SPRINGHILL, NOVA SCOTIA--(Marketwired - Jan. 26, 2016) - Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
Agriculture Minister Lawrence MacAulay and Nova Scotia Agriculture Minister Keith Colwell today announced an investment of up to $950,000 to help Nova Scotia maple syrup producers with the recovery costs to re-establish sap collection systems damaged by excessive snowfall during the winter of 2015.
Quick Facts
- Farm cash receipts in Nova Scotia for maple industries totalled close to $4 million in 2014.
- Excessive snowfall in 2015 caused significant damage and severe setbacks for Nova Scotia's maple syrup industry. Approximately 40 percent of the trees could not be tapped in 2015 because of damage from extreme snow levels.
- The Canada-Nova Scotia Maple Sector Initiative is being delivered under the AgriRecovery Framework, which allows governments to respond to unforeseen disasters that result in extraordinary costs for producers.
- Producers are encouraged to continue to make full use of existing business risk management programs (AgriInsurance, AgriStability and AgriInvest) designed to help them mitigate losses due to disaster events.
Quotes
"We are committed to work with industry to ensure they have the necessary support in place to recover from extreme weather events. This initiative will help producers reduce their losses, while focusing on rebuilding their sap collection systems."
- Lawrence MacAulay, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food
"This initiative is an excellent example of our commitment to help industry through challenges and we will continue to work together to ensure that investments in priority areas benefit the entire sector."
- Bill Casey, Member of Parliament for Cumberland-Colchester
"With this investment we are helping maple producers rebuild their operations that suffered damage from an especially harsh winter. We want to support producers as they recover and ensure they are able to grow the importance of their industry for Nova Scotia's agriculture sector."
- Keith Colwell, Nova Scotia Agriculture Minister
"The Maple Producers Association of Nova Scotia is very grateful for the support the federal and provincial governments have shown us after last year's devastating amount of snow and the damage it caused for maple producers in Nova Scotia. This funding will help our maple producers get back on their feet so they can look forward to a good production this spring and in the years to come."
- Drew Hunter, President, Maple Producers Association of Nova Scotia
Information on how to apply for the initiative will be available in the coming days from www.AgPal.ca and through the Nova Scotia Department of Agriculture.
Additional Links
Maple Producers Association of Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia Department of Agriculture - AgriRecovery Programs
