The federal and provincial governments are investing up to $4.77 million to support research and innovation in Ontario’s agri-food sector.
Through the Ontario Agri-Food Research Initiative, 48 projects and 20 companies will receive funding under the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership, a five-year program designed to strengthen competitiveness and resilience in agriculture. Officials said the investment will help Ontario farmers and businesses remain competitive in the face of U.S. tariffs.
“It takes innovation to build a successful agri-food sector in Ontario and across the country,” said federal Agriculture Minister Heath MacDonald. “By investing in companies that bring forward bold ideas and practical solutions, we’re helping the sector seize new opportunities and stay competitive and resilient.”
Ontario’s agriculture minister echoed that point, saying the province is focused on ensuring farmers and agribusinesses can access the latest technology.
“We want to ensure Ontario’s farmers and agribusinesses have access to the latest technology and innovative solutions to grow and strengthen their businesses,” said Trevor Jones, Ontario’s Minister of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness. “Through OAFRI, we are helping them prepare for the future, take advantage of new opportunities and stay competitive and resilient in the face of economic uncertainty.”
The funding covers a range of initiatives, including developing artificial intelligence tools to detect mastitis in dairy cattle, using probiotics to reduce Salmonella in poultry, improving robotic platforms to apply crop nutrients, and testing new grape-growing strategies to boost yields and food safety.
In addition to research projects, 20 companies have joined the Grow Ontario Accelerator Hub, which helps agri-food and agri-tech firms bring innovations to market.
“It is exciting to see such compelling and impactful innovations being developed right here in Ontario. The size of our agri-food production in Ontario is second only to California in North America,” said Dave Smardon, president and CEO of Bioenterprise Canada Corporation. “Maintaining a leading position in agri-food innovation is critical to the health and growth of our industry. The support that the Ontario government has provided is helping to ensure that we do so and paves the way for even more innovation as the program continues.”
The Sustainable CAP is a $3.5-billion joint federal, provincial and territorial program running from 2023 to 2028. It includes $1 billion in federal programming and a $2.5-billion cost-shared commitment, with provinces and territories covering 40 per cent.
