Since its inception, the Sustainable New Agri-Food Products & Productivity (SNAPP) program has helped Northern Ontario producers buy equipment, develop new processes, and streamline operations, enhancing the agri-food industry in the North.
Now, thanks to more than $1.8 million in federal funding, the program will continue helping producers grow their businesses for another three years.
“We are excited that our continued partnership with the Government of Canada and FedNor will help small farming and food processing businesses not only start, but get to the next level,” David Thompson, director of the Rural Agri-Innovation Network (RAIN), said in a news release.
“The Sustainable New Agri-Food Products & Productivity program works to help food and farm enterprises grow and create new connections, and we are ready to forge new opportunities for communities and the region.”
RAIN, a recent Northern Ontario Business Award winner, is one of five recipients sharing in $3,172,320 from the federal government, which was announced on Jan. 19.
Other industries supported by the announcement include tourism, education, and aviation.
The following is a breakdown of the funding announced:
- $1,846,662 for RAIN’s Sustainable New Agri-Food Products & Productivity program for three years;
- $533,208 will go to Sault College to support a new Bachelor of Engineering in Mechatronics degree program;
- $500,000 will assist the City of Sault Ste. Marie construct a connecting section of the waterfront boardwalk, joining the two sections
- Destination Northern Ontario will receive $300,000 to modernize and expand its suite of Tourism Excellence North training solutions; and
- Executive Aviation Fuels Ltd. will receive a repayable contribution of $92,450 to invest in an electric ground power unit and associated infrastructure upgrades.
