Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, March 22, 2024 – The Canadian Agri-Food Automation and Intelligence Network (CAAIN) today revealed eight recipients of two funding competitions held in 2023.
“Through our first two years of operation, we supported 24 projects with a combined total value of almost $81M,” said Darrell Petras, CAAIN’s CEO. “To that, we are pleased to announce that we will invest a further $4M in eight new initiatives whose combined total value exceeds $12M. In short, our project partners—most of whom are Canadian small or medium agtech enterprises—are activating approximately $100M in research and development investment in a sector that contributes over $143 billion to our GDP and employs 1 in 9 people in our country. At the risk of being immodest, we believe we are providing our funders—Canada’s taxpayers—with tremendous bang for their buck.”
CAAIN’s mandate from Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada is to focus its funding on technological advancements of importance to the agri-food sector. This announcement is further evidence of the organization’s commitment to supporting the development of technology needed to advance Canadian agriculture and primary food processing.
“The eight projects we’re unveiling today are the recipients of our 2023 Open Competition and our 2023 Livestock Innovation Program. The R&D is being conducted across seven provinces, as well as internationally. The project participants are developing technology focused on a range of challenges and opportunities, including honey production, animal health and safety, greenhouse gas reduction, and dairy productivity,” said Mr. Petras. “It’s worth noting that while only two of the projects focus specifically on sustainability, almost all will generate significant positive environmental benefits once complete. What’s more, the project teams will all be wading into the exciting world of artificial intelligence.”
For more information on the Canadian Agri-Food Automation and Intelligence Network, visit us online at caain.ca.
Click on the links below to find out more about the individual projects:
Data-Driven Dormant Apple Tree Pruning and Tree Vigour Models to Improve Farm Outcomes
Smart In-Ovo Sexing: Enhancing Performance of the Hyper-Eye System
Development of an Automatic Pork Quality Grading (APoG) System for Sustainable Pork Production
Smart Barn Technology for Swine Disease Prevention, Enhanced Biosecurity & Rapid Response
“Our government is proud to support the Canadian Agri-Food Automation and Intelligence Network and its research and development initiatives that tackle agri-food challenges at the root. By combining data science and intelligent machine learning with tried-and-true farming techniques, these projects are addressing efficiency gaps that will support the resilience of the sector for generations to come. With these new initiatives, the 10 recipients from across Canada will generate strong economic benefits.”
The Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry
“These investments demonstrate CAAIN’s commitment to supporting our agriculture industry. Cutting-edge projects like these in animal welfare, dairy production, and greenhouse gas monitoring will help enhance productivity, reduce environmental impacts, and promote the continued growth of the sector right across Canada.”
The Honourable Lawrence MacAulay, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food
“We know the future of agriculture must include a focus on innovation and new technologies to meet the rising challenges this sector faces. By funding innovation across Canada, we are helping to support Canada’s technology sector, farmers and producers to ensure we maintain a sustainable agriculture sector.”
Laura Kilcrease, Chair, CAAIN Board of Directors
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The Canadian Agri-Food Automation and Intelligence Network (CAAIN) is a not-for-profit company launched in July 2019 with funding of $49.5‑million from the Government of Canada’s Strategic Innovation Fund, and assistance from Alberta Innovates in the form of significant in-kind contributions. CAAIN drives collaborative agri-food technology research and innovation from coast to coast.
| Project Funding Inquiries Darrell Petras, P.Ag. CEO Canadian Agri-Food Automation and Intelligence Network darrell.petras@caain.ca |
Media Inquiries Eric Morin, CMP Manager, Communications and Marketing Canadian Agri-Food Automation and Intelligence Network 780.405.3742 | eric.morin@caain.ca |
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