Photo by Vince Fedoroff
BOLSTERING THE AGRICULTURAL INDUSTRY – NDP Leader Kate White, seen at this morning’s news conference, has proposed a rebate for local food retailers who purchase products from the territory’s farmers.
NDP cultivates help for local farmers
NDP Leader Kate White unveiled a campaign commitment this morning focused on using rebates to encourage local food retailers to buy their products from Yukon farmers.
NDP Leader Kate White unveiled a campaign commitment this morning focused on using rebates to encourage local food retailers to buy their products from Yukon farmers.
“Today, we’re talking about one way we can save small businesses money, support local farmers, and make more choices that are good for the environment,” White said.
“I know that people and businesses want to make choices that are good for our environment and good for our local economy.”
The NDP leader said the rebate would be provided to businesses once a year, but how much of a rebate has not been established.
The amount, she said, would be subject to discussions with the agricultural community.
White said the rebate would be tied to volume for all Yukon-based retailers and food service businesses that choose to buy local produce, dairy, meat and eggs.
She made the policy announcement outside Riverside Grocery, a local business that does buy its agricultural products from local farms.
Buying local also reduces greenhouse gas emissions tied to importing food products into the territory, she pointed out.
“We already give a carbon rebate to those who reduce their emissions in other ways,” White said.
“It just makes sense to also give a rebate to businesses who are reducing the carbon output that comes from transporting food by making the choice to buy local.”
The NDP leader said because the Yukon government is one of the biggest buyers in the territory, government departments would be directed to buy local.
“Hospitals, and correctional facilities, and continuing care facilities will look to local farmers for the food they need first, instead of sending money out of territory,” she said.
“It’s good for farmers, it’s good for our economy, and it’ll be great for the environment.”
The initiative will include a commitment that the Yukon government will honour its contracts with local producers and not lower the order at the last minute, leaving farmers with unused food waste.
Government should be in the business of making good choices easier for people, White said.
Buying local, she said, also increases food security in the territory.
White said an NDP government would ensure mobile abattoirs are functional and readily available.
The availability of mobile abattoirs has been unpredictable, she said.
White said the NDP would create a Grown in Yukon marketplace that farmers could contribute to.
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Comments (10)
Up 16 Down 2
Fred on Mar 24, 2021 at 12:40 pm
All anyone needs to know about NDP negotiated inertia can be viewed off the side of the hiway on a drive to Watson lake. It's a sawmill sitting there like a museum piece a legacy of failed NDP intent an embarrassment for all to see.
Up 16 Down 2
sorry ,no. on Mar 23, 2021 at 11:40 pm
if society values it, then society should fund it. The major problem is the government is funding aspects of society that there is little value. This has led directly to the loss of the free market. Managing a budget requires a disciplined diet and a frugal stomach. This candidate fails.
Up 17 Down 4
But you're also stuck in a horrible paradox on Mar 23, 2021 at 7:43 pm
Kate White, Shonagh Mc, have both taken strong stances against men OR supporting women. For example, as per Shonagh's NDP page
"Today saw 4 amazing helpers, all women, lifting me up. I am in awe of the support
I am receiving. Women empowering women makes sense. Now let’s go change the world."
The emphasis on all women or empowering women creates an instantly divisive campaign. Change the word "women" to "Whites" and see if it reads ok.
I don't know what to support a party based on biology. I'd like to see their understanding of politics. But, as per unicorn farts and rainbows, there is no substance. I guess we're voting for cheerleaders?
Up 8 Down 7
Atom on Mar 23, 2021 at 6:21 pm
@iota makes sense
There is no incentive to farm in Yukon, it's too expensive. There is little infrastructure in place as farming in any great sense is only about 20 years old here.
Farmers in Yukon have only really succeeded in farming land for resale, to folks who want a piece of land to build a house on.
This isn't odd, it's normal in Yukon. There might be 4 family farms here. The rest cleared for title and farmed the view.
Let farmers be legit on their own, look after folks who haven't had a good start in life and support anything that makes our society better.
