Thank you.
Honourable members of the standing committee, I thank you for inviting me here today.
I am here as an advocate for agriculture and as a concerned farmer who is invested in the overall health and well-being of our industry.
Before I delve into the challenges facing Nova Scotia horticulture, allow me to provide some context about myself.
As mentioned, I'm William Spurr, president of Horticulture Nova Scotia, and I'm a farmer. My family farm is a fifth-generation farm that grows onions, carrots, potatoes, winter wheat, apples, pears, peaches, garlic, strawberries and more. I mention this to emphasize the diversity of our farm and of most horticulture farms in Nova Scotia.
Reflecting on the past of not that long ago, I cannot help but recall a time when I was optimistic and enthusiastic about farming. Agriculture in our province seemed to be at the top of its game. The apple industry was thriving, the wine industry was making a name for itself on the international stage and the horticulture sector was adapting and investing in new equipment and technology. It was a time of prosperity and promise, fuelled by innovation and good yields.
However, in recent years, I've witnesses a troubling trend. Over the last few years, it feels as though we are heading downhill at a very fast pace. Last year was especially extremely challenging. The rain, the polar vortex, the winds and the fire wreaked havoc on our farms. This served as a stark reminder of how fragile our agriculture industry really is.
Aging demographics, rising costs and climate change, with increasingly unpredictable weather, threaten to undermine the progress we have made and jeopardize the future of Nova Scotia agriculture.
Access to healthy food is fundamental to maintaining a healthy population. As farmers, we play a critical role in ensuring that fresh, locally grown produce is readily available. We face challenges of food security and limited access to affordable healthy foods. We need to get the cost of production down. It is imperative that we work together to address these issues and create a food system that prioritizes local, healthy and accessible foods.
We need to invest in agriculture. Farmers face numerous obstacles. Rising input costs and labour costs are major concerns going forward. By investing in agricultural innovation and technology, we can strengthen, compete and help farming families in rural communities.
I cannot talk about agriculture without talking about the environment. The health of our environment is paramount to the long-term prosperity of Nova Scotia agriculture. Climate change poses a grave threat to our agricultural lands, with more frequent extreme weather events. As stewards of the land, we must prioritize sustainable farming practices that mitigate greenhouse gas emissions, conserve soil and water resources, and preserve biodiversity, but we need help to do this. We need to advocate for policies and initiatives that prioritize the production, distribution and consumption of locally grown foods that are environmentally sustainable.
I also must draw attention to the pressing issue of business risk management programs, which are currently failing to adequately serve our horticulture sector. Despite the diverse nature of our farms, existing BRM programs struggle to accommodate this diversity, making it challenging for farmers to access the support they need.
The reduction of AgriStability triggering compensation levels has left our sector very vulnerable to climate change impacts, with only a small fraction of horticulture acreage covered by existing production insurance. As we anticipate more severe weather events in the future, the inadequacy of current BRM programs becomes even more apparent.
In conclusion, the health of Nova Scotia agriculture requires help. I urge you to prioritize policies and investments that support agriculture sectors and promote healthy local food in Nova Scotia and Canada.