Agriculture federation hears political pitches
The three Progressive Conservative leadership candidates and Liberal premier-designate Wade MacLauchlan made 10-minute political pitches at the P.E.I. Federation of Agriculture annual meeting Friday.
All endorsed the industry and promised a better working relationship.
The three P.C. candidates — James Aylward, Rob Lantz and Darlene Compton — promised closer ties, and help for the primary industry.
"Government needs to get out of the way," said Aylward. "Government needs to reduce red tape, not only in [the agriculture] industry, but in all industry across Prince Edward Island, whether it's farming, fishing, tourism or small business."
The three candidates said they'd work with farmers on land-holding reporting, pesticide application, high-capacity irrigation wells and innovation.
Catering to rural vote
"We're losing our farmers," said Compton.
"The margins between what it costs to produce a crop and what the market is willing to pay, it's been shrinking and all too often over the last two decades, farmers that have equity are using that equity to cover their losses."
Lantz said a food strategy is needed.
"We need to work with producers and processors to develop a meaningful, strategic framework for innovation, productivity, competitiveness, sustainability. We need a food strategy that better promotes our world-class products."
MacLauchlan promised a closer working relationship with agriculture, but also said Island farmers were doing well financially.
"We're in a relatively prosperous time when you look across the various sectors that comprise the Prince Edward Island agricultural reality," he said.
"This has been one of the longest periods of sustained prosperity."
Agriculture is the biggest economic generator in the P.E.I. economy and the four candidates were trying to cater to the rural vote, but the numbers are dwindling as more people move into the urban areas.
