Agriculture and Agri‑Food Canada (AAFC) will provide up to $470,030 to Flowers Canada Growers (FCG) for the next phase of its ‘Overcoming Barriers to Trade and Growing the Market for Canadian Floriculture’ project, aimed at strengthening export growth and expanding domestic opportunities for Canadian flower producers.
A recent FCG press release outlined how the funding, delivered through the AgriMarketing Program under the Sustainable Canadian Agriculture Partnership, will support work to diversify export markets, safeguard access to existing ones and build new demand at home.
“With this new funding, Flowers Canada Growers will explore export markets beyond our largest trading partner: the United States,” said FCG president, Jan VanZanten, in the release.
FCG will contribute matching funds, bringing the two‑year project total to $940,060.
Executive director Andrew Morse added that growers need stability as they plan for expansion: “We’re hopeful this project can give flower growers the certainty they need to continue that growth.”
The announcement comes as Canada’s floriculture sector faces renewed uncertainty and nears the latest U.S. tariff‑threat deadline, one that could trigger a 50 per cent tariff on key floriculture products if a trade deal isn’t in place by Aug 19.
The sector has already navigated significant headwinds in recent years as U.S. trade relations have been strained.
According to the release, national farm‑gate sales reached $2.44 billion in 2025, but export growth slowed sharply following threats of tariffs by the sector’s largest export market.
FCG reports that while floral exports grew at an annualized rate of 16.24 per cent from 2020–2024, 2025 exports fell short of expected levels by $220.2 million, landing at $942.7 million instead of the projected $1.163 billion.
“This is an opportunity to seek out new trading partners while continuing to expand the market for Canadian flowers both domestically and in the U.S,” VanZanten said.
Source : Greenhouse Canada