Established by the Government of Prince Edward Island to provide industry organizations, producers and agri-businesses with increased access to applied and developmental research which can address priorities and opportunities in the industry, the fund’s aim is to improve the competitiveness and sustainability of Prince Edward Island’s agriculture and agri-food industry. ARIF is a program supported by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries, Aquaculture and Forestry and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada through the Agricultural Policy Framework to help the agriculture industry maximize new opportunities at home and abroad.

Since the fund was established in 1995, approximately $7 million has been invested in 65 projects with an ARIF commitment of $3.4 million. This financial assistance has provided commodity boards, producer/industry organizations, and private businesses with the financial assistance necessary to examine needs and opportunities within their sector that they may otherwise not be able to afford. Applications have been approved for research projects performed by individual applicants, as well as research projects performed jointly with co-applicants such as the Atlantic Veterinary College and the Nova Scotia Agricultural College.

The ARIF Board – which is made up of individuals representing the department, research agencies and industry – would like to urge those commodity boards, producer/industry associations, individual producers, and private businesses involved in the agriculture industry on Prince Edward Island to utilize the resources available through the fund to address current challenges and opportunities that will aid in continuing to build an agriculture and agri-food industry on Prince Edward Island. In an effort to encourage more applications, the directors have amended ARIF’s funding level policies (effective for all projects received after January 15, 2004) to read as follows:

- For applicants who are commodity boards and/or producer/industry organizations, the initiative will contribute up to three dollars for every one dollar contributed by applicants (to a maximum ARIF contribution of $60,000 per year).

- For applicants who are individual producers and private businesses, the initiative will contribute up to one dollar for every one dollar contributed by the applicant (to a maximum ARIF contribution of $60,000 per year).

Application deadlines throughout the year fall on the first day of March, June, September, and December.