Joint Government Initiative to Help Fund Ontario Farmers’ Sustainable Water Management
Posted: January 7, 2013
Categories: economic development / Food in the News / Funding Opportunities / News from Sustain Ontario / Opportunities
Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz and Ontario Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Ted McMeekin have announced a joint investment of the federal and provincial government in a new Water Resource Adaptation and Management Initiative (WRAMI). The investment of up to $1.5 million will provide an opportunity for Ontario farmers to adopt sustainable on-farm water management practices by developing innovative technologies and solutions to water conservation and water use efficiency. Read the full news release on the Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada website.
Minister Ritz and Minister McMeekin promoted the initiative, part of the federal Economic Action Plan, as a move to support the industry to be more productive and competitive in the face of a changing climate. “This Economic Action Plan investment will help Ontario farmers make better use of available water supplies and irrigation systems, and ultimately lower their costs,” said Minister Ritz, as cited in the news release.
From the Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada news release:
“Managing water more effectively is an important part of mitigating and adapting to climate change and the extreme weather it brings,” said Minister McMeekin. “Working together to bring innovative practices and technologies to farmers is one of the best paths to a more productive, competitive, and sustainable future for the entire industry.”
Up to $1 million will be available for projects through Farm & Food Care Ontario on behalf of the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. Project applications are now available on the Farm & Food Care Ontario website. The balance of the funding will be used to draft guidelines for drainage design, benchmarking studies on water use/water efficiency, and informing farmers about best management practices on water efficiency, distributing the knowledge gained from the funded projects.
The call for proposals will include the following two components:
- Projects or research studies on innovative water conservation and efficiency equipment, technologies, and practices. These projects could include the use of innovative equipment for irrigation, recommendations for water conservation in livestock operations, good soil management practices, and developing drought-tolerant crops; and
- The communication of project results through workshops, presentations, outreach, and education materials designed to highlight technologies related to water conservation.
[Ed: Applications and additional information are available on the WRAMI page of the Farm & Food Care Ontario website. The applications for demonstration and pilot projects are due February 15, 2013.]
“Farm & Food Care Ontario is pleased to be involved in this environmental initiative on behalf of our members. This initiative will provide practical examples of water conservation technologies that can help farmers adopt their water use practices to the impacts of climate change. Given that 2012 was a dry year across most of the province, this project has even greater relevance to Ontario farmers,” said John Maaskant, Chair, Farm & Food Care Ontario.
The federal portion of this investment is being made through the Agricultural Flexibility Fund, part of the Economic Action Plan. The five-year (2009-14) program was created to help reduce production costs, improve environmental sustainability, promote innovation, and respond to emerging opportunities and market challenges for the sector.
For more information about Canada’s Economic Action Plan, visit www.actionplan.gc.ca.