Canada and B.C. have targeted funding that supports business development, innovation, food safety, and sustainability under the Growing Forward Agreement in the fourth quarter of 2011-12. Growing Forward is a five-year framework that co-ordinates federal, provincial and territorial agriculture policy.

Between Jan. 1, 2012, and March 31, 2012, the following funding was released under Growing Forward:

Organization / Amount / Program

ARDCorp:
$282,900
Food Safety System Implementation (FSSI) Producer Program

ARDCorp:
$397,600
Enterprise Infrastructure Traceability (EIT) Program

ARDCorp:
$237,500
Environmental Farm Planning Program (EFP)

ARDCorp:
$1,099,300
Beneficial Management Practice Program (BMP)

ARDCorp:
$83,657
Knowledge Mobilization Web Platform Project B.C.

Broiler Hatching Egg Commission:
$4,070
Collection of environmental samples from poultry barns for Salmonella testing

B.C. Broiler Hatching Egg Commission:
$17,929
Aligning public health, animal health, poultry & egg producers to address food safety goals: Salmonella Enteritidis - Year 3

B.C. Cattlemen's Association:
$5,000
Farm Succession Planning Seminars

B.C. Cattlemen's Association:
$9,000
Monitoring the effectiveness of Agricultural BMPs - Phase 2

B.C. Fruit Growers' Association:
$20,000
Emerging threat assessment and industry outreach - Spotted Wing Drosophila - Phase 3

B.C. Greenhouse Growers' Association:
$31,600
Development of biosecurity guidelines for post-harvest greenhouse tomato

B.C. Pork Producers Association:
$15,000
Farm Succession Planning Workshops

B.C. Potato & Vegetable Growers Association:
$2,000
Educating the public in order to protect the Pemberton seed potato control area

B.C. Sustainable Poultry Farming Group:
$17,117
Strategic environment risk assessment-electrostatic space charging system scale-up project

British Columbia Institute of Technology:
$144,500
Pilot program for provenance authentication & product quality analysis for B.C. agri-food & agri-products

Canadian Cattlemen's Association:
$20,000
B.C. Agriculture Emissions Inventory Project

Certified Organic Associations of B.C.:
$3,335
Farm Business Management Speakers' Session

Certified Organic Associations of B.C.:
$5,000
Keynote speakers at the Certified Organic Associations of B.C.'s 2012 AGM

Community Futures Development Corporation of Fraser Fort George:
$15,000
Beyond the Market: Community Workshops

Food Innovation Centre of B.C.:
$262,500
Initiation of Operations

Investment Agriculture Foundation of B.C.:
$214,307
Canada-B.C. Agri-Innovation Program

Lower Mainland Horticultural Improvement Association:
$8,000
2012 Growers Short Course-support for speakers on innovation

Naturally Grown Herb & Spice Producers Cooperative:
$3,500
Farm business management speaker

North Cariboo Agricultural Marketing Association:
$1,650
Farm business management speakers

North Okanagan Livestock Association:
$1,300
Farm business agriculture management

Nuu-Chah-Nulth Economic Development Corporation:
$12,500
Alternate Crop/Forest Farming Field Pilot Project - Phase 3

Pacific Field Corn Association:
$20,000
Web-Based Nitrogen Management Tool

Small Scale Food Processors Association:
$466,896
Food Safety Systems Implementation (FSSI) Processor Program

University of British Columbia:
$19,000
Food safety systems implementation and outreach - farm good agricultural practices risk assessment

Total $3,405,161

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 for B.C. to help provide income stability and insurance against losses through Business Risk Management programs.

In September, federal, provincial and territorial ministers of agriculture agreed to the next policy framework, Growing Forward 2, which will increase these kinds of cost-shared investments in innovation.

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

For more information on Growing Forward 2, visit: www.agr.gc.ca/GrowingForward2.

Media Contact:

Kathryn Hardy
Ministry of Agriculture
250 387-1693