For Immediate Release
FREDERICTON, N.B. (April 1, 2022) - The Canadian Forage and Grassland Association (CFGA) was in Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec, today for the Government of Canada’s announcement of over $35 million for Quebec farmers to adopt sustainable practices and technologies. The funding includes up to $10 million of On-Farm Climate Action Fund (OFCAF) funding to the CFGA to support Quebec farmers as well as farmers across British Columbia, Alberta, and Saskatchewan in planning and implementing rotational grazing practices.
CFGA executive director, Cedric MacLeod joined the Honourable Marie-Claude Bibeau, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, the Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change and the Honourable Pascale St-Onge, Minister of Sport and Minister responsible for the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec at a local dairy producer in Saint-Hyacinthe, Ferme Roflamme Inc. for the announcement.
The funding is part of the Government of Canada’s proposed investments of over $1 billion in new funding under the Emissions Reduction Plan – a roadmap that outlines a sector-by-sector path for Canada to reach its emissions reduction target of 40 to 45 per cent below 2005 levels by 2030 and net-zero emissions by 2050.
Chris Martin, Chair of the CFGA Board of Directors says the CFGA has long advocated for recognition of Canadian agriculture’s opportunity to provide nature-based solutions to climate change.
“The goals of the OFCAF program mirror the outcomes of targeted scientific and extension work that the association has undertaken over the past five years,” says Martin. “This investment by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada will empower forage producers across the country to prioritize and deploy climate-smart management practices to improve farm resilience and work on behalf of all Canadians to stem the impacts of climate change.
“Working across multiple sectors and ecoregions, our organization believes that collaborative approaches for program delivery will provide the greatest impact and yield long-lasting benefits.”
About Canadian Forage and Grassland Association
Incorporated in 2010, the CFGA provides a national voice for all Canadians who produce hay and forage products and for those whose production is dependent upon forage/grassland production.
