Farmers in Ontario have received more than $7.9 million from the federal and provincial governments through the Canadian Agricultural Partnership to help them improve their operations, the provincial government says in a news release on Sept. 10. The funding will support more than 670 projects across the province.
“Through this investment, we are supporting a range of farmer-driven projects to improve on-farm practices, strengthen the food value chain, and support public trust in farming,” Marie-Claude Bibeau, federal minister of agriculture and agri-food, says in the release.
Examples of the projects to receive funding through this program include improving food safety systems on farms to meet or exceed international certification standards; planting over-wintering cover crops to improve soil health and reduce soil erosion losses; actions to help prevent pest damage at greenhouse operations; developing a product which will open new sales markets for a farm business; and upgrades to animal-handling equipment and improved biosecurity measures.
“By making these strategic investments we are helping to improve the competitiveness of our agri-food sector and secure it for long-term sustainability, especially during these difficult times,” Ernie Hardeman, Ontario minister of agriculture, food and rural affairs, says in the release.
The funding is in addition to programming launched this year to assist the sector in meeting challenges related to the COVID-19 outbreak, the report notes.
