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Technology, new business practices and new consumer demands are changing the face of our industry and have opened the door to new possibilities. We are here to explore those possibilities and the many programs, tools and initiatives available to help producers realize them.
While the industry has changed over the past 40 years, Alberta’s farmers and producers have shown time and time again their resilience. It’s this character and their ability to see things through that makes me so supremely confident in our producers’ ability to embrace the opportunities and changes before us.
Raising the bar
When it comes to growing our product, we are second to none . . . but future success will depend on embracing more astute business practices. Our products are here at home and halfway around the world. While this means greater opportunities, it also means competition . . .thinking and acting as a producer is no longer enough.
Are we giving consumers what they want? Or are we simply content to ship boxcars of wheat or freightliners of cattle across the border.
World market
The world market for our products is hindered by crippling tariffs and trade-distorting subsidies. For an export dependent industry like ours, future growth depends on our access to foreign markets. That is why the recent World Trade Organization talks in Hong Kong were so important to us.
Progress was made towards a deadline for domestic support and an agreement to end export subsidies by 2013. Removing subsidies and trade-distorting tariffs will go a long way to leveling the international playing field, raising commodity prices worldwide.
This will allow demand and pricing for our products to be set by the market.
Value-added
I’d like to see all farmers and producers ask themselves:
- Who’s buying my product?
- What are they doing with it?
- Who’s in the value chain in getting my product from the field to the table?
- What kinds of partnership possibilities are there along the way?
Explore alternative markets for our products: farmers markets, farm gate sales, u-pick operations, country vacations and farm stores are examples that come to mind. Farmers markets alone have an estimated dollar value of $233 million a year in Alberta and are part of an expanding trend.
Our ministry supports industry’s goal of increasing value-added agriculture production to $20 billion and primary production to $10 billion by 2010. Twenty/ten by 2010.
I encourage producers to take advantage of the programs and initiatives available to help streamline, expand and grow farm operations. Ultimately, only by taking action can opportunity crystallize into something more. While we provide the tools and support, only you can take that first step.
Download
Presentation of Farm Renewal Makeover Scholarships
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