Farm Grants Ontario: Do You Know These 57 Ontario Farming Grants & Loans?

The Winery Agri-Tourism Economic Relief Grant will help eligible Ontario wineries and cideries continue to grow their operations, create new jobs, and attract more visitors to rural Ontario.

The Wine Sector Support Program (WSSP) provides short-term financial support to licensed Canadian wineries as they adapt to ongoing and emerging challenges that impact financial resilience and competitiveness of the wine industry.
The program will provide non-repayable grants to wine licensees in Canada based on their production of bulk wine fermented in Canada from domestic and/or imported primary agricultural products.

The Vintners Quality Alliance (VQA) Wine Support Program supports Ontario wineries in increasing competitiveness and innovation while growing the sale of Ontario VQA wines at the Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO). The Program provides grants to help wineries invest in growing their VQA wine business, including export and tourism development activities.

The Supply Management Processing Investment Fund (SMPIF) helps processors of supply-managed commodities adapt to market changes resulting from the implementation of the Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) and the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). The program provides non-repayable contributions to support investments in dairy, poultry, and egg processing facilities that improve productivity and/or efficiency through the purchase of new automated equipment and technology.

The Small Distillery Program provides eligible Ontario distilleries with financial support to help grow their operations. Payments are based on production of spirits.

The Small Cidery Component of the Ontario Small Cidery and Small Distillery Program (the
Program) supports Small Cideries’ growth and competitiveness, and helps them scale up
into medium and large businesses. The Ontario government is striving to create an
environment where agri-food business can thrive and prosper. The Program will provide
grants to help eligible cideries invest in growing their businesses and create jobs. The
Program will be delivered by Agricorp, an agency of the Ontario government.

Ontario’s Risk Management Program (RMP) helps producers manage risks beyond their control, like fluctuating costs and market prices. RMP for livestock was designed in consultation with representatives of the cattle, hog, sheep and veal industry in Ontario. RMP for livestock works like insurance to help Ontario producers offset losses caused by fluctuating commodity prices and production costs. Participants pay premiums based on their insured production and their chosen coverage level.

Ontario’s Risk Management Program (RMP) helps producers manage risks beyond their control, like fluctuating costs and market prices. RMP for livestock was designed in consultation with representatives of the cattle, hog, sheep and veal industry in Ontario. RMP for livestock works like insurance to help Ontario producers offset losses caused by fluctuating commodity prices and production costs. Participants pay premiums based on their insured production and their chosen coverage level.

Ontario’s Risk Management Program (RMP) helps producers manage risks beyond their control, like fluctuating costs and market prices. RMP for livestock was designed in consultation with representatives of the cattle, hog, sheep and veal industry in Ontario. RMP for livestock works like insurance to help Ontario producers offset losses caused by fluctuating commodity prices and production costs. Participants pay premiums based on their insured production and their chosen coverage level.

RMP: Grains and Oilseeds helps Ontario producers offset losses caused by low commodity prices and rising production costs. Payments are made if a crop’s market prices fall below the annual support level. The support level is based on the industry average cost of producing a crop (target price), which is calculated annually by the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA).

This plan was designed in consultation with representatives of the grain and oilseed sector and the Ontario Federation of Agriculture.

Ontario’s Risk Management Program (RMP) helps producers manage risks beyond their control, like fluctuating costs and market prices. Under the RMP plan for edible horticulture, producers deposit funds into self-directed risk management (SDRM) accounts and the deposit is matched by the government to help mitigate risk associated with farm business.

Agricorp sends personalized participation forms to eligible producers in September.

Ontario’s Risk Management Program (RMP) helps producers manage risks beyond their control, like fluctuating costs and market prices. RMP for livestock was designed in consultation with representatives of the cattle, hog, sheep and veal industry in Ontario. RMP for livestock works like insurance to help Ontario producers offset losses caused by fluctuating commodity prices and production costs. Participants pay premiums based on their insured production and their chosen coverage level.

The Promoting Agriculture and Food Careers Initiative provides funding to agricultural societies to promote careers in the agriculture and food industry.

The Price Pooling Program provides a price guarantee that protects marketing agencies and producers against unanticipated declines in the market price of their products. Program participants use the price guarantee as security in obtaining credit from lending institutions. This credit allows the marketing agency to improve cash flow of producers through an initial payment for products delivered. It also provides equal returns to producers for products of like grades, varieties and types.

The Poultry and Egg On-Farm Investment Program (PEFIP) aims to help supply-managed poultry and egg producers adapt to market changes resulting from the implementation of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). The program supports on-farm investments in:
1. increasing efficiency or productivity,
2. improving on-farm food safety and biosecurity,
3. improving environmental sustainability,
4. responding to consumer preferences (improving animal welfare, adopting alternative housing systems, transitioning to organic production, etc.).

AgriStability is an important part of a comprehensive suite of risk management programs. AgriStability protects producers from large declines in their farming income caused by production loss, increased costs or market conditions.

The Meat Processors Capacity Improvement Initiative seeks to enhance the capacity processing capabilities within the province’s meat processing plants and abattoirs.

The Initiative will provide funding to eligible free-standing meat plants and abattoirs so they can make short-term investments in meat handling and processing equipment, technologies and practices that improve operational efficiency and productivity.

The Matching Investment Fund (MIF) provides eligible companies and Food Technology Centers (FTC) non-repayable contributions for product development projects on a matching investment basis.

The Pre-production Funding Stream is part of the Market Growth Program (MGP). The MGP aims to stimulate investments for long-term market growth in Canadian dairy processing by supporting sustainable and innovative investment projects with an emphasis on the use of solids non-fat (SNF). Its intended outcome is to accelerate and support investments which aim to reduce structural SNF surplus, support market growth, or process milk in regions with significant skim milk surplus/processing deficiencies.

The Pre-production Funding Stream supports dairy processors to make investments in:

additional processing capacity for SNF; and
the creation of new products that add value to the SNF surplus.
Specifically, this stream supports the execution of studies during the planning stage of an investment, whether in a new plant or in an existing plant, including equipment replacement to increase processing capacity.

The Labour Force Management Strategies Initiative (the Initiative) helps primary producers and processors address local labour force challenges in the agri-food sector with pilot projects that implement:
– innovative attraction strategies
– recruitment strategies
– retention strategies

The Canadian and Ontario governments launched this initiative to help growers plant varieties of produce that would improve quality, production, and marketability.

The objectives of the GGI are to:
– increase public engagement and support for agriculture, local food and rural development
– build youth leadership capacity and increase youth involvement in the agri-food sector
– enhance safety and risk management practices in the agri-food sector
– strengthen public trust and public knowledge about Ontario’s agri-food systems
– encourage agri-food and rural development outcomes

The Grain Financial Protection Program protects producers who sell grains and oilseeds to licensed dealers and producers or owners who store grains and oilseeds at licensed elevators. The program has both a licensing and inspection component and a financial protection component.

The Food Safety and Growth Initiative (the Initiative) provides funding to small agri-food businesses to:
– modernize their food safety systems
– adopt new food safety and traceability equipment, technologies and standards
– stimulate growth in the agriculture and food sector
Funding for the Initiative comes from the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (Sustainable CAP), a five-year (2023 to 2028) investment by federal, provincial and territorial governments. Up to $5 million has been allocated for the Initiative.

The Dairy Processing Modernization Initiative provides funding to dairy processors for equipment upgrades that make processing more efficient and/or improve food safety.

The Canadian Dairy Commission (CDC) created the Dairy Innovation Program (DIP) on August 1, 2013 to replace the Domestic Dairy Product Innovation Program (DDPIP), which expired on July 31, 2013. On July 23, 2015, the DIP was amended to include the eligibility of butter and butter oil. Like the previous innovation program, the DIP is designed to grant dairy processors with continued access to the milk they require to produce innovative dairy products without affecting their existing provincial milk plant supply allocation. By encouraging such new development, the overall demand for milk is expected to increase. The CDC will provide an allocation credit (deducted from the Canadian requirement) to each province Footnote1 ;that supplies milk for the new DIP contracts. These credits will be allocated to the province on end-use butterfat basis with no conversion of credits into quota (crystallization).

The Dairy Innovation and Investment Fund (DIIF) aims to help dairy processors in making investments to increase competitiveness over the long term and adapt to the new market realities.

The objective of the Dairy Direct Payment Program is to support dairy producers as a result of market access commitments made under recent international trade agreements.

The program Canadian Agricultural Strategic Priorities Program will help the agriculture, agri-food, and agri-based products sector (‘agricultural sector’) take advantage of a situation or circumstance to develop a new idea, product, niche, or market opportunity
respond to new and emerging issues (address sector issues that were unknown or not a concern before)
find and test solutions to new and ongoing issues to adapt and remain competitive

The Canada Pavilion Program is aimed at making trade show participation easier at the world’s premier food and beverage events, “where the world shops”. With trade shows being an integral marketing technique used by industry when entering new regions, the Canada Pavilion Program will allow companies to take advantage of opportunities arising from market access gains.

