Agriculture minister Lyle Vanclief was in Manitoba last week to announce funding for several research and adaptation projects.
Along with provincial agriculture minister Harry Enns, Vanclief announced grants of $4 million from the jointly sponsored Agri-Food Research and Development Initiative.
Much of the money will be matched by industry. It will go to 68 projects, including:
- $405,000 to Peter McVetty, a canola breeder at the University of Manitoba, to develop a herbicide-tolerant, high-erucic acid rapeseed.
- $118,000 to Ray Smith, a forage breeder at the University of Manitoba, to develop new, low maintenance turf grass varieties.
- $60,000 to Consolidated Growers and Processors to increase hemp seed supply, and maximize hemp yields and quality.
- $44,800 to the Vegetable Growers’ Association to evaluate the potential of growing and marketing 50 varieties of oriental vegetables.
- $42,000 to Ying Chen, at the University of Manitoba, to develop a highly efficient liquid manure
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Who pays?
Research money comes from the provincial and federal safety net budget for the province.
Vanclief also announced about $300,000 in funding for projects selected by the Manitoba Rural Adaptation Council.
The council funds rural development projects with money from the federal Canadian Adaptation and Rural Development fund.
So far, the council has given Manitoba groups $1.7 million out of a total allocation of $4.37 million.
The most recent funding includes:
- $100,000 to the Manitoba Forage Seed Association to develop and expand production.
- $100,000 to the Stuartburn Piney Agricultural Development Association to research and demonstrate the use of hog manure to fertilize forage crops.
- $78,400 to the University of Manitoba’s chair of co-operatives and group marketing to research and publish a manual to help farmers set up new-generation co-operatives.
- $21,420 to the Vegetable Gro-wers’ Association for its feasibility study on oriental vegetables.
