SASKATOON – The federal government continues to invest in the Canadian agriculture industry to help farmers stay competitive. Federal Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz was at the second annual CropSphere conference in Saskatoon Wednesday to announce an investment of up to $9.5 million to the Canola Council of Canada (CCC) to boost the value of canola around the world.
Funding will support market entry and development activities aimed at increasing the consumption and value of canola in domestic and global markets. This will be achieved through market research, developing partnerships, participating in trade shows and developing healthy recipes.
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“The canola industry is an important economic engine in Canada and we need ongoing investment to keep this momentum up and reach our target of 26 million metric tonnes of sustained market demand and production by 2025,” said CCC President Patti Miller.
“With 90 per cent of our canola production destined for world markets, these activities are an integral part of boosting canola’s value and ensuring industry growth.”
Canada is among the world’s largest producers and exporters of canola. The country’s industry contributes over $19.3 billion annually to the economy and supports nearly a quarter-of-a-million jobs.
These funds, as well as the $10.2 million announced Tuesday, are part of the $3-billion Growing Forward 2 program for Canada’s agricultural and agri-food sector.
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