ABBOTSFORD - The Governments of Canada and British Colombia are partnering to help ensure foods produced on farms in British Columbia and Canada remain the safest and highest quality in the world. The announcement was made by Agriculture and Lands Minister Steve Thomson and federal Member of Parliament Ed Fast (Abbotsford) today.

 “Farmers across British Colombia can take pride in their on-farm food safety practices,” said Mr. Fast, on behalf of federal Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz. “By raising awareness of safe on-farm practices, we are helping farmers retain consumer confidence and remain competitive as those consumers continue to fill their grocery carts with safe and top quality food.” 

“Support for food safety management programs on-farm will mean our local producers will have the tools to be proactive in addressing food borne risks that could potentially be encountered along the agri-food chain,” said Thomson. “This funding will contribute significantly to protecting the health of British Columbians, which is a top priority for this government.”

The Food Safety Systems Implementation (FSSI) producer program will receive up to $2.4 million to promote food safety awareness and deliver educational programs to producers.  This investment will also help producers put into action their individual safety plan, leading to certification. 

The program will reimburse 90% of eligible costs to a maximum of $3,000 per farm for approved projects. Under Growing Forward, two Food Safety Systems Implementation (FSSI) programs are being offered to the agri-food sector; the program for producers, delivered by the BC Agriculture and Research Corporation (ARDCorp) and a program for processors called FSSI(processors), announced in 2009, delivered by the Small Scale Food Processors Association. The Government of Canada and the Province of B.C. have been working with local producers under the Growing Forward framework to develop programs that are tailored with the flexibility to meet B.C.’s diverse regional requirements.             

Growing Forward is a national agriculture framework to coordinate federal and provincial agriculture policy. Federal, provincial, and territorial governments are delivering $1.3 billion to Canadian farm families from 2008 to 2013. British Columbia’s share under these agreements will be a total of $78.8 million. 

For a complete list of Growing Forward programs in B.C., visit www.gov.bc.ca/al/ or www.agr.gc.ca/GrowingForward.

--------------------------

Contact:

Meagan Murdoch Press Secretary Office of Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz 613-773-1059   Patrick Vert Media Relations Ministry of Agriculture and Lands 250-387-9147 250-213-2020 (cell)   Media Relations Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Ottawa, Ontario 613 773-7972 1 866 345-7972