Agri-food
Agri-food
There’s always something in season in Nova Scotia.
Nova Scotia has established an international reputation as a reliable source of high-quality food, beverage and value-added ingredients. With over 2,500 businesses and approximately 13,000 jobs directly linked to industry, Nova Scotia produces an abundant supply of agricultural commodities and ingredients for export.
The province is home to the world's largest supplier of frozen wild blueberries, North America’s largest processor of frozen carrot products, and the largest supplier of OMEGA-3 EPA/DHA to the global food and beverage industry.
The right ingredients
With Nova Scotia’s growing array of products, and our international reputation for high food safety standards, food importers from around the world are exploring our commodities. In 2022, Nova Scotia exported $492 million of agri-food products to more than 93 countries around the world thanks to excellent cold chain logistics, with fresh and frozen controlled-atmosphere storage, bulk shipping and convenient international access via air, water, rail, and road.
Processing
Encompassing products from artisanal cheeses to plant powders made from dried, surplus fruits and vegetables, Nova Scotia’s food manufacturing ranges from small cottage industries to internationally traded commodities. Over a fifth of all manufacturing workers in the province are employed in food manufacturing.
The industry’s commitment to high quality, safe food is highlighted by the various food processor associations active in the province, including Taste of Nova Scotia, the Farmers’ Markets of Nova Scotia, and the Canadian Food Exporters Association.
Nova Scotia’s food processing industry also servers a number of dietary niche markets, with gluten-free, vegan/vegetarian, halal- and kosher-friendly products.
Agri-tech
Nova Scotia supports a globally recognized tech sector. The province is consistently exploring new ways to increase food production and processing while ensuring our world-class sustainable and safety standards are met. The sector, and its facilities, are modernizing by testing and adopting innovative technology to respond to new opportunities and challenges.
Research labs can be found throughout the province including:
- Dalhousie Faculty of Agriculture
- Dalhousie University Smart Farm Innovation Hub
- Perennia
- Centre of Geographic Sciences (COGS)
- NSCC EATLab
The Nova Scotia Business Advantage
In just one day we can connect you to everyone you need to meet to choose Nova Scotia as the next location for your business. We secure meetings with senior leaders, government and the business community while curating a visit that perfectly suits your business needs.
A vibrant ecosystem
Nova Scotia businesses have access to superior, end-to-end supply chain solutions including processing, packaging, specialized storage and transportation, in addition to over 900 thousand acres of farmland and cutting-edge research facilities.
Leading research
Nova Scotia has a well developed agriculture research and innovation capacity with leading institutions including the Dalhousie University Agricultural Campus and Perennia.
An unbeatable workforce
Nova Scotia is Canada’s university capital, home to 10 universities and 14 community college campuses, including the only university level programs in agriculture in Atlantic Canada.
Strategic location
Our transportation system is an efficient and reliable combination of air, road, rail, and sea infrastructure, to meet supply chain management and logistics needs. This allows businesses to move people and products in and out of North America faster than any other gateway on the east coast.
The agri-food industry uses video to tell the whole story
Government of Canada invests $8.5m to help farmers in N.S., N.L. adopt sustainable practices
The technologies for farming under glass (and growing 3 million pounds of tomatoes)
Nova Scotia produces over 50 million pounds of wild blueberries every year, contributing 27.3% of Canada’s total blueberry (high bush and wild) exports and 48.3% of Canada’s wild blueberries exports in 2020.
Have questions?
Curious how we can help with your growth plans? From introductions to site visits and a competitive analysis, we can curate a plan to suit your business needs.
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