The Canadian Government is investing $960,000 in the Canadian Malting Barley Technical Centre to expand and develop new markets for Canada's barley and barley products. The funding will be used for marketing and promotional initiatives in major export markets and prospective countries, as well as providing technical services to optimize the quality and performance of Canadian barley. The investment is part of the AgriMarketing Program, which aims to increase and diversify exports of Canadian agricultural products. Canada currently ranks as the fifth-largest barley producer and third-largest malt barley exporter in the world.