Surrey council has endorsed a draft 2026 Surrey Agritech Strategy that aims to advance the city's "early-stage agritech ecosystem to its next level of maturity." City manager Rob Costanzo explained to council that the strategy's priorities are to support Surrey's development as a "recognized centre for agritech that will strengthen the broader regional food system.
"Collectively, they aim to strengthen support for local producers, enhance economic resilience, and facilitate connections between Surrey-based agritech companies and provincial, national, and international markets." he told council in a corporate report.
Council passed a resolution in December 2024 for city staff to develop such a strategy on partnership with Surrey's Innovation, Investment and Business Committee as well as post-secondary institutions and industry partners. The next step is for city staff to implement the strategy, with this phase focusing on three strategic priorities involving Surrey's Economic Investment Services work plan concerning agritech assets and engagement; industry building, branding and policy; and farmer and producer-first agritech adoption.
Costanzo noted that agriculture continues to be a "significant" land-use and economic sector in Surrey as roughly a third of the city's land base – 8,700 hectares, nearly 12,500 acres – is in the Agricultural Land Reserve (ALR) with 55 per cent of that actively farmed. Crops produced in Surrey include blueberries, feed for livestock, vegetables grown in fields and greenhouse produce.
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