Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Agriculture: where do I begin? I will start with the good. There is significant potential in agriculture in the Northwest Territories, not just as it relates to economy and employment, but also to food security and health. Right now, the demand for locally produced foods far outstrips the supply. To capitalize on this potential, we need to help current producers expand their operation, and help new producers enter the industry. The most urgent issues that must be addressed, according to producers, the Agriculture Strategy, and the revised mandate of this Assembly, relate to land, labour, funding programs, and training. Despite this urgency, there has been no progress towards resolving these issues and many producers are frustrated.

Access to land is probably the biggest impediment to sector growth. The land lease application process can take years, Mr. Speaker, and because each application is assessed on its own merit without clear guidelines, the process provides no certainty, predictability, and often ends in disappointment. However, this is a moot point in many cases because the cost associated with leasing land often makes it uneconomical for many types of agricultural use. Labour costs are also stifling growth and deterring new entrants. Under the GNWT's agriculture funding program, Growing Forward 2, the only agriculture-related positions eligible for funding are management positions at non-commercial enterprises. New entrants are further deterred by the utter lack of funding available for start-ups.

In communities without an established agricultural sector, consultations revealed that a deficit of local expertise, and a lack of training are also major barriers for new entrants. As luck would have it, a local farmer, Jackie Milne, not only took it upon herself to design a training program specifically for the North that is accessible to everyone regardless of education level, but also managed to get the feds to fund a physical campus for her Northern Farm Training Institute, or NFTI. NFTI has garnered recognition from former Prime Minister Harper, the federal Minister of Agriculture, the Assembly of First Nations, and even Hellman's. Yes, the mayonnaise people, to name a few. The campus is also internationally recognized and regularly hosts visitors from around the globe. In fact, Mr. Speaker, it seems like everyone is interested in NFTI except for this government.

Despite the fact that we need to train our residents, the Department of ITI has been refusing to provide funding to residents so they can attend NFTI since its campus was built. I will have questions on this and more at the appropriate time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.