AYLMER, ON, June 4, 2005 – Paul Steckle, MP for Huron-Bruce, on behalf of Andy Mitchell, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, and Steve Peters, Ontario Minister of Agriculture and Food, announced today the federal and provincial governments will provide up to $35 million for the Canada-Ontario Research and Development (CORD) program. Administered by the Agricultural Adaptation Council under the federal-provincial-territorial Agricultural Policy Framework on behalf of the Province of Ontario, the initiative will support new research and development projects within Ontario’s agriculture and agri-food sector.

“The Government of Canada is pleased to partner with the agri-food and research communities in ways that encourage transformation through innovation and collaboration,” said Mr. Steckle. “Through CORD, the Government of Canada will invest in projects that enhance the competitiveness, self reliance and long-term prosperity of the sector.”

“Strategic investments in research and development consistently yield significant returns to the agri-food industry,” said Minister Peters. “As long as we continue to broaden our knowledge base through the types of projects CORD will fund, we can be confident that we are building a foundation strong enough to support growth and change in the agriculture and food sector.”

“Increasing the value of our agricultural products is the key to improving our agri-food sector,” said Bob Bedggood, chair of the Agricultural Adaptation Council. He added the solutions to challenges facing Canada’s primary producers and downstream stakeholders are readily available, and that the CORD program will draw those innovative individuals and groups together. “Like most things in life, the difficult tasks are made easier when we work together, and CORD funding is intended to make a difference in that sense.”

CORD funds can be used for a variety of initiatives that will add value to farm production, explore new processing ventures or tap previously unused resources of information or expertise. Projects must include a focus on specific opportunities or challenges facing the province’s agri-food sector, enlist private sector support, demonstrate cost-sharing, address any gaps in support of research and technology transfer, and be market-oriented. The first round of projects, allocating more than $7 million to 70 research initiatives identified as priorities, has already been approved (see attached backgrounder).

“These programs encourage the innovative spirit that we know exists within our agricultural and research communities,” says Bedggood, noting that CORD has a long-standing history of success in supporting funds for worthy projects. “This investment provides a timely boost, to move those ideas from where people are just thinking about them, to the point where they’re putting the wheels in motion, bringing them closer to reality, and we need more of that in this province, and across the country.”

A pre-approval process, which includes a review by the Ontario Agricultural Commodity Council’s Research and Development Sector Committees, is in place for all applications. Projects will be assessed for the expected return on public investment, overall costs, industry support and potential benefits.

Full details on eligibility and all CORD criteria, as well as application forms, are available by visiting the Agricultural Adaptation Council website at www.adaptcouncil.org, or by contacting the AAC office at 519-822-7554. Funds from the CORD program will be available until March 31, 2008.

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For more information contact:

Nadine Buitenhuis, Communications Coordinator
Agricultural Adaptation Council
Phone: 519-822-7554
Fax: 519-822-6248
Email: nadine@adaptcouncil.org

Media Relations
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
Ottawa
Toll free: 1 866 345-7972

Susan McConnell
Director of Communications
Minister Peters’ office
(416) 326-6439
(416) 606-8303 cell


BACKGROUNDER

Projects approved in May, 2005 under the Canada-Ontario Research and Development (CORD) Program.

Total Project Costs = $10,022,012.80
Total CORD Funding = $7,266,655.80
Number of Project Applicants = 70

 

