Niagara – July 4, 2018 – Today the Honourable Lawrence MacAulay, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) announced $8.4 million in funding for the Canadian Grapevine Certification Network (CGCN) to fund their Agri-Science Program cluster “Fostering Sustainable Growth of the Canadian Grape and Wine sector”. Over the next five years this funding will be used for Canadian Grape and Wine research in 23 activities across all four of Canada’s grape growing provinces.
The CGCN is the culmination of a collaborative effort between the Grape Growers of Ontario, British Columbia Wine Grape Council, Conseil des vins du Québec and the Grape Growers Association of Nova Scotia. The objective of the CGCN is to protect the Canadian grape and wine industry from the spread of economically devastating diseases and viruses by ensuring a sustainable supply of certified propagative grapevine material.
Research being done under the Cluster prioritizes the strategic management of grapevine virus diseases to be achieved through coordination of research activities, along with research into cold hardiness and sustainable management of soil, water and crop quality, and improve the quality of Canadian wines. The knowledge and technology will be transferred back to the industry.
CGCN is Canada’s only national grape and wine not for profit, making it a natural fit to coordinate the application to the AgriScience Cluster. Each activity was built on past research, to create a national coordinated effort to address key challenges and opportunities in the sector. In addition to administering the national grape research cluster, CGCN is also working towards a clean plant network certification program for domestic grapevines.
“This is the first time the four grape growing Provinces have joined forces to form the Canadian Grape and Wine Science Cluster. Research plays an important role in the continuous enhancement of the quality of grapes and wine and the reduction of the environmental foot print of the entire production cycle. We are very grateful for the investment that the Government of Canada and the Honourable Lawrence MacAulay, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada provided toward the ongoing success of the Canadian Grape and Wine sector,” said Hans Buchler, Chair, Canadian Grapevine Certification Network.
“Today’s announcement and investment in the Canadian Grapevine Certification Network for Canada’s grape growing industry comes after many years of hard work and collaboration. The Grape Growers of Ontario are pleased to be working alongside our partners in Nova Scotia, Quebec, British Columbia and with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada to create a domestic supply of clean grapevines which is critical to the future of Canada’s grape growing industry,” said Matthias Oppenlaender, Chair, Grape Growers of Ontario.
Ontario’s grape and wine industry is a significant economic driver to the national economy which contributes $9 billion in economic impact through jobs, tourism and taxes. As CGCN continues to work toward their objective information can be found on their website www.cgcn-rccv.ca.
Contact:
Hans Buchler, Chair, CGCN
250-498-7026
hbuchler@vip.net
Bill Schenck, Vice Chair, CGCN
289-213-0180
wmjschenck@gmail.com