The governments of Ontario and Canada are providing additional support to farmers in an effort to make agricultural lands more productive and resilient.
Through the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership, the province and the federal government are investing more than $68 million into the Ontario Agricultural Sustainability Initiative to fund three programs.
The first is the Resilient Agricultural Landscape Program, a five-year initiative that will provide funds to farmers for projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and sequester carbon.
In addition, the Agricultural Stewardship Initiative will provide funding for farmers to modify and adapt equipment and operating practices.
And the third investment will expand and enhance the On-Farm Applied Research and Monitoring program, which will help farmers communicate the best on-farm practices to improve their soil health and water quality.
“Our government is committed to building a food supply system that is resilient, competitive and productive to meet the ambitious goals of our Grow Ontario Strategy,” said Lisa Thompson, Ontario Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, in a news release. “This initiative will be a critical component in giving our farmers the tools they need to make decisions that will enable safe, top-quality food production and agricultural sustainability goals.”
All three programs will be delivered by the Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association.