The Horticulture Diversification Program supports horticulture food producers to expand greenhouse and controlled environment agriculture (CEA) production, adopt technologies and processes to increase efficiency and productivity, expand and improve crop storages to extend the marketing season, and access specialized agronomic services.
The goal of this program is to support producers to diversify crops, adapt to a changing climate, and to increase domestic supply of horticulture food products from Prince Edward Island.
The Program will support its goals through four streams of eligible activities:
- Season Extension and CEA Expansion
Increase the area of greenhouse and controlled environment production to extend the growing season and increase production - Efficiency and Productivity
Adopt technologies to increase labour efficiency and productivity - Post-Harvest Cooling, Freezing and Storage
Expand and improve on-farm crop storage to optimize harvest preservation, crop quality and extend market access - Agronomic Support
Contract expertise to address agronomic challenges and opportunities
Am I eligible to apply for Horticulture Diversification Program funding?
The following includes a summary of eligibility for each of the sub-programs. Before completing the application form, please review program and funding criteria in the program guidelines.
Eligible Recipients
- Commercial horticulture producers of food for local and domestic markets.
- Eligible recipients must be producing at least $20,000 in CRA-reported gross sales of eligible horticulture crops per year. If a prospective producer is not yet grossing $20,000 in sales, they must enroll in the Future Farmer Program with a business plan involving greenhouse production or submit for approval a production and marketing plan focused on horticulture food production.
- Mi’kmaq First Nations and other Indigenous groups conducting farming activities.
- Others as approved by the Horticulture Diversification Program Review Committee.
What expenses are eligible?
- Season Extension and CEA Expansion
- Purchase of new commercial-grade cold frames, row tunnels, high tunnels, hoop houses, greenhouses, and propagation houses
- Purchase of new or expanded controlled environment agriculture (CEA) production systems, including but not limited to hydroponic, indoor mushroom cultivation systems, other indoor growing systems
- Costs for professional installation
- Efficiency and Productivity
- Irrigation/fertigation equipment (including, but not limited to pumps, filtration systems, fertilizer injectors/mixing tanks, water storage tanks, piping, valves, sprinklers, drip tape, wobblers, and controllers)
- Heating systems
- Horticultural lighting
- Greenhouse sensors, monitors and system controls for automatic temperature regulation and humidity control
- Racking and trays to increase greenhouse grow space
- Row cover applicators
- Greenhouse curtain systems
- Equipment related to automation and improving efficiency to allow for greater field production
- Equipment used to wash, clean, grade, and/or pack horticulture food product.
- Other leading-edge improvements to optimize production efficiency may be considered by the review committee
- Post-Harvest Cooling, Freezing and Storage
- On-farm cooling, refrigeration, freezing, and storage technologies for fruit and vegetables, including cooling units for new storage areas 100 ft2 or larger
- Walk-in coolers/freezers that are 100 ft2 or larger, including in-floor drainage, plumbing, ventilation, electrical, insulation
- Upgraded ventilation and temperature control systems for existing storages
- Sensors, monitors and controllers to optimize energy efficiency and improve product quality
- Pre-storage chilling/cooling
- Agronomic Support
- Expenses associated with contracting specialized agronomic expertise to help expand and optimize productivity, quality, profitability, and efficiency of greenhouse operations
How do I Apply?
The following information is required on the Horticulture Diversification Program:
- Applicant contact information;
- Business or organization information, including CRA registration number;
- If applicable, partnership information
- Project start and end date;
- Project budget and additional sources of project funding;
- Recipient type (i.e., primary producer);
- Type of industry (i.e., dairy, potato, beef, hog, grains and oilseeds);
- Signature for declaration and consent to personal information; and
- Demographic information (optional).
- Information about your current operations (business overview, current protected production area, current crop storage, crops produced and business goals)
- Description of your project, and how that project will support your farms’ goals and program goals.
Alongside the Horticulture Diversification Program Application Form, please submit supplemental documentation including:
- Detailed, itemized quotes for all expenses
- Development and building permits as necessary (depending on the project);
- For new farmers not yet grossing $20,000 in horticulture food sales, supplemental information about your business and your plans will be requested; and
- For projects contracting agronomic support, a statement of work from the consultant.
For more information contact:
PEI Department of Agriculture
11 Kent Street
PO Box 2000
Charlottetown PE C1A 7N8
Telephone: (902) 916-0792
Email: hort@gov.pe.ca
The Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (Sustainable CAP) is a new $3.5-billion, 5-year agreement (April 1, 2023 to March 31, 2028), between the federal, provincial and territorial governments to strengthen the competitiveness, innovation, and resiliency of the agriculture, agri‐food and agri‐based products sector. The agreement includes $1 billion in federal programs and activities and $2.5 billion in cost-shared programs and activities funded by federal, provincial and territorial governments..
