Ontario Agri-Food Products. Representative Image. credit: Unsplash/ Markus Winkler
Toronto/CMEDIA: An investment of up to $6 million is being made by the the governments of Canada and Ontario through the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (Sustainable CAP) to help expand eligible agri-food businesses and industry organizations into domestic and foreign markets, a news release has said.
A new, cost-sharing initiative, the Grow Ontario Market Initiative has been launched to help food and beverage processors, farm businesses and agri-food sector organizations take actions reach new markets.
Included in the eligible projects for the Grow Ontario Market Initiative are market analysis and planning, product development activities and/or new market-entry promotional efforts to expand opportunities for Ontario food products.
Applicants for this Grow Ontario Market Initiative can receive up to 50 percent cost, share for eligible costs, to a maximum of $60,000 per business for producers and food and beverage processors, and up to $125,000 for sector organizations. Eligible businesses can apply for support through this program starting on May 19, 2023.
Development of this initiative was by following discussions with agri-food sector businesses and sector organizations and builds on other actions our government has taken to support the sector’s growth, such as a Minister-led agri-food trade mission to Japan and Vietnam in February 2023.
It also follows investments of $10 million through the Food Security and Supply Chain Fund, and $22 million through the Agri-tech Innovation Program.
“By supporting the diversification of products and markets, we are contributing to the growth of Ontario’s agri-food industry,” said the Honourable Marie-Claude Bibeau, federal minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food. “These investments will help our producers and processors meet evolving market needs and strengthen our sector’s resilience.”
Ambitious expansion targets have been set by Grow Ontario Strategy for our agri-food sector to help eligible businesses to have the necessary means to enter new markets both foreign and domestic, said Lisa Thompson, Ontario Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and added,
“The potential for growth in Ontario’s agri-food sector is tremendous and we’re committed to making sure agri-food businesses of all sizes have the support they need to make this area of our provincial economy even more competitive,” said Thompson
A five-year (2023-2028), $3.5-billion investment by federal‐provincial and territorial governments, Sustainable CAP would strengthen competitiveness, innovation, and resiliency of the agriculture, agri‐food and agri‐based products sector.
Included in this investment is $1 billion in federal programs and activities and a $2.5 billion commitment that is cost-shared 60 percent federally and 40 percent provincially/territorially for programs that are designed and delivered by the provinces and territories.
#SustainableCAP; #TheGrowOntarioMarketInitiative; #GrowOntarioStrategy
