Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, October 3, 2023 – The Canadian Agri-Food Automation and Intelligence Network (CAAIN) today unveiled the fifth of seven stories showcasing the AgTech research & innovation being developed by the recipients of funding made available through its 2021 Open Competition.
CAAIN’s mandate from Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada is to fund technological responses to the most significant opportunities and challenges facing the nation’s agri-food producers and processors. That means supporting promising efforts with the potential to provide economic or environmental value. The featured stories demonstrate that CAAIN is doing just that, as do the 100+ collaborations the organization has nurtured and the $30M it is investing in 24 projects with a combined total value exceeding $90M.
“According to the Canadian Cattle Association, our nation’s beef sector contributes $22 billion to GDP at market prices, generating approximately 347,000 jobs in Canada either directly or indirectly, each of which yields another 3.9 jobs elsewhere in the economy,” explained CAAIN Program Manager, Garson Law. “Those numbers paint a vivid picture of an industry that demands our support, which is why we are so pleased to have funded the project whose story we’re telling today. This initiative is all about increasing efficiency and, therefore, producer profitability, which is a key contributor to food security, an issue of growing global concern.”
Utilisation of 3-D Real-Time Multispectral Cameras to Identify the Liveweight, Optimal Slaughter Weight, and Carcass Weight in Pre-Slaughter Cattle is a long title for important research that delivered significant results in accordance with its total price tag of $1,341,035. CAAIN contributed $354,647 to the Edmonton-based project. It’s a worthwhile investment that will pay dividends for years to come by improving sector-wide data collection and sharing, the net result of which will be to optimize production and minimize waste and loss. Simply put, ranchers will soon have access to state-of-the-art tools that will improve their financial viability, adding real value to a sector of vital importance to the Canadian economy.
For more information, read the story online.
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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 by performing three core functions. First, it supports the development of promising solutions to important challenges facing producers and primary food processors. Second, it is building an online, member-based network connecting Canada’s agricultural and technology stakeholders. Third, CAAIN is developing a digital platform to link nationwide, production-specific networks of smart farms, which will collaborate to validate and demonstrate emerging technology in diverse locations across the country.
| 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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