The governments of Canada and British Columbia are investing more than $2 million in agricultural projects that support business development, innovation, food safety and sustainability.

Federal Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz and B.C. Agriculture Minister Pat Pimm announced the first projects to be funded under the new Growing Forward 2 (GF2) Agreement.

"British Columbia has a strong agricultural sector, with the potential to grow even more," said Minister Ritz. "Through Growing Forward 2, we are investing in opportunities to enhance research and development and increase production and export capacities. B.C.'s agriculture and agri-food sector will be well positioned to maximize new opportunities our Government is achieving, such as the recently announced market access in the EU."

"The GF2 Agreement is about ensuring our B.C. agriculture sector is using the latest knowledge and technology," said Pimm. "The experience they will gain from these projects will help the whole sector compete internationally and maximize the potential of the increasing demand for high-quality food."

Between April 1 and Sept. 30, 2013:

• The BC Agricultural Research & Development Corporation received $1.3 million for the delivery of the Beneficial Management Practices Program and the Environmental Farm Plan Program. Through these programs, farmers and ranchers can identify agri-environmental risks and get support to implement selected beneficial management practices on their farms and ranches.
• The BC Cherry Association received $54,000 to facilitate inspection approvals by hosting Chinese inspectors and co-ordinating visits to B.C. cherry orchards.
• The BC Blueberry Council received $25,000 to support a one-year pilot program that will encourage good grower practices, as well as respond and address community complaints regarding the use of propane cannons and audible bird scare devices.

The five-year GF2 policy framework came into effect on April 1, 2013, and provides a $3 billion federal, provincial and territorial government investment in innovation, competitiveness and market development.

The framework includes $2 billion cost-shared on a 60:40 basis for programs delivered by provinces and territories, as well as $1 billion for federal-only strategic initiatives.

The BC Jobs Plan's Agrifoods Strategy clearly states how innovation and improved competitiveness will help the agriculture sector become a $14-billion-a-year industry by 2017.

For more information on federal GF2 programs, visit: www.agr.gc.ca/GrowingForward2

Information on GF2 programs in British Columbia is available at: www.agf.gov.bc.ca/apf/GF2/GF2.html

A backgrounder follows.

Media Contacts:

Media Relations
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
Ottawa, Ontario
613 773-7972
1 866 345-7972
Follow us on Twitter: @AAFC_Canada

Jeff English
Press Secretary
Office of the Honourable Gerry Ritz
613 773-1059

Dave Townsend
Government Communications and Public Engagement
Ministry of Agriculture
250 356-7098
250 889-5945 (cell)

Growing Forward 2 provides funds to BC Agriculture

Between April 1 and Sept. 30, 2013 (the first and second quarters of 2013-14), the following funding was released under Growing Forward 2:

BC Agricultural Research & Development Corporation:

$900,000 for the delivery of the Beneficial Management Practices Program.

$400,000 for the delivery of the Environmental Farm Plan Program.

$200,000 to increase implementation of facility-based traceability systems across the agri-food chain.

$118,500 to deliver the On Farm Food Safety Program Implementation.

BC Blueberry Council:

$25,000 to support a one-year pilot of the Liaison Program that will encourage good grower practices and respond to propane cannon complaints.

$22,120 to conduct monitoring for Spotted Wing Drosophila.

$17,666 for research to identify reliable diagnostic tests and improve the surveillance of blueberry scorch and blueberry shock viruses.

BC Cherry Association:

$54,000 to facilitate inspection approvals for the B.C. cherry industry by hosting Chinese inspectors and coordinating visits to B.C. cherry orchards.

BC Fruit Growers' Association:

$30,780 to conduct two projects on Spotted Wing Drosophila in tree fruit.

$11,340 to conduct a survey for onion maggot in garlic.

$5,500 to develop a program to control apple maggot.

BC Greenhouse Growers' Association:

$18,000 for the Microbial Contamination in Greenhouse Vegetable Irrigation Water and Grower Education Program.

$8,800 to evaluate biological control agents for preventing cucumber diseases of importance to the industry, validate their use and to safeguard crop health and production.

BC Potato and Vegetable Growers Association:

$2,600 to create awareness of potential risks to the commercial potato sector associated with home-gardening activities in the Lower Mainland.

BC Turkey Marketing Board:

$52,000 to investigate causes of elevated mortality in free range turkey flocks and define risk factors associated with those causes.

Environment for Change Services Inc.:

$7,500 to consult with key stakeholders and identify knowledge gaps, research needs and pilot opportunities.

Market Development - Melissa Lynn Friesen (contract):

$20,727 to assist with the delivery of Ministry of Agriculture tradeshow initiatives.

Investment Agriculture Foundation:

$142,534 to increase the awareness, development, assessment and adoption of innovative products, processes and technologies.

Climate Adaptation - Emily MacNair (contract):

$41,516 to develop agricultural climate change programming and projects that build on the work of the BC Agriculture and Food Climate Action Initiative.

Media Contacts:

Media Relations
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
Ottawa, Ontario
613 773-7972
1 866 345-7972
Follow us on Twitter: @AAFC_Canada

Jeff English
Press Secretary
Office of the Honourable Gerry Ritz
613 773-1059

Dave Townsend
Government Communications and Public Engagement
Ministry of Agriculture
250 356-7098
250 889-5945 (cell)