Last year we were pleased to appear before the PEI Employment Summit. Unfortunately, we are unable to appear before the Population Strategy 99 panel, but we are able to offer this brief submission. Agriculture is PEI's number one private sector employer, employing one in four Islanders. The four leading commodities based on dollar generation are potatoes, dairy, beef and pork, while niche markets include blueberries, cranberries and honey. The farm family is an integral part of the social fabric of every Island community.
Farms create jobs and inject money into the local economy.
As we all know, there are fewer and fewer farmers on PEI each year. However, the rural non-farming population continues to grow. We are happy to have these neighbours contributing to the health and wealth of our communities, but the rising population also creates challenges. We often find that urbanites who move to the country are at a cross-roads with their farming neighbours. In the spring of 1998, the provincial legislature passed the Farm Practices Act which is designed to mediate and rule on nuisance complaints related to agriculture production, as well as develop and approve codes of practice concerning agricultural production.