Ontario Investing in Cutting Edge Research Projects to Strengthen Agri-Food Sector

TORONTO —The Ontario government is investing $1.28 million in seven research projects to help farmers increase their long-term productivity and competitiveness. The funding through the Agricultural Research and Innovation Ontario’s (ARIO) Innovative Breeding Research Program (IBRP) will help create new tailored plant varieties and livestock for the province’s domestic food supply and export markets which will reinforce economic growth across Ontario’s almost $51 billion agri-food sector.

“Our government is proud to support world-class Ontario-led agri-food research that will equip our farmers and agribusinesses with the best tools to increase the efficiency and productivity of their operations,” said Rob Flack, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness. “Ontario agri-food assets like ARIO and the research it supports will ensure a competitive advantage for our farmers and agribusiness champions for years to come.”

IBRP research creates enhanced plant varieties and animal traits, promotes biodiversity and plant and animal health, and supports resilience to environmental challenges. Examples include:

• Determining if methane emissions can be reduced in beef cattle through improving feed and modifying gene characteristics.
• Developing drought resistant, higher yield soybean varieties and better-quality crops for Ontario farmers to grow and for export.
• Developing bean varieties that are disease resistant and environmentally resilient.

IBRP research delivers made-in-Ontario intellectual property that can strengthen economic growth and competitiveness, facilitate new exports, and generate reinvestment funds for ARIO to support new research.

“ARIO is proud to announce these successful projects funded by the new Innovative Breeding Research Program," said Lorne Hepworth, Chair of ARIO. "It is exciting to see researchers address emerging opportunities for Ontario’s farmers and agri-food sector – ones that will help foster economic development, domestic food production, and export opportunities for Ontario,”

Research investments like these helps achieve the goals of the Grow Ontario Strategy, to create and adopt innovative technologies to enhance competitiveness, and grow exports.