The governments of Canada and Ontario are investing up to $20 million through the new Market Diversification and Trade Resiliency Initiative to help farmers, food processors, and agribusinesses increase sales of Ontario-grown products in domestic and international markets. The initiative is designed to boost competitiveness, support business expansion, and protect Ontario’s agribusiness sector amid global trade pressures and economic uncertainty.
This investment is part of the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership and aligns with Ontario’s Grow Ontario Strategy, which focuses on building long-term resilience, creating good-paying jobs, and ensuring the agriculture sector remains competitive. The funding aims to equip farmers and agribusinesses with the tools they need to respond to tariffs, shifting markets, and evolving global demand.
The initiative will open for applications on February 17, 2026, and will support projects that strengthen production capacity and expand market access. Funding will help businesses prepare for market diversification, develop new products and marketing strategies, and invest in equipment and technology needed to meet the requirements of new or expanded markets.
Funding will cover a portion of eligible project costs, with cost-share levels and maximum funding amounts varying depending on the nature of each proposal. Additional support will be available for export development projects targeting non-U.S. markets, while still maintaining assistance for projects focused on the United States.
The initiative is delivered under the broader Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership, a five-year, $3.5 billion federal-provincial-territorial investment running from 2023 to 2028. The partnership includes $1 billion in federal programs and $2.5 billion in cost-shared programs designed and delivered by provinces and territories to strengthen competitiveness, innovation, and resilience across Canada’s agriculture and agri-food sector.
Federal and provincial leaders emphasized that expanding market access for Ontario food products will provide farmers and processors with more stable export opportunities and support the long-term growth of the nearly $52 billion agri-food sector. Industry representatives also highlighted that the initiative will help producers, processors, and small businesses improve competitiveness, reach new customers, and secure a more resilient future for Ontario and Canadian agriculture.
