Market trends show farmers make more profit if they produce high quality food in a sustainable manner, says the chair of an agriculture group.
AgriAlliance has released a five-year plan they call the Innovation Roadmap. It will be the centerpiece of the Agri-Insight Prince Edward Island Conference in Charlottetown on Feb. 19. The plan outlines how P.E.I. needs to develop a more profitable agricultural sector, highlighting six areas to improve.
The ultimate goal of the Roadmap is to improve the bottom line for farmers, said Tyson MacInnis, chief operating officer for the AgriAlliance.
“But with our relatively small scale on P.E.I., we can only be profitable where we can achieve competitive advantage in the marketplace through innovation and cooperation.”
MacInnis said they are looking forward to putting the Roadmap into action.
“We will need broad industry ownership to make this plan a reality and create a positive impact for the future of agriculture and agri-food industry in this province.”
P.E.I.’s small size means it takes clever thinking to stay competitive, said Allan Ling, chair of the AgriAlliance.
“Global supply and demand trends point to better returns for farmers and food processors who can produce high quality food sustainably.”
“But with our relatively small scale on P.E.I., we can only be profitable where we can achieve competitive advantage in the marketplace through innovation and cooperation,” - Tyson MacInnis, chief operating officer for the AgriAlliance
Increases in farm cash receipts and the upcoming introduction of HST are good news for farmers, but AgriAlliance needs to do more, said John Jamieson, executive director of the P.E.I. Federation of Agriculture.
“We look forward to working together to implement the ambitious targets set out in the Roadmap.”
The P.E.I. AgriAlliance is a not-for-profit organization formed as a recommendation of the 2009 Commission on the Future of Agriculture and Agri-Food In PEI. It serves to facilitate the development and implementation of strategies and initiatives to build the agriculture and agri-food economy of Prince Edward Island.
JUST THE FACTS
The pulic can view the Roadmap on AgriAlliances’ website at http://peiafa.com/assets/Innovation-Road-Map-Feb2013.pdf
