Targeted funding from Canada and B.C. supported business development, innovation, food safety, and sustainability under the Growing Forward agreement in the second quarter of 2011-12. Growing Forward is a five-year framework that co-ordinates federal, provincial and territorial agriculture policy.

Between July 1, 2011, and Sept. 30, 2011, the following investments were made under Growing Forward:

Organization: Lower Mainland Horticultural Improvement Association
Amount: $15,000
Program: Lower Mainland Horticultural Improvement Association - Short Course

Organization: Cowichan Valley Regional District
Amount: $2,500
Program: Vancouver Island Agriculture Show

Organization: B.C. Pork Producers Society
Amount: $3,500
Program: Support for speakers at farm business management seminars on succession planning

Organization: B.C. Cranberry Marketing Commission
Amount: $3,500
Program: BC Cranberry Marketing Commission "Short Course"

Organization: B.C. Young Farmers
Amount: $7,000
Program: Farm Business Management seminar

Organization: B.C. Milk Marketing Board
Amount: $3,500
Program: Farm Business Management speakers

Organization: Abbotsford Farm and Country Market Society
Amount: $3,500
Program: Farm Business Management speaker

Organization: B.C. Association of Farmers' Markets
Amount: $3,500
Program: Farm Business Management speaker

Organization: British Columbia Institute of Technology
Amount: $70,000
Program: Pilot program for provenance authentication & product quality analysis for B.C. agri-food & agri-products

Organization: B.C. Investment Agriculture Foundation
Amount: $167,000
Program: Canada-B.C. Agri-Innovation Program

Organization: B.C. Agricultural Research & Development Corporation
Amount: $273,500
Program: Environmental Farm Planning Program (EFP)

Organization: B.C. Agricultural Research & Development Corporation
Amount: $168,000
Program: Beneficial Management Practices program (BMP)

Organization: B.C. Blueberry Council
Amount: $35,444
Program: Area-wide emerging threat assessment & industry outreach to enhance on-farm biosecurity practices for critical new invasive species in berries in B.C.

Organization: B.C. Agricultural Research & Development Corporation
Amount: $176,500
Program: Food Safety System Implementation (FSSI) Producer Program

Organization: B.C. Sustainable Poultry Farming Group
Amount: $13,420
Program: Electrostatic Space Charge System (ESCS) Scale-up project

Organization: B.C. Agricultural Research & Development Corporation
Amount: $109,100
Program: Enterprise Infrastructure Traceability (EIT) Program

Organization: Food Innovation Centre of B.C.
Amount: $50,000
Program: Food Innovation Centre of B.C. - initiation of operations

Organization: B.C. Cattlemen's Association
Amount: $20,000
Program: Farm succession planning seminars

Organization: Nuu-Chah-Nulth Economic Development Corporation
Amount: $37,500
Program: Alternate crop/forest farming field pilot project - Phase 3

Organization: Pacific Field Corn Association
Amount: $10,000
Program: Web-based nitrogen management tool

Organization: B.C. Vegetable Marketing Commission
Amount: $65,000
Program: Opportunities Assessment Project for B.C. vegetable sector

Organization: New Ventures B.C.
Amount: $60,000
Program: BCIC-New Ventures Competition: AgriTech 2011

Organization: Farm Folk/City Folk Society
Amount: $7,500
Program: E-trader marketing strategy

TOTAL $1,304,964

These funds are part of the $78 million being invested in a number of non-Business Risk Management programs designed to help farmers and other participants in the agricultural and agri-food industry increase their competitiveness and profitability.

The Growing Forward agreement also includes up to $475 million in B.C. to help provide income stability and insurance against losses through Business Risk Management programs.

For more information on Growing Forward programs visit: http://www.al.gov.bc.ca/apf/GF_Programs.html

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Media Contact:

Kathryn Hardy
Ministry of Agriculture
250 387-1693