Agriculture Roundup for Monday, July 22, 2024

The Agricultural Methane Reduction Challenge now has 13 semi-finalists who are working on processes, and technologies designed to reduce methane emissions produced by cattle.

The $12-million Challenge uses a staged approach to move innovators through the process of developing and deploying their solutions in the cow-calf, dairy and feedlot sectors.

The first stage of the Challenge attracted 86 applications from innovators across Canada and internationally.

The 13 semi-finalists’ entries span a diverse range of areas including feed additives and related technologies; production efficiencies and animal management systems; and pasture and grazing management approaches.

Each semi-finalist will receive roughly $153,000 and move on to the prototype development stage. Over the next eight months, semi-finalists will continue to work on their project and may be eligible to receive additional funding of up to $230,000.

From the 13 semi-finalists, up to 10 finalists will be selected in Spring 2026 and will receive up to $500,000 to help test their solution’s effectiveness in reducing methane emissions.

In the final stage of the Challenge, finalists will compete to win one of two grand prizes of up to $1 million, to be announced at the end of 2028.

The Dairy Farmers of Canada (DFC) will receive $8.5 million for two projects led by DFC through the AgriAssurance Program.

The money will help DFC improve existing producer support tools, like the national dairy cattle traceability program, DairyTrace, and the related proAction quality assurance program.

DFC will be receiving up to $5,000,000 over five years to push forward sustainability and public trust in the dairy industry, leveraging the proAction quality assurance program.

The proAction program ensures Canadian dairy farms maintain high standards in terms of environmental impact, food safety, and animal care.

Environmental stewardship is a top priority for the Government of Canada, and the on-farm assessments through proAction, and projects planned through DFC’s sustainability initiatives, will assess greenhouse gas emissions, carbon sequestration, water use, and biodiversity, to help farmers make environmentally conscious decisions on their farms.

DFC will also be receiving up to $3,5 million over five years to build on their existing tools and strengthen DairyTrace to help protect and enhance animal health, public trust, and sustainability.