Minister Bibeau announces support to help spur innovation for Quebec pork producers

Jun 03, 2021

Québec, QC – While speaking at the Annual General Meeting of the Éleveurs de porcs du Québec, the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, the Honourable Marie-Claude Bibeau, announced over $922,000 through the AgriScience Program for two Quebec pork organizations, which will help advance innovation within the sector.

Swine Innovation Porc is receiving up to $356,525 to improve swine health in Canada by developing a new vaccine against Streptococcus suis to reduce the use of antimicrobials and expand strain coverage.

The Centre de développement du porc du Québec (CDPQ) is receiving up to $565,562 for a research project aimed at reducing nitrogen output while maintaining growth performance and meat quality.

Quebec pork producers continue to adopt cutting-edge approaches and technologies to enhance their competitiveness and position themselves for a strong and vibrant future, while responding to the challenges brought by COVID-19.

Source : Government of Canada

Video: Finding a Balance of Innovation and Regulation - Dr. Peter Facchini

Regulations help markets and industry exist on level playing fields, keeping consumers safe and innovation from going too far. However, incredibly strict regulations can stunt innovation and cause entire industries to wither away. Dr. Peter James Facchini brings his perspective on how existing regulations have slowed the advancement of medical developments within Canada. Given the international concern of opium poppy’s illicit potential, Health Canada must abide by this global policy. But with modern technology pushing the development of many pharmaceuticals to being grown via fermentation, is it time to reconsider the rules?

Dr. Peter James Facchini leads research into the metabolic biochemistry in opium poppy at the University of Calgary. For more than 30 years, his work has contributed to the increased availability of benzylisoquinoline alkaloid biosynthetic genes to assist in the creation of morphine for pharmaceutical use. Dr. Facchini completed his B.Sc. and Ph.D. in Biological Sciences at the University of Toronto before completing Postdoctoral Fellowships in Biochemistry at the University of Kentucky in 1992 & Université de Montréal in 1995.