Houston to meet with local wine industry

The Premier is meeting with the local wine industry.

Tim Houston was scheduled to talk with reps from the sector Monday.

In a release, Houston says his government is working to meet an international trade commitment by the end of June.

He says they want to find the right balance of support for the entire industry before the deadline.

Houston has been taking heat from the industry and the opposition over a policy that would enable commercial bottlers to use imported grape juice.

Local industry reps say that could be damaging to the N.S. sector, which pulls in $250 million a year.

The Premier says discussions with the industry on new sector support programs and their concerns will inform next steps.

Last week, Kings-Hants MP Kody Blois began an online petition, urging the N.S. government to reverse course on the policy.