Province invests in future of livestock research

Two new research facilities in Elora have received provincial funding to foster innovation in Ontario’s livestock industry.

Construction is now underway on the new swine research facility that will use state-of-the-art technology to build Ontario’s capacity and expertise to support cutting-edge swine research. The Government of Ontario contributed $14.4 million and Ontario Pork provided $3.6 million for the project.

Through the Canadian Agricultural Partnership the governments of Canada and Ontario are advancing beef nutritional research with an investment of $1.3 million at the Ontario Beef Research Centre. The beef nutrition research investment supports the purchase of 96 Insentec feeders, a digitized precision feeding system that tracks and adjusts the nutrition for each individual cow as needed. Results from the research will produce healthier cattle and reduces waste, making beef farmers more competitive in the global marketplace.

“By investing in agri-food research and supporting the livestock sector, our government is building Ontario to ensure the continued economic growth of the industry and rural Ontario,” said Lisa Thompson, Ontario’s Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs

These investments build on previous initiatives and programs that support the livestock sector, including:

• $500,000 for precision feed handling and mixing equipment which supports nutritional research for the expanded beef and dairy research herds at the Ontario Beef Research Centre – Elora.
• $7 million in the Meat Processors Capacity Improvement Initiative for provincially licensed meat processors to help them purchase equipment to increase productivity and efficiency, and prevent slowdowns.
• $10 million in the Agri-Food Workplace Protection Program to help provincially licensed meat processors maintain a safe workplace.
• $5 million in emergency drought support for livestock farmers in Northwestern Ontario in addition to $2 million to cover immediate needs like feed, water and fencing with an additional investment of up to $15,000 per eligible farms for permanent water projects in northwestern Ontario.
• Financial assistance provided to beef and hog producers to help offset the feeding costs during processing delays caused by COVID-19.