• We launched our BC Agriculture Plan in 2008, outlining a view for the future of BC’s agriculture industry and allocated $16.8 million over three years to implement it.
• Budget 2008 provided over $70 million for agriculture, compared to only $57 million allocated by the NDP in 1999/00.
• Between 2001 and 2007, land in the ALR has increased by over 39,700 hectares and there is more land preserved in the ALR today than when it was created in 1974 - and more today than under the NDP.
• In 2007, the aquaculture industry contributed over $385 million to our economy.
• Fish farm escapes decreased 70 per cent between 2002 and 2005 when compared to 1998 to 2001.
• We created the toughest mandatory penalties in Canada for farm labour contractors who break the Employment Standards Act.
• As a result of our changes to farm worker safety policies, in 2007 accidents declined eight per cent over 2003.
• We convened an Agriculture Climate Action Forum in 2007. A new Climate Action Initiative project was launched as a result to assess opportunities for the agriculture sector to help combat climate change.
• Our BC Bioenergy Strategy provides $10 million over three years specifically for biofuel production, and we’ve set a goal of meeting 50 per cent or more of BC’s renewable fuel requirements by 2020 with biofuels produced in BC.
  

Agricultural Land Reserve (ALR)
We believe that decisions about the Agricultural Land Reserve are best made at the local level, free of political interference, because local representatives can best represent the interests of their communities.

• Between 2001 and 2007, over 48,200 hectares were added to the ALR, and approx. 8500 hectares were approved for exclusion.
• To ensure that ALC decisions are made in the best interest of local communities, we eliminated the Victoria-based panel and put in place six regional panels around the province.
• Our B.C. Agriculture Plan reaffirms our commitment to the ALR and we are asking the ALC to develop options for issues such as inter-generational transfers, so that aging farmers can stay on the farm while next generation  farmers take over the family business.
  

Aquaculture
We believe in creating a sustainable aquaculture industry that adheres to the most comprehensive environmental standards in the world because this industry supports essential jobs in remote coastal and First Nations communities.

• Aquaculture generates more than 3000 direct jobs. In 2007 the BC aquaculture industry paid $53 million in direct salaries and benefits.
• Approximately 50 per cent of aquaculture jobs are held by women and First Nations.
• In 2007, the aquaculture industry contributed over $385 million to BC’s economy ($367 million from finfish).
• Farmed salmon is B.C.’s #1 agricultural export.  See a picture of a typical B.C. salmon farm
  
• We put in place one of the most comprehensive regulatory regimes in the world; we enhanced regulations for escapes and waste discharge and are relocating poorly sited farms, improving fish health, monitoring and reporting systems, and we’ve put more resources towards compliance and enforcement.
• Operators who are found out-of-compliance face fines up to $10,000 per day or can have their licence revoked or suspended.
• New applications for sites go through a rigorous environmental and biological review, and thorough consultation with local First Nations.
• We’ve approved 22 finfish sites since 2001.
• We suspended finfish aquaculture on the North Coast of BC in March 2008.
• Escapes are decreasing. Between 1998-2001, 242,243 fish escaped from BC fish farms. Escapes decreased by 70 per cent between 2002-2005, to just 64,544 escapes.
• We created the Pacific Salmon Forum (PSF) in 2004. The PSF is an independent forum of experts providing us balanced, impartial information, advice and recommendations.
• The PSF recently released their final report and recommendations which found that wild and farm salmon can co-exist in our coastal waters.
• The PSF report confirms that the technology for a commercially viable closed containment operation does not exist anywhere in the world and recommends a rigorous scientific assessment to determine the viability of such a concept.
• The Supreme Court of BC recently determined that finfish farms are a “fishery” that fall under the exclusive jurisdiction of the federal government.
• Rather than appeal the SCBC’s decision, we will work with the federal government over the next 12 months to clarify roles and responsibilities. During this time, we will continue to manage the industry under the current regime.
  

Farm Worker Safety
Nothing is more important than the health and safety of people at work and the BC Liberals are committed to continuing to improve farm worker safety by targeting bad operators.

• Farm workers make a valuable contribution to our province and, like all workers in B.C., deserve safe work places.
• That’s why we introduced mandatory seatbelts for all passengers in a farm worker vehicle and employers, vehicle owners and drivers can now be fined for allowing a vehicle to be operated over capacity or without seatbelts.
• We created the toughest mandatory penalties in Canada for farm labour contractors who break the Employment Standards Act.
• We passed legislation to allow farm labour contractor’s licenses to be suspended or taken away if they violate WorkSafeBC or Motor Vehicle Act regulations.
• We amended the Employment Standards Act to ensure farm workers are paid in Canadian currency and by direct deposit to reduce bullying in the work place and salary claw backs.
• We increased enforcement staff by 50 per cent to ensure farm contractors are obeying the law. As a result, accidents have declined by 12 per cent since 2001.
  

Ranching
We believe in working with the industry and federal government to assist cattle ranchers and producers to transition into new and emerging markets while mitigating the effects brought about by national incidents of BSE and E-coli.

• Our B.C. Agriculture Plan made it a priority to promote our ranchers, local food production, and to build agricultural capacity.
• From 2001 to 2007, we provided $38 million to cattle ranchers through Business Risk Management programs.
• Since 2001, we’ve given a further $14 million specifically to the industry via the B.C. Cattlemens’ Association. Part of this funding includes:
• $6 million for the BSE Recovery Program in 2003 & 2004.
• Almost $4 million for the Cattle Age Verification Program in 2006 & 2008.
• $3 million to implement a Beef Industry Strategy to match the drought relief program in 2006.
• $25,000 for quarantined cattle costs after a Bovine TB outbreak in 2008.
• We contribute $4 million annually to match federal funds of $6 million per year to implement the Wildlife Damage Compensation Program compensating cattle producers for the loss of forage crop damaged by wildlife and losses due to wild predators.
• We invested $8.8 million in the Meat Transition Assistance Program, to help producers comply with Meat Inspection Regulations through assistance in building licensed slaughter capacity throughout the province. Minster of Healthy Living and Sport Mary Polak talks about food safety
• In June 2008, we improved access to Class C transitional licenses for meat producers in remote and isolated communities. We also set up protective zones for those existing processors.
  
• There are currently 71 provincially-licensed abattoirs in BC; 35 are fully licensed and 36 hold a Class C license. In 2004, only 12 abattoirs were provincially-licensed. When combined with the federally registered abattoirs, a total of 84 processing plants provide slaughter capacity to BC producers.
• In January 2009, we partnered with Thompson Rivers University to establish a research chair to develop new techniques and technologies to help make BC’s cattle industry more sustainable – both economically and environmentally.
  

Meat Regulations
B.C. agriculture and food products must meet the highest standards for health and safety, and government supports small producers in meeting these standards.

• Since the Meat Inspection Regulations were announced in 2004, we’ve more than quadrupled the number of licensed provincial meat processing operations, helping remote communities and preserving the ability to buy locally.
• Having a system in place to track any problems also helps protect producers and processors from the devastating economic impact that can be caused by one case of disease that cannot be tracked or contained.
• We know complying with the new regulations may be more difficult in remote and isolated areas so in 2008 we provided an additional $3.8 million to the original $5 million to help meat producers in those communities transition to full licensing.
•  Our total commitment to the Meat Transition Assistance Program is $8.8 million. 
• There are currently 71 provincially-licensed processors in BC; just 12 were provincially-licensed in 2004.