Farmers in British Columbia are accessing new technology with aid from federal and provincial funding programs, the government recently revealed.
Facilitated by the B.C. On-Farm Technology Adoption Program and delivered through Innovate BC’s Integrated Marketplace initiative, local farmers are receiving funding to help grow their businesses and increase food production and security in the province, according to Lawrence MacAulay, federal Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food.
“Our farmers work hard every day to grow top-quality products,” stated MacAulay. “With investments through the B.C. On-Farm Technology Adoption Program, more of British Columbia’s farmers have been able to make improvements on their farms that will allow them to become more efficient and keep feeding their communities.”
The B.C. On-Farm Technology Adoption Program is helping farmers adopt new technology, such as automation, robotics, and advanced growing and storage solutions, says Pam Alexis, B.C.’s Minister of Agriculture and Food.
“Integrating new agritech on farms means farmers can improve how they plant, grow, harvest, pack and store the food they produce, which allows them to grow their businesses and provide for the communities they live in,” said Alexis. “By helping farmers purchase and install equipment that boosts their efficiency and bottom line, we are strengthening food security and production in BC.”
Specifically, the B.C. On-Farm Technology Adoption Program provides funding up to $150,000 for farmers to purchase technology to enhance profitability, productivity, and efficiency.
“Developing a strong agritech industry is critical to building a sustainable, local food supply, as well as contributing to new jobs and economic growth for communities in BC,” stated Brenda Bailey, B.C.’s Minister of Jobs, Economic Development and Innovation. “The On-Farm Technology Adoption program is helping farmers add technology, like robotic weeders and robotic pickers, to their operations so farmers can continue to farm and provide good food and good jobs for people in BC.”
The first intake of the program funded 54 projects throughout the province to purchase and install equipment, such as a soil-moisture and leaf-wetness sensor in a vineyard, automated composter for field crops, and an automated water pump for a berry farm.
Examples include the Fraser Valley’s Van Eekelen Enterprises, which used the program to acquire Robot One, an A.I.-powered robotic weeder for its field vegetables, and Kelowna’s Sandhar Farms, which bought a high-tech fruit-picking platform for its orchard. Camirlaney Farms in Delta received funding to upgrade its potato storage with computer panels and digital sensors to control the storage temperature, reducing crop damage.
“Agriculture and other provincial industries continue to face a changing landscape with factors like rising costs and labour shortages,” posits Peter Cowan, who serves as chief executive of Innovate BC. “By reducing risk and creating new avenues to acquire innovative technologies, we can help B.C. businesses like farms be more efficient and remain competitive in response.”
The next intake for the program is this summer.
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