AgriRisk Initiative projects funded
The federal government is investing up to $355,710 for two projects funded through AgriRisk Initiatives.
The first includes $197,400 to Soy Canada to develop a profile of the soybean industry, including the short- and long-term risks producers face.
The second project of $158,310 was provided to Grain Farmers of Ontario for a feasibility study concerning revenue declines not covered under current business risk management programs.
Farm Management Canada chooses directors
Joerg Zimmermann, a farm business consultant from Manitoba, was elected chair at Farm Management Canada.
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Merv Wiseman, a silver fox farmer from Newfoundland and Labrador, was elected vice-chair, and Jeannette Mongeon-Dignard, a rabbit and crops farmer from eastern Ontario, was elected secretary-treasurer.
Larry Martin and Zimmermann were re-elected, while Terry Aberhart, a grain farmer from Saskatchewan, was elected as a new farmer representative and Bradley Barton, agricultural research technician with the Yukon Government Agricultural Branch, was named ministry representative.
A full listing of FMC’s board of directors is at fmc-gac.com.
Canadian water summit awards presented
Stefan Kienzle recently received the Water’s Next Award during the 2018 Canadian Water Summit in Vancouver.
Kienzle is a hydrologist in the Department of Geography at the University of Lethbridge. The awards committee cited the researcher’s work on developing a climate index atlas for Alberta, which is widely used.
His research is helping to improve decision making about water and land management at the watershed and provincial levels.
The database provides access to climate records from 1950 to 2010 for the province of Alberta and reflects how Alberta’s climate has been warming, especially in winter, thereby creating longer growing seasons and more extreme weather.
His data also reveals the existence of more cold spells in the province, a situation where for five consecutive days the weather is five degrees colder than the base line average.
Seed contributions recognized
Three leaders in the seed industry were recently recognized by the Canadian Seed Trade Association.
- Dr. Igor Falak, a canola researcher at Pioneer Hi-Bred Production, was awarded the Canadian Plant Breeding and Genetics Award.
- Stephen Yarrow received the Seed Achievement Award with several key contributions to the seed and biotech industries over many years of service.
- Ron Weik was named as the recipient of the CSTA Honourary Life Membership Award for having dedicated his career to improving the certified seed industry, while working alongside breeders, seed growers and farmers.
Fast License speeds commercialization
The University of Saskatchewan is making it easier for companies to commercialize agriculture and bioresource technologies developed by university researchers.
A new program called the USask Fast License reduces the time it takes to acquire a licensing agreement from the university.
Innovation Enterprise, the unit responsible for commercializing technologies created by U of S researchers, developed the new program.
Currently, more than 80 technologies are available for licensing.
