GLAVINE: GOVERNMENT NEEDS TO EXPLAIN INCREDIBLE PICNIC CANCELLATION
Date: Friday September 4, 2009

(Halifax, NS) Liberal agriculture critic Leo Glavine is calling upon
the Minster of Agriculture to explain why the province’s largest
exhibition of local food was cancelled outright last weekend.

“Everyone understands the picnic was postponed due to potential bad
weather but to completely call off this enormous event is
irresponsible” said Glavine. “We have local producers with
countless volumes of goods that will have to be frozen and sold at a
much lower price.”

The Incredible Picnic was originally scheduled for August 23 but was
postponed until August 30 because of Hurricane Bill. The event was
subsequently cancelled because of the poor weather forecasted the
following weekend.

Meadowbrook Meat Market producer Jim Lamb had been preparing for the
event two weeks before its original date. With the outright
cancellation of the picnic, he now faces the difficult situation of
moving a large amount of product within a tight deadline.

“It’s a great event and an exceptional way to promote local
agriculture products but by cancelling the picnic, we have a lot of
merchandise to move now and little time to do it,” said Mr. Lamb.
“This disrupts our whole production schedule and creates a whole
host of problems. I’m certain other producers are in the same
situation as me.”

Mr. Lamb also stated that government should provide some form of
guarantee for suppliers if there is a cancellation. He believes that
stopping the Incredible Picnic altogether could turn past and future
participants away from supplying goods to the event.

Glavine echoed Mr. Lamb’s comments, stating that government should
have been more prepared for such an occurrence. The Liberal MLA believes
alternate indoor locations for the event would prevent cancellations in
the future and encourage producers to participate once again.

“I understand that Minister MacDonell is shopping for Atlantic
Canadian food products this morning,” says Glavine. “I know those
local producers who are now stuck with hundreds of pounds of goods would
certainly welcome his business.”


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