The Canadian and Ontario governments have signed an agreement to provide $1.5 billion of Canadian Agricultural Partnership money.
Jeff Leal, Ontario’s agriculture minister, says the five-year program is expected to start April 3 and provide a seamless transition between the old federal-provincial agriculture partnership, Growing Forward 2, and the new Canadian Agricultural Partnership.
Leal announced the program at the Ontario ministry of agriculture building in Guelph on Feb. 13, Canada’s Agriculture Day.
“The emphasis going forward over the next five years, of course, will be on innovation creating export opportunities,” says Leal. One of the ways we think we can continue to build agriculture in Ontario is those value-added jobs. By putting and emphasis on scaling up, we’ll have entities in Ontario who can compete with anyone in the world.”
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Here are preliminary facts on how the program will roll out in Ontario. Workbooks will be available soon, says Leal.
The $1.5 billion will be paid 60 percent by the federal government and 40 percent by the province.
Of $1.5 billion, $1.1 billion has been set aside for business risk management funding and $417 million for strategic initiatives.
The Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association will continue to deliver farmer-level programs. The Agricultural Adaptation Council will provide funding for agriculture organizations and partnerships, and the province’s ag ministry will provide funds for food processors. This follows the process for Growing Forward 2.
