Ontario Investing $41 Million in Agricultural Research Infrastructure
Ontario boosts Agricultural Research with $41 million investment to strengthen innovation, food security, and competitiveness across the agri-food sector.
ELORA — The Ontario government is investing more than $41 million over the next four years to modernize and expand Agricultural Research and Innovation Ontario (ARIO) infrastructure across the province. The investment aims to help farmers innovate, increase productivity, and stay competitive in the face of U.S. tariffs, while ensuring access to safe, high-quality, Ontario-made food.
“Our government is taking action to protect Ontario’s agri-food sector,” said Trevor Jones, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness. “Through investments in research and innovation, we are ensuring farmers and business owners have the best solutions to remain competitive against tariffs and continue providing families with high-quality, Ontario-made food with pride.”
A major portion of the investment — $10.5 million — will go toward completing the new Ontario Poultry Research Centre at the Elora Research Station, supporting Ontario’s chicken, turkey, and egg producers. The centre will focus on improving animal welfare, reproduction, and meat quality, adding to a previous $13.5 million provincial contribution for a total investment of $24 million.
The province is also committing $15.5 million to the new Ontario Feed Innovation Centre, also in Elora, to support nutrition research for swine, poultry, small ruminants, and aquaculture. Additional repairs and upgrades are planned for ARIO’s network of 14 research facilities across Ontario — including the Dairy Education Centre at the Ridgetown campus — to ensure ongoing delivery of cutting-edge research that benefits farmers and agribusinesses provincewide.
“For more than 60 years, ARIO has been providing the spaces and places where agri-food research and innovation happens in Ontario,” said Nevin McDougall, Chair of ARIO’s Board. “This investment will enable stronger research capacity to support a competitive and sustainable agri-food sector — a pillar of Ontario’s economy.”
The funding aligns with Ontario’s Grow Ontario Strategy, a long-term plan to boost food security, innovation, and sustainability across the province’s $48-billion agri-food sector.
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