Source: Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
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.
Through the Canadian Agricultural Partnership (the Partnership), the governments are providing cost-share funding to provincially licensed abattoirs for a variety of projects to improve food safety, animal welfare and biosecurity measures at their operations. Examples of eligible projects 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.
The governments are also investing up to $292,600 under the Places to Grow initiative 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.
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.
Quotes
“These investments will help the beef industry continue to meet the growing consumer demand for our safe, high-quality beef products. With these business improvements to Ontario’s provincially-licenced abattoirs, along with our efforts to diversify into new markets, we are ensuring our sector is competitive at home and around the world.”
– The Honourable Marie-Claude Bibeau, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food
“By making these investments, our government will strengthen and grow provincially licensed abattoirs while further improving on our already high food safety standards. 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.”
– The Honourable Ernie Hardeman, Ontario’s Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs
“Beef Farmers of Ontario welcomes the announcement of Canadian Agricultural Partnership funding for provincial abattoirs, which are an integral part of Ontario’s beef industry. This funding comes at a time of critical challenges in the beef industry due to shortages in beef processing capacity. Support for abattoirs will help enable investment in equipment and infrastructure that assists businesses in remaining competitive and adapting to market-driven demands.”
– Joe Hill, president of Beef Farmers of Ontario
Quick facts
- 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.
