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Newfoundland and Labrador set ag goals for the next five years

Newfoundland and Labrador set ag goals for the next five years

The province wants to double its level of food self-sufficiency by 2022

By Diego Flammini
News Reporter
Farms.com

Newfoundland and Labrador’s provincial government, along with farmers, want to increase the amount of locally produced food by 2022.

The province is about 10 per cent self-sufficient, according to a 43-point Sector Work Plan released by legislators, farmers and non-profit food organizations in October.

By 2022, Newfoundland and Labrador want to be 20 per cent food self-sufficient. And every ag sector has room to grow, according to Merv Wiseman, president of the Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of Agriculture.

“Every sector within the industry can benefit from this initiative,” Wiseman told Farms.com today. “We currently import 99 per cent of the red meat consumed in this province and about 90 per cent of (our) vegetables. And when you look at potatoes specifically, we only grow potatoes on 1,400 acres.

“Those are some areas where we can increase our production efforts and reduce the amount of food we import.”

Increasing food production also leads to an increased infrastructure, which means jobs and economic development for rural communities, he added.

To achieve some of these goals, farmers will need access to land.

So the provincial government has pledged to make 64,000 hectares (158,147 acres) of land available to farmers.

The land has always been there but accessing it has been challenging, Wiseman said.

“From a farmer standpoint, whether new or existing, getting access to that land has been hard,” he said. “I’ve heard some people have had to wait almost five years to access even a small parcel of land. A two or three-year wait is considered normal.”

The 43-point work plan also includes items related to agricultural employment and education.

Officials will study labour market recruitment, retention and emerging training needs of the ag industry and continue to provide post-secondary education in agriculture. They will also identify options to establish an inspected abattoir for the production of meat products in the province, for example.


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The FCDC and AgSmart Bring Plant Breeding to a Wider Audience

Video: The FCDC and AgSmart Bring Plant Breeding to a Wider Audience

In the vast prairies of Alberta, Olds College’s Field Crop Development Centre (FCDC) stands as a beacon of innovation and research in the agricultural world. The institution has become a key player in advancing agricultural technologies and practices. The FCDC’s commitment to applied research has driven them to seek effective means of disseminating their findings and creating a positive impact on the farming community.

One such avenue that aligns with their mission is AgSmart, an event dedicated to showcasing cutting-edge agricultural technologies. The coming together of the FCDC’s annual Field Day and Ag Smart has proved to be a natural fit, fostering a synergy that benefits both parties and propels the agriculture industry forward. The FCDC Field Day took part in conjunction with AgSmart for the first time this week on Aug. 1-2 in Olds, Alta. FCDC Program Director Kofi Agblor and Olds College VP of Development Todd Ormann sat down for an interview with Marc Zienkiewicz to discuss the significance of the two events taking part together and what the future holds.

The Intersection of Research and Technology The essence of the FCDC lies in its dedication to plant breeding and new seed varieties, particularly barley and triticale. While conducting research is essential, it becomes meaningful when its benefits are shared with the wider community. This is where AgSmart steps in, providing a key venue for the FCDC to showcase their research. This union between research and technology creates a holistic and enriching experience for farmers, ranchers, and industry professionals, the pair said.

Seeds as Technology For the FCDC, the partnership with AgSmart goes beyond mere event collaboration. It is about creating an environment that bridges the gap between seeds and smart technology, Ormann said. The college believes that for technology to truly revolutionize agriculture, it must begin with a strong foundation — high-quality seeds. As the saying goes, “it all starts with a seed.” To demonstrate this critical aspect, the collaboration aims to showcase the seed value chain as an integral part of the smartphone.

The Birth of a Powerful Alliance The idea of joining forces emerged when staff realized the potential synergy between AgSmart and the FCDC Field Day. With just a few days separating the two events, a proposal was put forward to merge them. The marketing and communications teams from both sides worked seamlessly to ensure the essence of both events remained intact, creating a powerful alliance that leverages the strengths of each, Agblor said.

Driving Advancements in Breeding For Agblor, the partnership with AgSmart has tremendous potential to drive advancements in breeding and other technology. With technologies like drones and imaging becoming integral to phenotyping, breeding is no longer confined to vast fields to assess thousands of plants manually. Instead, it benefits from the data-rich insights brought about by smart technologies. These advancements make breeding more efficient, precise, and instrumental in shaping the future of agriculture.

Overcoming Challenges Together While the partnership between Olds College and Ag Smart has been a resounding success, there are challenges on the horizon. Securing stable funding for long-term breeding initiatives is crucial to sustain progress. The college is committed to navigating these challenges and investing in agriculture’s future sustainably, Agblor said.

 

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