January 22, 2014 – Brandon, Manitoba – Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz announced today an investment of more than $3.7 million to the Prairie Oat Growers Association (POGA) to help oat producers sell more of their crop in the global marketplace.
POGA will receive more than $3 million from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s (AAFC) AgriInnovation Program for three research projects:
- Up to $2,905,829 for scientists to pursue collaborative research to develop new oat varieties targeted specifically for cultivation in the Canadian Prairies. These new varieties will be high-yielding, with enhanced resistance to disease.
- Up to $151,500 to create a new method of identifying genes for use in oat improvement. With the ability to identify desirable traits in oats, breeders will be able to create higher-value varieties, leading to increased commercial opportunities.
- Up to $109,500 to evaluate how oat beta-glucan improves the responsiveness of the immune system in horses. The beta-glucan fiber found in oats has been proven to deliver numerous health benefits to humans and is expected to do the same for horses, which may lead to increased exports of Canadian oats to markets abroad.
POGA will also receive an investment of up to $600,000 from AAFC’s AgriMarketing Program to help oat producers gain a foothold in the American equine market through the development of targeted marketing activities to promote Canadian oats as high-quality feed for horses. Activities include a multimedia advertising campaign to increase awareness of Canadian oats as healthy equine feed and attendance at trade shows and conferences where POGA can hold face-to-face meetings with equine experts, such as veterinarians and nutritional researchers.
Jeff English
Director of Communications
Office of the Honourable Gerry Ritz
613-773-1059
Media Relations
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
Ottawa, Ontario
613-773-7972
1-866-345-7972
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