Government of Canada Helps British Columbia Tourist Farm Harvest New Opportunities

South Langley, British Columbia, May 15, 2012 - A British Columbia agri-tourism farm will create jobs and grow new opportunities to meet market demands with the support of Canada's Economic Action Plan (EAP). Member of Parliament Mark Warawa (Langley), on behalf of Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz, announced today an investment of more than $75,000 to Vista D'oro Farms Ltd. toward the purchase and installation of new equipment for its micro-processing line.

"Our government is committed to creating jobs, growth, and long-term economic prosperity for the Canadian agriculture industry," said MP Warawa. "This investment will help Vista D'oro expand its production capacity, create local jobs, increase domestic and export sales, and will benefit area farmers through heightened demand for their products."

The investment made through the AgriProcessing Initiative (API) will be used to purchase new equipment, including larger cooking vessels and chopping equipment. These improvements will result in shorter cooking times, increased production, decreased waste, and savings on energy costs. It will also support the creation of three full-time and ten part-time positions.

Vista D'oro is a culinary tourism destination that produces a variety of foods such as fruit preserves, salsas, pickled vegetables, and wine using agricultural commodities grown on-site and from local farms. The project is expected to greatly increase the company's procurement of these products, benefitting local farmers.

"The API interest-free loan allowed us to purchase specialized preserve-making equipment to assist in growing our artisanal preserve production capacity," said Lee Murphy, President and Jam Master of Vista D'oro Farms Ltd. "Our growth plans include expanding our export activities as well as increasing our current local market share, while maintaining the hand-crafted quality our customers expect from us. The new equipment will also allow us to create new product offerings, which I'm extremely excited to share with our customers."

This repayable contribution is being delivered by the Agricultural Flexibility Fund through the AgriProcessing Initiative, a five year, up to $50 million initiative designed to enhance the competitiveness of the agri-processing sector in Canada. It provides support to existing companies for projects that involve the adoption of innovative and new-to-company manufacturing technologies and processes that are essential to sustaining and improving the sector's position in today's global marketplace. For more information on this program, visit www.agr.gc.ca/api.

Through Canada's EAP, the Government of Canada is helping farmers find new markets, adapt to current economic challenges, and make their businesses more efficient and environmentally sustainable. The Next Phase of the EAP will remain focused on strengthening the economy while working toward returning to balanced budgets and securing Canada's economic future. For more information on Canada's Economic Action Plan, visit www.actionplan.gc.ca.

For more information, media may contact:

Media Relations
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
Ottawa, Ontario
613-773-7972
1-866-345-7972

Meagan Murdoch
Director of Communications
The Office of the Honourable Gerry Ritz
613-773-1059