The Government of Canada is giving Agricultrices du Québec an additional $628,501 to support women entrepreneurs in agriculture and forestry, through the federal Women Entrepreneurship Strategy (WES).
The money, for the 2026-2027 fiscal year, comes from the WES Ecosystem Fund for Dimension E, a programme that offers bilingual services to women agricultural entrepreneurs across Canada: mentorship, expert business advice, training, networking and individual assistance to start, expand and sustain a business. Since the programme began in 2023-2024, total funding for Dimension E has reached $3,397,617.
The funding was announced in Saint-Hyacinthe by Joël Lightbound, Minister of Government Transformation, Public Works and Procurement, on behalf of Rechie Valdez, Minister of Women and Gender Equality, during a visit with Véronique Guizier, president of Agricultrices du Québec, and its director general Katherine Rousseau.
The government says the initiative addresses obstacles women in farming often face, including limited access to capital and agricultural assets, the strain of balancing family and business, and fewer chances to reach business networks and advisers. "Too many of them still face systemic obstacles that interfere with their businesses and force them to choose between the field, business and family," Lightbound said.
Guizier said the support helps women farmers develop their expertise, make connections and learn about the resources available to them. Since its launch in 2018, WES has supported nearly 600,000 women entrepreneurs across Canada, according to the government.
Source: Farms.com
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