Saint-Eustache, January 29 – The UPA Outaouais-Laurentides Federation announces that it has participated in all regional consultations organized by the Ministère de l'Agriculture, des Pêcheries et de l'Alimentation du Québec (MAPAQ) on its territory. Representatives of the Federation and its local and specialized unions have mobilized with determination to make the voice of farmers heard in the Laval, Montreal, Laurentians and Outaouais regions.
These consultations are of vital importance for the sustainable development and growth of the agricultural sector in our regions. The UPA Outaouais-Laurentides Federation sees this MAPAQ initiative as a significant opportunity to contribute to the policies and initiatives that will shape the future of agriculture in Quebec. Indeed, more than forty years after the adoption of the Loi sur la protection du territoire agricole, this is an opportunity that presents itself only too infrequently in order to strengthen the law and give more teeth to the Commission de protection du territoire agricole.
"As we begin the commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the Union, we have never been so determined to defend the interests of our farmers. This is a unique opportunity for our federation and its unions to share their perspectives, concerns and ideas in order to positively influence future agricultural policies in our regions," says Stéphane Alary, President of the UPA Outaouais-Laurentides Federation and dairy producer in Luskville, Outaouais.
Representatives of the Federation were present at the meetings organized in each region, and exchanged views with stakeholders from the agricultural sector, government partners and other parties involved in the process. This enabled us to reiterate our determination to demand significant changes and propose bold solutions in terms of land protection and agricultural activities, access to land, the environment, land use management, water management and much more.
We reiterated the importance of adapting programs and funding, increasing MAPAQ's overall budget, banning exploration and mining on agricultural land, reviewing agricultural property taxation and simplifying administrative processes.
The Federation will continue to collaborate with the national consultation on agricultural land and activities during the next steps and will be on the lookout for legislative and regulatory changes resulting from these hearings.
About the Fédération UPA Outaouais-Laurentides
The UPA Outaouais-Laurentides Federation is a union organization representing around 2,500 farm businesses and 4,000 agricultural producers in 11 RCMs, 3 cities (Laval, Mirabel, Gatineau) and 1 agglomeration (Montreal) in the Outaouais, Laurentians, Laval and Montreal regions, offering them professional services and support.