Wine industry from coast to coast gets federal funds

The Canadian Grapevine Certification Network (CGCN) will receive up to $8.4 million from the federal government’s Canadian Agricultural Partnership program to develop a national research cluster for the wine and grape industry. With $3.7 million additional from industry contributions, the fund is expected to assist growers produce improved output, test new crops, and explore growing practices that are environment-friendly. The five-year Canadian Agricultural Partnership calls for a $3 billion investment by federal, provincial and territorial governments to create a robust agriculture and agri-food sector. It has several programs under three focus areas: expanding markets, innovation and sustainable growth, and diversification. Under the AgriScience cluster program, this is the first time that four grape-producing provinces -- Ontario, Nova Scotia, Quebec, and British Columbia -- will come together, with support from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC), to bolster the domestic supply of clean rootstock. AAFC also announced $1.5 million over three years to support the Canadian Vintners Association under the Canadian Agricultural Partnership's AgriMarketing program. The fund is to help Canadian growers in trade missions and promotions. The vintner’s association recently completed a $1.5-million AgriMarketing project which helped the Canadian industry enhance the country’s international reputation and launched the Wines of Canada brand.