Additional funding awarded to Canadian livestock industry

The first project, to be managed by the Canadian Cattleman’s Association (CCA), will be to perform an economic, social and environmental assessment of the Canadian beef industry, said Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. This will enable the industry to recognise and communicate areas of proficiency, as well as set targets and outline beneficial management practices for areas of improvement. The second project, to be managed by the Canadian Beef Breeds Council, will focus on the development of easy-to-use genomic selection tools for breed improvement. Producers will be educated on how to use the tools to increase carcase value, as well as improve efficiencies in feed and production, for example. Dave Solverson, president, CCA, said: "This assessment will enable the measurement of sustainability indicators and is a fundamental step in ensuring consumers have continued confidence in Canadian beef and in Canada as a global leader in sustainable beef production." Federal agriculture minister Gerry Ritz and Saskatchewan agriculture minister Lyle Stewart announced that government funding of $200,000 will be put towards the project, which should benefit producers in the province as well as across Canada. The funding will come via the Agriculture Development Fund (ADF), and nearly $800,000 will come from industry investment. Ritz said: "Strengthening the agriculture research capacity in Saskatchewan supports innovation for the long-term profitability and stability of producers. Investment in these projects is a direct response to the needs identified by industry and will help producers remain a key contributor to the Canadian economy." "Our government is committed to investing in research that helps to provide producers with the tools they need to be successful, and these projects are another example of that," Stewart said. "Increasing efficiency though research has proven successful in the past and continued investment is required to meet our agriculture targets in the Saskatchewan Plan for Growth."

Additional funding awarded to Canadian livestock industry

Saskatchewan livestock producers are set to benefit from two new research projects, worth nearly CA$1m.

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