The annual meeting of federal, provincial and territorial (FPT) ministers of agriculture wrapped up Friday in Vancouver.

Topics of discussion included economic growth, international trade, the Temporary Foreign Workers Program, and the Canadian Agricultural Partnership (CAP).

"Canada’s farmers, ranchers and food processors provide safe, nutritious and sustainable food for the world, while creating well-paying jobs for our middle class," said Federal Agriculture Minister Lawrence MacAulay. "Federal, provincial and territorial governments are gathered here to focus on the overall competitiveness of the sector, and to create better opportunities for farmers and Canadians."

The Government of Canada provided an update on progress toward legalization of cannabis. The cannabis industry is eligible to apply for federal programs under the Partnership. Provinces and territories have the discretion to determine eligibility for cannabis production for cost-shared programs. For BRM programs, income from cannabis (including both medicinal and recreational) are not eligible for support under AgriStability and AgriInvest. Governments agree to monitor this over the coming years as the cannabis industry matures and stabilizes.

The external panel of experts also presented its recommendations on Business Risk Management programming. Minister MacAulay announced on Friday that the AgriRisk Initiatives Program has been renewed under CAP.

Topics at the meeting also included identifying areas for increased collaboration to streamline regulations, reduce regulatory burden and continue to uphold the safety and high quality of agricultural products.

In addition, the group received an update from the federal government on the continued development of A Food Policy for Canada.

The next annual meeting of FPT Ministers will be held in Quebec City in July 2019.