Canada and B.C. targeted funding to support business development, innovation, food safety and sustainability under the Growing Forward agreement in the second quarter of 2012-13.

Growing Forward is a five-year framework that co-ordinates federal, provincial and territorial agricultural policy.

Between July 1, 2012, and Sept. 30, 2012, the following funding was released under Growing Forward:

• ARDCorp: $9,367 for Food Safety System Implementation (FSSI) Producer Program.

• ARDCorp: $3,705 for Enterprise Infrastructure Traceability (EIT) Program.

• B.C. Blueberry Council: $59,920 for area-wide emerging threat assessment and outreach to enhance on-farm biosecurity practices for critical new invasive species in blueberry, stone fruit, table wine grapes and non-crop host plants - Phase 3.

• B.C. Fruit Growers' Association: $28,000 for emerging threat assessment and industry outreach for Spotted Wing Drosophila - Phase 3.

• B.C. Greenhouse Growers' Association: $39,000 to revise and strengthen the Biosecurity Guidelines/Protocol for Post-harvest Greenhouse Tomato.

• B.C. Institute of Technology: $39,829 for a pilot program for Provenance Authentication and Product Quality Analysis for B.C. Agri-Food and Agri-Products.

• Food Innovation Centre of B.C.: $176,713 for provision of services to the food processing sector.

• Investment Agriculture Foundation of B.C.: $89,512 for the Canada-B.C. Agri-Innovation program.

• Nuu-Chah-Nulth Economic Development Corporation: $26,250 for the Alternate Crop/Forest Farming Field Pilot Project - Phase 4.

• Small Scale Food Processors Association: $47,800 for Food Safety Systems Implementation (FSSI) Processor Program.

• University of British Columbia: $15,000 for food safety systems implementation and outreach - Farm Good Agricultural Practices Risk Assessment Project - Phase 2.

Total contributions: $535,096

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.

In September 2012, federal, provincial and territorial ministers of agriculture agreed to the next policy framework, Growing Forward 2, which represents a $3 billion investment over five years in strategic initiatives for innovation, competitiveness and market development. It will come into effect on April 1, 2013, when the current Growing Forward policy framework expires.

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