Canada, Ontario Pledge $20M to Safeguard Farmers

Federal and provincial investment will help local food producers expand global sales of Ontario grown products

The governments of Canada and Ontario are investing up to $20 million through the new Market Diversification and Trade Resiliency Initiative to help farmers, food processors and agribusinesses sell more Ontario grown products around the world. The Initiative will fund a variety of projects to increase competitiveness for farmers and agribusinesses and support their expansion into new and international markets as part of the provincial government’s plan to protect Ontario’s agribusiness sector.

As part of the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership, this investment supports the province’s Grow Ontario Strategy to give farmers and businesses the tools they need to build long-term resiliency, create good-paying jobs and stay competitive in the face of tariffs and economic uncertainty.

The Market Diversification and Trade Resiliency Initiative will open for applications on February 17, 2026 to help Ontario farmers and agribusinesses expand domestic and international sales and strengthen production capacity through three funding streams.

Funding through the Initiative will cover a proportion of approved project costs. The cost-share level and the maximum eligible funding amount per project will vary based on the type of proposals submitted. The Initiative will offer increased support for export development projects targeting non-U.S. markets as well as provide support for projects in United States markets.

The Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership is a 5-year (2023-2028), $3.5-billion investment by federal, provincial, and territorial governments to strengthen competitiveness, innovation and resiliency of Canada’s agriculture, agri‐food sector. This includes $1 billion in federal programs and activities and a $2.5 billion commitment for programs designed and delivered by the provinces and territories, cost-shared 60% federally and 40% provincially/territorially.

https://www.canada.ca/en/agriculture-agri-food/news/2026/01/canada-and-ontario-investing-20-million-to-protect-local-farmers-and-agribusinesses.html

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