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Cherries on the tree.
The federal government continues to invest in the expansion of the rapidly growing BC cherry export business.
The Honourable David Lametti, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, on behalf of the Honourable Marie-Claude Bibeau, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, announced in Kelowna a further $241,000 in funding to the BC Cherry Association (BCCA).
This investment, made under the Canadian Agricultural Partnership’s AgriMarketing Program, will help the sector improve market access for Canadian fresh cherries in new and existing export markets. The funding will enable the BCCA to boost awareness of the sector in priority markets through the development of new promotional material and attendance at international tradeshows and buyers missions.
As part of this project, the BCCA will also implement a pest management protocol for the Japan, China, United States and South Korea markets, and design and produce export labels to meet market-specific requirements.
"The Government of Canada is committed to creating good middle-class jobs by helping our farmers and processors compete and succeed in markets at home and around the world,” said Lametti. “This investment will help the cherry industry open new international markets, contributing to the government's goal of $75 billion in agri-food exports by 2025.”
The new funding was well received by cherry farmers and by BCCA President Sukhpaul Bal.
"A significant portion of the Canadian cherry business involves export,” said Bal. “The BC Cherry Association has benefited from federal AgriMarketing funding for our activities for the past seven years. “