Commentary: Putting money where foot-and-mouth could be

Canada’s export-dependent economy has limited opportunities for domestic growth when it comes to agriculture and food.

With 40 million Canadian souls in sight, (we are just 440,000 short), growing our population by one million people last year was a great accomplishment, especially for makers of food or jobs. But as Canada grows its agricultural capacity, the future lies in exports.

Budget 2023, from the same folks who brought you carbon pricing and the greening of the Canadian economy, does address a critical piece of the agriculture vulnerability puzzle for the nation. It includes funding of a foot-and-mouth disease vaccine bank. A single case of the disease would likely strike a $65 billion blow to the economy, so this particular budget item is welcome and will be money well spent.

The nation’s livestock industry has been calling on the government to address the issue of funding for an expanded FMD-infection response plan and a vaccine bank to deal with any outbreak.