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Ontario invests $2 million in cost-sharing program for wine grape industry

The governments of Canada and Ontario are committing up to $2 million for grape growers to support projects that will help grow the province’s wine grape industry.

The announcement was made on February 10 by Chris Bittle, member of parliament for St. Catharines along with Ernie Hardeman, minister of agriculture, food and rural affairs and Sam Oosterhoff, member of provincial parliament for Niagara West at Henry of Pelham Estate Winery. The Winery seeks to support the 500 Ontario grape producers to grow their businesses.

The new Marketing and Vineyard Improvement Programming (MVIP) will assist grape growers by providing cost-share funding for projects to help vineyards across the province adapt to ongoing and emerging growing challenges. The program will also contribute to vineyard investments that implement new technologies to supply high-quality grapes to Ontario wine producers.

“The Grape Growers of Ontario thank both the federal and provincial Governments for their continued support of the 500 farm families producing 100 per cent grown-in-Ontario grapes,” said Matthias Oppenlaender, chair of the Grape Growers of Ontario. “Today’s announcement of $2 million, fifth year of the Marketing and Vineyard Improvement Program (MVIP) highlights the importance of research and new technologies to enhance the sustainability of Ontario’s 18,000 acres of vineyards and recognizes that local grapes matter.”

Funded through the Canadian Agricultural Partnership, the MVIP application intake will open on March 5, 2020.

Eligible activities for funding include:

• Equipment to help improve grape growing practices
• Infrastructure to enhance vineyards irrigation
• Projects to acquire environmental monitoring equipment
• Consultation with a viticulture (vine growing) expert for new technology and innovation
• Implementation of testing for pest management, including viral diseases
• Installation of non acoustical pest management systems (bird netting, night guard retrofit, electric fencing)

Up to 35 per cent of eligible costs will be reimbursed to eligible vineyard activity up to $100,000 per vineyard.

The Marketing and Vineyard Improvement Programming will be delivered by Agricorp, an agency of the Ontario government. The application form and guidelines are now available on Agricorp.com and they give grape growers four weeks to prepare their applications when the intake opens at 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, March 5, 2020. Eligible applications will be received and assessed on a first-come first-served basis, while funding is available.

“Canada’s vineyards are a source of pride and have become an important part of our national economy and local grape growers are major contributors to the economy here in our region,” said MP Chris Bittle on behalf of the Marie-Claude Bibeau, federal minister of agriculture and agri-food. “These investments will help ensure our local growers have access to resources and technology they need to continue to produce high quality grapes.”

“As Ontario winemakers continue to see worldwide demand increase for their high-quality products, our government is investing in the grape growers that provide them the grapes they need to supply that demand,” said Ernie Hardeman, Ontario’s minister of agriculture. “This investment will help expand opportunities for the sector and sustain its success while helping agri-food businesses grow and create jobs.”