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COUNTRY LIFE IN BC • DECEMBER 2016
Innovators challenged to make agriculture better Ag ministry partners with Innovation Council to offer technology development incentive
by DAVID SCHMIDT
KELOWNA – Four BC agritech innovators will each receive $20,000 to work on a solution for one or more problems facing BC agriculture.
The BC Ministry of
Agriculture and BC Innovation Council (BCIC) launched its Agritech Innovation Challenge just prior to the BC Agrifood and Seafood Conference in Kelowna on November 14. Saying “technology will help us sustain BC food security,” BC Minister of Agriculture Norm Letnick called the challenge an opportunity to “identify needs in agriculture and marry technology with agriculture.”
Because of the world’s skyrocketing population, farmers will have to produce more food in 2050 than they
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have in the entire history of the world, says Bioenterprise Corporation president Dave Smardon.
“The only way to meet that demand is through innovation,” he said.
Innovators have been asked to focus on enhancing productivity and profitability in blueberries through mechanization, minimizing losses through improved pest management, promoting sustainable practices and finding efficiencies in greenhouses, and developing revenue streams for and/or addressing environmental concerns in nutrient management.
During the day-long closed session, innovators were given descriptions of the challenges from former BC Blueberry Council chair Jason Smith, BCMA regional agrologist Julie Robinson, greenhouse industry specialist Dave Woodske and Hallbar Consulting managing director Michael Gilbert.
“Some things blueberry growers and packers are looking for are a better machine harvester and
improved colour- sorting
technology,” Smith said by way of example. Innovators
have been asked to submit “solution
templates” to BCIC by
December 16. A panel of
representatives
from BCIC, BCMA, Western Economic Diversification and other potential funding agencies will then review the
NORM LETNICK
applications. In early January, one proposal in each challenge area will be selected for mentorship to further develop their solution. “We hope to have some
proposals ready for the BC Tech Summit in March,” says BCMA
innovation and adaptation services branch executive director Joan Easton.
Mentorship will come from PROVINCE NEEDS TO ANTE UP TOOLS FOR THE JOB
www.AgSafeBC.ca USE THE RIGHT
priority. That trust has been declining steadily in recent years and the council is working on ways to rebuild it. Ens calls the funding “an opportunity for government to invest some of its surplus in agriculture,” claiming “too many opportunities have been stalled” because of a lack of co- ordination among programs. While $15 million is a large ask, he notes that with almost 30 commodity organizations under the BCAC umbrella, “the money will go quickly.” Speaking of going quickly, Ens told Mainland Milk Producers that this year’s Best Management Practices funding under the
Environmental Farm Plan is long gone but another round of funding will be available in
April 2017, the final year in BCAC’s contract to deliver the EFP program. He therefore urged producers to look at and/or complete their EFPs over the winter so they will be ready to apply for the new funding in the spring.
One area they should focus on is nutrient management as that is expected to be a cornerstone of the new agriculture waste
management regulation. “We expect a new
regulation by Christmas,” Ens told the MMP meeting on November 2.
BC Dairy Association financial officer Paul Hargreaves, who has been involved in BC Ministry of the Environment consultations on the proposed new regulations, says MoE is looking at a risk- based approach. As part of that effort, it has mapped out areas where applications of phosphorus and/or nitrogen pose a high risk to the
such technology incubators as Bioenterprise, Accelerate Okanagan and the Sumas Regional Consortium for High Tech.
“Five years ago, there were only five to seven agritech incubators in the world. Now, they’re everywhere,” Smardon said.
Although the BCMA is only putting up $80,000 for the four successful innovators, Easton notes the adjudication panel includes other funders who may be able to provide additional funding to support each project.
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environment. It has also mapped sensitive aquifers and other watercourses which will need special attention. “If you are in a high-risk area, you will have to balance nutrient loading with crop usage of those nutrients so there is no negative impact on the environment,” Hargreaves told producers.
The new regulations will require farmers to “prove that manure is a resource and not a waste,” Ens added.
Although the industry is not likely to see a draft of the regulation before it is passed, he told producers he hopes the input the sector has provided during the
consultation will result in rules they can live with. To that end, both he and Hargreaves complimented Ministry of Agriculture staff, saying they have been extremely supportive during development of the regulation.
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