Province releases strategy to help N.B. agriculture sector weather climate change

The province has released an agriculture strategy intended to help the industry deal with a changing climate. According to Agriculture Minister Pat Finnegan, the plan will track emissions reductions in the sector and it will create a digital services hub for farmers. He says it will also help the industry deal with drought, soil health and pests. We've been aware that climate is changing for a while, so we're adjusting, but now we really need to put emphasis and resource into it. To make sure that we don't fall behind, that we are able to resist droughts and severe storms and stuff like that. We all know that's happening and the farmers are right behind us to be able to mitigate that. The province estimates that agriculture is responsible for $1.2 billion in GDP and employs over 13,000 people. And modeling prepared by a consulting firm suggests that the industry has lost $170 million from climate-related factors between 2011 and 2023. The report goes on to say that without action, losses could be over $300 million by 2030.