Food will always come on trucks, until it doesn't for a day or two after a bad weather period or slide, so drop the food security crap policy work.
Everyone west off Ontario could have a garden with all the used 'ag' land in the Yukon.
Go Liberals! The rest aren't ready.
Up 26 Down 5
iota on Mar 23, 2021 at 12:25 pm
Instead of further burdening the taxpayers by subsidizing grocery stores to incentivize buying local, why not remove the barriers to profitable farming? How about carbon tax exemption? Road tax exemption on fuel, etc? Adhering to the farm building code?
The thing is, farming is hardly more than a hobby for most folks in the Yukon because of how expensive land and supplies are. Probaby 80% of "farmers" subsidize the farm lifestyle with a YG job.
Up 20 Down 5
Adam Smith on Mar 22, 2021 at 11:27 pm
What a waste of time. Rebates to the elite already farming who already get the not-so-well-known tax breaks for farming (i.e tax-free on selling).
Champagne Socialism all the way.
How about you let business just do their thing? Why not give a tax break to those businesses that produce in the Yukon? A tax break.. as in you have to be paying taxes first.
Up 19 Down 8
Wilf Carter on Mar 22, 2021 at 10:15 pm
Kate retailers already sell local foods all over the place. Like Save on Foods, Independent and others. Retailers buy local because they save the transportation cost already.
Far as carbon goes we have over a 1 million woody plants in Yukon that eats up all the carbon that is produced by humans and released naturally by our environment.
Kate I have tried to teach NDP and liberals what is in our atmosphere and others have said it also, 79% is nitrogen 20% is oxygen that = 99% of what in our atmosphere for gases. Just look it up on line and it explains the facts as evidence.
Carbon is .04% of gas in our atmosphere at most.
Carbon is a heavy gas and does not drift but sinks where it is created. Along our highways our trees because they are using the carbon to create nitrogen and oxygen.
It's like liberal climate change plan, which will virtual do nothing for our environment. Any kind of a public plan has to have a cost benefits analysis done to see what it will accomplish. Without a type of targets or goals and objectives public policy does not show us what benefits we are going to obtain.
Like Yukon party plans to have 80% of First Nations kids get their high school completed.
There is already a plan being developed that is way pass this idea which money used this way does not do anything for farmers. For Example remove carbon tax, GST, income tax on farmers. That would help much more than a rebate.
History of public rebates failed to do any measurable good in the past.
Up 25 Down 4
Mike on Mar 22, 2021 at 9:00 pm
Kate you have great intentions and ideas. But the reality is the pink cloud you're living on no longer exists here in Gods country. We have been in a forced lockdown had our rights as citizens taken from us lost businesses and relationships due to this. Lives have been lost livelihoods have been altered and I'm sorry but your peace on earth and good will to all mankind is not what we need at the moment. We need a capable Government to lead us out of the bubble we have been living in with the know how to get it done. And you're previous comments till today sound real good if Woodstock was the next concert but we need competent government and to instill the willingness into all Yukoners to get us back on track, stay focused and one task at a time to return this once thriving Territory back to its former glory without more attention to the addicts downtown than the people whose tax dollars will be funding this recovery.
My kids and everyone's children should take priority over any person who has made the decision to be homeless and the companies the healthcare services and its workers all the frontline workers everyone who showed up everyday to better themselves and others are far more important to me, not everyone but me. Should be at the top of the list of the Territories next Government to embrace and assist because it is the 85% of the Yukon Population that make this place one of the most beautiful diverse places to live on the planet.
Up 20 Down 4
Matthew on Mar 22, 2021 at 4:29 pm
Vast majority already buy local and know the importance.. why not give incentives for farmers or want to be farmers for new greenhouses, cattle raising, etc.
Up 31 Down 17
Juniper Jackson on Mar 22, 2021 at 3:25 pm
What's your opening the Yukon looking like? Gotta plan? or giving Hanley a raise? You best come out with a statement on Poly clinics Kate.