By Dori Modney (@Dori_Modney on Twitter)

Federal Government provides financial support for Canadian greenhouse industry

Nov 26, 2018 | 5:08 PM

VINELAND, ONT — It’s considered one of the fastest growing segments of Canadian horticulture across the country.
 
Greenhouse vegetable sales totaled over $1.4 billion in the past year, with $900 million of the sales in Ontario alone.  With that in mind, Agriculture Minister Lawrence MacAuly was at the Vineland Research and Innovation Centre on Monday (Nov 26) to announce $5 million in federal investment in the Automation Cluster under the Canadian Agricultural Partnership. The Cluster will be led by the Vineland Research and Innovation Centre Inc.

Among the biggest challenges for the agriculture sector is labour availability and labour shortages are estimated to cost the sector up to $1.5 billion in lost productivity and sales.

The Automation Cluster will help address labour costs and availability through automation, artificial intelligence, and precision agriculture technologies in the horticulture sector.

World-class researchers at Vineland will focus research over the next five years on three key areas, including:

— developing and testing robotic harvesters for greenhouse cucumbers;

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— developing smart, wireless irrigation technologies for potted flowers and vegetables; and

— developing state-of-the-art sensors that will help detect and monitor moisture levels in the soil and air.

MacAulay says his government is proud to support the innovative research at Vineland and we will continue to work with Canada’s growers and researchers to keep the sector on the cutting edge.
 
“This investment in automation will allow farms and greenhouses to work smarter and deliver higher quality jobs, ensuring they continue to meet the growing demand for top-quality products for Canadians and consumers around the world.”
 
The partnership includes programs and activities to enhance the competitiveness of the sector through research, science, and innovation. Through the AgriScience Program, a five-year, $338 million initiative, the government is supporting leading-edge discovery and applied science, and innovation driven by industry research priorities.