Part A: Ministry of Agriculture and Lands — Continued

Service Delivery and Core Business Areas

Service Delivery

The Ministry has 615¹ full-time equivalent positions located in communities across the province. The Ministry's five core business areas are organized into 17 branches within four divisions:

1	This includes 241 FTEs within Corporate Service Division, which also provides support services for the Integrated Land Management Bureau, Ministry of Environment, Agricultural Land Commission and the Environmental Assessment Office. See Executive and Support Services core business area description.

As governments have a shared mandate for the agriculture and food sectors, successful governance, policy and programming design and delivery depend on an effective federal provincial relationship. For agriculture and food, the relationship is formalized through the Agriculture Policy Framework (APF) agreement which forms the foundation of federal-provincial cooperation and the vehicle for program implementation and funding. Through this agreement, the federal government contributes about $60 million annually, depending on the level of program participation by industry. Program objectives support investment in business risk management, science and innovation, food safety and quality, environment and renewal (e.g., skill development and knowledge enhancement initiatives) activities in B.C.'s agriculture and food sectors.

For aquaculture, the province has the responsibility for licensing operations and tenuring decisions on Crown land while the federal government is responsible for fisheries management and navigation. Close collaboration between the two levels of government is important in maintaining the growing economic contribution made by the aquaculture sector in B.C.

Other key Ministry partners include: the British Columbia Investment Agriculture Foundation, which delivers a broad range of industry development programs to assist the B.C. industry in adapting to change; and the BC Agriculture Council, which delivers the Canada/British Columbia Environmental Farm Plan program. The EFP program provides producers with the technical assistance to apply good environmental practices, supporting Ministry and government environmental goals.

The Ministry also collaborates with other government ministries — primarily Health, Forests and Range, and Environment — local governments and First Nations to fulfill its mandate. The mandates of these agencies and groups connect in key areas such as food safety and quality, public health and safety, land and resource use, water management, invasive plant and pest management, and environmental issues. Crown land adjudication services have been provided by the Integrated Land Management Bureau over the past year.

The Ministry's main client groups are the citizens of British Columbia, First Nations, local governments, industry and industry associations.

Core Business Areas Overview

Following the May 2005 provincial election, the Ministry's mandate changed to include Crown land administration, while responsibility for management of wild fisheries in B.C. was assigned to the Ministry of Environment. As a result, wild fisheries was removed as a business line and Crown Land Administration added. The Ministry currently has five main core business areas.

Food Industry Development, under the direction of the Risk Management and Competitiveness Division, is responsible for working in partnership with industry to support and facilitate research and innovation; advising and providing information on issues affecting the establishment, production, marketing and business management of the agriculture, aquaculture and food industries; supporting programs to encourage youth involvement in the industry; and promoting public awareness and support of the agriculture and food industry. Food Industry Development also provides animal and aquatic surveillance and disease diagnostic services; coordinates province-wide land and water policies and programs as they relate to environmental farm management; and works with industry, local governments and others to plan, address and resolve urban/agricultural opportunities and challenges.

Offices are located in Abbotsford, Courtenay, Cranbrook, Creston, Dawson Creek, Duncan, Fort St. John, Kamloops, Kelowna, Oliver, Prince George, Smithers, Vernon, Williams Lake and Victoria.

2005/06: Expenditures $14.2 million and 152 FTEs

Agriculture and Aquaculture Management is the responsibility of the Strategy, Policy and Legislation Division and provides legislation and policy leadership for the agriculture, food and aquaculture sectors, including strategic support to the regulated marketing system and the Agricultural Policy Framework. This business area is also responsible for reducing the regulatory burden and barriers to international and inter-provincial trade; coordination of the management of invasive plants and pests for the province; licensing, compliance and enforcement of aquaculture and livestock; management of plant health and food safety and quality initiatives; and plant diagnostic services. This core business area also works with the Farm Industry Review Board and the regulated sectors on advancing policy development and growth.

Offices are located in Abbotsford, Campbell River, Courtenay, Dawson Creek, Fort St. John, Kamloops, Kelowna, Oliver, Prince Rupert, Vernon and Victoria.

2005/06: Expenditures $8.5 million and 79 FTEs

Risk Management, as part of the Risk Management and Competitiveness Division, is responsible for the administration and delivery of Production Insurance and supports the federal administration and delivery of the Canadian Agricultural Income Stabilization program (CAIS). These programs are cost-shared by the federal government, provincial government and producers. The Ministry is responsible for providing insurance contracts and adjusting claims under the Production Insurance program and providing advice and technical support to clients under CAIS. The federal government processes claims for CAIS. This business area is also responsible for policy development and analysis as well as managing wildlife damage compensation.

Offices are located in Abbotsford, Dawson Creek, Fort St. John, Kamloops, Kelowna and Oliver.

2005/06: Expenditures $23.96 million and 33 FTEs

Crown Land Administration is the responsibility of the Crown Land Administration Division. The business area provides leadership across government for Crown land administration, including responsibility for developing the provincial policy framework for allocating Crown land; developing tenure documents and planning tools and completes economic analysis; provides advice and training support to regional operations on Crown land operational policy; and provides advice to management and staff on Aboriginal relations, intergovernmental relations and strategic management as it relates to Crown land. Managing contaminated sites that are the responsibility of the province is also a key responsibility of the division.

Divisional offices are in Victoria with staff located in Kamloops, Nanaimo and Surrey.

2005/06: Expenditures $52.6 million and 99 FTEs

Executive and Support Services includes the offices of the Minister and Deputy Minister and support services for all Ministry core businesses including human resources, performance strategies, records management, information technology and financial services. Corporate Services Division is responsible for providing support services for the Ministry as well as the Integrated Land Management Bureau, the Agricultural Land Commission, the Ministry of Environment and the Environmental Assessment Office. The number of FTEs below reflects this shared services model, while expenditures apply only to services that support the Ministry of Agriculture and Lands.

Offices are located in Victoria.

2005/06: Expenditures $5.55 million and 252 FTEs

As of April 1, 2006, 240 FTEs for CSD were transferred to the Ministry of Environment, while 14 remain within the Ministry of Agriculture and Lands' allocation.