Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Marie-Claude Bibeau was at the Dairy Farmers of Canada Annual General Meeting at Saskatoon, Sask., this week where she announced $11.4 million in funding for the Dairy Research Cluster.
“The Canadian dairy sector is a key driver of jobs and economic growth, especially in our rural communities, and this investment will help it remain on the cutting-edge of research. We continue to work closely with industry to ensure Canada’s agricultural sector remains strong, stable and competitive for years to come.”
According to press release, the cluster will:
- Aim to foster public trust, drive innovation, and stimulate economic growth of the Canadian dairy sector;
- Support research in genetics, animal health and welfare, milk production automation, forage breeding, milk safety and quality and environmental sustainability;
- Support the development of management practices and tools to reduce on-farm economic losses from production limiting diseases;
- Help the sector better understand the impact of microbes on milk, dairy product composition and quality, and examine the use of alternative tools and practices to antimicrobial use.
The Research Cluster is led by the Dairy Farmers of Canada. Through matching funds, the total funding will reach $16.5 million. This research cluster is funded through the AgriScience Program, a five-year, $338-million initiative, to support discovery and applied science, and innovation driven by industry research priorities.
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