Deoxynivalenol (DON) Call for Proposals will benefit corn sector
Staff Writer
Farms.com
Ag organizations supporting or representing the corn sector value chain can turn to a new initiative for assistance in light of obstacles from the DON toxin.
The Deoxynivalenol (DON) Call for Proposals, a targeted intake from the Agricultural Adaptation Council (AAC), is “a federal-provincial-territorial initiative, delivered by the AAC on behalf of the Province of Ontario and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada,” a Tuesday AAC release said.
Cost-share funding is offered for eligible Ontario organizations and collaborations. The funding will benefit projects that assist the corn sector value chain in recognizing DON-related challenges.
Organizations can apply for DON-affiliated undertakings under any of the 19 project categories, with a preference for projects that fall under the Plant Health - Applied Research, Pilot Projects and Demonstration category, and the Plant Health - Skills Development, Training and Education category.
Applicants who wish to apply under other project categories can contact AAC.
The demand for timely action to assist the province’s grain farmers and the agricultural sector is reasoning for the initiative, Lawrence MacAulay, federal minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, said in the release.
“Through the Canadian Agricultural Partnership, we are providing support to farmers and industry as they manage the current challenges caused by the DON toxin, while also looking towards future solutions to ensure the sustainability and prosperity of our grain sector,” MacAulay said.
Inclement weather throughout the 2018 harvest season is further reasoning for the initiative, said Ernie Hardeman, Ontario's minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, in the release.
“Many of our farmers and others who work in our corn value chain are dealing with a significant weather-caused challenge with high levels of DON in parts of this year’s corn crop,” he said. “We’re concerned and taking action to respond because we want our farmers and others working in our agricultural sector to succeed.”
The application intake will assist affected growers with the cost of DON testing, and will also support new projects in the sector to “help address challenges at different points in the corn value chain, such as finding ways to best process or market corn impacted by DON,” Hardeman added.
AAC’s initiative will likely earn applications from ag groups focused on research, training and education, and will benefit “all organizations and collaborations along the corn value chain, such as elevators, feed mills, ethanol processors and the livestock sector,” Laura Feil, AAC’s programs lead and communications manager, told Farms.com today.
The Canadian Agricultural Partnership is finding this initiative, with the deadline for applications being Jan. 10, 2019 at 4:30 p.m.
More information can be found on the AAC
website.
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