Governments Investing in Seed Facility to Support Economic Growth
News release
June 26, 2024 – Toronto, Ontario
Funding will support development of heathy fruit and vegetables
The governments of Canada and Ontario are investing up to $330,000 through the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (Sustainable CAP) to enhance the Superior Plant Upgrading and Distribution (SPUD) Unit in New Liskeard. The SPUD Unit supports farmers and the wider agriculture and food industry by offering testing for plant diseases and providing a stock of healthy plants to commercial growers across the province.
This investment will enable a variety of capital and equipment upgrades to the SPUD Unit facility, including improvements to the irrigation, air filtration, heating and control systems, increases to sterilization capacity and improvements to the greenhouse coverings. It will improve the ability to anticipate, detect, mitigate and reduce plant diseases and pests along the supply chain, benefitting potato, berry, garlic, sweet potato and hazelnut growers in the province.
The SPUD Unit is operated by the University of Guelph and funded in part by the Ontario Agri-food Innovation Alliance, a collaboration between the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness, the Agricultural Research Institute of Ontario, and the University of Guelph to advance research and innovation.
Sustainable CAP is a 5-year (2023-2028), $3.5-billion investment by federal, provincial and territorial governments to strengthen competitiveness, innovation, and resiliency of Canada’s agriculture, agri‐food and agri‐based products sector. This includes $1 billion in federal programs and activities and a $2.5 billion commitment that is cost-shared 60% federally and 40% provincially/territorially for programs designed and delivered by the provinces and territories.
Quotes
“Commercial growers across Ontario are on the cutting edge of innovation, bringing greater crop diversity to the province’s agriculture sector. This investment will help growers access top-quality crops and crop research so they can reach current markets and create new opportunities.”
- The Honourable Lawrence MacAulay, federal Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food
“As we have set out in the Grow Ontario Strategy, we’re increasing the creation and adoption of research and innovation that’s supporting our agriculture and food industry. Through these upgrades to the SPUD Unit, our government is making farming and food production in this province more resilient and competitive, and strengthening the industry against future disruptions.”
- Rob Flack, Ontario Minister of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness
“The SPUD Unit is a critical piece of infrastructure, supporting the clean seed and propagation needs of several significant edible horticulture crops in Ontario. This investment is crucial to the continuity of the SPUD Unit as we collaborate with government on its future success.”
- Shawn Brenn, Chair of the Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers’ Association
“The University of Guelph is proud to work with our provincial partners to provide infrastructure that enables cutting-edge research and innovation. We welcome this critical investment that will support Ontario’s agri-food sector.”
- Dr. Rene Van Acker, incoming Vice-President (Research and Innovation) at the University of Guelph
Quick facts
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The upgrades will begin this year and work will continue through 2025.
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The SPUD Unit produces 10% of the minitubers needed for seed potato production in Ontario and is the only source in Canada for garlic seed suited for the Ontario climate.
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Sustainable CAP will help enable the goals outlined in Ontario’s Grow Ontario Strategy, which include increasing the consumption and production of food grown and prepared in Ontario by 30% by 2032.
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Supporting continued and targeted investments in science, research and innovation to address key challenges and opportunities in the agri-food sector was among the priorities set for Sustainable CAP by the federal-provincial-territorial agricultural ministers in The Guelph Statement.
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Contacts
For media:
Annie Cullinan
Director of Communications
Office of the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food
annie.cullinan@agr.gc.ca
Media Relations
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
Ottawa, Ontario
613-773-7972
1-866-345-7972
aafc.mediarelations-relationsmedias.aac@agr.gc.ca
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Web: Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
Sam McCormick
Office of the Minister of Agriculture, Food
and Rural Affairs
Sam.McCormick@ontario.ca
Connie Osborne
Communications Branch
OMAFRA.media@ontario.ca
519-826-3145
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