Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives

18 Research and Development Projects Receive $902,000 in ARDI Grants

June 19, 2006 - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

The Agri-Food Research and Development Initiative (ARDI) has funded 18 research and development projects in Manitoba for a total of $902,070. Research areas covered in these projects include cereal crops, oilseeds, forages, food processing and development, functional foods and nutraceuticals, soil sustainability, manure management and livestock.

“Canada’s new government is changing the way agriculture science and research is done in our country, with a new vision and strategy which will have a positive impact on our agriculture and agri-food industry and for Canadians generally,” said the Honourable Chuck Strahl, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food and Minister for the Canadian Wheat Board. “Supporting research initiatives like these is one of the many new ways the federal government is investing in our farmers and in our future.”

“These 18 projects demonstrate the broad scope of agriculture and agri-food R&D taking place in Manitoba,” said ARDI Council Chair David Gislason. “ARDI’s purpose is to support innovative research that will aid Manitoba farmers in extracting more value from farm production. These projects aim to do that in many different ways.”

“Innovative research is taking agricultural products, value-added products and processes to a higher level of efficiency, creating new opportunities and benefits for Manitoba producers and entrepreneurs,” said Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives Minister Rosann Wowchuk. “Each step forward rewards the potential for economic benefits to rural communities, health benefits to Manitobans and environmental benefits to our province.”

ARDI-funded projects include:

• Assessing the nutritional and antioxidant capacity of strawberries, raspberries, chokecherries, saskatoon berries, wild blueberries and sea buckthorn. The project will conduct analysis to establish a data base for the nutritional and phytochemical content of these fruits. In order to capitalize on the functional food and natural health product market, Manitoba fruit growers and processors need evidence to show the nutritional value of their products. Brokers from international markets are demanding details on the presence of flavonoids, anthocyanins and antioxidants in Manitoba fruits so that they can be marketed in places like the European Union. Contact: Dr. Arnie Hydamaka, University of Manitoba in Winnipeg (204) 474-9642. Project 05.739 on ARDI’s website.
• Strengthening the position of Canadian oats in the food industry by establishing and marketing new food and industrial uses beyond oatmeal, granola bars and limited bakery applications.  This research will explore technical issues such as stabilization of oat enzymes and functional properties of the various oat fractions in order to generate opportunities for new value-added oat products. The purpose of the research is to increase the value of oats grown in western Canada. Contact: Dr. Nancy Ames, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada in Winnipeg (204) 983-1461. Project 05.735 on ARDI’s website.  
• Separating liquids and solids in hog waste to improve manure management. The most pressing environmental challenge facing livestock manure management today is excess nitrogen and phosphorous. Solids in liquid waste contain a relatively high proportion of manure’s phosphorous content. The system tested in this research removes solids (and phosphorous) from liquid effluent before the manure is sent to a containment lagoon or spread as fertilizer. The project will also increase the amount of recoverable solids available for use as a marketable fertilizer. Contact: Derek Gross, Home Farms Technologies Inc. in Brandon (204) 725-0008. For more information, see project 05.740 on ARDI’s website.
• Studying longevity in a sow herd. This project is one of the first experiments to be conducted at the National Center for Livestock and the Environment. The research will study sows under two housing/management systems (conventional and straw base) to determine if there are ways to improve sow longevity and welfare. This project will also include an economic model of sow longevity.  Contact: Nora Lewis, University of Manitoba in Winnipeg (204) 474-9443. Project 05.723 on ARDI’s website.

ARDI is a research and development granting program of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives. It is funded through the Agricultural Policy Framework, a federal-provincial-territorial long-term action plan for agriculture.

For a complete list of the most recently approved projects, please see ARDI’s website at www.gov.mb.ca/agriculture/research/ardi/.

For more information, please contact:
Rhea Yates, ARDI Communications
Phone: (204) 896-6926 Cell: (204) 293-4894