On October 10, the Hon. Lawrence MacAulay, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, travelled to Abbotsford, British Columbia to meet with the BC Federation of Agriculture and visit local food producers.

While there, he toured a strawberry greenhouse and highlighted a $9.8 million partnership with the Fruit and Vegetable Growers of Canada (FVGC) through the AgriScience Program – Clusters Component. It’s a program under the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership, that will assist Canada's horticulture industry by enhancing research that protects the environment, builds greater resilience, and helps ensure Canadians have access to high-quality products. 

The investment will fund research that builds off of previous cluster investments, under the Canadian Agricultural Partnership, supporting the development of new varieties, disease management, labour cost-savings, climate resilience, and greener pesticides and energy, with a focus on apples, berries, field vegetables, greenhouse vegetables, and potatoes. The goal of this research is to reduce the reliance on synthetic pesticides and fertilizers, advance innovative technologies, and create new disease control technology.

The Cluster consists of research activities that focus on the AgriScience Program priority areas: Climate Change & Environment, Economic Growth & Development, and Sector Resilience & Societal Changes. 

 "Agriculture creates jobs and a sense of pride in communities right across Canada. The Fruit and Vegetable Growers of Canada have demonstrated continued leadership over the past 100 years, and we will continue to support Canada's fruit and vegetable growers, while building a sustainable sector for the future,” said MacAulay.

"We are incredibly excited to renew our collaboration with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada through the approval of the Canadian AgriScience Cluster for Horticulture 4,” said Marcus Janzen, vice-president, FVGC. “This significant investment of $17.5 million, including AAFC's substantial $9.8 million contribution, will be a catalyst for research spanning five commodity groups. This program will bolster our efforts in areas such as climate change mitigation, economic development, and sector resilience. Cluster 4 is not merely funding; it's a commitment to equipping Canadian farmers with the innovative tools they need to produce world-class fruits and vegetables and ensure our sector's sustainability."

Source:  Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada October 11, 2023 news release