The Department of Agriculture wants to encourage more farmers to come to the province. On Oct. 18, Agriculture Minister John MacDonell and Immigration Minister Ramona Jennex announced $260,000 in funding from the Community Development Trust through the NS Nominee Program to interest new producers.
"We are looking to attract farmers to Nova Scotia who are a right fit for our province and agriculture industry," MacDonell explained. "We will be talking to experienced producers who are interested in immigrating and setting up sustainable farming operations. This initiative allows us to strengthen our rural communities by creating good jobs and growing the economy."
The project includes developing detailed agriculture sector profiles, a website and a database of available farm land. It also involves hosting information sessions in targeted countries and preparing profiles of NS and selected agricultural sectors.
The Office of Immigration will create an Agri-food Sector Pilot stream as part of the NS Nominee Program. This will provide a specific and efficient way to process applications from international farmers. After an evaluation, similar programs for other sectors will be considered in co-operation with departments.
“Nova Scotia’s agri-food sector has benefited for generations from the expertise of immigrants,” said Jennex. “This new stream provides another opportunity for the province to benefit from experienced and innovative farmers from around the world.”
"I loved Nova Scotia the first time I saw; it is a very beautiful place," Ciro Comencini said. "It is a good market for the cheese and a good place to grow the family."
