Some 800 guests gathered during the great agricultural and forestry festival held last Wednesday in Quebec on the sidelines of the 100e General Congress of the Union of Agricultural Producers (UPA).
The gala was a “perfect” conclusion to this year during which the organization marked its centenary.
Among other things on the menu for this evening, the presentation of six prizes: the Union excellence prizes, the Farm Family of the Year prize as well as the Coup de coeur 2024 prize.
The UPA du Centre-du-Québec walked away with two prizes during this evening.
The VALORISATION – Laurent-Barré prize crowns inspiring initiatives that promote the profession, agriculture and private forestry.
It was presented this year to the Fédération de l’UPA du Centre-du-Québec for its regional project Agri-Integration for happy workers in a welcoming municipality.
This project was divided into different components: the reception and integration of agricultural workers on the farm and in their living environment, as well as an awareness campaign among people working in employment and orientation in order to introduce people to the professions that feed the world.
The ENVIRONMENT – Hélène-Alarie prize rewards teams who have carried out projects aimed at the adoption of new agro-environmental practices, adaptation to climate change or in favor of sustainable agriculture and forestry.
It was also presented this year to the Fédération de l’UPA du Centre-du-Québec for its project Firm progress.
The objective of this project is the adoption of agro-environmental practices by agricultural producers in the region. Among the elements carried out: characterizing problematic waterways and targeting the interests of producers in order to evaluate the improvements to be made.
The UPA also wanted to highlight the contribution and solidarity of all agricultural producers in Quebec and their 12 regional federations by awarding them the SOLIDARITÉ – Jean-Paul-Raymond prize.
This award highlights union commitment or mobilization and consultation actions carried out by groups of farmers, or forest producers.
In 2024, more than 4,500 agricultural producers and 2,500 tractors descended on the territories of the 12 regions during a series of 17 demonstrations denouncing an “unprecedented” agricultural crisis.
This solidarity movement was intended to be “a cry from the heart aimed at putting an end to government inertia, inaugurating a new era of collaboration and collective action”.
