Part B: Ministry of Agriculture and Lands
Core Business Areas
Services and programs delivered by the Ministry are divided into five core business areas.
Food Industry Development
Food Industry Development facilitates research and innovation in partnership with the agriculture, aquaculture and food sectors;
provides advice and information services on issues affecting the development, production, marketing and business management
of the sectors; promotes youth leadership programs; and provides animal and aquatic health surveillance and disease diagnostic
services.
Food Industry Development is also responsible for aquaculture development and policy and coordinating province-wide land and
water policies and programs as they relate environmental management on farms. The business area works with industry, local
governments and others to promote public awareness of the agriculture and aquaculture sectors and address and resolve urban/agricultural
issues (157 FTEs, net operating budget $18.9 million).
Agriculture and Aquaculture Management
Agriculture and Aquaculture Management provides legislation and policy leadership for the agriculture and food sectors. This
includes strategic and policy support to the regulated marketing systems, Farm Industry Review Board and Agricultural Policy
Framework agreement as well as for reducing regulatory burden and barriers to international and inter-provincial trade.
In addition, Agriculture and Aquaculture Management coordinates invasive plant management for the Province, manages plant
health and diagnostics as well as food safety and quality initiatives, and is the lead for licensing, compliance and enforcement
of aquaculture and for licensing of livestock (84 FTEs and $10.7 million).
Risk Management
Risk Management is responsible for the administration and delivery of Production Insurance and supports the federal administration
and delivery of Canadian Agricultural Income Stabilization (CAIS) programs, which help stabilize farm businesses against risks
such as severe weather, diseases and low market prices. Both programs are cost-shared by the federal government, provincial
government and producers (35 FTEs and $38.1 million).
Crown Land Administration
Crown Land Administration works to achieve greater value for the public and continued access to public lands and resources
by ensuring that it is responsive to the changing needs and demands of communities, sector interests, and the Province as
a whole. The business area develops and maintains the policy framework for the administration of Crown lands; provides expert
advice, and develops operational procedures and guidelines, tenure documents and training for implementation of the policy.
In some cases, this includes providing hands-on support for land disposition decisions. Undertaking strategic analysis to
identify sectoral trends, forecast societal demands and identifying how B.C.'s Crown lands can be best used is a critical
underpinning of this work.
Crown Land Administration provides leadership in the management of B.C.'s contaminated sites program by coordinating the identification
and remediation of priority sites that are the responsibility of the Province (148 FTEs and $38.4 million).
Executive and Support Services
Executive and Support Services includes the offices of the Minister, Deputy Minister and Corporate Services Division which
provides financial support services, human resources, performance strategies, freedom of information and records management
and information technology to the Ministry of Agriculture and Lands, including the Integrated Land Management Bureau, as well
as the Ministry of Environment (10 FTEs and $8.0 million).
The Information Resource Management Plan developed through Executive and Support services can be viewed at http://www.agf.gov.bc.ca/ministry/planning/irmp.pdf.