The Canadian Federation of Agriculture president says he was pleased to see agriculture mentioned in last week's federal budget, but thinks some key issues were missed.

Ron Bonnett says he was glad to see investments in research, climate change, and rural development, but he wanted more focus around improving tax treatment of inter-generational farm transfers.

"It wasn't announced in this budget. We actually have a meeting with financial representatives to explore this possibility further. So it's not that it's dead, actually, the finance committee in part of their recommendation suggested that it be looked at. So while we're disappointed it wasn't in the budget, we're still working to see if we can get it resolved," Bonnett says.

Bonnett adds a lot of Canadian supply-managed farmers were also looking for more detail in the budget about mitigating the impact of new trade deals.

However, one of the highlights from the Liberal's financial plan, according to Bonnett, was the decision to set aside funding for agricultural research and research infrastructure.

The Liberals have promised $30 million to Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) for genomic research, as well as $41.5 million for upgrades at select AAFC and Canadian Food Inspection Agency research stations and labs.

Bonnett says this is positive for more than just the dollar amount.

"Not mentioned with a specific figure is the idea of opening up some discussions in the ag community about what the future research needs are," he says, "so I think that's good."

The budget also proposed future funding for clean technology in several sectors, including agriculture.