These issues were identified and prioritized at our recent Atlantic grain and oilseeds strategy workshop and have been communicated to Minister Ritz and the maritime agriculture ministers.
Number one is agriculture infrastructure. Farmers have not updated their grain storage, drying, or handling facilities in many years because of the low grain prices we have suffered. Upgrading on farms and in commercial facilities will allow producers to profitably condition and store their products so they won't have to sell at harvest time. It will also help farmers to grow and store new crops and to IP for new value-added products, such as, for example, non-GMO soybeans for the premium Japanese market. Solutions to assist us could include infrastructure money, interest-free loans, and accelerated capital cost allowances, as was done for computer purchases in the last federal budget.
Our number two issue is research. Because the Maritimes have traditionally been viewed as a small market, the private sector has not made significant investments in crop varieties suited to our unique needs. Agriculture Canada scientists have therefore played a critical role in the development of agriculture in our region. Key agriculture research stations in the region are located in Fredericton, Kentville, Nappan, and Charlottetown. But since 1995, we have seen the erosion of this research, and we have dropped from 28 research scientists to only five per region. At the moment, there is only one research station and one research scientist doing any cereal and oilseed work in Atlantic Canada.
We are a small region with a very specific maritime climate. Thus, varieties that may do well in the west or even in Quebec and Ontario may not yield the same here because of our short growing season. We import a lot of grain today, but with proper research, we could be more self-sufficient.
Our number three issue is Fusarium head blight. This devastating disease thrives very well in our cool, moist climate and is destroying our small grain industry in the Maritimes. We are currently in our fourth year of a severe epidemic of Fusarium. The Fusarium species affecting us is far more toxic than it is in the rest of Canada.