CANADA – The government of Canada has committed to investing a total of US$550 million over the next ten years to support the country’s poultry industry into becoming more efficient and sustainable.
According to a FoodBev report, the funds will be channeled into two new programs designed to help drive innovation and market development for Canada’s 4,800 chicken, turkey, and egg farmers.
About US$502 million will be injected into the first program known as the Poultry and Egg On-Farm Investment Program which aims to support poultry and egg farmers through on-farm investments.
The programme will mainly focus on increasing the competitiveness of farmers by helping them modernize their operations for efficiency and sustainability and also assisting them to meet changing requirements for production practices.
Under the programme, Canadian farmers will benefit from new barn construction or have their equipment upgraded to increase farm efficiency.
Other systems such as watering, lighting and heating systems will also be improved to promote energy efficiency and reduce their environmental footprint.
The Canadian government says it will contribute up to 70% of the project cost and up to 85% for young farmers to help ensure a strong future for Canada’s agriculture sector.
Roger Pelissero, chair of Egg Farmers of Canada, said: “Today’s announcement offers new opportunities for our farmers to reinvest in their operations and plan for the future as they navigate the long-term market losses under the CPTPP agreement.”
Meanwhile, another US$48.9 million will be injected into a new programme dubbed the Market Development Program for Turkey and Chicken which is aimed differentiating Canada’s high-quality and sustainably-farmed food from competing imports.
The capital will go towards turkey and chicken farmers’ advertising, market research, product development and branding.
Commenting on the investment, chair of Turkey Farmers of Canada, Darren Ference said: “These programs will help us grow our customer base and the domestic turkey market and through on-farm investment enhance long-term competitiveness in preparation for increased imports under the CPTPP.”
The news comes on the heels of Canada’s new Agricultural Climate Solutions (ACS) programme, which will see approximately US$148 million go towards implementing farming practices to tackle climate change.
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