
Our farmers and agri-business owners across the agri-food industry are essential to our communities and our Government is fully engaged to help them through this unprecedented period.
Today we announced over $250 million in direct funding as well as important changes to agriculture programs to support farmers, food businesses, and food processors who are working hard every day to ensure Canadians have a safe and reliable food supply:
– We are launching a national AgriRecovery
initiative of up to $125 million in funding to help producers faced
with additional costs incurred by COVID-19. This includes set-asides for
cattle and hog management programs to manage livestock backed-up on
farms, due to the temporary closure of food processing plants. We are
changing the program so it now covers 90% of eligible expenses, from
70%.
– We are establishing a $77.5 million Emergency Processing Fund
to help food processors manage new challenges: adapt to health
protocols, automate or modernize their operations, and respond to
emerging pressures from COVID-19 so they can better supply Canadians
with food during this period.
– We are establishing a first-of-its
kind Surplus Food Purchase Program with $50M designed to help
redistribute existing and unsold inventories, including potatoes and
poultry products, to local food organizations who are serving vulnerable
Canadians.