Perennial Crop Development Establishment
Highlights
This program is perfect for your business. It offers financial support to help you establish or expand your perennial crop operations. You can receive funding for purchasing and installing plants, wind resilient trellises, exclusion netting, weed control barriers, mulch, and more. This can significantly reduce your upfront costs and improve your farm's efficiency and sustainability.
What's in it for you? The program provides access to advanced technologies and equipment, such as harvesting tools, packaging technology, and cold storage solutions. This can help you reduce costs, add value to your products, and increase market access. The funding is designed to support high-value perennial crop production, making it a better option than traditional loans.
Qualifying for this program is straightforward, and the application process is designed to be user-friendly. By being approved, you can enhance your farm's productivity and sustainability, ensuring long-term success and resilience in the agriculture sector.
Financing Details
Type of Financing: Grant
Repayment Terms and Interest Rates:
- This is a grant, so no repayment is required.
- There are no interest rates associated with this grant.
Eligible Expenses:
- Establishment and expansion of perennial crops, including:
- Purchasing and installing plants
- Wind resilient trellises
- Exclusion netting
- Weed control barriers
- Mulch
- Seed for orchard/vineyard ground cover
- Adoption and/or evaluation of leading-edge production technology to reduce costs, add value, improve efficiencies, improve product quality, or increase market access.
- Storage and processing systems and related technology for perennial crops, including:
- Harvesting equipment
- Packaging technology
- Cold storage and controlled atmosphere storage
- Capital equipment purchases
- Adapting existing buildings for cold storage
Ineligible Expenses:
- Any expenses not directly related to the establishment or expansion of perennial crops.
- Expenses incurred outside the current funding year.
Fees:
- There are no fees 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 establishment or expansion of perennial crops.
- Must provide applicant contact information and business or organization information, including CRA registration number.
- Must provide project start and end date.
- Must provide additional sources of project funding.
- Must specify recipient type (e.g., primary producer, agricultural landowner, processor).
- Must specify type of industry (e.g., dairy, potato, beef, hog, grains and oilseeds).
- Must provide a signature for declaration and consent to personal information.
Must provide a project proposal (2-3 pages) including cover page, executive summary, project objectives, description of farm enterprise, description of proposed perennial crop site and development conducted to date, site ownership/leasing, planting plan, market plan, timeline, results, sustainable CAP outcome, climate change/carbon sequestration, budget, evaluation, and communication of support (if applicable).
Disqualifications:
- Projects not involving new perennial crops or expansions installed in the current funding year.
Description
This program offers your business a chance to grow sustainably with financial support for perennial crop development. You can receive funding to help establish new perennial crops or expand existing ones. This includes costs like purchasing and installing plants, setting up wind-resistant trellises, and other necessary infrastructure.
You can use the money for:
- Buying and planting new crops
- Installing trellises and netting
- Weed control and mulching
- Ground cover for orchards or vineyards
The program also supports efficiency improvements. You can get funds for storage and processing systems, including cold storage and packaging technology. This helps you reduce costs, improve product quality, and increase market access.
Key benefits include:
- Financial support for new and expanding perennial crop projects
- Funding for advanced technologies to boost efficiency and market reach
- Opportunities to improve sustainability and reduce environmental impact
This is a great opportunity to enhance your business's sustainability and profitability with government support.
Program Steps
Complete the Application Form:
- Provide your contact information.
- Include your business or organization details, such as CRA registration number.
- If applicable, provide partnership information.
- Specify the project start and end dates.
- List additional sources of project funding.
- Identify the recipient type (e.g., primary producer, agricultural landowner, processor).
- Indicate the type of industry (e.g., dairy, potato, beef, hog, grains and oilseeds).
- Sign for declaration and consent to personal information.
- Optionally, provide demographic information.
Prepare Required Documentation:
- Project Proposal (2-3 pages):
- 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).
- Project Proposal (2-3 pages):
Review Program Guidelines:
- Familiarize yourself with the Perennial Crop Development Program Guidelines.
- Review Appendix A: Site Assessment, Selection and Development for Perennial Crops Guide.
- Review Appendix B: Recommended Minimum Standards for Wind Resilient Trellis Design.
Submit the Application:
- Ensure all sections of the application form are completed.
- Attach the prepared project proposal and any additional required documents.
- Submit the application 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:
- Telephone: (902) 368-4880
- Email: [email protected]
- If you have any questions or need further assistance, contact the PEI Department of Agriculture at:
