BILL NO. 179

(as introduced)

1st Session, 65th General Assembly
Nova Scotia
4 Charles III, 2025

 

Private Member's Public Bill

 

Agricultural Producers Income Stability Act

 

Krista Gallagher
Halifax Chebucto

First Reading: October 3, 2025

Second Reading:

Third Reading:

 

An Act Respecting Income Stability
for Agricultural Producers

Be it enacted by the Governor and Assembly as follows:

1 This Act may be cited as the Agricultural Producers Income Stability Act.

2 In this Act,

"Minister" means the Minister of Agriculture;

"Programs" means the AgriStability Program and the Crop Insurance Program, whether delivered under federal-provincial agreements or by the Province directly, including any other business-risk management program the Minister considers relevant for the income security of agricultural producers.

3 This Act is binding on the Crown in right of the Province.

4 (1) The Minister shall undertake a broad-based review of the Programs to determine whether they are suited to meet the needs of the Province's agricultural producers in the context of

(a) climate change, including the increased frequency of extreme weather events, drought, changing growing conditions, and emerging pest and disease pressures;

(b) trade disruptions, including export barriers, supply chain volatility and market instability; and

(c) any other factors the Minister considers relevant to income stability for agricultural producers.

(2) The review must include consultations with

(a) agricultural producers and producer organizations;

(b) agricultural economists and climate scientists;

(c) industry stakeholders including insurers, processors and exporters; and

(d) representatives of the Government of Canada and other provinces of Canada, if appropriate.

5 The review must include an assessment of

(a) participation and uptake, namely,

(i) rates of enrolment in the Programs by farm type, size and sector,

(ii) identification of barriers to participation, and

(iii) trends in participation over time;

(b) responsiveness and adequacy, namely,

(i) the extent to which the Programs provide timely and sufficient support during income shocks,

(ii) analysis of program rules, reference margins and coverage caps, and

(iii) comparisons with actual farm income losses;

(c) equity and effectiveness across farm and producer types, namely,

(i) the effectiveness of the Programs for small, medium and large-scale operations,

(ii) sector-specific coverage, and

(iii) regional differences within the Province;

(d) climate resilience, namely,

(i) adequacy of insured perils in light of emerging climate risks such as drought, flooding and pests,

(ii) flexibility of coverage to adapt to future risks, and

(iii) alignment with Government climate adaptation strategies;

(e) market and trade risks, namely,

(i) the capacity of the Programs to address price volatility, trade disputes and supply chain disruptions, and

(ii) identification of additional tools or mechanisms that may be required;

(f) administrative efficiency, namely, ease of program access, application and claims processes, timeliness of payments and overall cost-effectiveness of delivery;

(g) financial sustainability, namely,

(i) long-term affordability of the Programs,

(ii) balancing between producer premiums, Government contributions and federal transfers, and

(iii) the potential impacts of reforms on Government finances; and

(h) stakeholder perspectives, namely, input from producers, producer organizations, insurers, lenders and other stakeholders on the strengths and weaknesses of the Programs and potential reforms.

6 (1) Within 18 months of the coming into force of this Act, the Minister shall table in the House of Assembly or, where the House is not sitting, file with the Clerk a report containing

(a) the findings of the review;

(b) recommendations for reform of the Programs or related Government initiatives; and

(c) any proposed legislative or regulatory changes to strengthen income stability for agricultural producers.

(2) The report must be made publicly available within 10 days of being tabled or filed.

7 This Act has effect on and after January 1, 2026.

 

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