NIAGARA’S AGRI-BUSINESS SECTOR NIAGARA CANADA: An Agricultural Powerhouse!
WHAT’S UNIQUE ABOUT NIAGARA CANADA?
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iagara Canada projects the image of one of the world’s majestic natural icons, Niagara Falls, and the many tourist attractions for visitors and families scattered across the region. For the agricultural community, however, Niagara Canada is an agri-business powerhouse with lush vineyards, specialty food processors, world-renowned wineries and up-scale regional cuisine. It’s all that and more. Both images project power and natural advantage. Niagara agri-business is a dynamic, mature segment of the Canadian agricultural economy that is exploding with diverse businesses, innovative products and healthy export markets. Niagara is located in Southern Ontario and is a dynamic hub along the ‘Golden Horseshoe’ that connects the Greater Toronto Area of Ontario and upstate New York. Almost 20 percent of all bi-national trade in goods between Canada and the United States passes through Niagara’s six border crossings connecting bi-national gateways to established north-south trade and transportation corridors. Niagara is an ideal location for accessing 125 million North American consumers who are less than one day’s drive away. Niagara has an abundance of primary resources on which to build new agri-business enterprises and products--fresh water and energy, and basic agricultural commodities such as tender fruits, vegetables, grains and carbohydrate feed stock. Here are some examples of what Niagara Canada’s agribusiness sector has to offer.
NIAGARA GREENHOUSE OPERATIONS - A GROWING SUCCESS • The largest and fastest growing sector of the regional agricultural economy. • Over 18.0 Million sq. ft. of growing space under glass or plastic, one of Canada’s most concentrated greenhouse clusters.
• One of the economic engines of Ontario’s $3.9 Billion Cdn greenhouse industry sector. • Over 265 Niagara greenhouse operations producing floral and vegetable products for domestic and export markets. • A substantial infrastructure of mature secondary agri-businesses that support the larger North American greenhouse industry.
NIAGARA WINERIES - AN UNFORGETTABLE TASTE EXPERIENCE • Niagara is the heartland of the Canadian grape and wine industry. • With over 80 percent of the nation’s viticulture acreage, Niagara is Canada’s premier grape-growing area. • A favourable microclimate enables over 60 varieties of grapes to be grown in distinctive grape-growing appellations. • A cluster of 70 wineries, Canada’s largest concentration, produce distinctive wines including internationally recognized Icewines. • The Niagara wine industry has assumed a pre-eminent role in developing new wine products, export markets, and signature festivals and events. • Many wineries offer up-scale Niagara cuisine for the discriminating diner. • An ambient Niagara Wine Route guides visitors to the many wineries nestled in the small towns and rural areas of Niagara.
BIO-PRODUCTS THAT TRANSFORM • New opportunities in niche manufacturing industries are taking root in Niagara, such as bio-products derived from hydrocarbons. • Niagara’s diverse agricultural base of fruit and vegetable commodities and its extensive greenhouse operations provide exceptional opportunities for bio-product development, processing and manufacturing. • Bio-product companies are finding fertile ground in Niagara for growth and research experimentation.