A key contributor to the Canadian economy, the Canadian horticulture industry generates over $5B in sales and $2.6B in exports annually. The Canadian Horticulture Council (CHC) has received funding for research and development initiatives to continue to provide Canadian farmers with tools and resources to be competitive global producers of high-quality fruit and vegetables.
The Horticulture Cluster led by the Canadian Horticulture Council has received $11,500,000 from the Canadian Agricultural Partnership’s AgriScience Program.
The Canadian Agricultural Partnership’s AgriScience Program is designed to help businesses accelerate the pace of innovation and R&D for projects that benefit the agricultural and agri-food sector. Agriculture funding will give CHC greater opportunities to research a wide variety of fruits and vegetables and tackle challenges faced in the horticulture industry.
AgriScience: $11.5M in Research and Development Funding
Based in Ottawa, the Canadian Horticultural Council (CHC) is a not-for-profit, national association representing fruit and vegetable growers across Canada. These growers are involved in the production of over 120 different types of crops spanning over 14,237 farms. CHC is an advocate for Canada’s horticultural sector and is dedicated to promoting safe, sustainable, and healthy food.
An investment of $11.5M from AgriScience is going towards Canadian Horticultural Council initiatives to support Canada’s farmers.
Government funding will progress leading-edge research into new technologies and practices for better post-harvest storage and handling of apples, field vegetables, potatoes, greenhouse grown crops, berries, as well as improved pest and disease management and strategies to improve soil health.
There will be more research carried out for the purpose of addressing key challenges faced by growers, such as labour, pest management tools, variety evaluation, and production costs. Agriculture funding will also support sustainable practices to reduce environmental footprint and develop new crop varieties.
Canadian Agricultural Partnership (CAP): AgriScience
A stream of the Canadian Agricultural Partnership, the AgriScience Program supports next-generation discovery, applied science, and innovation driven by industry research priorities that benefit the agriculture and agri-food sector and Canadians.
AgriScience provides up to 50% for businesses and up to 70% for non-profits. Approved projects/clusters may be eligible for funding up to $10M per year.
There are two components of AgriScience:
AgriScience – Clusters: Applications are envisioned to activate government, industry, and academia through partnerships, and address priority issues that are happening nationally. Applications for Clusters closed as of February 1, 2018.
AgriScience – Projects: Applications for single projects or a smaller set of projects that surmount challenges and address financial barriers experienced by small and emerging sectors. Applications are now being accepted for Projects.
To receive a guided overview of funding for agriculture projects supported through the Canadian Agricultural Partnership, please register for an upcoming Agriculture and Agri-Food webinar.