VANCOUVER—For British Columbia food producers and processors to boost their sales, they need to export.

But accessing global markets is complex and time-consuming, since protocols differ between countries, said Linda Delli Santi, executive director of the BC Greenhouse Growers’ Association.

That’s why both the federal and provincial governments have joined forces to offer $5 million to help the sector find new customers in Canada and around the world.

“We are competing with other products coming into Canada and other growing areas in Canada for market share,” Delli Santi explained in a phone interview. “It’s easy to export to the U.S., but we are close to the ocean, so we can export by boat or air.”

The BC Agrifood and Seafood Market Development Program allows companies to gain the knowledge, skills and plans to prepare for domestic and international markets, as well as helps experienced exporters reach new markets, according to a news release.

The funding will support research, marketing opportunities and attendance at international trade shows. This in turn will help fresh and expanding producers by increasing the use and demand of locally grown products, it added.

The province exported roughly $3.9 billion worth of agri-food and seafood products to 157 markets in 2017, an increase of $94 million from the previous year, the release said. B.C. greenhouse vegetables, cherries, blueberries and a variety of seafood are the most exported globally.

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In 2016, the provincial government embarked on an ambitious plan to increase overall agri-food and seafood sector revenues to $15 billion per year by 2020, according to a news release.

That same year, agri-food and seafood exports reached $62.6 billion.

Meanwhile, in 2017, the federal government set a target of $75 billion in agriculture, agri-food and seafood exports by 2025, according to a spokesperson for the Department of Agriculture and Agri-Food.

Last Friday, the department released an economic projection of domestic and international markets that shows continued growth, the spokesperson added.

“Canada’s farmers and processors have incredible potential to create good jobs and grow Canada’s economy,” Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Lawrence MacAulay said in the release. The move will contribute to the government’s $75-billion goal, he added.

Delli Santi told StarMetro that it took 25 years to get greenhouse peppers into Japan. That’s because of the complicated procedures involved, such as getting both governments on board and bringing in Japanese inspectors.

The latter was possible because Delli Santi applied for funding in a similar federal-provincial program.

Now, both tomatoes and peppers are exported to Japan from Canada. And Delli Santi said there’s a current application to export to China. Markets in India have also expressed interest.

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“We are able to grow our businesses, so we need to find homes for these products,” Delli Santi said. “When a program like this is announced, anything that may grow your export business will allow you to apply.”

The program is open for applications and will run for the length of the five-year Canadian Agricultural Partnership, which is a federal-provincial-territorial $3-billion investment. It includes $2 billion in cost-shared initiatives delivered by the provinces and territories until March 2023. The remaining $1 billion is distributed federally.

B.C. Agriculture Minister Lana Popham said in the release that supporting the efforts of local farmers and producers to expand into global markets increases demand for local goods, along with “creating good jobs and prosperity for British Columbians.”

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