UCP candidate Travis Toews says, although the last few years have been hard on agriculture producers in Alberta, he has a plan to support them if he becomes premier.."As a rancher and cattleman, I know the last few years have been incredibly challenging for the agriculture producers who are so vital to the heritage and economy of all Alberta communities," Toews said.."Extreme weather, global supply chain issues, and the impacts of the COVD-19 pandemic have all taken their toll on our industry. I also know that some government decisions have added burdensome costs and regulations to many ag operations.".Toews believes he has a proven record of cutting red tape as Alberta’s finance minister over the last three years.."I’m committed to making our agriculture sector more competitive and better able to help meet the looming global food security crisis," Toews said..If chosen to serve as Alberta's next premier by UCP members, Toews said he will introduce a non-refundable 12% manufacturing and processing tax credit for capital investments for agriculture and food processing to keep Alberta competitive with with its neighbours while protecting taxpayers..He also said he will make it easier for farm workers to get their Class 1 license by creating a separate training framework for drivers of farm-plated vehicles while improving business risk management programs to reflect current realities..If Toews becomes Alberta's next premier, he said he will encourage increased nitrogen production in Alberta's strong petrochemical sector to reduce costs and improve availability of fertilizer for Alberta farmers..In addition, Toews vows to defend and advance the interests of Alberta’s farmers by working to improve global market access for Alberta’s agriculture products and by ensuring federal regulations, especially around nitrogen, recognize best practices and do not unduly impact our ability to make a living by feeding the world.."I understand the challenges in the agricultural sector, but I also understand the great opportunity for us to increase production and value-added processing in Alberta," Toews said.."These reforms, on top of Alberta’s tax and regulatory advantages, will position our farmers and ranchers to make the most of these opportunities. It’s time for government to get out of the way and let our ag industry do what it does best feed Albertans and the world."
