Helping Ontario Food and Beverage Processors During COVID-19

“Our processors have risen to the challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic,” said the Honourable Marie-Claude Bibeau, federal Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food. “We are confident this investment will help them make their businesses stronger and improve food safety during these challenging times. A robust agri-food processing sector is vital to our economy and we recognize all they do to provide Canadians with quality food and beverages.”

“This funding builds on several measures we’ve already taken to ensure the sector maintains a strong food supply chain that delivers safe, nutritious and high-quality food to Ontario families,” said the Honourable Lisa Thompson, Ontario Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.

Some examples of projects eligible for support under the first phase of applications for food and beverage processors include:

• implementing new technology to improve food safety
• developing new products to increase sales
• improving animal health through preventing the introduction and spread of disease throughout an operation

This new intake builds on other supports extended to the province’s food processing and agri-food sector during COVID-19. Examples of such recent initiatives include:

• a more than $7 million investment to boost production and capacity in the meat processing sector under the Meat Processors Capacity Improvement Initiative
• a $2.25 million investment in provincially licensed meat processing plants to better protect employees and Ontario’s food supply under the Agri-food Workplace Protection Program
• a $22 million provincial investment to increase the adoption of technological innovations within the agri-food sector to enhance the health and safety of workers and improve the sector's efficiency and productivity through the Agri-Tech Innovation Program

Since June 2018, both the federal and provincial governments have committed over $100 million in cost-share support to more than 5,000 projects through the Canadian Agricultural Partnership to help eligible Ontario farmers, processors, businesses and sector organizations innovate and grow.

Quick Facts

• The Canadian Agricultural Partnership is a five-year, $3 billion investment by federal, provincial and territorial governments to strengthen the agriculture and agri-food sector, ensuring continued innovation, growth and prosperity. This commitment includes $2 billion for programs that are cost-shared by the federal and provincial and territorial governments and are designed and delivered by provinces and territories.
• Applications for phase one of the intake will be accepted starting on August 5, 2021 until September 2, 2021.
• As of August 5, program materials including the application form and program guide will be available online through OMAFRA: www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/cap/index.htm.
• Approved projects must be completed by September 30, 2022.
• For more information about the programming contact OMAFRA by emailing [email protected] or calling 1-877-424-1300.
• The Ontario agri-food sector supports more than 860,000 jobs in Ontario and contributes more than $47.3 billion each year to the province’s economy.