Six Additional Areas of Interest Available for Agriculture

  • Fisheries and Land Resources

October 30, 2019

The Department of Fisheries and Land Resources is making six additional Agriculture Areas of Interest – totaling approximately 5,700 hectares – available to ensure prime agricultural land continues to be protected and secured for long-term use.

Properties are now available near Junction Brook, Highlands, Mitchells Pond, Middle Brook, Robinsons River and the Deer Lake area, bringing the total area of agricultural land identified in the province for commercial farmers, part-time commercial farmers or new farmers to approximately 56,000 hectares, of which approximately 55,000 hectares have been made available for application. Information packages may be downloaded here or requested through the Department of Fisheries and Land Resources. Packages contain background information and necessary application forms to outline the farm development proposal.

The Areas of Interest process was established in February 2017 to identify and secure the productive land base available in the province, and simplify the approval process for farmers. Notices are posted on the Department of Fisheries and Land Resources website as additional land is identified and made available. Since 2017, 22 Agriculture leases have been issued, to a total of 508 hectares.

Fifty-nine Crown Land Areas of Interest totaling approximately 62,000 hectares have been identified for long-term exclusive agricultural use. Interested persons will follow a streamlined Request for Proposals process for a 50-year Crown Land Agriculture Lease, unless otherwise indicated.

Increasing Crown land for agriculture helps deliver on targets identified in The Way Forward, which specifies increasing food self-sufficiency by at least 20 per cent by 2022. The Summit on Agriculture also launched 43 actions to double the province’s food self-sufficiency, and double the number of people directly employed in the provincial agriculture sector.

Quote
“My department is pleased to make six additional Areas of Interest available for application and looks forward to receiving proposals from current farmers and new entrants that outline the best agricultural use of this valuable resource. This ongoing initiative continues to ensure the future growth and sustainability of Newfoundland and Labrador’s agriculture sector, and protects valuable farmland for long-term agricultural use. We are committed to the process of working with applicants to continue to build our province’s agriculture industry.”
Honourable Gerry Byrne
Minister of Fisheries and Land Resources

– 30 –

Learn more
Land for Agriculture

Land Resource Stewardship Division

Follow us on Twitter: @GovNL   and @FLR_GovNL

Media contact
Linda Skinner
Fisheries and Land Resources
709-637-2284, 632-8167
lindaskinner@gov.nl.ca

2019 10 30 3:40 pm