Government of Canada invests in innovative projects to boost productivity and sustainability in Canadian agriculture

Ottawa, Ontario – Canadian farmers rely on innovation to grow their business, feed a growing population and protect the environment. As we celebrate Canadian Innovation Week, the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, the Honourable Marie-Claude Bibeau, announced an investment of over $635K in four innovative projects to boost productivity and green infrastructure in the agriculture sector.

Scientific breakthroughs in agriculture have led to new farming technologies and practices, provided farmers with better crop varieties, and helped protect crops and livestock from pests and diseases. With funds under the AgriScience Program, science and innovation will play a key role in helping farmers address emerging challenges.

Funding for the four recipients will be used to support the sector’s adoption of technologies and practices to grow more crops and integrate sustainable farming practices.

The recipient organizations include:

• Canadian Nursery Landscape Association in Milton, Ontario will receive up to $32,185 to develop a screening system suitable for breeding black knot fungus. It’s expected to develop a reliable technique to introduce and evaluate black knot infection on chokecherries. The project will help companies meet the increasing demand at garden centers and support sustainable practices within their operations.
• Centre de recherche en sciences animales de Deschambault in Deschambault, Quebec will receive up to $104,018 to improve productivity and animal health in the poultry sector by increasing bird survival rate and decreasing production costs for producers.
• Saskatchewan Flax Development Commission in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan will receive up to $63,248 to help overcome flax residue, a large production challenge for flax growers. The project aims to understand the genetic control of both flax height and flax fiber percentage in order to develop improved flax populations for future variety development.
• CanDry Technologies Inc. in Vancouver, British Columbia will receive up to $436,896 to develop state-of-art dehydration technology for valuable and heat-sensitive agri-products to prevent nutrition loss, shorten the drying cycle, minimize energy consumption, and enhance productivity.

Investments that support agri-food innovation and science provide farmers the tools to remain competitive and sustainable, while ensuring Canada continues to be a global leader in agriculture. The Government of Canada is committed to supporting innovations in efficient machinery, sustainable practices and cost-effective solutions that contribute to economic growth and the long-term prosperity of agriculture in Canada.