Emergency preparedness is top of mind for farms and our agriculture industry as whole, now more than ever, after the series of challenging climate events that we have experienced recently. As we work to address these priorities, we are pleased to announce that Nova Scotia farmers will receive support through a $4 million dollar investment from the Nova Scotia Agriculture Recovery Fund.
The fund will be used to assist farmers with on-farm emergency preparedness and to lead a collaborative effort to enhance the industry’s emergency response plan including communications and mental health support during an emergency.
The Agriculture Recovery Fund will be delivered by the Nova Scotia Federation of Agriculture with support from the provincial government. We will be working closely with industry partners, members, and the Department of Agriculture to deliver the programming.
“We are pleased to see this level of investment from the Department of Agriculture in the face of increasingly frequent emergencies and particularly the challenging weather events.” said Allan Melvin, President of the Nova Scotia Federation of Agriculture.
“Our farmers are proud to provide healthy, locally grown food and essential products to our communities” says Melvin. “While there is great opportunity for our industry, its full potential will rely on our ability to plan for a sustainable and resilient future for farmers and farm families. We look forward to working collaboratively with industry in the rollout of the Agriculture Recovery Fund.”
The Federation and the Department of Agriculture have worked closely together to support industry with recent emergencies and will continue to collaborate to support farms in managing these risks.
“We’re pleased to be working together with the Nova Scotia Federation of Agriculture to support farmers in strengthening their operations,” said Agriculture Minister Greg Morrow. “The Agriculture Recovery Fund is a positive step forward to help farmers with preparing their farms for emergency situations, giving them and their families more peace of mind. We’re also looking forward to the collaboration on broader industry emergency response plans as we plan for the future.”
The NSFA will be establishing a steering committee to lead this work in the coming months. Following industry consultation, details on the programming will be released on the Federation’s website and through its newsletters.