The federal budget includes some modest changes for agriculture.
The Temporary Foreign Worker Program will be tweaked to “better align with regional labour market needs, in collaboration with provinces and territories, while improving processing time and strengthening employer compliance.” the budget documents said.
It also proposed to help transition up to 200,000 temporary residents already in Canada to permanent residency by the end of 2027.
Nieces and nephews and their children will be included in farm inheritance tax breaks.
The budget proposes regulatory amendments to the Agriculture and Agri-Food Administrative Monetary Penalties Act, Feeds Act, Fertilizers Act, Health of Animals Act, Plant Protection Act and Seeds Act to modernize Canadian Food Inspection Agency fines and penalties and strengthen enforcement.
On the spending side, there is $176.9 million over three years starting in 2028-27 to renew the Wine Sector Support Program, $124 million over three years for the Local Food Infrastructure Fund, which supports food banks and other community food infrastructure such as greenhouses and food storage facilities, and $6.2 million over four years for Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada to support Canada’s Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence, which could help power AI platforms in farming.
It also proposes amending the Agricultural Loans Act “to improve access to capital for farmers, support intergenerational farm transfers, reduce costs and administrative requirements for lenders and producers, and better reflect today’s agricultural realities.”
