Canadian wine industry receives government grant

The Canadian wine industry is to receive C$8.4 million in funding for research over the next five years he Canadian agriculture minister announced this week.

Minister Lawrence MacAulay announced the package on Wednesday this week (4 July) while on a visit to Niagara.

The money will be provided by both the federal government and the provinces as part of the five-year Canadian Agricultural Partnership deal that was launched this April.

The Canadian wine industry as a whole will also contribute $3.7m and the money will go to support a new research project called the Canadian Grapevine Certification Network (CGCN) which will, “help growers better protect their crops, test new vine varieties, and analyse growing practices in Canadian vineyards that are better for the environment.”

MacAulay said he was “thrilled” with the announcement. He added: “Our domestic grape and wine sector has had a positive impact on Canada’s economy, and it continues to grow,” he said in a statement.

“Today’s announcement will help increase the market share of Canadian wines by supporting research that improves wine quality and vineyard management practices, addresses challenges faced by the sector, and build upon Canada’s international reputation as a top cool-climate wine producer.”

Furthermore, the government has earmarked an additional $1.5m for the Canadian Vintners Association over the next three years to be used in marketing efforts in the US, UK and China.

According to Agri-Food Canada, the country’s wine industry generated revenues of $1.2bn in 2016 and employed over 5,600 people.