Governments of Quebec and Canada grant additional financial support of $11 million to Agri-food Export Group Quebec-Canada

From: Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

News release

April 29, 2021 – Quebec City, Quebec – Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

Quebec’s Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, André Lamontagne, and the Federal Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, Marie-Claude Bibeau, announced an additional grant of up of up to $3 million for the 2020-2021 fiscal year and a maximum grant of $8 million for the 2021-2022 to 2023-2024 fiscal years. Of this amount, $4 million will be provided under the Canadian Agricultural Partnership.

The Export Group is the Quebec government's main partner in supporting the development of Quebec biofood exports. The organization works with companies in the sector in several ways, including:

  • The implementation of an annual program of collective activities, in particular:
    • the preparation and presence of Quebec companies at trade shows outside Quebec;
    • training for biofood exporters;
    • support for companies in developing and consolidating markets;
    • the organization of marketing activities;
  • financial support for biofood companies in carrying out individual export projects, through the Quebec government's Biofood Export Support Program, a program co-financed by the governments of Canada and Quebec;
  • the deployment of technical-commercial services for exports (consulting services in labelling and regulations, sample shipments, etc.).

Quotes

“Quebec's agricultural producers create high-quality products that fully deserve to be discovered and recognized internationally. This funding will allow Agri-Food Export Group to facilitate access to international markets for Quebec agri-food exporters, and thus allow the whole world to benefit from the know-how of our local businesses.”

- The Honourable Marie-Claude Bibeau, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food

“Trade in biofood products is a powerful vector of growth for Quebec and its regions. As a preferred partner of the Ministère, the Export Group plays a key role in accelerating the implementation of marketing projects aimed at developing external markets. I am therefore delighted by the renewal of the cooperation agreement with the Export Group to support biofood companies in their efforts to increase their sales on international markets. The proposed collective activities greatly benefit biofood exporters. They contribute to increasing their export readiness and skills, as well as increasing business opportunities.”

- André Lamontagne, Quebec Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and Minister Responsible for the Centre-du-Québec Region

“We are very proud of the Minister’s renewed confidence in the Export Group. The Ministère’s commitment to Quebec biofood exporters demonstrates that they play a major role in the economic recovery of Quebec and its regions. MAPAQ’s additional investments also demonstrate the essential complementarity between exports and food autonomy in the current environment. In my view, there is no doubt that export activity has enabled Quebec biofood companies to mitigate the negative effects of the crisis by rapidly diversifying their markets and sales sectors.”

- Martin Lavoie, President and CEO of the Agri-Food Export Group Quebec-Canada

Quick facts

  • Export markets are critical to the development of Quebec’s biofood industry and are key to the growth of companies in the sector. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic and the prevention measures implemented since March 2020 by Canada and several of its trading partners, Quebec’s biofood exports grew by more than 11% in 2020 to reach $9.8 billion, making the bio-food sector the third largest in terms of exports.

  • The financial support provided to encourage individual export-market development projects has been a great success with biofood companies and meets their needs. The The Biofood Export Support program is co-funded with the Government of Canada through the Canadian Agriculture Partnership. It helps accelerate market development projects outside Quebec for Quebec biofood companies. It is intended for companies seeking to:

    • enhance their export readiness and capacity;
    • diversify their markets outside Quebec.

  • Founded in 1990, the Agri-Food Export Group Quebec-Canada is a non-profit organization with approximately 460 members representing a significant segment of Quebec bio-food exporters. The Export Group finances its activities through membership fees, fees for services, provincial and federal government subsidies, and the organization of the Salon international de l’Alimentation Canada (SIAL Canada), in which it is a shareholder.

Associated links

Contacts

Jean-Sébastien Comeau
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food
jean-sebastien.comeau@canada.ca
343-549-2326

Laurence Voyzelle
Press Secretary
Office of the Quebec Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food
418-380-2525

Media Relations
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
Ottawa, Ontario
613-773-7972
1-866-345-7972
aafc.mediarelations-relationsmedias.aac@canada.ca
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