Dear Editor:

Food safety is one of the major global issues facing our farmers. Canadians naturally want high-quality food that is safe to eat. But the issue of food safety has an even wider impact - it also impacts job creation and prosperity because of increased Canadian agricultural exports around the world.

Canadian farmers have made tremendous strides in the areas of food safety and food quality over the years. But we need to help them do even more.

With this in mind, the Government of Canada has announced that it will invest $80 million over the next four years to help Canadian farmers implement food safety and quality measures on their farms. This expands on the announcement in December of $62 million to support the development of systems for food safety, quality and tracking.

These funds will make it possible to put in place on-farm systems for food safety, quality and traceability, and will put producers in a stronger position to meet new, emerging consumer demands in these areas. The first component of the program will help national producer organizations deliver producer workshops to their members covering the implementation of food safety, traceability and quality systems. As these associations are the direct link to producers, they are certainly the best positioned to deliver real, concrete solutions for farmers.

Under the second component of the program, producers will be eligible for up to $750 each to help set up systems on their farms - things like technical support, or purchasing specialized equipment. For information on this initiative, I would encourage interested individuals to consult www.agr.gc.ca or call the office of the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food at (613) 759-1059.

Sincerely,

Paul Steckle, M.P.

Huron-Bruce