Vic Fedeli, MPP for Nipissing announced that the Ontario government is investing up to $1 million over two years through the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural
Partnership (Sustainable CAP) to support productivity and growth in the province’s maple syrup sector.
Fedeli says the Maple Production Improvement Initiative will provide eligible local maple syrup producers access to cost-shared funding to support a range of activities to enhance their operations.
Starting on November 9, eligible businesses can apply for support through this program.
“The Maple Production Improvement Initiative is a great opportunity for Ontario maple syrup producers looking to scale up their operations,” said MPP Vic Fedeli in a release.
“The initiative will support the purchase and installation of upgraded production equipment for eligible syrup producers, that increase productivity, efficiency, and growth, such as reverse osmosis or remote monitoring systems. It will also provide funding to cover a portion of certain woodlot management activities,
including tree marking and the development of a forest plan, to assist the operation of eligible businesses.”
Project costs can be applied retroactively to April 1, 2023, when Sustainable CAP officially launched. Applicants can receive up to 50 per cent cost-share funding for eligible costs, to a maximum of $20,000 per project.
Fedeli adds that this initiative follows recently committed investments of up to $6 million through the Grow Ontario Market Initiative and more than $68 million through the Ontario Agricultural Sustainability Initiative.
To be eligible, applicants must have a minimum of 1,000 taps in operation as of April 1, 2023, and meet other criteria.
The Maple Production Improvement Initiative will be delivered by the Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association (OSCIA).
More details about the initiative and its application process can be found here.
