Since forming government, Chris Warkentin, along with the Prime Minister, Minister of Agriculture and the rest of the Conservative Party of Canada has worked hard to accomplish results for Canada's farmers and agrcicultre sector. Please find below the list of achievements that have been accomplished in the last 10 months. There are still many challenges ahead, but this list outlines the significant achievements accomplished in such a short time frame.

ACHIEVEMENTS

1. BUSINESS RISK MANAGEMENT

• $755 million Grains and Oilseeds Payment Program (GOPP) accelerated. By accelerating the GOPP payment, producers received virtually all of their payment in the first installment. More than 120,000 farmers have received a payment. Final payments sent out two months earlier than expected.
• $1.5 billion in commitments through Budget 2006.
• $900 million through a retroactive change to the CAIS inventory valuation method, resulting in more money flowing to farmers in 2006.
• $50 million through expanded criteria for negative margin coverage under CAIS. This will help to better cover viable farms with deep losses.
• CAIS deposit eliminated and replaced with a fee for 2006. Participation costs were waived entirely for 2003, 2004 and 2005, making programming more affordable to farmers.
• CAIS clawbacks deferred until January 1, 2007, with interest not being charged on overpayments.
• $90 million Cover Crop Protection Program. This program provides assistance to those producers who have been affected by flooding and excess moisture in 2005 and 2006. Total program financial approvals to date for the CCPP $44,121,180.
• $550 million Canadian Farm Families Options Program (CFFOP). This is a two-year pilot program, which provides short-term income support to low income farm families while they pursue business planning and skills training to improve on and off-farm income options for the long term. To date, the program has provided money to over 1,400 producers, totaling more than $130 million.
• Improved Cash Advances - Legislative changes were made to the Agricultural Marketing Programs Act (AMPA), which consolidated the Spring Credit Advance Program and the Advance Payments Program, expanded the coverage to include livestock and additional crops, increased the overall limit on advances from $250,000 to $400,000; and increased the amount of interest-free advances from $50,000 to $100,000.
• The Enhanced Spring Credit Advance Program (ESCAP) was put in place as an interim measure until the new AMPA program was in place, to make more money available to farmers through interest free loans.
• New Disaster Framework – Federal, provincial and territorial governments agreed in principle and subject to the appropriate authorities, on a new disaster framework which is separate from stabilization programming. With this framework, governments may jointly respond to disasters and put in place short-term actions to help producers quickly.
• Production Insurance – Changes to improve the program and extend its coverage to include to livestock and horticulture, are being developed.
• The Farm Improvement and Marketing Cooperatives Loans Act (FIMCLA) is being maintained and is being improved so that farmers can access credit more easily.
• $5.4 million federal commitment to assist potato producers. This money was committed to Quebec potato producers affected by Golden Nematode. The $5.4 million package includes $2 million in federal support through a new Golden Nematode Disaster Program and the Plant Protection Act, and $3.4 million federal share of payments to producers through CAIS and Renewal programs.
• Next Generation Consultations have been launched to discuss the next generation of agriculture and agri-food policy. Interested stakeholders will be able to make their voices heard about the future direction of agriculture and agri-food policy.

2. BIOFUELS AND THE BIO INDUSTRY

• Held a Biofuels Rountable in Ottawa, providing industry a forum to present their ideas for the development of a national biofuels industry.
• $10 million Biofuels Opportunities for Producers to help with business planning and feasibility studies for biofuels projects with more than one-third producer ownership.
• $200 million Capital Formation Assistance Program. This is a four-year program designed to encourage agricultural producers’ participation in the renewable fuels industry. The program will provide repayable capital funding arrangements to renewable fuels projects based on agricultural producers’ contributions to the biofuels facilities.
• $145 million Agricultural Bioproducts Innovation Program (ABIP). This is a five-year program designed to promote research, development, technology transfer and the commercialization of agricultural bioproducts, including biofuels, in Canada. The program will benefit farmers by generating new agricultural knowledge and technology and facilitating its transfer to those that can commercialize these innovations for the benefit of farmers and others in Canada’s bioeconomy.

