GFO: Farm innovation program needs renewal
Many projects funded through the Farm Innovation Program (FIP), a $12 million program that was part of Growing Forward, will be concluding over the next few weeks.
Grain Farmers of Ontario (GFO) is optimistic that a renewal of FIP will be considered in Growing Forward 2 because of the tremendous impact it has on Ontario agriculture. To date, a total of $2.3 million has been allocated to corn, soybean and wheat projects through FIP and GFO has used 100 percent of this allocation to fund a total of 29 projects.
Outcomes of the grain-focused projects include the Corn Production Calculator, fact sheets about managing soybean cyst nematode (SCN), long term tillage and rotation trials, and a DNA barcode database of nearly 300 weeds of agriculture in Ontario.
The goal of FIP has been to increase the development, adaptation, assessment, and adoption of on-farm innovative technologies that help agricultural producers respond to changing demands.
“Through these projects new recommendations, or modifications to current production practices, have been developed that can significantly improve crop protection and yields for Ontario’s grain farmers,” said Crosby Devitt, manager of market development and research at GFO.
GFO is advocating for the renewal of FIP, as they feel funding is critical to continue leading-edge research.
