KAP Hosts Advisory Council Meeting Online

Delegates with Keystone Agricultural Producers (KAP) gathered online Thursday, for the farm lobby group's fall advisory council meeting.

 

KAP President Bill Campbell provided some opening remarks.

 

"We continue to push the province to shore up the AgriStability program. Moving the coverage limit to 85 per cent, with no reference margin limits. We will continue to advocate for our producers on both provincial and federal levels on this important issue," he said. "Another issue on the federal side is the continuing need for Temporary Foreign Workers. This could remain an issue into next spring and summer, given the wide ranging effects of the pandemic. We can't sustain the same backlogs and delays that we saw this year and hope that now that we have identified these issues, government can work to ensure these workers are here when we need them."

 

Other topics discussed at the meeting dealt with grain dryer installations and value creation.

 

Campbell says agriculture will lead the economic recovery in Canada, noting that farmers have never quit working during these challenging times.

 

He added it's important for farmers to take care of their mental health and seek help if necessary, as the long winter approaches.

 

 

Video: Finding a Balance of Innovation and Regulation - Dr. Peter Facchini

Regulations help markets and industry exist on level playing fields, keeping consumers safe and innovation from going too far. However, incredibly strict regulations can stunt innovation and cause entire industries to wither away. Dr. Peter James Facchini brings his perspective on how existing regulations have slowed the advancement of medical developments within Canada. Given the international concern of opium poppy’s illicit potential, Health Canada must abide by this global policy. But with modern technology pushing the development of many pharmaceuticals to being grown via fermentation, is it time to reconsider the rules?

Dr. Peter James Facchini leads research into the metabolic biochemistry in opium poppy at the University of Calgary. For more than 30 years, his work has contributed to the increased availability of benzylisoquinoline alkaloid biosynthetic genes to assist in the creation of morphine for pharmaceutical use. Dr. Facchini completed his B.Sc. and Ph.D. in Biological Sciences at the University of Toronto before completing Postdoctoral Fellowships in Biochemistry at the University of Kentucky in 1992 & Université de Montréal in 1995.