$34 million to support agricultural producers

Feb 20, 2024

Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec – Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

The Government of Canada and the Government of Quebec have announced 34 million to support farm businesses committed to improving their farming practices. This investment makes it possible to launch the third enrolment period of the Initiative ministérielle de rétribution des pratiques agroenvironnementales (Ministerial Initiative for the Rewarding of Agri-Environmental Practices). It will allow to support more than 1,200 new farm businesses, bringing the total to nearly 4,000, for a direct investment of $119 million.

The announcement was made today at Ferme Jocelyn Michon in Saint-Hyacinthe by the Honourable Marie-Claude Bibeau, Minister of National Revenue, on behalf of the Honourable Lawrence MacAulay, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, and André Lamontagne, Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and Minister Responsible for the Centre-du-Québec region. To take account of the impact of last summer's weather conditions on businesses' ability to implement certain practices, Minister Lamontagne also announced a change in the terms of payment of financial assistance. As a result, a complete deferral of payments of unused amounts has been granted.

As part of the new Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership 2023-2028, the federal government will contribute $24.1 million to the Initiative.

Source : Canada.ca

Video: Why Invest in Canada’s Seed Future? | On The Brink: Episode 3

Darcy Unger just invested millions to build a brand-new seed plant on his farm in Stonewall, Manitoba so when it’s time for his sons to take over, they have the tools they need to succeed.

Right now, 95% of the genetics they’ll be growing come from Canadian plant breeders.

That number matters.

When fusarium hit Western Canada in the late 90s, it was Canadian breeders who responded, because they understood Canadian conditions. That ability to react quickly to what’s happening on Canadian farms is exactly what’s at risk when breeding programs lose funding.

For farmers like Darcy, who have made generational investments based on the assumption that better genetics will keep coming, the stakes are direct and personal.

We’re on the brink of decisions that will shape our agricultural future for not only our generation, but also the ones to come.

What direction will we choose?

On The Brink is a year-long video series traveling across Canada to meet the researchers, breeders, farmers, seed companies, and policymakers shaping the future of Canadian plant breeding. Each week, a new story. Each story, a piece of the bigger picture.

Episode 3 is above. Follow Seed World Canada to catch every episode, and tell us: Do you think the next generation will have the tools they need to success when they takeover? How is the future going to look?