Minister Dreeshen visits Camrose to consult with local farmers and rural community

With Alberta Agriculture and Forestry leading a range of stakeholder consultation opportunities throughout the summer, Alberta Agriculture Minister Devin Dreeshen made Camrose his first stop on the tour on Thursday, July 25.

Minister Dreeshen was in consultation with the farm and ranch community about ‘farm and ranch safety and workplace legislation.’

“Our government has initiated comprehensive consultations with farmers, ranchers, agriculture workers, and others as we move forward with the new proposed Farm Freedom and Safety Act,” MLA Jackie Lovely who was in attendance said. “We are committed to restoring balance, fairness, and common sense to the regulation of Alberta’s agriculture sector. Farm and ranch operations have unique needs that are unlike other industries.”

According to Lovely, there’s need for legislation that balances the unique economic pressures of farming with the need for common sense, flexible farm safety, and employment legislation, and it will address the following:

• Ensuring basic safety standards;

• Recognizing that a farm is unlike other businesses, and that farmers and ranchers require flexibility in meeting workplace standards; . . . contd.