3. SCIENCE AND INNOVATION

• $6.7 million for 15 projects under ACAAF (Advancing Canadian Agriculture and Agri-Food).
• $3.2 million for Pulse Canada Innovation Project. This funding will go towards exploring new North American markets for pulse crops such as lentils, beans, peas and chickpeas. The project will identify new, high-value North American market opportunities which use pulse and pulse products. These new products will benefit producers in terms of higher returns for farm produced products.
• New AAFC Science and Innovation Strategy – Presented a new strategy for agriculture science and innovation that focuses on maximizing research opportunities and breakthroughs by building partnerships between government, the private sector, and academia to support a sustainable and profitable agriculture and agri-food sector.
• Signed an agreement to join the Institute for Food and Agricultural Sciences (Alberta)
• $2 million for National Research Council for Nutrisciences and Health (NRC-INH) Bioresources Research. This is a capital contribution toward the development of the National Research Council Institute for Nutrisciences and Health (NRC-INH) on the University of Prince Edward Island campus.
• Created 17 new scientific professional positions, almost half of which focus on new science support of new opportunities in new markets.

4. CANADIAN FOOD INSPECTION AGENCY

• Secured multi-year funding for the CFIA to develop plans, policies and programs to help prevent the entry of Avian Influenza in Canada and contain and eliminate outbreaks that may emerge. The CFIA, through increased resources will provide the protection that Canadians expect and deserve through a decisive and rapid response that safeguards Canada’s poultry, food supply and economy.
• Published amendments to the Egg Regulations in Canada Gazette to strengthen certain health and safety provisions. Most of the elements of the amendments affect registered egg stations where eggs are graded.
• Banned Specified Risk Material from all animal feed, pet foods and fertilizers effective July 1, 2007 and provided $80 million in funding to assist the transition.
• Anthrax Compensation – The government extended anthrax compensation to include owners of bison, llamas, alpacas and cervide such as white-tailed deer and elk, who were not previously eligible for assistance.
• Revised Canada’s Import Policy – This will allow a broader range of animals and animal products from the United States, which were suspended following the confirmation of BSE in Washington State in 2003. All classes of U.S. cattle, including those for breeding purposes born after 1999, are eligible for entry based on prescribed certification requirements. As well, beef from cattle over 30 months of age is also eligible for importation under certain conditions.
• Increased Markets for Canadian beef - The number of markets open to Canadian beef has increased, including Russia and breeding animals to Algeria.
• Bluetongue Policy - Revised Canada’s import policy, based on an updated scientific risk analysis, to eliminate current bluetongue-related control measures for cattle, sheep and other ruminants imported from the United States. This removed a long-standing trade irritant. Comments for the proposed Anaplasmosis regulations are currently being accepted.
• National Standards for Organic Food – New standards were developed and have been put in place, with a transition period for the industry. The national standard increases the potential markets for Canada’s organic products around the world.
• Rule 2 – The USDA has published Rule 2 in the Federal Registrar, which will provide access for cattle 30 months and older to the United States when approved. The rule includes access for breeding cattle.

5. TRADE

• Held a roundtable with Minister Emerson regarding the WTO talks with major industry stakeholders.
• Defended supply management at the WTO.
• $30.4 million for 42 projects approved under the Canadian Agriculture and Food International.
• New World Wine Trade Group Agreement – Signed onto this agreement, which addresses labelling requirements for wine. This agreement includes a provision on icewine, which will benefit the Canadian industry.

6. CANADIAN GRAIN COMMISSION

• Canadian Grain Commission - Completed and assessed the COMPAS review of the Canadian Grain Commission and the recommendations by the Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food on the COMPAS report. Met with the CGC and stakeholders to listen to their views.

7. CANADIAN WHEAT BOARD

• CWB Task Force - The Minister struck a task force with a clear mandate to produce a report with recommendations on how the CWB could function in a marketing choice world.
• On October 11, 2006, the Minister ordered the CWB, under Section 18 of the Canadian Wheat Board Act, to not expend funds directly or indirectly advocating the retention of its monopoly powers, including the expenditure of funds for advertising, publishing or market research. This is intended to right a long-standing abuse of farmers’ money.
• Canadian Wheat Board Directors - Three of the five government appointed directors on the Canadian Wheat Board have been replaced by three new directors, one from each of the Prairie Provinces, all of whom support the government’s policy to provide marketing choice to farmers.
• Barley Plebiscite - The Minister announced the government’s intention to hold a plebiscite among western Canadian barley producers in early 2007 on the concept of allowing producers to voluntarily market their barley through the CWB.
• Canadian Wheat Board CEO – Replaced the CEO with an interim CEO who will focus on selling grain efficiently and making farmers money.

8. SUPPLY MANAGEMENT

• Dairy Industry Working Group – The Minister established the Dairy Industry Working Group to enable producers and process address industry issues, including compositional standards of dairy products, which in turn helps to address the issue of MPC imports and usage, the surplus skim milk powder supply, lack of an export program and numerous other issues including the future viability and profitability of the industry. A report was produced and presented to the Minister, which provided recommendations on the compositional standards for cheese, competitive pricing and several others.