Annual Report on Travel, Hospitality and Conference Expenditures
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada 2022 - 2023
As required by the Treasury Board Directive on Travel, Hospitality, Conference and Event Expenditures, this report provides information on travel, hospitality and conference expenditures for Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2023.
Travel, hospitality and conference expenditures incurred by a federal department or agency relate to activities that support the department or agency’s mandate and the government’s priorities.
Mandate:
The Department supports the sector from the farmer to the consumer, from the farm to global markets, through all phases of producing, processing and marketing of farm, food and agri-based products. Agriculture is a shared jurisdiction in Canada, and the Department works closely with provincial and territorial governments in the development and delivery of policies, programs and services.
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Travel, Hospitality and Conference Expenditures for Year ending March 31, 2023
Expenditure category |
Expenditures for year ended March 31, 2023 ($ thousands) |
Expenditures for year ended March 31, 2022 ($ thousands) |
Variance ($ thousands) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Travel | |||
Operational activities |
$4,376.00 |
$690.00 |
$3,686.00 |
Key stakeholders |
$870.00 |
$56.00 |
$814.00 |
Internal governance |
$208.00 |
$18.00 |
$190.00 |
Training |
$806.00 |
$3.00 |
$803.00 |
Other |
$457.00 |
$68.00 |
$389.00 |
| A. Total travel | $6,717.00 |
$835.00 |
$5,882.00 |
| B. Hospitality | $174.00 |
$38.00 |
$136.00 |
| C. Conference fees | $259.00 |
$31.00 |
$228.00 |
| Total [A+B+C] | $7,150.00 |
$904.00 |
$6,246.00 |
| International travel by minister and minister's staff (included in travel) | $167.00 |
$7.00 |
$160.00 |
Explanation of significant variances compared with previous fiscal year
Total travel:
Compared to fiscal year 2021-2022, departmental travel expenditures in 2022-2023 increased by $5,882 thousand. This increase is mainly attributed to the resumption of regular operational activities as a result of the easing of COVID-19 restrictions, such as travel related to research and development, market development, and trade negotiations.
Hospitality:
Compared to fiscal year 2021-2022, departmental hospitality expenditures in 2022-2023 increased by $136 thousand. The easing of COVID-19 restrictions led to an increase in hospitality expenditures due to the increase in travel and in-person events because some events offered virtually in the prior years were only offered in person this year.
Conference fees:
Compared to fiscal year 2021-2022, departmental conference expenditures in 2022-2023 increased by $228 thousand. The easing of COVID-19 restrictions allowed more individuals to attend conferences in person, resulting in a substantial rise in conference registration.Minister and minister’s exempt staff - International travel:
The overall increase in the Minister and Minister’s staff international travel expenditures was to promote Canadian agriculture interests during future trade negotiations. After 2 years of travelling less frequently on an international basis due to the global pandemic, these missions were required to advance the Government’s main priority of growth in the agriculture sector which allows it to be a leader in job creation and innovation.
The following Ministerial trade missions were carried out to enhance the competitiveness of the agriculture and agri-food sector:
• Ministers G7 Conference in Germany (May 2022)
• G20 Agriculture Ministers Conference in Philippines and Indonesia (September 2022)
• Ministerial Visit to Paris, France to co-chair OECD meeting of Agriculture Ministers (November 2022)
• Trade Mission to London, United Kingdom (UK) and Berlin, Germany to meet with the UK Minister of State at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs as well as Columbia's Minister of Agriculture (January 2023)