Manitoba's pulse and soybean growers will benefit from the work of a new applied research specialist. This project will receive $400,000 in government funding over the next two years, Federal Agriculture Minister Lawrence MacAulay and Manitoba Agriculture Minister Ralph Eichler announced today.
The funding will support a new research agronomist who will study issues like efficient use of crop inputs, improving yields and maximizing profitability, then share these results with producers through training and extension programs.
The Manitoba Pulse and Soybean Growers (MPSG) will lead this project and contribute an additional $400,000 for a total of $800,000, to support the work of the research agronomist. This initiative supports a multi-year research strategy adopted in 2015 by the association and the more than 3,800 farmers it represents.
The researcher will work at the University of Manitoba's Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences to support collaboration in areas of shared interest, ensuring producers' interests are reflected in academia.
Soybeans are the third-largest crop in Manitoba, grown on about 1.5 million acres and resulting in more than $335 million in annual farm cash receipts. More than 200,000 acres are planted in pulses, which include beans, peas and lentils.
The research project is funded through the Grain Innovation Hub, which was announced by the Canada and Manitoba governments in May 2014. Its goal is to leverage $33 million in government and industry funding to ensure Manitoba remains a leader in grain research, production and processing.
The federal and provincial governments are investing $176 million in cost-shared programming in Manitoba under Growing Forward 2, a five-year, federal-provincial-territorial policy framework to advance the agriculture industry, helping producers and processors become more innovative and competitive in world markets.
Ministers noted 2016 is the International Year of Pulses, a global collaboration sponsored by the United Nations to heighten awareness of the nutritional benefits and sustainability of pulses, encourage the use of pulse-based proteins, increase global production and address challenges in the trade of pulses.
Source : Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada