Today’s investment of nearly $2.6 million will support Food Beverage Canada’s Alberta Technology Innovation Program (ATIP), which will allow Alberta companies to attend national and international technology conferences and seminars and gain key knowledge on:
"To stay competitive, our farmers and food processors must be able to learn about new technologies and adapt them for their business", said Minister Ritz. "Canada’s New Government is encouraging the sector to pursue new ideas like innovative packaging for food safety and new techniques to increase processing capacity."
Food Beverage Canada has been providing industry support to develop and expand international markets since its inception in 1994.
"Through ATIP, Food Beverage Canada will provide cost-effective financial, administrative and informational support to Alberta companies, maximizing their ability to compete on the world stage," said Wendy Hindle, Executive Director of Food Beverage Canada.
"The ATIP will fill a gap in Alberta’s agri-processing industry," said Dee Ann Benard, Chair of the Advancing Canadian Agriculture and Agri-Food (ACAAF) Program Action Team, Agriculture and Food Council of Alberta. "This program will assist the sector to stay at the forefront of technological advances taking place in Canada and around the world."
The federal funding for Food Beverage Canada’s ATIP is made available through Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s ACAAF program. In Alberta, ACAAF is administered by the Agriculture and Food Council.
For more information on ACAAF, please visit www.agr.gc.ca/acaaf. More information on Food Beverage Canada is available at http://www.foodbeveragecanada.com.
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For more information, media may contact:
Media Relations Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Ottawa, Ontario 613-759-7972 1-866-345-7972
Todd MacKay Minister Ritz’s Office 613-759-1059
Tom Switzer Executive Director, ACAAF/BOPI Agriculture and Food Council 780-955-3714 ext 226
