News
Grain research, production and processing gets boost in Manitoba
May 16, 2014 - The federal and Manitoba governments are providing a combined $20 million toward projects under the province's new Grain Innovation Hub. This figure is supplemented by additional funding from industry partners which is expected to bring the total investment to over $33 million.
According to a news release, the Grain Innovation Hub will bring together partners from across the grain industry to support these initial priority areas:
- The Manitoba Corn Development Initiative is intended to increase total corn acreage by expanding production to new parts of the province and developing corn that better meets the needs of the livestock sector and other end users.
- The Functional Food and Feed Opportunities Project will help turn Manitoba-led research and development into commercial food processing investments, built on related research about consumer behaviour and attitudes toward food and health.
- Targeted agri-food research and development and strategic investments in equipment, human resources and commercial development will be done in partnership with Manitoba's grain industry stakeholders.
Two projects recently funded under Growing Forward 2 that support the mandate of the new Grain Innovation Hub include $1 million in new equipment for Manitoba Corn Growers to conduct agronomic studies on how to grow corn in new areas in the province, and significant infrastructure investments at the Canadian Centre for Agri-Food Research in Health and Medicine to study the effects of different foods on human and animal metabolism.
May 21, 2014 By Top Crop Manager
