OTTAWA, ONTARIO – Agriculture and Agri-Food Minister Lawrence MacAulay announced today an investment of over $4 million to the Canadian Cattlemen's Association (CCA) for three innovative projects. These projects will support the industry with new and existing markets both at home and abroad.
The three projects include:
- $2,601,500 million from the AgriMarketing Assurance Stream toward the development of tools to enable end-users (packers, retail food service), consumers and the industry to have easy access to beef product information.
- $380,834 under AgriRisk Initiatives for a feasibility study into the use of satellite-based technology to track and measure forage and pasture production for cattle producers. This study will lay the basis for developing field-level production-based forage insurance for producers.
- $1,045,510 under Agrilnnovation's Research and Development (R&D) Stream to work with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada scientists to enhance the quality of Canadian beef using Computer Vision Systems (CVS) measurements. The CVS will image beef carcasses to predict and measure the tenderness, dark cutting, lean yield, bruising, and fat colour of beef.
Quick Facts
- Canada's cattle industry remains one of the largest single sources of farm receipts totalling $9.8 billion in 2014.
- Canada produces approximately 1.3 million tonnes of beef annually.
- Canada is the world's seventh largest beef exporter and the second largest exporter of grain-fed beef, with beef exports valued at $2.2 billion in 2015.
- Growing Forward 2 (GF2) is a five-year (2013-2018) policy framework for Canada's agricultural and agri-food sector that focuses on innovation, competitiveness and market development to ensure the long term prosperity of the sector.
Quotes
"The Government of Canada is pleased to be able to support the CCA in these innovative projects. These industry led projects will strengthen the competitiveness and sustainability of the Canadian beef industry, while meeting consumer demands for safe high quality products."
Lawrence MacAulay, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food
"Innovation drives continuous improvement in the beef industry and funding forward-thinking projects like these ensures continued progress in key areas of sustainable production, quality, and business risk management to the benefit of the entire value chain, including consumers."
CCA President, Dave Solverson
Source: Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada