Governments Helping Fruit Sector Seek New Opportunities

$4.4 million investment enabling fruit growers to meet consumer demand

October 21, 2024
Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness

TORONTO – The governments of Canada and Ontario are helping 128 apple, tender fruit, and table grape producers grow more popular and hardy varieties of produce. The Growing Future Opportunities Initiative, with funding through the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (Sustainable CAP), is supporting these projects through a $4.4 million investment.

Growers are replanting more than 94 acres of apples and more than 60 acres of tender fruit and table grapes. The range of fruit varieties being planted are considered by the sector to have greater appeal with changing consumer tastes, and are more resilient to increase yield, improve hardiness, and enhance resistance to pests and diseases. This includes fruits such as Coral Star and Summer Serenade peaches and Gala and Honeycrisp apples.

“Ontario’s fruit producers are vitally important to Canada’s agriculture sector,” said the Honourable Lawrence MacAulay, federal Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food. “The Growing Future Opportunities Initiative will help them stay competitive and increase their resiliency, while ensuring folks have access to the locally grown fruit they enjoy.”

“In its first year, the Growing Future Opportunities Initiative is already helping Ontario fruit producers to be more competitive, so they can provide and market more popular products for consumers to enjoy,” said Rob Flack, Ontario Minister of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness. “Supporting agri-food production is part of our Grow Ontario Strategy, and it’s helping to drive economic growth in Ontario’s $50 billion agri-food sector.”

The Growing Future Opportunities Initiative is a three-year, $8 million initiative providing eligible fruit producers with cost-share funding to purchase vines or trees of popular fruit varieties. Applications are still being accepted for tender fruit, table grapes and wine grapes. Under the Growing Future Opportunities Initiative, eligible producers can receive 75 per cent of cost-share funding for plants.

The Sustainable CAP is a five-year, $3.5-billion investment by federal, provincial and territorial governments to strengthen competitiveness, innovation, and resiliency of Canada’s agriculture, agri‐food and agri‐based products sector. This includes $1 billion in federal programs and activities and a $2.5-billion commitment that is cost-shared 60 per cent federally and 40 per cent provincially/territorially for programs that are designed and delivered by provinces and territories.

Quick Facts

• Agricorp is delivering the Growing Future Opportunities Initiative.
• The Growing Future Opportunities Initiative is helping Ontario reach the goals outlined in the Grow Ontario Strategy, which include increasing the consumption and production of food grown and prepared in the province by 30 per cent by 2032.
• Building sector capacity and growth through realizing the potential of value-added agri-food and agri-products were among the top priorities set for Sustainable CAP by the federal-provincial-territorial agricultural ministers in The Guelph Statement.
• For more information about OMAFA programs and services, contact the Agricultural Information Contact Centre (AICC) by phone at 1-877-424-1300 or by e-mail at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Additional Resources

Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

Agricorp

Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness

Grow Ontario