Agriculture and seafood producers and processors can access programs and funding to support their businesses.
On this page
Business and market development programs
Environmental sustainability programs
Food safety and traceability programs
Insurance and income protection programs
Programs are available to support farmers and food processors to grow their business and more effectively market their products.
B.C. Agri-Business Planning Program
Accepting applications
This 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
Applications are closed
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 closed
Please see the Indigenous Food Security and Sovereignty Program.
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 until November 21, 2024 at 4:30 pm Pacific time, or until funding is completely allocated.
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 products at markets and grocery stores across the province.
Applications are 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, applicants must first register their food and beverage products for Buy BC logo licensing.
The Enhanced Replant Program will provide up to $70 million in support to help wine grape, berry, and tree fruit producers replace damaged, diseased, and low-producing vines, plants and trees with climate-resilient varieties that produce in-demand, premium fruit.
Knowledge and Technology Transfer Program
Accepting applications
Provides funding to support knowledge transfer events for B.C. producers and food processors.
New Entrant Farm Business Acceleration Program
Applications are closed
Provides funding for new entrant farm businesses to make the investments necessary to achieve farm income growth goals, ensure commercial viability and strengthen financial sustainability.
New Perennial Crop Renewal Program
The Perennial Crop Renewal Program provides support to agricultural sectors such as berries, tree fruit, grapes, and hazelnuts. It helps farmers evaluate and define agronomic and market opportunities, and adapt to environmental and market conditions by diversifying, renovating, or expanding production. The Investment Agriculture Foundation (IAF) delivers the program. To learn more and apply, visit IAF.
Tree Fruit Climate Resiliency Program updated August 13, 2024
This program invites tree fruit producers in B.C. to apply for cost-share funding to assist in increasing the resiliency of their existing farming infrastructure for extreme weather events. Funding will be targeted to support improved resiliency to the extreme weather-related events such as early frosts, extreme cold conditions or hailstorms. Please check back for more information.
The program is designed to increase the pool of veterinarians and registered veterinary technologists (RVTs) that are available to provide locum services for B.C. veterinary practices that offer care for food animals, with a priority for servicing practices outside of the Lower Mainland.
Veterinary and veterinary technologist students working in B.C. food animal practices
Veterinary practices in British Columbia that offer food animal services are eligible for support to hire veterinary and registered veterinary technologist (RVT) students for work placements of 12 consecutive weeks or longer in 2024.
Food Storage, Distribution and Retail Program
Applications are closed
The Food Storage, Distribution and Retail Program’s goal is to support food systems partnerships in B.C. to advance practices, processes, infrastructure and collaborations that will strengthen and streamline food system logistics, storage and transportation and address supply chain bottlenecks.
Food Processing Growth Fund (FPG)
Applications are 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.
Indigenous Food Security and Sovereignty Program
Next intake opens in May 2025
The Indigenous Food Security and Sovereignty (IFS) Grant provides non-repayable funding contributions to First Nation communities, Indigenous organizations, businesses, and entrepreneurs in British Columbia that want to participate in and receive financial supports to develop, expand, or strengthen their Indigenous food systems and innovation to enhance sustainability and growth of the Indigenous agriculture and food sovereignty.
A range of programs are offered by government, in collaboration with agencies, research institutions and industry organizations, to support innovation and technology for the agriculture and food sector. Learn more about innovation and technology.
The Agritech Concierge Program provides government support for agritech businesses to grow, diversify, access new markets and attract investment opportunities.
On-Farm Technology Adoption Program
Applications are closed
The On-Farm Technology Adoption Program provides cost-shared funding to eligible participants to support their ability to adopt new, innovative technologies on-farm with a labour-savings focus that will enhance their profitability, productivity, and efficiency. For an example of a recipient’s technology from the first intake, check out: B.C. On-Farm Technology Adoption Program - YouTube.
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 programs provide education and awareness of food safety practices, as well as activities to identify and analyze new and emerging food safety hazards.
Funding for 2024-25 is fully committed and the application intake has closed.
Provides 70 percent funding to support BC on-farm and post-farm businesses implementing food safety practices in their operations.
Register now
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
Applications are closed
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 programs are available to support sustainable agriculture practices.
Agriculture Water Infrastructure Program
Check intake status (Investment Agriculture Foundation)
Provides cost-share funding for water infrastructure investments to producers, conservation groups, water purveyors, and Indigenous communities.
Beneficial Management Practices
Check intake status (Investment Agriculture Foundation)
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.
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.
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The Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (Sustainable CAP) is a five-year, $3.5 billion investment by federal, provincial and territorial governments to strengthen the agriculture and agrifood sector.
The Sustainable CAP launched on April 1, 2023.
Contact us to receive updates on program application periods.