During its 2024 Annual General Meeting this spring, the Agricultural Alliance of New Brunswick (AANB) passed a number of resolutions of importance to New Brunswick (N.B.) farmers. Below is a wrap-up of those resolutions.

Rural housing solutions for ag workers

Due to the rural nature of farming, agriculture operations find it extremely difficult to find workers without providing housing. As well both local workers and temporary foreign workers require safe housing. For these reasons, the AANB passed a resolution that it work with federal, provincial and government stakeholders to work towards solutions for farmers.

Agricultural profitability challenges and affordability concerns

With the cost of production continually increasing for farmers each year and consumers finding it difficult to afford their basic needs, it is becoming difficult for farmers to be paid by the market. To address this issue, the AANB passed a resolution to work with the government to find ways to assist farmers in profitability, such as through agri-tourism.

Wage parity and competitiveness in the ag industry

All other provinces don’t have to pay overtime rates for primary agriculture workers. The agriculture industry in N.B. needs to remain competitive and wages are a big expense. The AANB also passed a resolution to advocate for N.B. have the same advantages as other provinces for primary agriculture workers.

Harmonizing overtime laws to enhance competitiveness

Tied into the wage parity issue, N.B. farmers compete with farmers from Nova Scotia (N.S.), Quebec (Que.) and Ontario (Ont.) which are exempt from paying overtime for agricultural labour and puts N.B. farmers at a competitive disadvantage. AANB passed a resolution to lobby both the Department of Agriculture, Aquaculture and Fisheries (DAAF) and Department of Post Secondary Education, Training and Labour (PETL) to change N.B. overtime laws to be in harmony with N.S.

Lime Transportation Subsidy Program

The AANB also resolved to thank the DAAF for the transportation subsidy for lime program introduced late in the spring of 2023 and to lobby the DAAF to continue the subsidy in 2024 and expand the lime transportation subsidy to be available to all farmers. It’s an important issue given N.B. soils are naturally low in PH so N.B. farmers need lime for their fields to be productive but fertilizer costs and transportation costs for lime are out of their control.

Address and control wild parsnip

Wild parsnip is becoming an increasing problem for N.B. farmers. It is an invasive species that has no known predators, nor is it a host to controlling insects or fungi. It contains chemicals called furanocoumarins that, along with deterring herbivores from eating the plant, can cause a burn-like rash (phytophotodermatitis) in people and livestock. It will out compete beneficial crops for food production and honey bee habitat such as goldenrod and is controlled on fields that undergo regular tillage for agriculture crops. However, it proliferates in undisturbed areas such as roadside right ways and trail sides resulting in large populations of wild parsnip tending to be in undisturbed areas such as along roads.

As a result, the AANB resolved to encourage the NB Department of Transportation and Infrastructure to work on controlling the population of wild parsnip on government property by mowing before the plants go to seed.

Other resolutions included :

• Lobbying the N.B.’s Department of Natural Resources and Energy Development (DNRED) to maintain the deer nuisance permit program as it currently exists.
• Advocating for continued funding and support for the N.B. Soil and Crop Improvement Association (NBSCIA).
• Urging zero per cent interest financing support for on-farm renewable energy projects by NB Power and GNB.
• Urging the preservation of current residential classification, removal of renewable energy cap, and adoption of a commercial net metering program for farms in NB Power’s rate design review.

To date, the AANB has not had any responses to the resolutions; however, they had scheduled meetings with the various departments on them. Watch this space as well as the AANB newsletters and website (fermenbfarm.ca) for details as they become available.