Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Determined individuals and groups are working to build agriculture as a new sector in the NWT economy. Success has been variable but increasing overall. Egg production is well established in Hay River and the farmers at Paradise Gardens produce a wide range of vegetables, fruit and meat products for local markets. Many recall the days of yore when fields of grain crops grew in Fort Simpson. Gardens throughout the Mackenzie Valley supply communities and schools. The Cunninghams ran commercial gardens in Yellowknife and everyone,

including trappers like my colleague’s father Mike Krutko, in the ‘30s had gardens. Unfortunately, our Bureau of Stats doesn’t monitor agricultural production, but in Yukon, 148 farms and 10,000 hectares had primary sales in 2006 of $4.1 million. Some Yukon farms span generations, with steady and dependable production.

In August the Territorial Farmers’ Association made a presentation to the EDI committee. Based on their members’ experience, NWT agricultural operations could readily supply 25 percent of the NWT market for meat, market vegetables and cereals. An investment of only $7 million into industry expansion would yield an ongoing increase of $2.7 million per year in the territorial GDP, with dozens of jobs and increased incomes. They concluded that agriculture is technically and economically feasible and that people want to see expansion of the industry.

Obvious benefits of producing our own food extend beyond economics; for example, to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, healthier foods and food security. The current lack of a GNWT strategy for agriculture with comprehensive support programs is crippling. Availability of land and an agricultural land use plan making available new agricultural land is required with cooperative interim agreements developing the possibility of leased land in land claim areas.

We have not even been evaluating the extent of agricultural land or the opportunities to provide thoughtful support. Other issues need attention. Fuel taxes for mobile equipment are currently levied on farm machinery. This pricing and the lack of off-road vehicle fuel rebates is damaging to our farming efforts. A further burden is the current restriction to using municipal lands which brings in appropriate municipal assessment rates.

Mr. Speaker, I will have questions for the Minister of ITI on these real and abundant opportunities. Mahsi.