agricultural Service Boards, including from the Mountain View board, passed a number of resolutions at a recent provincial conference, including some concerned with government funding cuts to initiatives such as the shelterbelt program, say officials.
The annual Agricultural Service Board conference was held in Edmonton from Jan. 22 to 25.
There are 70 agriculture service boards in Alberta, advising local municipal councils and the provincial government on issues related to farming, ranching and food production.
The resolutions urge specific government departments to take action.
During the conference, which was also attended by elected officials such as MVC Reeve Bruce Beattie and several other MVC councillors, resolutions were passed requesting more timely farm hail investigation by Agriculture Financial Services Corporation (AFSC), and concerning cuts to the Agri-Environmental Services Branch and to the prairie shelterbelt program.
Other resolutions passed included a call for changes to the Weed Control, Soil Conservation and Agricultural Pest Acts to include non-native Hawkweed species; a call for Alberta Agriculture to take steps to inform pest control companies and the public that law requires notification of the presence of rats, dead or alive; a call for the establishing of wild boar penning regulations; and a call for changes to the Agriculture Operations Practices Act Regulations regarding short-term solid manure storage.
Provincial ASB officials are expected to release a complete list this week of all resolutions passed at the conference.
Everett Page, who is the vice-chairman of the Mountain View Agricultural Service Board, said he was pleased with the conference, and in particular the chance to meet with members of other boards.
“It was a great opportunity to network with ag service board members from other regions of the province,” said Page. “The resolutions passed were very meaningful for the agriculture industry.”
MVC Reeve Beattie said he was pleased with resolutions passed at the 2013 conference.
During the conference, Verlyn Olson, minister of agriculture, Minister of Infrastructure Wayne Drysdale, and Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development Deputy Minister John Knapp answered questions from delegates.
“Question highlights ranged from concerns with regards to the termination of the federally funded prairie shelterbelt program, and the importance of an immediate review of the Pest Act,” said Jane Fulton, MVC manager of Agricultural Services.
“As well questions arose around provincial and federal inspection regulations for processing and rendering facilities, and building such facilities in northern Alberta to reduce cattle stress, dependence and the distance needed to travel.”
The theme of the 2013 conference was “Future Frontiers of Farming”.
Presenters included Brenda Schoepp, Joel Salatin, and Dr. Joe Schwarcz, whose presentation was titled “Planting the Seeds of Science in the Public Mind”.
Resolutions brought before the conference were first brought forward from regional Agricultural Service Board sessions, said Fulton.
"The resolutions passed were very meaningful for the agriculture industry."- Everett Page, vice chairman MVASB
