AAFC funding development of pest and disease spray analytics platform

Feb 24, 2022

On Feb. 16, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Marie-Claude Bibeau announced up to $875,000 to Ukko Agro Inc. to support the development of an analytics platform to aid in better controlling diseases and insects in various crops. This innovative platform would provide decision makers a heads-up of up to seven days on field-level spray recommendations to proactively manage risks to crops, improve food production sustainability, and increase yield.

“Canadian farmers rely on cutting-edge science and research to ensure the sustainable development of their businesses,” Bibeau said in a press release. “Our commitment to funding the latest agricultural technologies helps them not only feed a growing population and protect the environment, but also grow.”

Precision agriculture tools are helping farmers better manage their operations and become more efficient. These new types of technology are supporting farmers in their efforts to preserve valuable resources while providing more protection against diseases and insects. With the AgriInnovate program, under the Canadian Agricultural Partnership (CAP), the Government of Canada is providing repayable contributions for projects that aim to accelerate the commercialization, adoption and/or demonstration of innovative products, technologies, processes or services that increase agri-sector competitiveness and sustainability.

This investment will help advance the technology that modern farm operations need to enhance efficiency and yields. By bringing more of this technology to the marketplace, agricultural technology companies such as Ukko Agro Inc. are ensuring Canada remains a leader in the precision agriculture market.

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Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.