• Picture of the agri-food sector
• Contacts to sell your products in one of the Outaouais public markets
• CREDETAO - Applied research and technology transfer projects
• Hygiene and health: food inspection services
• Marché de solidarité régionale de l'Outaouais
• Support for marketing and/or food processing
• Technical and financial support
• Training and Advisory services
• Unions
• TCAO - Table de concertation agroalimentaire de l'Outaouais
• TCAQ - Tables de concertation agroalimentaire du Québec
• Other sites of interest
• A few links to farm media and reference sites for farm produce

This site is an initiative of the Table de concertation agroalimentaire de l’Outaouais (TCAO) and was made possible through the generous contributions of the following organizations:

Campaign’s associated partners:



Campaign collaborators:

Resources for Businesses

Picture of the agri-food sector

The Outaouais has about one thousand agricultural operations and around thirty processing companies.

The majority of Outaouais farms raise feeder cattle. In the last few years, many beef producers have abandoned the auction and turned to on-farm marketing. The region encourages finishing feeder cattle in order to create an added value to this type of production. To know more about finishing, you can access additional support for finishing feeder cattle in the Outaouais from the agricultural service centre of the Ministère de l’Agriculture, des Pêcheries et de l’Alimentation du Québec (MAPAQ) nearest you.

Quebec feeder cattle farms must conform to environmental regulations. Besides the framework and financial support from the regional MAPAQ office, the region has developed a tool to allow producers to broaden their knowledge of sustainable practices. Consult the environmental management guide for beef farms on the Agri-Réseau website.

The Outaouais is trying to diversify its production, notably in organic agriculture, agri-tourism and other extensive productions (sheep...). Horticulture is also an important growth target for the region.

In the Outaouais, all the conditions are combing to favour the start-up and expansion of horticultural operations:

1. Farmland at competitive prices;
2. Large variety of soils and climates;
3. A nearby market (1.1 million residents in the large Gatineau-Ottawa region).

To know more about horticultural production, get acquainted with the document "En Outaouais, l’horticulture prend l’affiche!" ("In the Outaouais, horticulture is being noticed!").

In addition, there is considerable development of organic production in the region which responds to a growing demand. Furthermore, this applies to all extensive productions mentioned (as opposed to intensive productions with their integrated marketing), which we recommend.

The Outaouais encourages food processing. There are a few companies already in place, and they are contributing greatly to defining the originality of our region. Their development and start-up of new businesses is strengthening the agri-food sector in general.

To end this tour, the Outaouais is remarkable for being an area of broad-leaved trees with the potential for maple syrup production. In 2002, the region did an evaluation of this potential.

It's for you to play in and to become engaged in the story about farm produce in the Outaouais!

We invite you to visit the resional MAPAQ site for a complete and detailed picture of the agri-food industries in the Outaouais.