Winnipeg, Manitoba
August 10, 2007
The
Canadian Wheat Board (CWB) today announced it will
contribute up to $200,000 a year to a new research and market
development initiative designed to strengthen Western Canada’s
organic grain industry.
“Our goal is to have the organic grain sector do the kind of
research that’s proved indispensable to conventional
agriculture,” said President and CEO Greg Arason. “The CWB
supports a variety of research and development projects for
conventional wheat and barley such as research into grain
storage at the University of Manitoba and value-added processing
at Agri-Food Discovery Place in Alberta. We’re extending that
support to a part of the grain industry that shows enormous
potential for growth.”
Arason added that there are few other funding sources for
organic agriculture and agri-food projects. “This initiative is
intended to turn that around,” he said. “The money the organic
grain sector will be able to access through the CWB will be
significant in its own right. It will also allow groups to
leverage matching funds through government programs such as the
federal Advancing Canadian Agriculture and Agri-Food Program
(ACAAF).
The first deadline for project proposals is November 1, 2007.
Preference will be given to organizations with a public mandate
such as producer groups, research institutions and certification
bodies. Funding for the OSMDI will come from the CWB’s operating
budget. For details on the Organic Sector Market Development
Initiative, visit www.cwb.ca.
Controlled by western Canadian farmers, the CWB is the
largest wheat and barley marketer in the world. One of Canada’s
biggest exporters, the Winnipeg-based organization sells grain
to more than 70 countries and returns all sales revenue, less
marketing costs, to Prairie farmers. |
|
