The governments of Canada and Manitoba are providing funding under the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (Sustainable CAP) to assist Manitoba agri-food and agri-product producers and processors in adopting and improving food safety and traceability practices, federal Agriculture and Agri-Food Minister Lawrence MacAulay and Manitoba Agriculture Minister Ron Kostyshyn announced July 5th.
“Agri-food and agri-product businesses right across Manitoba are producing safe, top-quality food for folks here in Canada and around the world,” said MacAulay. “With investments through the Food Safety and Traceability Equipment Program, we’re making sure they can modernize their operations, grow and stay competitive, while tapping into new export markets.”
The Pre-Approved Food Safety and Traceability Equipment Program assists in the purchase of pre-approved common equipment used to monitor and control food safety parameters and to improve traceability systems. Food safety and traceability are not only important for public safety but also a requirement for many regulators, associations and customers. In 2023-24, a total of 37 projects were approved for close to $200,000.
“The Manitoba government continues to support the agri-food and agri-product sectors through these programs to protect consumer safety and increase market access and export capacity,” said Kostyshyn. “We are proud to provide programming that meets the demands of sustainability and that leverages traceability as an effective tool to prevent and respond to animal health or food emergencies, making Manitoba food products competitive on a global scale.”
Eligible applicant groups that may apply for funding under the Pre-Approved Food Safety and Traceability Equipment Program include primary producers, agri-food processors, agri-product processors, licensed commercial kitchens, food and ingredient wholesalers, abattoirs and Indigenous communities, groups and governments. There is a maximum funding limit of $30,000 for all food safety items and $30,000 for all traceability items.
“Food and Beverage Manitoba is proud to support the vibrant food and beverage industry in this province,” said Michael Mikulak, executive director, Food and Beverage Manitoba. “As part of our core mandate, we provide food safety training to companies of all sizes. Funding from Sustainable CAP can help ensure that our province remains competitive and is able to access markets that require the highest standard of safety and traceability. We are pleased to see the governments of Canada and Manitoba continue to prioritize the safety and transparency of our food supply, both domestically and abroad.”
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.
Applications are being accepted until Jan. 23, 2025. Details on the program, including a complete list of eligible expenses, are available at Province of Manitoba | Resiliency and Public Trust
