Major milestones advancing ag

February 11, 2019

Canada's agriculture and agri-food sector is a key driver of the Canadian economy and a high-performing sector in today's global marketplace. Major initiatives were launched and investments made in 2018 to ensure the sector continues to grow, innovate and prosper. Here are some highlights:

• Working towards the Government's target of $75 billion in agri-food exports by 2025, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Lawrence MacAulay embarked on many successful trade missions abroad, including Europe, China, South America, Japan, Korea and the U.S.
• Continued to pursue a strong trade diversification strategy with the launch of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, with estimated new sales for farmers of $1.8 billion a year.
• First anniversary of the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement with the European Union, the world's single largest market for food.
• Industry's $30 billion in sales with our largest trading partner was secured and stabilized through the successful conclusion of the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement.
• Launch of the Canadian Agricultural Partnership, a progressive federal-provincial-territorial $3 billion commitment to keep the industry strong and growing.
• Minister MacAulay's two-part "Growing Canadian Agriculture Tour" meeting with farmers, processors, and industry leaders, and participating in rural agricultural events.
• Major investments in innovation, including over $120 million in new agricultural research clusters under the Canadian Agricultural Partnership in key areas of the sector; and a $70 million investment, over five years, in agricultural science to help farmers adapt to climate change, and conserve soil and water.
• Launch of five SuperClusters, including Protein Innovation Canada, which will add value to Canadian crops, generating an estimated $4.5 billion for the economy and more than 4,500 jobs.
• Report of the AgriFood Economic Strategy Table outlining a roadmap to make Canada's agri-food industry a leading global competitor.
• The Fall Economic Statement boosts the competitiveness of Canadian agriculture and agri-food businesses through tax and investment incentives, trade support, and $800 million investment under the Strategic Innovation Fund, including investments to drive automation and digital technologies in the agri-food sector.

Together these initiatives are positioning Canada's agriculture and food sector to capture exciting opportunities that lie ahead in a global marketplace where demand is growing for the high-quality, sustainable food that our farmers and food processors can deliver.