Funding will be used for research and innovation
By Diego Flammini
Assistant Editor, North American Content
Farms.com
Research and innovation initiatives taking place within the Canadian canola industry is set to receive funding from the federal government.
The investment, worth more than $980,000, is being made through the Canola Council of Canada; it will support the industry’s new strategy, titled “Keep it coming: 52 by 2025.”
The strategy’s hope is to improve Canada’s canola yields to meet the global need of 26 million metric tonnes and get yields up to 52 bushels per acre by 2025.
Minister of Agriculture Lawrence MacAulay reiterated that Canada’s canola industry is an important contributor to the county’s economic success – in 2014, 9.6 million metric tonnes of canola seed were exported and valued at $5.2 billion.
Scientists from the Ministry of Agriculture will work alongside the Canola Council of Canada and conduct research on disease management and fertility management.
Patti Miller, president of the Canola Council of Canada, said teamwork will help the canola sector achieve its goals.
| 2015 Canola | Acres Harvested | Tonnes | Tonnes/Acre | Bushels/Acre |
| Canada | 19,973,000 | 17,231,000 | 0.850 | 38 |
| Ontario | 35,000 | 34,000 | 0.971 | 42.9 |
| Manitoba | 3,130,000 | 2,857,000 | 0.931 | 40.3 |
| Saskatchewan | 10,640,000 | 8,799,000 | 0.809 | 36.5 |
| Alberta | 6,050,000 | 5,443,000 | 0.890 | 39.7 |
| British Columbia | 90,000 | 70,000 | 0.769 | 34.7 |