Across the country, Canadian farmers are on the frontlines of the climate crisis. The Government of Canada is supporting farmers through the climate challenges of today, including droughts, floods and other extreme weather, while investing in clean technology solutions that will build a healthier future for generations to come.
Today, Francis Drouin, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, along with Arielle Kayabaga, Member of Parliament for London West, highlighted support of up to over $7.4 million for the 17 projects approved so far across Ontario under the Agricultural Clean Technology (ACT) Program. This will help farmers adapt to a changing climate and boost their long-term competitiveness, all while cutting emissions. This funding is focused on three priority areas: green energy and energy efficiency; precision agriculture; and the bioeconomy.
As part of today's announcement, J E Henderson Farms Ltd. in Mount Brydges virtually hosted Parliamentary Secretary Drouin and Member of Parliament Kayabaga to showcase its new biomass unit to replace the propane unit on its grain dryer, made possible through ACT - Adoption Stream funding of up to $127,000.
Roelofsen Nursery Ltd. in Otterville also showed Parliamentary Secretary Drouin and Member of Parliament Kayabaga its new precision farming machine with GPS positioning and plant-level sensors to manage its field nursery operation while reducing diesel fuel and dependency on chemical use, made possible through ACT - Adoption Stream funding of up to $183,000.
Parliamentary Secretary Drouin and Member of Parliament Kayabaga also virtually toured the lab at Ontario Genomics in Toronto to learn about how the organization converts agricultural waste into bioplastics, a process that intends to lead to lower energy costs, improved performance and a reduction in GHG emissions. With funding of up to $1.26 million through the ACT - Research and Innovation Stream, Ontario Genomics will optimize its lab process, pilot commercial processing equipment and produce material test samples for use by industry partners.
Under the ACT Program, the Adoption Stream supports the purchase and installation of commercially available clean technologies and processes with a priority given to those that show evidence of GHG emissions and other environmental co-benefits. The Research and Innovation Stream supports pre-market innovation, including research, development, demonstration and commercialization activities, to develop transformative clean technologies and enable the expansion of current technologies.
Today's announcement builds on the work already underway to help farmers reduce emissions and develop technology to adapt to climate change. The Agricultural Clean Technology (ACT) Program is part of the government's strengthened climate plan, A Healthy Environment and a Healthy Economy.
