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By Alice McFarlane

Agriculture Roundup

Agriculture Roundup for Wednesday August 28, 2019

Aug 28, 2019 | 9:59 AM

Nearly $2 million will be spent on developing new oat cultivars.

The Prairie Oats Growers Association will use the money to improve varieties that are suited for production in western Canada.

The cultivars developed will have end-use quality identified by the industry and will carry genetic resistance to major diseases, pests and adverse environmental and changing climatic conditions.

The project is funded through the Canadian Agricultural Partnership’s AgriScience Program.

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The Canadian Canola Growers Association (CCGA) applauded a campaign promise from Manitoba’s Conservative Party that, if elected, Manitoba would increase the renewable content in diesel fuel from two per cent to five per cent.

CCGA CEO Rick White said it’s a step that would create a win-win-win scenario benefitting the environment, farmers and the economy.

He said it offers reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, new market opportunities for farmers and investment and jobs in Canada’s processing sector.

The canola industry has been calling on policy makers across the country to increase usage of renewable content in fuel. Canola currently makes up about 40 per cent of the sustainable biofuel feedstock mix in Canada’s diesel supply.

If this policy was introduced across Canada, 1.3 million tonnes of canola would be utilized by Canada’s domestic renewable fuel supply.

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A new report said Canada’s agriculture industry could generate an additional $11 billion for the country’s gross domestic product annually by 2030 if the government invests in people and technology.

RBC senior vice president John Stackhouse said the demand for food is growing significantly and it’s going to be massive in the 2020’s.

The report said that by 2030, there will be 835 million more people to feed around the world, including four million in Canada.

It added that new trade agreements with Europe, Asia and the U.S. should improve Canada’s access to these markets.

However, the country’s agricultural output stalled in recent years as the use of technology hasn’t kept pace with applications in other countries.

Canada’s global share of exports has decreased to 3.9 per cent from 4.9 per cent in 2000.

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alice.mcfarlane@jpbg.ca

OnTwitter: @AliceMcF