Starting on July 10, eligible Ontario grape growers can apply for financial support under a new AgriRecovery Canada-Ontario Grapevine Winter Injury Initiative (2021-2022). The $5 million initiative will be cost-shared between the federal and provincial governments, and will be delivered by Agricorp.

AgriRecovery is a disaster relief framework intended to work together with the core Business Risk Management programs (Production Insurance, AgriStability and AgriInvest) to help offset the extraordinary costs producers face as they recover from disasters. Extraordinary costs are costs which producers would not incur under normal circumstances, but which are necessary to mitigate the impacts of a disaster and/or resume farming operations as quickly as possible following a disaster.

 
Program information currently available for the Canada-Ontario Grapevine Winter Injury Initiative (2021-2022): 

-  $1.50 per vine in payments for eligible producers to help offset the costs incurred to remove and replant vines that died as a result of the 2022 cold weather event.

-  $0.88 per vine in payments to help offset the costs incurred to retrain vines that were damaged as a result of the 2022 cold weather event.

-  Qualifying vineyards must have been growing grapes for commercial purposes and be at least 5 acres.

-  Compensation would be on a whole farm basis by category (i.e. all of the viniferas on all of the farms owned by the producer). This aligns with production insurance for vineyards.

-  The number of vines that are eligible for a payment must have met or exceed a 3% deductible.

Further program details will be provided as they become available.

Source:  Grape Growers of Ontario June 23, 2023 newsletter