Atlantic grains and oilseed sector gets $4M boost
Investment comes from federal government and Atlantic provinces
The federal government and Atlantic provinces are investing over $4 million in the Atlantic Grains Council.
Cardigan MP Lawrence MacAulay made the announcement Friday at the P.E.I. Federation of Agriculture's annual general meeting in Charlottetown.
The funding includes $3.2 million under the Canadian Agricultural Partnership's agriscience program, $260,655 each from the provinces of P.E.I., Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, and $44,550 from Newfoundland and Labrador.
In 2017, crop receipts for the grains and oilseeds sector in the Atlantic provinces equalled $83.5 million, which is 10 per cent of total crop receipts in the region, according to the federal government.
MacAulay said the new funding will be used to support research efforts focused to support the long-term sustainability of grains and oilseeds systems. Much of the work will take place at the Harrington Research Centre in Queens County.
He said investing in research and innovation is imperative to compete in the global agri-food market.
"Everybody in the world is at this and so are we."
More P.E.I. news
With files from Brian Higgins