A $14-million federal investment into research and innovation should help keep Canada's beef industry competitive on the world market, Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz said Tuesday.
At a news conference at Soderglen Ranches near Airdrie, Ritz said the funding will be spread over five years and managed by the Beef Cattle Research Council, a division of the Canadian Cattlemen's Association. The council will use the money to fund research in the areas of beef quality and safety, animal health and welfare, feed production, and environmental sustainability.
"Globally, consumers are becoming much more educated about food, and conscientious about how they choose to spend when it comes to feeding their families," Ritz said. "A big part of our ongoing success in keeping Canada's beef sector ahead of the pack are these strategic investments in science, innovation, and of course traceability."
Provincial governments are contributing an additional $1 million to the research program, while the beef industry itself will contribute $5 million – money raised largely from the mandatory $1 per head checkoffprogram producers pay into when they market their cattle.
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