The federal and Saskatchewan governments are investing $3.4 million into 23 livestock and forage research projects in the province. Sixty percent of the money is from Ottawa and 40 percent from the province.
Federal agriculture minister Gerry Ritz and his Saskatchewan counterpart, Lyle Stewart, made the announcement at the Saskatchewan Beef Industry Conference in Saskatoon Jan. 23.
Both ministers reiterated that the work done in the province’s research institutions help producers innovate. Research is vital to the industry and ranches across the province will benefit from the projects.
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Livestock and forage projects receiving funding in 2013 include:
- New forage barley for beef and dairy producers.
- Development of oral and needle-free vaccines for calves.
- Analysis of sheep health in the province.
- New nutritional feeds for piglets.
- Improving the energy value in high-protein feed.
- DNA testing technologies for cattle.
- Improved production management tools for cow-calf operations.
- Development of new vaccines for poultry.
* Field-testing a vaccine against chronic wasting disease.
This funding will leverage an additional $3.1 million in third party project funding. Earlier this month the federal and provincial governments announced $6.5 million for crop-related research projects, making the total 2013 ADF investment nearly $10 million for crop, livestock and forage research.