The British Columbia Salmon Restoration and Innovation Fund (BCSRIF) aims to:

ensure the fish and seafood sector in B.C. is positioned for long-term environmental and economic sustainability
support the protection and restoration of wild Pacific salmon and other fish stocks

The purpose of this Project Category is to reduce animal health risks in a measurable and proven way through physical set up of production areas, practices, testing, monitoring and management along with operations assessments/plans and education or training.

The purpose of this Project Category is to provide support to livestock Primary Producers and associated Service Providers to improve their traceability equipment and processes to help enhance protection of animal health, public health and food safety and to be well prepared for emerging regulatory and market standards (national and global).

The purpose of this Project Category is to build farm-specific knowledge and expertise in support of plant health (for example, conducting pest risk assessments, developing biosecurity procedures and integrated pest management plans, and participating in plant health training).

Ontario’s Beef Cattle Financial Protection Program provides financial protection to beef cattle sellers when a buyer defaults on payment.

Beef cattle sellers and buyers can be beef cattle producers, cooperatives or licensed dealers.

This Aquatic Invasive Species Prevention Fund supports efforts that will help prevent the introduction and spread of aquatic invasive species.

Priority will be given to projects to focus on:
improving relationships with provinces and territories, Indigenous Peoples and key stakeholders
involving multiple partners
providing Canadians with tools to take action on aquatic invasive species
monitoring and prevention of aquatic invasive species

The AgriScience Program, under the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (Sustainable CAP), aims to accelerate innovation by providing funding and support for pre-commercial science activities and research that benefits the agriculture and agri-food sector and Canadians.

The he Agriculture Economic Development program create the right conditions to allow agri-business to prosper. This program can help:
– identify opportunities and challenges in your local agricultural sector
– support a community-driven strategic planning process

The Agricultural Workforce Equity and Diversity Initiative (the Initiative) provides funding to organizations to support underrepresented groups in starting or growing their own business in the agri-food sector.

The AgriAssurance Program is a $64.05-million program under the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (Sustainable CAP).

The program will contribute to the overarching objectives of Resiliency and Public Trust Strategic Initiatives of Sustainable CAP by enabling the development and adoption of industry-led sector-specific assurance systems to manage risks, enhance resiliency and address market considerations and challenges to public trust at the national level
help small and medium-sized enterprises export products by supporting the adoption of assurance systems and tools to make verifiable claims in order to meet market requirements
The program aims to increase and diversify exports to markets where Canada has Free Trade Agreements are in place
support industry to develop, verify and integrate assurance systems to address market and regulatory requirements (for example, food safety, plant and animal health surveillance, animal welfare, environmental sustainability, traceability, market attributes and quality standards) enable industry to make credible, meaningful and verifiable claims about the health, safety, and quality of Canadian agriculture products

The Agri-Food Energy Cost Savings Initiative provides funding to agri-food processors who use technologies and processes to increase energy efficiency in their operations.

The African Swine Fever Prevention and Preparedness investment aims to enhance efforts to prevent African swine fever (ASF) from entering Canada and prepare for a potential outbreak.

As part of the investment from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, the African Swine Fever Industry Preparedness Program (ASFIPP) will provide up to $23.4 million over 3 years. The program supports the pork industry to:

address identified gaps in prevention and mitigation efforts
develop the tools, partnerships, and activities needed to ensure the early detection of ASF and an effective emergency response in case of an outbreak. The ASFIPP offers support under 2 streams:

Welfare Slaughter and Disposal Stream
Prevention and Preparedness Stream
Note: There is a separate application process for the African Swine Fever Industry Preparedness Program: Prevention and Preparedness Stream.

AgriStability protects producers from large declines in their farming income caused by production loss, increased costs or market conditions. Farmers may receive a payment if their production margin in the current year falls below their historical reference margin by more than 30%.

AgriInvest is a self-managed producer-government savings account designed to help farmers manage small income declines and make investments to manage risk and improve market income. Farmers receive a matching contribution of up to $10,000 per year to help manage income declines or to make investments to mitigate on-farm risks. Their AgriInvest account grows as they make deposits, receive matching government contributions and earn interest.

AgriInsurance is a federal-provincial-producer cost-shared program that stabilizes a producer’s income by minimizing the economic effects of primarily production losses caused by severe but uncontrollable natural hazards. Some examples of possible eligible perils are drought, flood, wind, frost, excessive rain, heat, snow, uncontrolled disease, insect infestations and wildlife. Producers get a payment when they experience a production loss during the year. The program contributes a portion of total premiums and administrative costs to this provincially delivered program.

Five provinces participate in the reinsurance arrangement: Alberta, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Saskatchewan.