forum focuses on aboriginal farming

last updated feb 20 2006 09:16 am cst

cbc news
aboriginal farmers and leaders in manitoba are meeting monday to examine ways to
increase agricultural production on the province's first nations.

chris henderson, grand chief of the southern chiefs organization, says farming was
an important source of income for first nations in the past, but interest has
lagged in recent years. today, ranching is the largest component of aboriginal
agriculture.

henderson hopes monday's forum will inspire more communities to expand their
farming operations.

"we know for a fact that there are some hard-working indian men and women who do
live in these communities who would certainly rise to the challenge, if the
challenge was put towards them to try and recreate some economic independence and
economic development within their communities through agriculture," he said.

henderson says many aboriginal farmers have struggled since a major federal
program was cancelled more than a decade ago, but, he says, "there's no reason why
we can't try and create a reasonable degree of success by promoting or even
creating new agricultural programs to assist indian farmers once again."

henderson says one challenge aboriginal producers face is most agricultural

programs are provincial, while the federal government is responsible for first
nations.

manitoba agriculture minister rosann wowchuk will attend monday's meeting to help
lay out the provincial programs for which aboriginal producers qualify.

henderson expects producers to form a new association following monday's meeting.