Federal government announces support for wine manufacturing sector

SHERBROOKE — On Jun. 30, the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, Marie-Claude Bibeau, announced details of a new two-year, up to $166-million Wine Sector Support Program that will provide wineries with the tools they need to stay innovative and competitive, in order to capitalize on new opportunities.

To help strengthen the future of the wine sector, the Government of Canada has worked in consultation with industry stakeholders to develop a program that would help Canadian wineries face emerging challenges in the short term.

All licensed wineries in Canada that produce or contract out the production of bulk wine from primary agricultural products, such as grapes, berries, other fruit, dandelions, rice and sap, will be eligible for support under the program. Support will be provided in the form of a grant based on the production of bulk wine fermented in Canada from domestic and/or imported primary agricultural products in the previous year. Individual payments will be dependent on the total litres of eligible wine submitted to the program and individual applicants’ total eligible wine production.

Applications for the first year of the Program can be submitted between July 4, 2022 and August 12, 2022.

“Our local products and wine routes contribute to the attractiveness and vitality of our regions. This support for Canadian vineyards will enable them to innovate and be more productive and competitive.” said Marie-Claude Bibeau, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food.

“Our wine industry drives economic activity and tourism for communities across Canada. We said we would be there for our wine producers and the workers in this industry – that is exactly what we are doing.” said Randy Boissonnault, Minister of Tourism and Associate Minister of Finance.