Bill Walker, MPP Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound, welcomes the announcement that the governments of Canada and Ontario are helping the province’s beef sector grow and develop new markets by investing up to $2 million in projects that enhance operations at provincially licensed abattoirs.
Ernie Hardeman, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, recently announced two initiatives to support Ontario’s cattle farmers and abattoirs. One provides an opportunity for cost-share funding for provincially licensed abattoirs to take on a variety of projects to improve food safety, animal welfare and biosecurity measures at their operations. The other is an investment of up to $292,600 to help the Beef Farmers of Ontario with marketing efforts to access emerging markets in Vietnam, Korea, Taiwan, the Philippines and the European Union. The cost-shared project will encourage export-market diversification and support efforts to increase volume and sales through trade missions, promotional events and the development of new brands.
The initiatives are funded through the Canadian Agricultural Partnership (the Partnership).
The application intake for abattoirs opened on February 19, 2020 and applications will be accepted until April 30, 2020. Eligible projects must be completed on or before December 31, 2020.
Some examples of projects eligible for support under the abattoirs’ initiative include:
- Capital upgrades for enhanced food safety, improvements in the safe handling and housing of animals; and,
- New equipment for safe and efficient animal-hides disposal.
“Our government is investing in Ontario abattoirs to increase competitiveness, food safety, animal welfare and growth in Ontario’s agri-food sector with up to $2 million in cost-share funding for provincially licensed abattoirs,” said Walker. “This is a huge boost for beef producers and processors here in Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound and I want to thank Minister Hardeman for this commitment.”
“By making these investments, our government will strengthen and grow provincially licensed abattoirs while further improving on our already high food safety standards,” said Minister Hardeman. “We’re also working with the province’s beef industry in seeking out new markets, which will help secure future economic growth opportunities for Ontario’s beef farmers. Looking to diversify and build new markets is an important step to ensure the success of the industry.”
Since June 2018, both the federal and provincial governments have committed cost-share support to approximately 2,500 projects through the Partnership to help eligible Ontario farmers, processors, businesses and sector organizations innovate and grow.
- This cost-share intake for abattoirs opens on February 19, 2020 and applications will be accepted until April 30, 2020, as long as funding for the initiative is available. Eligible projects must be completed on or before December 31, 2020.
- For more information about the provincially licensed abattoir funding cost-share initiative or to obtain a guidebook, email: agpartnership@ontario.ca or call: 1-877-424-1300.
- This programming adds to several recent initiatives Ontario has undertaken to support growth in the province’s meat sector such as its work to enhance antimicrobial controls at provincially licensed abattoirs. Input received from a new meat industry engagement panel was incorporated into the list of eligible projects.
- The Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs delivers cost-share funding under the Partnership to food processors and other businesses, including animal health, commercialization and primary agri-food businesses.
- Ontario’s beef industry contributes $2.69 billion to Ontario’s GDP annually from primary production, processing and retail.
- The Partnership is a five-year, $3 billion commitment by Canada’s federal, provincial and territorial governments that supports Canada’s agri-food and agri-products sectors.
- The Ontario agri-food sector supports more than 837,000 jobs in Ontario and contributes more than $47.5 billion each year to the province’s economy.
- There are 123 provincially inspected abattoirs in Ontario.
