Canada looks to grow their horticulture industry through a billion dollar irrigation plan

Canada announced a $10 billion dollar plan to invest in rural infrastructure.

The government will partner with private investors to address issues in the ag industry. It will also use money from Canada’s Infrastructure Bank.

One major cost is expanding horticulture acres through large irrigation projects.

"$1.5 billion for irrigation, so that we can continue to improve our growing of high-value crops, particularly in the horticulture sector. A majority of this is probably looking towards the Prairie Provinces, but certainly here in Ontario, we do have a lot of high-value crops,” Keith Currie, the VP of the Canadian Federation of Agriculture, states. “Central Ontario has the Holland Marsh, along with southwestern Ontario growing a lot of processed vegetable crops. Quebec also has a lot of horticulture production. The more that we can grow that industry the better it’ll be for the economy of the country.”

The bank will also fund projects to get higher internet speed to rural Canada. Each province must apply separately to get the money.