Agriculture and seafood programs
Agriculture and seafood producers and processors can access programs and funding to support their businesses.
NEW Food Security Programming - now available
Please check back as more programs are added (updated May 2, 2023). Read more
On this page:
- Business, innovation and market development programs
- Food security programs
- Insurance and income protection programs
- Food safety and traceability programs
- Environmental sustainability programs
- Recognition
Apply for programs
Business, innovation and market development
Programs are available to support farmers and food processors to start, grow and innovate their business and more effectively market their products.
The Agritech Concierge Program provides government support for agritech businesses to grow, diversify, access new markets and attract investment opportunities.
B.C. Agri-Business Planning Program
Applications are now closed
The Program provides funding support for agriculture and agrifood producers to support informed decision making and ensure business development.
B.C. Agriculture and Food Export Program
Accepting applications (August 28, 2023 – September 15, 2023)
The program provides cost-shared funding to undertake market development activities outside of B.C., enabling sector businesses and associations to maintain, expand and/or diversify export markets.
B.C. Indigenous Agriculture Development Program
Applications are now closed
Provides supports for Indigenous people’s success in the food and agriculture sector through agriculture business support services.
Accepting applications
Provides land matching and business support services to new farmers looking for land to farm as well as landowners interested in finding someone to farm their land.
B.C. Lean for Food Processors Program
Accepting applications
Supports processors to make more informed decisions, optimize operating procedures, improve production capacity, labour productivity and strengthen their business.
Accepting applications
The Buy BC Logo Licensing system allows eligible businesses to use the Buy BC logo free of charge to make it easier for consumers to identify local B.C. products at markets and grocery stores across the province.
Applications are now closed
Provides cost-shared funding to support B.C.’s producers, processors, and associations to undertake local marketing activities that increase consumer awareness and sales of local agriculture, food and beverage products. To be considered eligible for cost-shared funding, all applicants must first register their food and beverage products for Buy BC Logo Licensing.
Provides funding for eligible workers to complete the Horticulture Upskill Program, a training program administered by Okanagan College to provide tangible upskill opportunities for agricultural workers employed by the tree fruit and wine grape industries.
Innovation (Canada-BC Agri-Innovation)
Applications are now closed
Provides cost-shared funding to support promising new products, practices, processes and technologies that have the potential to generate a benefit to the agriculture sector.
Knowledge and Technology Transfer Program
Provides funding to support knowledge transfer events for B.C. producers and food processors.
New Perennial Crop Renewal Program
This program provides support to agricultural sectors such as berries, tree fruit, grapes, and hazelnuts to evaluate and define agronomic and market opportunities, and to support farmers to adapt to environmental and market conditions by diversifying, renovating, or expanding production. Investment Agriculture Foundation delivers the Perennial Crop Renewal Program. To learn more and apply for the program, visit www.iafbc.ca
Small Farm Business Acceleration Program
Applications are now closed
Provides funding for small and new farm businesses to make the investments necessary to achieve farm income growth goals, ensure commercial viability and strengthen financial sustainability.
Food security programs
The Food Processing Growth Fund (FPG)
Applications are now closed
The Food Processing Growth Fund (FPG) is a program of up to $20M funded through the Ministry of Agriculture and Food. This fund will help established B.C. food businesses upgrade or expand facilities, technology, staff training, product development and commercialization to increase productivity, economic opportunities and competitiveness. Visit https://iafbc.ca/fpg/ for more details.
Insurance and income protection
Agricultural producers can protect their business against severe market volatility and disaster situations through the B.C. government’s Business Risk Management programs.
Agriculture Income Protection (AgriStability)
Accepting applications
Helps stabilize farm income by managing the risk of large income declines.
Crop Loss and Damage Due to Wildlife (Agriculture Wildlife)
Accepting applications
Provides compensation for crop loss due to wildlife damage
Income Savings Account (AgriInvest)
Accepting applications
Helps manage small income declines, and provides support for investments to mitigate risks or improve market income.
Accepting applications
Offers protection against an unexpected drop in livestock prices.
Accepting applications
Helps producers manage their risk of crop losses caused by the weather, such as hail, spring frost, excessive rain, flooding and drought.
Food safety and traceability
Food safety and traceability programs provide education and awareness of food safety practices, as well as activities to identify and analyze new and emerging food safety hazards.
Provides rebate to livestock operators who implement approved livestock tag readers.
On-Farm Food Safety (OFFS) Program
Applications are now closed
Provides funding to eligible B.C. farm-based businesses (i.e. growers, packers and ranchers) to address existing food safety issues, increase implementation of food safety practices and to meet national and international food safety requirements.
Post-Farm Food Safety (PFFS) Program
Applications are now closed
Provides funding to eligible B.C. processors, value adding producers, wholesalers, importers and distributors, to address existing food safety issues, increase implementation of food safety practices and to meet national and international food safety requirements.
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Premises Identification links livestock and poultry to geographic locations, and is an important step in protecting the health and safety of animals.
Provides funding to agriculture, agrifood and seafood businesses to implement facility-based traceability practices, systems, infrastructure and technologies.
Traceability Knowledge Transfer
Accepting applications
Supports agrifood and seafood industry organizations to educate their membership about traceability systems, practices, infrastructure and technologies.
Provides funding to agriculture, agrifood and seafood sector organizations and value chains to implement sector-wide or value chain traceability practices, systems, infrastructure and technologies.
Environmental sustainability
Environmental programs are available to support sustainable agriculture practices.
Beneficial Management Practices
Supports producers to implement practices, identified through an Environmental Farm Plan, to increase agricultural sustainability, address climate change and contribute to a cleaner environment.
Accepting applications
Supports producers to complete environmental and climate change risk assessments related to agriculture.
Greenhouse Carbon Tax Relief Grant
Accepting applications
Provides carbon tax relief to B.C. commercial vegetable, floriculture, wholesale nursery and forest seedling greenhouse.
Recognition
Farmers make a significant contribution to the economy and the health and well-being of British Columbia as a whole.
Accepting applications
The Century Farm Award honours pioneers whose farm, ranch or agricultural organization have been active in B.C. for 100 years.
