Genome Alberta has received $5 million for genomics research in the livestock and meat industry.
The funds, from the Alberta Livestock and Meat Agency, were announced today.
In a news release, the provincial government said the money will be used in four areas:
– to improve the ability of livestock to handle disease, stress, drought, heat and cold
– to reduce the environmental footprint of livestock production
– to improve traits including meat quality, feed efficiency and wool production
– to explore the social, political, regulatory and economic issues surrounding genomics technology
Alberta agriculture minister Verlyn Olson said genomics is becoming more important to development in various livestock sectors. The technology was the focus of a recent workshop and is to be discussed at a round of Alberta town hall meetings in the next two months.
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David Bailey, president and chief executive officer of Genome Alberta, welcomed the funding, noting the promise he feels the technology has in enhancing livestock breeding.
“Genomics technology can enhance traditional breeding techniques without some of the genetic modification concerns often associated with biotechnology,” he said.
Genomic tools allow breeders to evaluate breeding animals at a younger age and provide a more reliable way of knowing an animal’s positive and negative traits.
