The wine industry in Windsor-Essex and across Ontario will continue getting support from Ottawa to keep the sector competitive.
Lawrence MacAulay, federal Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, announced on Friday a three-year extension of the Wine Sector Support Program, worth a total of $177-million. The announcement was made at a winery in Niagara-on-the-Lake.
"Canada's wine sector creates jobs, drives economic growth, and supports so many communities right across the country," said MacAulay. "This extension of the Wine Sector Support Program will provide vitally important support to our wineries as they continue to innovate and adapt to challenges so the sector can stay strong and competitive for years to come."
There are about 850 licenced wineries across Canada, including Ontario. According to the Essex County Wineries and Breweries website, there are 19 in Windsor-Essex.
The support program was first launched in the summer of 2022.
MacAulay also announced $5.9 million under the AgriScience Program Clusters Component for the Grape and Wine Cluster, and $836,220 under the AgriAssurance Program. Those two initiatives are under the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership.
The Grape and Wine Cluster is designed to help wineries deal with extreme weather conditions caused by climate change, along with pest and disease issues. The AgriAssurance program provides wineries with clean materials needed to plant virus-free grapevines.
In 2022, Canada's wine industry brought in $1.6-billion in revenue.