As part of Balanced Budget 2017, the Ministry of Agriculture is set to receive a $2-million budget lift to invest in the Buy Local program.

Through the government’s three-year fiscal plan, the Buy Local program will receive $6 million in funding – $2 million a year over the next three years. This is helping support local agrifood companies promote local foods that are grown, raised, harvested and processed in B.C.

Norm Letnick, Minister of Agriculture, visited the Hastings Park Winter Farmers’ Market to get a first-hand look at how the program funding is helping local agrifood companies achieve success and grow in a competitive market. This funding not only means support for B.C. food products, but also local jobs and continued support for food supply security in B.C.

Since 2012, the government has invested $8 million in the Buy Local program, funding close to 200 projects to help companies expand their reach and sales in communities throughout B.C. and leveraging $29 million in investments through matching funds.

Agrifood and seafood companies in B.C. can apply to the program to receive matching funding from the government to help promote their products through buy local initiatives such as traditional print advertising and promotional campaigns.

The B.C. government’s Agrifood and Seafood Strategic Growth Plan supports the building of domestic markets and maintaining a secure food supply. The plan is a component of the BC Jobs Plan, and the roadmap to leading the agrifoods sector to becoming a $15-billion-a-year industry by 2020.