Ottawa-The Agri-Food Innovation Council is conducting a series of online interviews about agriculture policy with representatives of each of the main political parties in advance of the federal election, which should be held next October but might come sooner.

Warren Steinley, one of the Conservative Party agriculture critics, was the lead off presenter answering questions from AIC CEO Serge Buy.

Steinley cited various issues that should be priorities including finding ways farmers can do more with less and helping them with succession planning.

A Conservative government would undertake a review of the current suite of federal agriculture programs and any found to not be accomplishing their intended purposes could have their funding transferred to ones that help farmers adopt best management practices, he said. “We need to make sure we are evolving.”

A Conservative government would work to ensure agriculture receives more certainty from government regulations as it works to deliver the country’s food supply. Government involvement in issues tends to slow things down when what is needed is more of a can-do attitude.

The program review would be a constant ongoing process to make sure agriculture is doing the right thing and would return agriculture policy issues to Agriculture Canada from other departments including where the Pest Management Regulatory Agency, now housed in Health Canada, would best be located in the federal government. Increasing agriculture sustainability and improving plant breeding to increase varieties available to growers would be among other priorities.

While carbon emissions need to be reduced, the agriculture sector should get more credit for what it has accomplished in reducing its emissions to 15 per cent of the country’s total, Steinley said. “We need to do a better promoting how we have cut emissions in agriculture.”

The election of Donald Trump as the next U.S. President means Canada must have strong positions on issues and matters involving its southern neighbour and a Conservative government have them prepared as soon as possible.

The country’s transportation system should be studied to produce more efficient ports and increased railway capacity so that Canadian goods can be delivered to customers as soon as possible, he said.

This news report prepared for National Newswatch