Ontario Invests in Agri-Food Research Projects

Sep 27, 2024
By Jean-Paul McDonald
Assistant Editor, North American Content, Farms.com

$1.28 million funding to boost productivity and competitiveness

Ontario is injecting $1.28 million into seven research projects aimed at bolstering the province's agri-food sector. Funded through the Agricultural Research and Innovation Ontario’s (ARIO) Innovative Breeding Research Program (IBRP), these initiatives focus on developing tailored plant varieties and livestock to enhance productivity and competitiveness.

Minister of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness Rob Flack emphasized the importance of supporting Ontario-led research to equip farmers with tools for operational efficiency.

The projects under IBRP aim to create plant varieties resistant to drought, diseases, and pests, thereby improving crop yields for both domestic consumption and export markets.

One research area is the development of high-yield soybean and disease-resistant bean varieties which are set to benefit Ontario farmers significantly.

Another research areas includes efforts to reduce methane emissions in beef cattle through feed improvements and genetic modifications.

ARIO Chair Lorne Hepworth highlighted the economic benefits of these projects, citing their potential to strengthen Ontario's economic growth, support domestic food production, and open new export avenues. These investments align with Ontario’s Grow Ontario Strategy, which focuses on adopting innovative technologies to enhance agricultural competitiveness and expand exports.

Ontario’s investment in agri-food research aims to foster innovation, boost productivity, and fortify the province’s position in the global market, ensuring long-term sustainability and growth for farmers and agribusinesses alike.

Photo Credit: Soybeans-Blenheim-Joe-DeBrouwer

Video: Alberta Honey: A Day at Molenkamp Honey Farms

When was the last time you read the label on your honey?

We spent a day at Molenkamp Honey Farms with Michael Molenkamp, who has been keeping bees for 17 seasons and runs three to four thousand hives. In mid-September, he was finishing treatments and getting his bees ready for winter, and he walked us through how Alberta honey gets made.

Alberta has just 150 commercial beekeepers running 300,000 colonies, and together they produce 40% of Canada’s honey. Long summer days and golden canola fields give Alberta honey a light flavour that’s hard to match anywhere else.

Molenkamp calls Alberta beekeepers some of the most resilient farmers he knows. There’s plenty of Alberta honey to go around, but a lot on our shelves isn’t from here, so his ask is simple. Give the label a second look and choose honey made by Alberta beekeepers, or buy straight from a beekeeper near you.