Manitoba’s Enterprise Machine Intelligence and Learning Initiative receives $2 million funding boost from government
Glacier FarmMedia – The Enterprise Machine Intelligence and Learning Initiative (EMILI) has been granted $2 million in government funding to help drive innovation in Manitoba agriculture.
The funding announcement coincided with the July 25 grand opening of its Innovation Farms Centre 20 minutes northwest of Winnipeg.
“Manitoba farmers and producers are a critical part of our province’s economy, and our government is supporting them to feed Manitobans and feed the world,” said Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew. “This is a win for our province’s economy and the environment.”
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Kinew, who was joined by Agriculture Minister Ron Kostyshyn for the announcement, said the funding will allow researchers to develop agricultural practices using artificial intelligence and machine learning.
“With tech like this, we are going to be able to grow the economy, boost yields, increase sustainability and do so many great things, not just for the industry and not just Manitoba, but really the entire world,” he said.
The $2,025,000 Sustainable Canadian Agriculture Partnership funding is split 60/40 between the federal and provincial governments, with Manitoba putting up $810,000 and the federal government the remaining $1,215,000.
“New innovations are providing a vast amount of new insight that allows agricultural operations to be more productive, but the most important question for farmers is, ‘will this technology work on my farm?’ That is the question EMILI is working to answer here at Innovation Farms,” said EMILI board chair Ray Bouchard.
The new 8,500 sq. ft. Innovation Farms Centre includes a large workshop, meeting rooms, offices and a control centre where on-farm data from sensors placed across the research site can be analyzed on interactive screens.
The larger site was launched in 2022 at Rutherford Farms, a fourth-generation commercial grain and oilseed farm. Partnering with Rutherford Farms has given EMILI access to more than 5,500 acres and more than a decade of historical farm data.
“Our province needs to stay on the cutting edge, and we need to bring talented people to work in agriculture,” said Kostyshyn, adding that EMILI plays an important role in making that happen.
“I want to congratulate them on the opening of the Innovation Farm Center. Our province is pleased to support them in their innovation, and I definitely look forward to continuing our work.”
EMILI was established in 2016 as an industry-led non-profit with the goal of using digital technology to enhance agriculture on Manitoba farms. EMILI also highlights emerging skills and technologies to attract more people to agriculture and address skills gaps in the labour force.
“We know that technological advancement leads to new and expanded businesses, new well-paying jobs and the preservation of existing jobs,” said Jacqueline Keena, EMILI’s managing director.
“This funding increases our ability to provide farmers, industry, students and researchers with exposure and access to cutting-edge equipment and emerging technologies in a commercial setting, which will drive sustainability and increase productivity.”
