We are closing in on the end of the Federal Election and outside of the talk on the Trans Pacific Partnership there has not been a whole lot of discussion about agriculture on the campaign trail.

AdFarm Founder Kim McConnell tells Rural Roots Canada he’s surprised the major parties in this election have not capitalized on the good news story that is agriculture and food processing.

“When you look at the agriculture and food industry we do have a good story to tell.  We’re a story of jobs, lots of jobs. We’re an industry of jobs and I think that would be something that would resonate,” says McConnell.  “We’re an industry where there is additional opportunities for investment and I think that would be a message that many of the parties would be interested in.”

McConnell says agriculture should be getting as much attention as the energy sector.

“Well the energy sector is very important to our country and we know that and we certainly are not trying to diminish that in any way.  But at the same time the agricultural and food sector is also an important sector too.  In agriculture alone we directly employ about 300,000 people and the food industry employs about 2.2 million people when you combine the agriculture and food industry together, that’s about 1 in 8 jobs in Canada so you would think that is fairly important. More importantly, I do not think it is an old stale industry, it is a new vibrant industry.”

McConnell says not many industries, if any, can boast that there are three jobs available for every person coming into the ag sector.