New Initiative Launched to Support Ontario Deadstock Management
Addressing industry capacity needs for businesses, associations, and municipalities
The governments of Canada and Ontario are investing up to $1.5 million over two years, through the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership cost shared funding, to help improve the removal, handling, and disposal of deadstock across the province. The Increasing Deadstock Capacity Initiative (the Initiative) will provide funding support for deadstock management that addresses immediate and short-term deadstock capacity needs at businesses and municipalities in Ontario.
The Initiative will support new and existing deadstock service providers (collectors, renderers, composting facilities, etc.), commercial operations that provide or require deadstock services (meat processors, livestock auction markets), waste management companies, commodity associations, and municipalities. Applicants can undertake planning and assessment activities, or equipment upgrades and modifications to increase deadstock disposal capacity and collection. The Initiative aims to better serve the needs of livestock farmers through increasing capacity and improving sustainability.
"We will continue to support improved access to deadstock management for farmers and ensure competitiveness in the sector,” said the Honourable Lawrence MacAulay, federal Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food. “This initiative will help to address the capacity needs so livestock businesses can operate sustainably and without interruption.”
“Access to deadstock services is an essential part of livestock management,” said Lisa Thompson, Ontario Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. “This initiative will enable eligible businesses to streamline their operations and improve access to deadstock management solutions across the province.”
"Ontario’s livestock farmers are increasingly challenged with the disposal of deadstock in a manner that is economical, sustainable and that safeguards the integrity of our food system” said Doug Alexander, Chair of the Agricultural Adaptation Council (AAC). “We are pleased to have been selected by the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs to deliver this Initiative through the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership to strengthen the capacity of the deadstock industry. This investment is indeed timely and will provide considerable benefit to both Ontario’s livestock producers and rural municipalities.”
The increased preparedness by the sector will help to mitigate sector disruption, improve public trust and consumer confidence, and in turn help the agri-food sector to thrive and grow.
The Initiative application intake opens September 21, 2023 and will close on September 15, 2024 or when funding has been fully allocated. Projects must be completed by February 1, 2025.
Guideline and application materials are available on the AAC website at www.adaptcouncil.org/program/deadstock. For more information, contact AAC program staff at info@adaptcouncil.org or 1 (800) 769-3272.
This cost-share funding program is being offered through the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (Sustainable CAP). Sustainable CAP is a five-year (2023-2028), $3.5-billion investment by federal?provincial and territorial governments to strengthen competitiveness, innovation, and resiliency of the agriculture, agri-food and agri-based products sector. This includes $1 billion in federal programs and activities and a $2.5-billion commitment that is cost-shared 60 per cent federally and 40 per cent provincially/territorially for programs that are designed and delivered by provinces and territories.
For more information, please contact:
Laura Feil
Program Manager
lfeil@adaptcouncil.org