'Great opportunity': Alberta's agri-food industry to kickstart economic recovery: report
While many of Alberta's major industries slowed down during the pandemic, there's one big outlier: Agri-food.
A new report from the University of Calgary's School of Public Policy says the province's agri-food producers will play a major part in Alberta's economic recovery. The province has the talent, land and climate to do so, the report says.
"There's great opportunity to use those resources and really kickstart back into a growing economy in 2021...and into the future," said Karen Spencer with the U of C's Simpson Centre for Agricultural and Food Innovation.
The report said Alberta's agri-food producers brought in $56 billion in 2020, higher than the $39 billion in crude oil sales last year.
Alberta's biggest agri-food products include cattle, canola, wheat, pork and dairy. More than 40 per cent of Canada's cattle inventory is in Alberta and about a third of the country's canola and wheat production is in this province.
"I have to admit that there's times when we in agriculture feel like that forgotten step child. We have been an integral part in building this province into what it is," said Cherie Copithorne-Barnes with CL Ranches.
She's a fourth-generation Alberta rancher and has seen the industry grow, especially during the pandemic.
"We are an integral part of every supermarket you go to buy your food," she said.
"Alberta is especially positioned to be able to provide as much food as needed for this province."
A new report from the University of Calgary's School of Public Policy says the province's agri-food producers will play a major part in Alberta's economic recovery. The province has the talent, land and climate to do so, the report says.
PROVINCE'S LARGEST EMPLOYER
The agri-food industry is Alberta's largest employer with about 49,000 people working in primary agriculture alone. Tens of thousands more people work in producing, processing, transporting and retail related to agri-food.
But access to labour and rural connectivity problems could be barriers that could slow the potential growth, the report says.
"The larger the farm, the more critical it is that they have access to a labour force," said Tom Steve with the Alberta Wheat and Barley Commissions.
Still, Steve said, the sector is showing promise and resiliency, even with a pandemic and global economic downturn.
"It's a big sector. It's often been not fully appreciated, I think, because of the size and scope of the oil industry. Now we're seeing this other industry has a lot of potential," he said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Police arrest 3 Indian nationals in killing of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar
Three people have been arrested and charged in the killing of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar – as authorities continue investigating potential connections to the Indian government.
Grandparents killed in wrong-way crash on Hwy. 401 identified
A 60-year-old man and a 55-year-old woman killed in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 earlier this week have been identified by the Consulate General of India in Toronto.
Quebec man who threatened Trudeau, Legault online sentenced to 20 months in jail
A Quebec man who pleaded guilty to threatening Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Premier François Legault has been sentenced to 20 months in jail.
TD worst-case scenario more likely after drug money laundering allegations: analyst
TD Bank Group could be hit with more severe penalties than previously expected, says a banking analyst after a report that the investigation it faces in the U.S. is tied to laundering illicit fentanyl profits.
Human remains found in rural Sask. possibly a decade old, RCMP say
RCMP say human remains found in a rural area in central Saskatchewan may have been there for a decade or more.
2 charged after police find 'concerning and diverse' explosives at Manitoba home
Winnipeg police say they have arrested two people in their 20s after a large amount of explosives were found in a home outside of Winnipeg, Man.
Canadian doctor concerned new weight-loss drug Wegovy may be used inappropriately
As Wegovy becomes available to Canadians starting Monday, a medical expert is cautioning patients wanting to use the drug to lose weight that no medication is a ''magic bullet,' and the new medication is meant particularly for people who meet certain criteria related to obesity and weight.
Spain abolishes national bullfighting award in cultural shift
Spain scrapped an annual bullfighting award on Friday, prompting a rebuke from conservatives over a backlash against a centuries-old tradition they see as an art form but which has run into growing concern for animal welfare.
Drew Carey is never quitting 'The Price Is Right'
Drew Carey took over as host of 'The Price Is Right' and hopes he’s there for life. 'I'm not going anywhere,' he told 'Entertainment Tonight' of the job he took over from longtime host Bob Barker in 2007.