By Alice McFarlane

Agriculture Roundup for Friday March 11, 2022

Mar 11, 2022 | 12:05 PM

MELFORT, Sask. — Conservation groups in Manitoba will receive $2.86 million for 20 projects to improve wildlife, water, and soil.

The Manitoba Habitat Heritage Corporation (MHHC) will provide the money to 14 Manitoba-based conservation groups.

The revenue source for these projects is $204 million in contributions made to the Winnipeg Foundation between 2018 and 2020 to establish three trusts dedicated to land, water, and wildlife conservation.

MHHC chief executive officer Stephen Carlyle said this will help make the landscape more resilient to the impacts of climate change in the future.

Projects include the conservation of grasslands and enhance habitat for threatened and endangered birds, and watershed development.

Think again before pruning your trees

Dutch Elm Disease found in Prince Albert

1h ago

Welcome Back

P.A.'s Nelson returning to Mustangs after WHL stint

1h ago

do it for the 'gram

How to photograph the northern lights with your phone

14h ago

A complete list of the projects can be found here.

–

The Supply Management Processing Investment Fund has received $292.5 million to help processors of supply-managed commodities.

Agriculture and Agri-Food Marie-Claude Bibeau announced the launch of the fund to compensate producers and processors who have lost market share due to trade agreements.

“We are announcing the terms of support for dairy, poultry and egg processors to promote investment in their operations and thereby improve their competitiveness and resilience,” Bibeau said in a news release.

Eligible applicants include chicken and turkey processors, hatcheries (broiler, egg-type and turkey), egg graders and egg processors.

Through this program funding can be used for new automated equipment and technology as well as private investment in processing plants to accelerate adoption of automation to address labour shortages and enhance product quality.

The announcement brings the total amount committed to compensate and support supply-managed sectors impacted by CETA and CPTPP to over $3 billion.

Work is underway with supply-managed sectors to determine compensation for the impacts of the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement.

–

The Canadian Agri-Food Automation and Intelligence Network (CAAIN) has unveiled the seven projects to receive financial support through its inaugural Open Competition.

CAAIN CEO Kerry Wright said there were 42 submissions showing a range of diversity

“They cover a broad swath of subsectors, including beef ranching, pork processing, the use of artificial intelligence in wheat production, and improving the traceability of barley used in brewing beer,” Wright said. “Canada’s agri-food technology sector is a hive of activity and CAAIN has a significant role to play in supporting the rapidly expanding culture of innovation.”

The funded projects will focus on automation and robotics, data-driven decision-making, and smart farms.

–

alice.mcfarlane@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @farmnewsNOW