On March 1, during a visit to Trius Winery in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, the Honourable Lawrence MacAulay, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, announced an extension to the Wine Sector Support Program. With an investment of up to $177 million over the next 3 years, the program will continue to help the Canadian wine sector improve its competitiveness and adapt to the challenges it faces.
In addition to this funding, Minister MacAulay also announced two initiatives under the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership, both led by the Canadian Grapevine Certification Network, to advance science and research and increase the competitiveness of the sector.
This includes up to $5.9 million under the AgriScience Program – Clusters Component for the Grape and Wine Cluster, as well as up to $836,220 under the AgriAssurance Program.
The overall objective of the Grape and Wine Cluster is to support research to help the sector adapt to the increasingly frequent extreme weather events exacerbated by climate change as well as new pest and disease problems, both threats to the sustainability and resiliency of the Canadian grape and wine sector.
Funding under the AgriAssurance Program will support continued work to provide Canadian grape growers and wineries with the clean materials needed to plant certified virus-free grapevines in their vineyards, which will ensure the long-term success of the sector.
“Research plays a vital role in building a sustainable grape and wine industry in Canada as we navigate the impacts of climate change. Complimentary to this, the Minister's investment in CGCN-RCCV's clean plant program will help sustain the vibrance of the industry at a critical point in time when we've realized the damage extreme weather events have caused. We are very grateful for the investment that the Government of Canada and the Honourable Lawrence MacAulay, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, provided towards the resilient Canadian Grape and Wine sector.”
- Hans Buchler, CGCN-RCCV Chair
