Farmers And Agri-Food Businesses To Receive Help From The Province

Friday, 18 September 2020 07:26

There are over 670 projects and 41 of them are in Oxford County, supporting improvements in areas through the Canadian Agricultural Partnership. These local projects will receive investments of up to $398,617.

WOODSTOCK - The Province is helping farmers improve their businesses and bringing more safe, high-quality foods to various markets.

A commitment of more than $ 7.9 million was announced last week by Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and MPP for Oxford Ernie Hardeman in cost-share funding through the Canadian Agricultural Partnership to eligible farmers and other agri-food businesses.

There are over 670 projects and 41 of them are in Oxford County. These local projects will see investments of up to $398,617.

Minister Hardeman says these investments will improve the agri-food sector.

"Our farmers work tirelessly to supply the array of safe, high-quality agricultural products that feed our province, our country and the world. By making these strategic investments we are helping to improve the competitiveness of our agri-food sector and secure it for long-term sustainability, especially during these difficult times."

These initiatives will support improvements in areas through the Partnership, including enhanced traceability systems, upgraded animal-handling equipment and strengthened biosecurity measures.

Other examples of projects supported through this programming include:

- Improving food safety systems on farms to meet or exceed international certification standards;

- Planting over-wintering cover crops to improve soil health and reduce soil erosion losses;

- Actions to help prevent pest damage at greenhouse operations;

- Developing a product that will open new sales markets for a farm business; and

- Upgrades to animal-handling equipment and improved biosecurity measures.

The funding is in addition to the programming that was launched this year to help the sector in meeting challenges related to the COVID-19 outbreak.

This includes the launch of a portal to connect farms and other agri-food sector business with labour needs to job seekers, the creation of the Enhanced Agri-food Workplace Protection Program and the Risk Management Program, which received an additional $50 million, a recent investment for this year and one year earlier than originally promised.

Both the federal and provincial governments have committed cost-share support to more than 2,500 projects through the Partnership since June 2018.

This is to help eligible farmers in Ontario, processors, businesses and sector organizations innovate and grow.