Businesses in the fresh produce industry move fast—so should your insights. Here’s what’s ripe, what’s changing, and what’s next. Let’s dig in!
Great news for farmers, food processors, and agribusinesses!
Government funding update – $20 million to protect local farmers and agribusinesses
On January 20th, 2026, the Canadian and Ontario governments announced they were investing up to $20 Million through a new Market Diversification and Trade Resiliency Initiative that will help farmers, food processors and agribusinesses to sell more Ontario grown products around the world.
The Initiative will fund a variety of projects to increase competitiveness for farmers and agribusinesses and support their expansion into new and international markets as part of the provincial government’s plan to protect Ontario’s agribusiness sector. Dig in for the details.
OPMA events for 2026
The OPMA offers events that connect and inspire you, these events provide the opportunity to delve further into the current issues, trends, and opportunities shaping Ontario’s produce industry.
OPMA signature events and summits are more than gatherings – they are opportunities to strengthen and expand your network, discover new strategies, and celebrate the vibrant Ontario produce industry.
The 2026 OPMA Event Calendar can be found here: https://theopma.ca/events/category/opma/
- Wednesday, March 4th, 2026 – YPN Winter Webinar (Virtual). 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM. ‘Building Your Professional Digital Image’ (Registration available soon)
- Saturday, March 7th, 2026 – OPMA and TWPA Spring Food Hamper Day at the Ontario Food Terminal. 8:00 AM to Noon (To volunteer reach out to mary@theopma.ca)
- Tuesday, March 31st, 2026 – Women’s Produce Network Summit. 9:30 AM to 4:00 PM The Pearle Hotel, Burlington.
- NEW Date: Wednesday, May 13th, 2026 – Young Professionals Network Summit. 10:30 AM to 5:00 PM (Location TBD)
- Tuesday, June 9th, 2026 – Annual General Meeting and Industry Connect. 11:00 AM to 4:30 PM (Location: TBC in the GTA)
- Wednesday, September 23rd, 2026 – OPMA Golf Tournament. 11:00 AM to 10:00 PM (Lionhead Golf Course, Brampton)
- Friday, November 20th, 2026 – OPMA Gala and Awards Ceremony. 6:00 PM to Midnight (Location TBC in the GTA)
[Source: The OPMAs Fresh Expressions January 10, 2026]
BDC asks: What can Canadian entrepreneurs expect for 2026?
“Slow growth and uncertainty will create challenges for businesses, but new technologies, a wave of business transitions and emerging economic priorities for Canada will also create opportunities. How to get prepared? Adaptability, planning and focus will be essential for success.” [Source BDC Newsletter, January 6, 2028] Click the link to gain access to clarity in 6 minutes: https://www.bdc.ca/en/articles-tools/blog/what-can-canadian-entrepreneurs-expect-for-2026.
GrubMarket announces monitoring AI Agent that detects and alerts of critical business issues
Parent company GrubMarket recently announced “the release of its latest specialized AI agent to join its GrubAssist AI platform: the Monitoring AI Agent. This agent is a powerful new capability that empowers food supply chain operators with passive monitoring of their business and operations, automatically detecting anomalies in the operation, identifying changes to market conditions, and surfacing shifts in key performance metrics. The Monitoring AI Agent also sends automatic alerts based on custom trigger conditions”. [Source: PRNewswire]
