Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau returns to Agriculture and Agri-food file

January 9, 2020

During her first trip in her renewed role as Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, Marie-Claude Bibeau travelled to Saskatchewan to meet with industry stakeholders, as well as her provincial counterpart, David Marit to discuss ongoing agricultural issues and priorities. She also took part in the 2019 Canadian Western Agribition (CWA)—the largest livestock show in Canada.

Minister Bibeau heard from beef producers at an industry roundtable and met with representatives from the grains and oilseeds sector to talk about the challenges they face, particularly related to past year’s poor weather at harvest time, the CN work stoppage and market access issues.

The minister reaffirmed that she is eager to listen to—and work closely with—producers to ensure they are positioned for success. That includes having reliable access to a diverse range of international markets and the capacity to overcome challenges, with the help of a range of business risk management programs.

Travelling east in early December, Minister Bibeau repeated her commitment to supporting Quebec’s farm families and rural areas. In an address to delegates from the Union des producteurs agricoles (UPA) gathered for their annual general meeting in Quebec City, she also reiterated the federal government’s commitment to supply-managed sectors.

A few days later, Minister Bibeau met face-to-face with Canada’s provincial and territorial ministers of Agriculture for a second time in 2019 to discuss ways to improve support for Canadian producers.