The province has released the details for its new 5-year $508 million Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership.

Minister of Agriculture and Irrigation Nate Horner says the new agricultural policy framework provides flexibility to deliver programs that will help producers and value-added processors grow their businesses and improve productivity.

Alberta’s SCAP programs align with the five priority areas in the agreement.

- building sector capacity, growth and competitiveness; 
- climate change and environmental protection; 
- science, research and innovation; 
- market development and trade;
- resiliency and public trust.

Horner says a number of programs fall under the building sector capacity, growth and competitiveness priority.

Alberta's on-farm value-added program is a grant, the value-added program is another grant, plus there's the emerging opportunities program, and the building sector capacity growth and competitiveness initiative.

There's a new program under climate change and environmental protection - the Resilient Agricultural Landscape Program.

The program’s objective is to accelerate the adoption of beneficial management practices that maximize the provision of ecological goods and services through carbon sequestration and enhancing climate resilience. 

Horner says among the programs under the climate change and environment priority are the Efficiency Grain Handling program, the Farm Technology Program, and the Water Program.

Under the Science Research and Innovation theme are Alberta's accelerating agriculture innovation program and the Science Research and Innovation Initiative. 

There are also various programs under market development and trade and the resiliency and public trust theme

Horner points out farmers will want to check out all the details. 

"The farm technology program is still there, and very robust, the efficient grain handling program and the water program - both of which went up substantially are still in place. I think they both increased over a million dollars from the CAP program. "

Program details and information about the application process are available on the Agriculture and Irrigation website. 

Applications for the new SCAP funding open will be available on Monday, April 3rd.

To hear Glenda-Lee's conversation with the Minister of Agriculture and Irrigation Nate Horner click on the link below.