B.C. Conservative leader John Rustad announced plans to overhaul the Agricultural Land Commission, if elected this fall.
He was speaking from an Abbotsford dairy farm Saturday morning about his plans to strengthen the farming industry in this province. He underlined his overall plan to cut red tape at all levels, but added that he is planning to make changes to the long-standing commission.
"When it (the land commission) was set up we took away private property rights of individuals," he said. "What we've seen is that has been continually eroded."
The commission was set up in the 1970s.
"The ALC itself ... has many rules that seem more about protecting land than supporting farmers and their products," he said. As examples, he mentioned that B.C. berry growers are limited in post-production of their own products, such as turning berries into jam on land within the agricultural land reserve.
Rustad was on a farm review panel in the past, and has been meeting with farmers around the province.
"It's crazy, he said. "In B.C. you can grow berries, but if you take those berries and turn it into jam, you lose your farm status."
He said a Conservative government will focus on food security through protecting agricultural water rights, expanding the Buy BC program, and creating a microloan program for farmers.
The changing climate around the world is affecting the global food supply, he noted, both in the ability to farm and in how other governments are changing regulations to protect their own food security.
"As we all know, our climate is changing," he said. "We will see a reduction in food supply worldwide, and B.C. is not the first place people ae going to be sending food to."
B.C. farms produce a third of what the province consumes, he said, and he believes that number can be increased to protect this province's food security. Rustad's 'Grown in B.C." plan for agricultural support was rolled out on Saturday along with his visit to the Rose Gate Dairy Farm in the Matsqui area of Abbotsford.
It's an area that flooded in the atmospheric river event, along with Abbotsford's Sumas Prairie. Infrastructure in the area was destroyed, hampering many farmers production for a prolonged period.
If elected, he promised to fix agricultural infrastructure as quickly as possible.
"I am not going to worry about permitting, and will be just getting things done," he said
The B.C. Conservative press release on Grown in B.C. stated that "farmers across B.C. are ready to grow, but the NDP’s policies are holding them back."
It said the plan is "aimed at revitalizing the province’s farming industry, reducing operational costs, and ensuring that British Columbians can access affordable, locally-grown food."
In it, Rustad condemned the NDP government’s failure to address the challenges facing BC’s farmers, including excessive regulation, rising taxes, and a lack of infrastructure investment, which has harmed both producers and consumers.
“Our farmers contend with enough challenges from nature—they shouldn’t have to fight the government too,” said Rustad. “The NDP has neglected BC’s agricultural sector for too long, leading to a drop in farm jobs, higher costs at the grocery store, and a growing food crisis. The Conservative Party of BC will get BC growing again by investing in our farmers, expanding access to local markets, and cutting the unnecessary red tape that’s holding them back.”
