Organic Industry Development — Increasing Market Competitiveness
Highlights
This program is a fantastic opportunity for your business to grow and thrive in the organic agriculture sector. It offers strategic assistance to help you increase your market competitiveness, purchase specialized equipment, and convert conventional farmland to certified organic farmland. By participating, you can access funding that will improve your efficiency, profitability, and overall competitiveness.
Key Benefits:
- Increase Market Competitiveness: Capture a larger share of the certified organic market, boosting your profitability.
- Specialized Equipment: Purchase essential equipment like grain cleaners, flame weeders, and cover crop technology to enhance your farm's efficiency.
- Certified Land Conversion: Mitigate risks associated with converting conventional farmland to certified organic farmland.
Why Apply?
- Financial Support: Access funding that can cover technology upgrades, facility modifications, and new product development.
- Strategic Growth: Benefit from activities that increase the organic sector’s strategic capacity and market development.
- Ease of Qualification: If you have or are pursuing organic certification, you are likely eligible.
Applying for this program can significantly enhance your business's growth and sustainability in the organic market.
Financing Details
Type of Financing: Grant
Repayment Terms and Interest Rates:
- No repayment required.
- No interest rates apply.
Eligible Expenses:
- Technology to meet certified organic market requirements.
- Modification of facilities to meet certified organic standards.
- Activities to develop new organic products or serve new organic markets.
- Purchase of specialized equipment such as portable grain cleaners, flame weeders, and cover crop technology.
- Land conversion to certified organic farmland.
- Consulting fees, salaries, materials, and supplies.
- Market development activities.
- Administrative and overhead costs (up to 10% of eligible costs).
Ineligible Expenses:
- General operational costs not related to organic certification.
- Personal expenses.
- Non-organic related activities or equipment.
Fees:
- No application or processing fees associated with the grant.
Qualifications
Must be one of the following:
- Mi’kmaq First Nations or other Indigenous groups
- Agricultural producer
- Small to medium-sized agri-business
- Agri-processor
- Agriculture industry organization, club, or association
- PEI Certified Organic Producers Cooperative
- Atlantic Canadian Organic Regional Network (ACORN)
- Other organizations deemed eligible by the program review committee
Must have current Organic Certification or have made an application to an Organic Certification Body and have participated in an organic certification inspection.
Disqualifications:
- Businesses without current Organic Certification or those who have not applied for Organic Certification and participated in an inspection.
Description
This program offers a great opportunity for your business to grow and thrive in the organic agriculture sector. You can receive financial support to help you become more competitive, efficient, and innovative.
Here’s what you can get:
Increasing Market Competitiveness: Funding to help you capture a larger share of the certified organic market. This can include technology upgrades, facility modifications, and developing new organic products.
Specialized Equipment: Financial assistance to purchase equipment that improves pest management and soil fertility. Examples include grain cleaners, flame weeders, and cover crop technology.
Certified Land Conversion: Support to mitigate risks when converting conventional farmland to certified organic farmland. This helps you transition smoothly and sustainably.
Strategic Initiatives: Funding for organizations to develop projects that increase the sector’s strategic capacity. This includes market development activities, consulting fees, and administrative costs.
Why this matters to you:
- Boost Your Competitiveness: Capture a larger market share and increase your profitability.
- Improve Efficiency: Get the specialized equipment you need to enhance your farming practices.
- Smooth Transition: Receive support to convert your land to organic, reducing risks and ensuring sustainability.
- Strategic Growth: Benefit from projects that strengthen the organic sector as a whole.
This program is a valuable opportunity to enhance your business operations and secure a stronger position in the organic market.
Program Steps
Complete the Application Form: Fill out the Organic Industry Development Program General Application Form, including all required fields.
Prepare Documentation: Gather the necessary documents:
- Applicant contact information
- Business or organization information, including CRA registration number
- Partnership information (if applicable)
- Project start and end date
- Additional sources of project funding
- Recipient type (e.g., primary producer, agricultural landowner, processor)
- Type of industry (e.g., dairy, potato, beef, hog, grains and oilseeds)
- Signature for declaration and consent to personal information
- Demographic information (optional)
- Appendix A and/or B, depending on the sub-program(s) you are applying for
Submit the Application: Send the completed application form along with the required documentation to the PEI Department of Agriculture.
Contact for Assistance: If you have any questions or need further assistance, contact the PEI Department of Agriculture at (902) 368-4880 or email [email protected].
Review and Follow-Up: After submission, the application will be reviewed. Be prepared to provide additional information if requested.