N.B. farmers facing ‘moral dilemma’ when fielding offers from residential developers – New Brunswick | 24CA News
Just a few years out from retirement, Bouctouche, N.B., farmer Christian Michaud isn’t ruling out the potential of promoting his farm land to a residential builders.
“As farmers we’re stuck in a moral dilemma. We realize that farmers can’t afford to pay in most cases what these land developers can pay,” he stated in an interview on Monday .
“Most of us want to see the farm continue.”
Eighteen per cent of farm land was misplaced over 5 years in New Brunswick, based on the latest Census information.
Suzanne Fournier, the manager director for the National Farmer’s Union’s New Brunswick model, stated they’re “significantly concerned” about farm land being offered to residential builders.
She says there are lots of components resulting in the nationwide development, resembling farmers not having succession plans.
She is asking for a multi-pronged strategy, together with stronger insurance policies to incentivize farmers to maintain their land for farming.
In New Brunswick, the Farm Land Identification Program (FLIP) supplies a tax rebate to farmers who enroll.
Michaud, who can also be second Vice President for the Agricultural Alliance, makes use of this system on his farm, however says this system “is not working”.
“The idea is good but right now the way it’s run it’s not doing it’s job,” he stated.
The program has been beneath evaluation for over a yr.
“(FLIP is) not working particularly well because if farmers decide to sell their land or if they decide to use a piece of that land that’s been identified for another purpose, then the whole parcel (of land) is removed from the program and (farmers) have to pay back all the taxes that they’ve received the rebate on,” Fournier defined.
“Farmers look at this and don’t know where the next five years will bring them for that parcel of land and are hesitant to sign up because of the possibility of having to pay back,” she stated.
Michaud stated measures have to be put in place now to keep away from future meals shortages.
“We can’t lose all our best farmland for condos because that’s going to be causing problems down the line,” he stated.
Global News reached out to New Brunswick’s Department of Agriculture for remark.
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