Ottawa Announces Funding for New Growing Forward 2 Program

Ottawa has announced up to $15 million for the launch of a new Growing Forward 2 program to encourage the development and adoption of new private sector or producer-funded agricultural risk management tools.
The AgriRisk Initiatives program will facilitate industry-led research and development, as well as implementation and administration of new insurance-based tools for use in the agriculture, agri-food and agri-products sector.

AgriRisk Initiatives (ARI) projects are intended to foster greater collaboration and partnership between agricultural stakeholder groups and the private sector, and to increase participation of the private sector financial services industry in providing risk management tools to the agricultural sector.

Applications for ARI research and development (R&D) project funding are now being accepted. Through ARI, the federal government will allocate up to $3 million per year over five years to fund R&D projects on potential new, industry-led risk management products and services.

Approved R&D projects can be eligible for up to $500,000 in support per year. Typical activities eligible for funding include: research and development costs, data collection and analysis, legal and actuarial costs, and consultations.

Source: Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development