Perennial Crop Development Efficiency
Highlights
The Perennial Crop Development Program is a fantastic opportunity for your business. This program offers financial support to help you establish and expand high-value perennial crops. By participating, you can enhance your farm's sustainability and profitability.
What You Get
- Funding for new and expanding perennial crop enterprises
- Support for purchasing and installing plants, wind resilient trellises, exclusion netting, weed control barriers, mulch, and seed for orchard/vineyard ground cover
- Access to leading-edge production technology to reduce costs, add value, improve efficiencies, and increase market access
Why Apply?
- Improve efficiency and reduce costs with support for storage and processing systems, including harvesting equipment, packaging technology, and cold storage.
- Increase market access and product quality through advanced technologies and capital equipment purchases.
- Easy to qualify if you are a small to medium-sized agri-business, agricultural producer, or part of an agricultural co-op.
Being approved for this program can significantly boost your business's growth and sustainability. Take advantage of this opportunity to enhance your operations and secure a more profitable future.
Financing Details
Type of Financing: Grant
Eligible Expenses:
- Purchasing and installing plants.
- Wind resilient trellises (refer to Appendix B: Recommended Minimum Standards for Wind Resilient Trellis Design).
- Exclusion netting.
- Weed control barriers.
- Mulch.
- Seed for orchard/vineyard ground cover.
- Storage and processing systems for perennial crops, including harvesting equipment, packaging technology, cold storage, and controlled atmosphere storage.
- Capital equipment purchases.
- Adapting existing buildings for perennial crop cold storage (insulation, refrigeration, ventilation, wall coverings).
Ineligible Expenses:
- Any expenses not directly related to the establishment or efficiency improvement of perennial crops.
- Costs incurred outside the current funding year.
- General operational costs not specific to the project.
Fees:
- No fees are associated with this grant program.
Qualifications
- Must be a Mi’kmaq First Nations or other Indigenous group, agricultural producer, small to medium-sized agri-business, agriculture industry organization, club, association, or agricultural co-op.
- Business must be operating in Prince Edward Island.
- Must be involved in the agriculture sector.
- Must provide a detailed project proposal including objectives, description of farm enterprise, proposed perennial crop site, planting plan, market plan, timeline, and budget.
- Must have a Canada Revenue Agency registration number.
- Must provide project start and end dates.
Must declare and consent to personal information.
Disqualifications:
- Projects involving expenses listed as “Ineligible Expenses” in the program guidelines.
- Projects not involving new perennial crops or expansions installed in the current funding year.
Description
This program offers your business a chance to grow and become more sustainable. You can receive financial support to develop perennial crops, which have both ecological and economic benefits. You can get funding to cover costs like purchasing and installing plants, wind-resistant trellises, exclusion netting, weed control barriers, mulch, and seeds for ground cover.
There are two main parts to this program:
Perennial Crop Establishment Sub-Program: This part helps you start or expand your perennial crop production. It covers costs related to setting up new crops or expanding existing ones.
Perennial Crop Efficiency Sub-Program: This part focuses on improving the efficiency and value of your perennial crop operations. It supports projects that involve storage and processing systems, capital equipment purchases, and adapting buildings for cold storage.
The funding can help you:
- Reduce costs by adopting new technologies.
- Improve product quality and market access.
- Enhance sustainability by increasing soil carbon levels and reducing water contamination.
This program is a great opportunity to invest in your business's future while contributing to environmental sustainability.
Program Steps
Download the Application Form: Visit the program's official website and download the application form.
Complete Applicant Information: Fill in your contact information and business details, including your CRA registration number. If applicable, include partnership information.
Prepare Required Documentation: Gather the following documents:
- Project proposal (2-3 pages) with sections such as:
- Cover page
- Executive summary
- Project objectives
- Description of farm enterprise
- Description of proposed perennial crop site and development conducted to date
- Site ownership/leasing details
- Planting plan
- Market plan
- Timeline
- Results
- Sustainable CAP Outcome
- Climate change/carbon sequestration
- Budget
- Evaluation
- Communication of support (if applicable)
- 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
- Optional demographic information
- Project proposal (2-3 pages) with sections such as:
Review Program Guidelines: Familiarize yourself with the Perennial Crop Development Program Guidelines, including Appendix A (Site Assessment, Selection and Development for Perennial Crops Guide) and Appendix B (Recommended Minimum Standards for Wind Resilient Trellis Design).
Draft Project Proposal: Write a detailed project proposal that aligns with the program's objectives and includes all required sections.
Submit the Application: Send the completed application form and all required documentation to the PEI Department of Agriculture. You can submit via mail to the provided address or email to [email protected].
Await Assessment: Your application will be assessed on a first-come, first-serve basis for merit and impact. Be prepared to provide additional information if requested.
Follow Up: Contact the PEI Department of Agriculture if you have any questions or need further assistance during the application process. You can reach them at (902) 368-4880.