The Yukon Liberal Party believes that the agriculture sector is vital to the territory. We need to do more to ensure local food is available and that farmers are supported. That is why a re-elected Liberal government will continue to support our growing agriculture sector.

We commit to immediately establishing an internal Yukon Government task force that will work to maximize local food purchases through government procurement. Understanding that we are seeing tremendous growth in agriculture sector, it is now prudent for the Yukon Government to modernize current legislative framework such as the Public Health and Safety Act in order to allow commercial level agriculture to flourish.  This task force will also review current legislation and policies, and follow up with informed recommendations on how the government can help bolster the Yukon’s agriculture sector.

We are also going to work with the Yukon Agriculture Association to make sure they have the proper resources to champion this industry and advocate for the right to farm.

We will identify, develop and release land parcels suitable for agriculture, and we will work closely with the Yukon’s livestock producers to support the significant increase in demand for Yukon meat products.

We believe strongly in continuing to support the Canadian Agriculture Partnership with the Government of Canada. Since 2018, this program has supported 337 projects geared towards agriculture projects in the Yukon, including initiatives such as:

• community markets and gardens,
• funding for farm business plans, and
• farm business expansions in areas such as butchery and egg production.

As we strive to tackle climate change and protect the environment for the generations to come, we also pledge to explore and support farming practices that aim to reduce GHG emissions. We believe in forward-thinking farming.

We have been long invested in increasing our local food production and COVID-19 clearly conveyed why this needs to be top of mind today. That is why we released Cultivating Our Future: 2020 Yukon Agriculture Policy last summer. This is the Yukon’s fourth formal agriculture policy. The first policy was adopted in 1982 and updates were made in 1991 and 2006.

Informed by conversations with the public, key stakeholders and Yukon First Nations, Cultivating Our Future sets up bold guidelines to direct and strengthen the territory’s agriculture sector for the next decade and beyond.

The Yukon’s agriculture industry is expanding. The Yukon Liberal Party commits to do more to increase opportunities and improve accessibility as well as overall land use.

On April 12, Let’s Keep Going.

According to the 2016 census, there are 142 farms in the Yukon, producing hay, vegetables, field crops, berries, meats and value-added products, including preserves and cheese. Many of these farms are in my riding and the industrious people behind these farms never stop working. They are instrumental in the quest for a more localized and sustainable future. We want those in agriculture to know we support them. We all win when the agricultural sector is thriving.”

- Tracey Jacobs, Liberal candidate for Lake Laberge

“Yukon farmers are committed to Yukoners and we are committed to them. Maximizing local food purchases through procurement will be the main mission for an internal Yukon Government team, a group we commit to forming within our first 100 days in office. The Yukon is evolving from small farms and market gardens to commercial food production operations, and we are committed to supporting them at this level because securing food production in the North is important to us all.”

- Ranj Pillai, Liberal candidate for Porter Creek South