NDP Agriculture Critic Heather Sweet issued the following statement in response to the AgriStability negotiations today
“I am glad that the UCP finally listened to producers, however this agreement falls short with the UCP only signing on to half of the deal. It is unfortunate that the UCP used farmers as a bargaining chip for so long and that they did not maximize funding from the federal government. The UCP’s decision not to increase the compensation rate is deeply troubling. For every one dollar the province invests, they receive a dollar and a half in return from the federal government. This money was earmarked for the hard working farmers of Alberta. Alberta’s agricultural industry is key to the province’s diversification and is worth investing in.”