Image: Conservative Party of BC / Facebook / Conservative Party of B.C. leader John Rustad speaks during a Sept. 28 campaign stop at a dairy farm in Abbotsford.

By Don Mitchell

BC Farming

BC Conservatives’ farming plan seeks to ‘get rid of red tape’ says Rustad during campaign stop in Abbotsford

Sep 28, 2024 | 1:31 PM

ABBOTSFORD – The leader of BC’s Conservatives hopes to procure more locally grown food and lessen reliance on out-of-province farmers if his party wins the next election.

During a campaign stop at an Abbotsford-area dairy farm on Saturday, John Rustad outlined his ‘Grown In BC’ plan, which aims to double food production and get “rid of red tape” that limits what the farming sector can do in terms of processing and packaging within British Columbia.

“Another big piece of that is also looking at the Agricultural Land Commission itself, “ Rustad explained. “There are many rules that are in the in the Agricultural Land Commission which seems more about protecting land than it does actually about supporting farmers and supporting agricultural products.”

Expansion of the ‘Buy BC’ program is also in the plan, allowing residents more access to local produce as well as increasing food processing and upgrading transportation infrastructure.

Support for farmers would include investments in agricultural research and development to produce climate-resilient practices, improve crop productivity with incentives like regenerative agriculture and expand access to agricultural technologies.

Highway 5 Conditions

'High snowfall amounts' expected on Coquihalla Highway: Hope to Merritt

2h ago

Projected tax increase

Chilliwack Council to consider 7.17% tax increase amid heavy emphasis on public safety in 2025 budget

18h ago

Boxing Canada

Chilliwack boxer Oliver Kladnik to represent Team BC at upcoming boxing nationals

18h ago

“We want to make sure that there are no barriers from government, whether it’s through the Agricultural Land Commission or other things, for farmers to be able to actually get the food out to our local markets,” Rustad said.

B.C. has an estimated 26,000 farms across 2.6 million hectares of arable land.

Conservatives insist the sector has lost 2,500 jobs since 2014, with the number of young farmers falling faster than in any other province outside of Atlantic Canada.

Rustad’s visit to the Fraser Valley Saturday was hours before BC NDP Leader David Eby made his own stops in Langley and a barbeque in Chilliwack alongside local BC NDP candidates.