CORD PROJECT APPLICANT	CORD PROJECT TITLE	TOTAL  CORD FUNDING
Ontario Cattle Feeders' Association	Ontario Corn-Fed Beef Market Recovery Initiative	600,000.00
Canadian Mushroom Growers Association	Microbial Profile of Mushrooms	70,468.00
Ontario Pork	Environment and Food Safety Summit	24,000.00
Ontario Pork	Ontario Red Meat Branding Program	70,000.00
Flowers Canada (Ontario) Inc.	New & Improved Floriculture Crops	61,000.00
Flowers Canada (Ontario) Inc.	Modern Reduced Risk Pest Management	240,000.00
Flowers Canada (Ontario) Inc.	Techniques For Controlling Height of Plants	34,067.00
Flowers Canada (Ontario) Inc.	High Intensity Pulse Lighting in Greenhouses	16,000.00
Flowers Canada (Ontario) Inc.	Bedding Plant Evaluations for Ontario	30,000.00
Flowers Canada (Ontario) Inc.	Pathogen Resistance of Ornamental Crops by NSO	80,000.00
Ontario Veal Association	Ontario Veal Industry Development Initiative	985,000.00
Ontario Cattlemen's Association	Beef Industry Impact on the Ontario Economy	263,100.00
Ontario Cattlemen's Association	Research Communications Proposal	9,200.00
Ontario Cattlemen's Association	Genomic & Proteomic Approaches to Vaccines	30,000.00
Ontario Cattlemen's Association	C3d Early Calfhood Vaccination	20,000.00
Ontario Cattlemen's Association	Genetic Marker for Beef Tenderness	15,000.00
Ontario Cattlemen's Association	Quality Drinking Water and Animal Performance	15,000.00
Ontario Cattlemen's Association	Bovine Adenovirus-3 for Oral Vaccinations	30,000.00
Ontario Cattlemen's Association	DNA Based, Needle Free Vaccination Methods	20,000.00
Ontario Cattlemen's Association	Glycolytic Inhibitors to Improve Tenderness	28,912.00
Ontario Cattlemen's Association	Physiological Mechanism in Nutrient Control	40,000.00
Ontario Cattlemen's Association	Review and Summary of CORD Funded Projects	8,160.00
Ontario Soybean Growers	Assess and Control Soybean Prod Threats	30,000.00
Ontario Soybean Growers	Reducing Soybean Seed Costs	30,000.00
Ontario Soybean Growers	Soybean Rust Monitoring (Sentinel Plots)	138,000.00
Ontario Soybean Growers	Ontario Soybean Insect and Disease Survey	30,000.00
Ontario Soybean Growers	Develop Pest Resistant & Value-Added Soybeans	300,000.00
Ontario Soybean Growers	Evaluate Selected Plants for Rust Resistance	18,000.00
Ontario Soybean Growers	Cumulative Effect of Herbicide Stress on Soybeans	30,000.00
Ontario Soybean Growers	Develop High Oil Soybeans for Biodiesel Mrkts	45,000.00
Ontario Soybean Growers	Develop a Gene Chip-Based Screen for Soybean	82,500.00
Ontario Corn Producers' Association	Evaluate Value-Added Processing in U.S./ON	20,000.00
Ontario Corn Producers' Association	Effect of Time of Day on Herbicide Efficacy	30,000.00
Ontario Corn Producers' Association	Cumulative Stresses in Corn	30,000.00
Ontario Corn Producers' Association	Impact of Poncho Seed Treatment/Various Stress	5,000.00
Ontario Wheat Producers' Marketing	Weed Management In Wheat	109,000.00
Ontario Forage Council	Management Stress Tolerance of Forage Varieties	12,390.00
Oat & Barley Council of Ontario	Barley & Oat Seeding Rates/Dates for East ON	22,600.00
Oat & Barley Council of Ontario	Effects of Pearling Levels on Absorption	33,000.00
Oat & Barley Council of Ontario	Inheritance of Groat Yield in Milling Oat	19,800.00
Ontario Wheat Producers' Marketing	Weed Management Reduced Rates in C, S, & W	66,000.00
Ont Apple Growers'	Ontario Apple Promotional Initiative	115,000.00
Ont Apple Growers'	Ontario Apple Fall Promotion	18,000.00
Ontario Tender Fruit Producers' Mar	Plum Pox Virus/Domestic Prunus Certification	136,000.00
Ontario Tender Fruit Producers' Mar	Ontario Fruit Testing Association Support	5,000.00
Ontario Greenhouse Vegetable Growers	Irrigation Control for Rockwool Grown Crops	55,000.00
Ontario Greenhouse Vegetable Growers	Market Development/Market Data Analyst	167,500.00
Ontario Greenhouse Vegetable Growers	Develop Control Bacterial Canker in Tomato	111,200.00
Ontario Greenhouse Vegetable Growers	Somatic Embryogenesis to Breed GH Cucumber	75,000.00
Ontario Greenhouse Vegetable Growers	Evaluate Nutrient Solution Disinfection	31,500.00
Ontario Tender Fruit Producers' Marketing Board	Pear Breeding Program Support	10,919.00
Ontario Potato Board	Identify and Evaluate New Potato Germplasm	140,627.00
Ontario Potato Board	Enhance Sustainability Ontario Processing Industry	230,000.00
Grape Growers of Ontario	Small Cottage Winery Promotion - Here's to On	18,750.00
Fresh Vegetable Growers of Ontario	Fresh Vegetable Industry Assoc Development	420,000.00
Grape Growers of Ontario	Harmonia Axyridis and Juice/Wine Quality	85,500.00
Grape Growers of Ontario	Ontario Pest Alert	37,900.00
Grape Growers of Ontario	GGO Business & Research Analyst	225,000.00
Grape Growers of Ontario	OWN - Growing Degree Day Maturity	12,000.00

Ont Apple Growers'	Research and Development Coordinator	175,000.00
Ont Apple Growers'	Fungicide Resistance/Testing for Orchards	27,760.00
Ont Apple Growers'	GPS Mapping Commercial Apple Orchards	120,000.00
Ontario Fresh Grape Growers'	Market for Sovereign Coronation Table Grapes	71,127.80
Ontario Tender Fruit Producers'	Chilled Pitted Cherry Market Development	80,000.00
Ontario Tender Fruit Producers'	Ontario Fresh Fruit Market Development	440,000.00
Ontario Tender Fruit Producers'	Niagara Pest Alert	30,675.00
Ontario Tender Fruit Producers'	Fruit Breeding Program Support	45,000.00
Ontario Tender Fruit Producers'	OWN - Growing Degree Day Maturity Project	11,000.00
Flowers Canada (Ontario) Inc.	Advance Industry Driven R&D Strategy	330,000.00
Landscape Ontario Horticultural Trade Association	Develop Strategy to Deal With Invasive Pests	300,000.00
TOTAL CORD FUNDING ALLOCATED		$7,266,655.80

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For more information contact:

Nadine Buitenhuis, Communications Coordinator
Agricultural Adaptation Council
Phone: 519-822-7554
Fax: 519-822-6248
E-mail: nadine@adaptcouncil.org
Website: www.adaptcouncil.org