CAAIN Awarding $1.7M to Six Agtech Innovators

Applicants from BC to Nova Scotia Make the Grade

CAAIN’s mandate from Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) is to fund technological responses to the most significant opportunities and challenges facing the nation’s agri-food producers and primary processors. That means supporting promising efforts with the potential to provide economic or environmental value. The $1,705,402 we are committing to these six worthy recipients will take CAAIN’s five-year investment total in emerging agtech to more than $38M; the $5,485,772 total value of the six winning projects elevates the total value of our 48 supported innovations to over $122M.

“Over the past five years and through 14 funding competitions, CAAIN has been building a remarkable track record in Canadian agtech. The six projects we are unveiling today represent the next chapter of that success,” said CAAIN CEO Darrell Petras, P.Ag. “What excites me most is the sheer diversity of these innovations. We aren’t just funding one sector; we are strengthening the entire agri-food value chain.

“Teams in Halifax and Calgary are optimizing dairy logistics and feed marketplaces; experts in New Brunswick and Ontario are using AI to monitor herd health and track avian disease; and in Toronto and BC, our partners are developing high-tech shields against drought and pests. From the milk in our fridges to the fruit in our orchards, these technologies are securing the future of Canadian food sovereignty.”

For more information on the winning submissions, we invite you to check out the projects online at:

• https://caain.ca/projects/5433/ (A Halifax, NS-based project focused on developing an AI-powered scheduling tool designed to transform raw milk transportation logistics and processor throughput across the dairy supply chain.)
• https://caain.ca/projects/orchard-pest-management/ (A Surrey, BC-based project that aims to increase agricultural productivity and sustainability by reducing pesticide use, optimizing pest control efforts, and lowering operational costs for growers.
• https://caain.ca/projects/soma-dairy/ (A Fredericton, NB-based project focused on developing advanced AI tools to detect early signs of metabolic disorders like ketosis and to optimize Energy-Corrected Milk production across large and diverse dairy herds in Canada.)
• https://caain.ca/projects/fhg-poultry/ (A Guelph, ON-based project that will develop improved disease mapping and prediction tools, control zone monitoring, and communications technology for the Canadian poultry sector.)
• https://caain.ca/projects/oxandplow/ (A Calgary, AB-based project focused on developing a digital platform that enables feed brokers, buyers, and nutritionists to connect seamlessly, upgrading the sector’s overall effectiveness, reducing waste, and improving animal health.)
• https://caain.ca/projects/4996/ (A Toronto, ON-based project whose goal is to develop a crop-specific, phenology-sensitive Drought Severity Index for daily monitoring of crop drought stress at both regional and field-levels.)

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About CAAIN

The Canadian Agri-Food Automation and Intelligence Network (CAAIN) is a not-for-profit company launched in 2020 with funding from the Government of Canada. CAAIN provides a significant return on taxpayer investment as it drives collaborative agri-food technology research and innovation from coast to coast.

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