A key announcement coming out of the Saskatchewan Beef Industry Conference this week.Â
Agriculture Minister David Marit announcing $6 million in federal/provincial funding for 34 livestock and forage research projects, 12 of those projects are being co-funded with industry partners kicking in over $298 thousand.
Those funders include the Saskatchewan Alfalfa Seed Producers Development Commission, Saskatchewan Canola Development Commission, Saskatchewan Cattlemen's Association, Saskatchewan Forage Seed Development Commission, Sask Milk, Alberta Milk, and Results Driven Agriculture Research out of Alberta.
Marit says scientific research is the engine that drives innovation and competitiveness and helps keep Saskatchewan’s world-class agriculture producers doing what they do best.
"These investments enable researchers and institutions to do the work that helps position our producers to meet the global market needs of tomorrow. Research drives sustainability in the livestock sector."
The ADF funding will focus on 12 swine projects, 8 beef, 2 beef and dairy, 1 dairy, 2 environment projects, 7 forage, 3 projects with one each related to honeybees, poultry and sheep.
Research will be conducted through AAFC, Alberta Invasive Species Council, Lakeland College, Prairie Swine Centre, the University of Regina and the University of Saskatchewan.
Some of the projects being funded include benchmarking western Canadian dairy-beef calf management practices and their impacts, maximizing wheat straw use in the diet of beef cattle with canola or flax screenings supplementation, accelerating the development of forage wheat varities for improved forage quality and biomass, and the development of a non-antibiotic treatment for swine dysentery.
A complete list of the ADF projects can be found here.