Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
January 29, 2009
The CWB today announced that eight
new recipients will share in funding from its annual Organic
Sector Market Development Initiative (OSMDI), now in its second
year.
"Growing consumer demand for organic products creates new
opportunity for western Canadian farmers," said CWB president
and CEO Ian White. "We have committed to assisting organic
farmers in a number of ways, including funding these worthwhile
initiatives."
Farmers will be helped to make the transition to organic farming
through workshops run by Canadian Organic Growers, supported by
$75,000 over three years from the OSMDI. Research at the
University of Manitoba to evaluate farm-income potential in
grazing green manures will receive $72,000 over three years from
the fund. Testing of spring wheat breeding lines, selected under
organic crop conditions, will be conducted at the University of
Saskatchewan using $45,000 in OSMDI funding over the next two
years.
Other projects include:
- development of a
specialized cultivation shovel for weed-control through
precision tillage (Western Applied Research Corporation)
- use of plant root
simulator probes to measure soil mineralization in organic
rotations (University of Saskatchewan)
- evaluation of
microbial
bio-herbicide for broadleaf weed control (The Scotts
Company)
- resources for an organic
conference focused on agronomics (Going Organic Alberta).
A total of $200,000 has been
committed to the fund in 2009 to support research and
market-development projects that can strengthen the organic
grain industry in Western Canada. Projects were selected based
on their overall benefit to the development of the organic grain
industry. The selection panel included a research scientist, CWB
staff and four organic farmers, who ensure approved projects
have clear potential benefits for producers.
Many recipients value CWB support because the money can be used
to secure matching funding from government. Dr. Martin Entz of
the University of Manitoba said the CWB investment will allow
him to broaden his research and hire more students interested in
organics. This also helps train future organic researchers,
farmers and extension workers.
Dr. Ralph Martin, director of the Organic Agriculture Centre of
Canada, said he hopes the CWB's example will encourage other
major agri-business players to follow suit. "To keep pace with
consumer demand, we need more research to address agronomic
challenges and increase organic production in Canada," he said.
"When the federal government's new Canadian Organic Regime is
implemented in June 2009, there is bound to be even more
interest in organics. Funds like the OSMDI will help ensure that
farmers have the knowledge they need to successfully and
sustainably develop their organic farm enterprises."
The Canada Organic Regime is a regulated system that will define
specific criteria for organic products to be labeled as organic.
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. |
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