Cereals Canada is receiving up to $7.3 million from the federal government for a pair of initiatives aimed at boosting the competitiveness and sustainability of Canadian cereals crops.
The national grain value chain organization is receiving up to $6,660,817 through the AgriMarketing Program under the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership to continue its work on increasing market access, improving customer support, and expanding exports through initiatives like technical exchanges, market research, and knowledge-sharing among stakeholders.
Another $674 thousand from the AgriScience Program has been earmarked to support research on how environmental conditions impact cereal crop quality during the growing season, to expand milling expertise, and to compare Canadian wheat to international competitors.
One of the projects receiving funding is a four-year study by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada research scientists Dr. Sijo Joseph and Dr. Lovemore Malunga looking at how variety and environmental conditions affect oat quality for different food uses, providing the industry with data about year-to-year variability in oat quality, and ensuring that Canadian oats meet consistent quality standards expected by customers.
MP Terry Duguid, Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister and Special Advisor for Water, announced the funding at Cereals Canada’s pasta lab in downtown Winnipeg on Tuesday morning (pictured above).
“We are grateful for the support from the Government of Canada for applied research and market access initiatives that will benefit Canadian wheat, durum, barley, and oat growers, and the value chain as a whole,” says Cereals Canada CEO Dean Dias, in a news release. “This funding enables us to amplify our resources, maintain and grow markets, and foster industry relationships and advocacy, helping to ensure the long-term competitiveness and sustainability of Canada’s cereals industry.”
The announcement by Duguid did not refer to the GATE project — Cereals Canada’s campaign to build a new $100 million hub for cereal crop research and marketing in downtown Winnipeg.
