Minister announces projects under clean technology program

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This article was published 19/07/2022 (1553 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Ottawa is offering the carrots — and trying to avoid using the sticks — to push farmers and agri-businesses to greener practices.

“We hope to go far enough with incentives,” said Agriculture and Agri-Food Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau, who announced 28 new projects under the federal Agricultural Clean Technology program Monday.

More than $2.5 million will support five Manitoba projects, Bibeau said. The five — True North Foods in Carman, JDD Farms in Gilbert Plains, Seymour Farms in Manitou, Enterprises Louis Balcaen Inc. in La Broquerie and Rolling Acres in Eden — join 14 others in Manitoba who’ve been funded through the Agricultural Clean Technology program.

“Funding and support is needed,” said Sheldon Stott, HyLife’s corporate sustainability director and a speaker at Monday’s news conference.

HyLife, one of Canada’s largest pork producers, received money through the federal program earlier this year.

“(Climate change is) becoming a very front and centre issue for livestock production and agriculture in general,” Stott said.

“It’s important that the focus still remain on trying to find cleaner, more efficient climate-friendly solutions, but always keeping in mind that we have a job… to feed the world.”

HyLife was approved for more than $260,000 to use towards development of a mobile manure separator. The company transports phosphorus created from its hogs to phosphorus-deficient areas in Manitoba.

“The initial stages were small,” Stott said, adding the funding helped with research to make the project more efficient.

The Agricultural Clean Technology program focuses on green energy and energy efficiency, precision agriculture and bioeconomy solutions. Canadian projects receiving its funding could reduce current pollution levels by up to 0.8 megaton, according to the federal government.

True North Foods was approved for around $1.3 million to install an organic converter and rendering system. The feds are funding Manitoban companies for new grain dryers, and biomass boilers and furnaces, among other technologies.

“We’re working hard on encouraging everyone to adopt the latest practices and technologies, and also to invest in research and innovation to develop more and faster,” Bibeau said.

Approved companies receive a minimum $50,000 towards their project.

Bibeau announced a more than $8.7 million investment to projects across Canada Monday while at FortWhyte Alive.

To date, the Agricultural Clean Technology program has logged 138 projects and up to $42.3 million in funding.

It’s part of Ottawa’s pledge to invest more than $1 billion in agriculture sector funding, as part of an initiative to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Bibeau said another call for proposals from farmers and businesses will come later this year. The first launched around two years ago, leading to 2022’s ACT program funding announcements, she said.

gabrielle.piche@winnipegfreepress.com