The New Brunswick wing of the National Farmers Union has picked up provincial accreditation as a general farm organization.
The accreditation, announced Friday, allows farmers who register their operations with the Registrar of Farms to direct their registration fees to the NFU in New Brunswick to fund its operations there.
The province recently proclaimed the Agricultural Producers Registration and Farm Organizations Funding Act, under which just two organizations are accredited so far: the NFU in New Brunswick and the Agricultural Alliance of New Brunswick.
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The annual registration is voluntary, but farmers must register to get access to government programs such as fuel tax exemptions and refunds, farm vehicle licence plates and discounts on ag lab fees.
Farmers who register but don’t want membership in either organization can check a third option on their registration, splitting the registration fee proportionally between the two groups.
“I am confident that (this funding approach) will lead to stronger general farm organizations, which will enhance agriculture’s ability to play an important role in New Brunswick’s objective of achieving self-sufficiency,” said Agriculture Minister Ron Ouellette in a release Friday.
The NFU in New Brunswick will hold its annual convention in
March. Members from across the province will elect a new executive board and pick delegates for the New Brunswick Agricultural Summit on April 3 and 4 in Fredericton.
