Victoria, British Columbia, January 28, 2011 - A greener business and better market access are just two of the benefits B.C. fruit growers will have through the $5 million Tree Fruit Market and Infrastructure Innovation Initiative, announced B.C. Agriculture Minister Ben Stewart and MP Ron Cannan (Kelowna-Lake Country), on behalf of federal Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz.

"The Government of Canada continues to put farmers first, by supporting their efforts to innovate and creating more opportunities to sell their top quality fruit products," said MP Cannan. "This investment is supporting B.C.'s tree fruit industry so that they can take advantage of new technology and strengthen their position in the global market."

"We want to support the trailblazers out there who are ready to put new technologies to the test and try out new markets and products," said Minister Stewart. "There are some promising opportunities out there to improve environmental sustainability and business performance. This funding will build on British Columbia's strong reputation for leadership in providing high quality, sustainably produced fruit."

The B.C. Fruit Growers Association is now accepting proposals from all tree fruit associations, companies and processors that will create long-term benefits and raise the profile for the industry. Projects can include environmentally friendly innovative packing and storage infrastructure, market and product development, water conservation proposals, and area wide programs that build on the success of the Sterile Insect Release program in the Okanagan regions.

"It is great to see the thoughtful process and collaboration of our members, partners and governments in this strategic approach," said BC Fruit Growers' Association President Joe Sardinha. "We appreciate this program funding to help secure the future viability of BC's tree fruit industry."

In July 2010, the federal government contributed $3 million in addition to the $2 million provincial investment for B.C.'s tree fruit industry. The federal funding investment is made through the AgriFlexibility Fund, a five-year $500-million fund created to help reduce costs of production, improve environmental sustainability for the sector, promote innovation, and respond to emerging opportunities and market challenges for the sector.

For more information on the B.C. Tree fruit Market and Infrastructure Innovation Initiative, contact the BCFGA at info@bcfga.com or visit http://www.bcfga.com.

For more information on the AgriFlexibilty program visit www.agr.gc.ca/agriflexibility.

For more information, please contact:

Media Relations
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
Ottawa, Ontario
613-773-7972
1-866-345-7972

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