An investment of over $21 million dollars is being made by PrairiesCan into about 14 different value-added agricultural projects.
Dignitaries, stakeholders, students, and others were on hand for the federal support announcement on Wednesday, July 3rd at the Smart Farm Operations Centre on the Olds College of Agriculture & Technology campus.
Dan Vandal, Minister for PrairiesCan, highlights the fact that the federal government is making strategic investments to build on Alberta’s solid track record of commercializing innovative products, services, and technologies the world needs. He says “They’re all projects that are going to look towards innovation using technology to provide better outcomes for value-added technology here in Alberta. So they’re all similar in that way. All in all we’ll create and maintain over 800 jobs with this investment.”
According to Vandal, these investments dovetail with the goal of the Framework to Build a Green Prairie Economy to create good jobs by helping build a stronger and more sustainable economic future in the communities across the prairies.
He reacted after being able to tour the Olds College Smart Farm. Vandal says “Well I learned that technology is more important than ever in agriculture and value-added agriculture and by funding the people on the ground, the farmers and organizations such as Olds College we get better outcomes.”
As part of the PrairiesCan investment, it is stated in a media release that Olds College will receive just over $3 million dollars to expand Smart Farm operations into Saskatchewan and purchase new equipment to increase capacity to research agricultural challenges impacting the Prairies, including food security, crop protection, livestock health, and environmental sustainability. He says “The timing is always right for innovation using technology to create jobs and to build better environmental outcomes. I’m on my way, I’m on an Alberta tour. I was in northern Alberta, near Edmonton earlier today. I’m on my way to Calgary for the Stampede. Perfect stop, right here.”
Vandal says PrairiesCan comes from Western Economic Diversification and it is a regional economic development agency for the prairie provinces of Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba – where he is from.