The Quebec government is offering up to $4 million in financial support to encourage people to buy food directly from agricultural producers and artisanal processors.
The “Proximité 2024-2026” initiative of Minister of Agriculture, Food and Fisheries André Lamontagne will support regional marketing and agritourism initiatives.
“We are very pleased with this new support, which will promote local marketing and bring consumers even closer to their food suppliers. The supported projects will allow us to offer Quebecers even fresher and higher quality products. We invite companies and business groups from across the territory to submit projects,” said Lamontagne.
Local marketing makes it possible to support joint plans for the marketing of local products and to fund projects to improve the positioning of your products in the local market. Furthermore, by establishing a more direct connection with consumers, companies can better understand demand and adapt their product offerings.
Producers and processors can submit requests for support from the Proximité 2024-2026 initiative until October 31, 2024, or until available funds run out.
In Quebec, one in five agricultural companies sells directly to consumers at public markets or on farms.
Last year, the initiative supported 132 projects, providing a total of $2.75 million in assistance.
