Canadian Hemp Trade Alliance Awarded $331k in Funding for Agriculture

The Government of Canada has awarded the Canadian Hemp Trade Alliance (CHTA) with Canadian government grants. The investment will be used to develop grading standards to ensure Canadian hemp products are known globally for their high quality. This will allow the Canadian hemp industry to become more competitive, pursue new market opportunities, and create sustainable jobs.

The Canadian Hemp Trade Alliance has received $330,550 in funding for agriculture from Growing Forward 2’s AgriRisk Initiatives (ARI).

AgriRisk Initiatives was a stream of funding provided under the Growing Forward 2 (GF2) Business Risk Management program, which supported projects that addressed issues relevant to business risk management in Canada’s agri-food industries. As of April 1, 2018 GF2 has been replaced by the Canadian Agricultural Partnership (CAP). Although Growing Forward 2 is longer running, organizations who had received funding are still being publicly released.

Canada’s Agriculture Industry Receives $331k in Canadian Government Grants

The Canadian Hemp Trade Alliance (CHTA), established in 2003, is a national organization that promotes Canadian hemp and hemp products globally. The Alliance represents everyone involved in Canada’s hemp industry, including over 260 farmers, manufacturers, processors, researchers, marketers, and entrepreneurs.

The Canadian Hemp Trade Alliance has been awarded Canadian government grants from the AgriRisk Initiatives stream under the Growing Forward 2 (GF2) program. Despite the Canadian Agricultural Partnership (CAP) succeeding Growing Forward 2, CAP offers similar support in which it enhances the development and competitiveness of Canadian businesses within the agri-food sector.

CHTA is the recipient of $330,550 in agriculture grants for projects to establish new market opportunities for hemp producers.

On August 10, 2018, Health Canada updated the industrial hemp regulations to allow industry organizations to harvest the flowering heads, leaves, and branches of the crop instantly. This update is part of the new cannabis legislation which comes into force in October 2018. By enabling the industry to explore the most efficient ways to capture the full value of the hemp plant, this will allow hemp producers to access new sources of revenue and market opportunities.

The industry changes and support for Canadian hemp growers comes after the Alliance received Canadian government grants from the AgriRisk Initiatives stream under the Growing Forward 2 program. A collaboration between the Canadian Hemp Trade Alliance and Agri-Neo Inc., the 2016 Food Safety Project, focused on determining safe and cost-effective prevention and mitigation techniques for the control of pathogens in industrial hemp.

Funding for Agriculture Projects: The Canadian Agricultural Partnership (CAP)

The Canadian Agricultural Partnership (CAP) is a set of programs offered through Canada’s federal, provincial, and territorial governments to support and strengthen Canada’s agri-food and agri-products industry.

The Canadian Agricultural Partnership covers a wide variety of projects pertaining to growing trade and export markets, supporting a diverse and dynamic evolving sector, and enhancing innovation and sustainable growth.

Currently, only federal programs are accepting applications on a continuous intake until September 30, 2022 or until funding is depleted. The program ends March 31, 2023.

Canadian agri-food organizations looking to receive a guided overview of funding for agriculture projects supported through the CAP are encouraged to register for an upcoming Agriculture and Agri-Food webinar.