On March 28, 2023, the Honourable Chrystia Freeland tabled the 2023 Federal Budget. It included the commitment made in the fall by Agriculture and Agri-food Canada on Establishing the Dairy Innovation and Investment Fund.

The budget states that “the dairy sector is facing a growing surplus of solids non-fat (SNF), a byproduct of dairy processing. Limited processing capacity for SNF results in lost opportunities for dairy processors and farmers. Budget 2023 proposes to provide $333 million over ten years, starting in 2023-24, for Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada to support investments in research and development of new products based on SNF, market development for these products, and processing capacity for SNF-based products more broadly.” For further details, click here.