Calgary, Alberta, December 7, 2012 – Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz today unveiled three new federal programs under Canada's new agricultural policy framework Growing Forward 2 that will streamline investments in the agriculture and agri-food sector. The new programs will focus on strategic initiatives in innovation, competitiveness and market development to further strengthen the sector's capacity to grow and prosper.
"These new Growing Forward 2 programs will build on the success of existing programs to provide more streamlined support to the sector to help it remain a world leader in agricultural innovation and trade," said Minister Ritz. "We are making sure farmers and the entire sector have the tools and resources they need to stay ahead of the ever-changing demands of consumers."
Three new federal programs will come into effect on April 1, 2013:
- The AgriInnovation Program will focus on investments to expand the sector's capacity to develop and commercialize new products and technologies.
- The AgriMarketing Program will help industry improve its capacity to adopt assurance systems, such as food safety and traceability, to meet consumer and market demands. It will also support industry in maintaining and seizing new markets for their products through branding and promotional activities.
- The AgriCompetitiveness Program will target investments to help strengthen the agriculture and agri-food industry's capacity to adapt and be profitable in domestic and global markets.
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada is proactively providing information to farmers and the industry so that they are familiar with the kind of support that will be available and so they may plan their applications well in advance. The AgriInnovation Program will begin accepting applications immediately, while AgriMarketing and AgriCompetitiveness will begin accepting applications early in the new year.
Growing Forward 2 represents a $3 billion investment over five years in strategic initiatives for innovation, competitiveness and market development, in addition to a full and comprehensive suite of business risk management programs that will continue to help farmers withstand severe market volatility and disasters. Investments in the three priority areas are critical to facilitating the sector's expansion and leveraging of provincial-territorial and industry investments to increase productivity, growth and jobs.
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada is also improving service delivery through better program design and streamlined administration, as promised in Economic Action Plan 2012. This will make it easier for applicants to access programs and report results from federal investments.
For more information on Growing Forward 2 and the three new federal programs, please see the attached Backgrounder or visit agriculture.canada.ca/GrowingForward2.
