The federal and Nova Scotia governments have promised support for Cape Breton farmers struggling with recent “overwhelming” rains.
Federal Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz and his provincial counterpart, Brooke Taylor, said Monday that they are “committed” to “find ways to help producers in Cape Breton.”
Ritz said he would “immediately” send senior officials from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada to Cape Breton to meet with farmers and assess the situation. While there, these officials are to work with their provincial counterparts to ensure effective co-ordination, the governments said in a release.
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“We need to know as much as possible about this unique situation to identify the best ways for both the governments of Canada and Nova Scotia to respond,” Ritz said, adding he’s in “close contact” with Defence Minister Peter MacKay, who’s also the federal minister responsible for Nova Scotia.
“The farm families in my area are facing real struggles with the overwhelming rainfall and we want them to know both the national and provincial governments are standing right beside them,” Conservative MLA Keith Bain said in the same release.
Taylor and Bain had a meeting with Ritz in Ottawa to discuss the situation in Cape Breton.
