Governments invest more than $4.8 million for agriculture research

Winnipeg, Manitoba – Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada - As part of the Canadian Agricultural Partnership, the governments of Canada and Manitoba are investing more than $4.8 million for 22 projects under the Ag Action Manitoba Research and Innovation Activity Stream, federal Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, Marie-Claude Bibeau, and Manitoba Agriculture Minister Ralph Eichler, announced today at the St. Boniface Hospital.

 

Researchers at the St. Boniface Hospital Research Centre will be receiving more than $650,000 to conduct four separate studies on the economic and health related effects of flaxseed and flax milk. Areas of study include the effect of flax milk on chemotherapy side-effects experienced by breast cancer patients; how flax milk can improve arterial hypertension; how memory and cognition are affected by flaxseed; and comparing the effects of fish oil to flax oil.

 

The Ag Action Manitoba Research and Innovation Activity Stream provides grant funding for researcher and industry-led projects that contribute to the development of agricultural knowledge and skills and improve the competitiveness and sustainability of Manitoba’s agriculture, agri-food and agri-product sectors.

Video: Season 6, Episode 12: Veterinarians’ Perspectives on Managing Swine Herd Health Across All Phases

Identifying challenges in swine production and turning them into solutions through research and team development is the focus of this episode. Dr. Christine Mainquist-Whigham of Pillen Family Farms and DNA Genetics shares insights on herd health, biosecurity and trial work to improve pig performance. She also discusses her team’s research philosophy, how they evaluate rate of investment and how they gather feedback from employees to address challenges and maintain herd health across all phases of production. Dr. Carlos Roudergue of Country View Family Farms discusses the growing complexity of swine production, especially as technology increases and employee interaction decreases. He also shares how their workforce is shifting toward more specialized roles to support herd health and efficiency.