Nearly $4 million has been announced to help develop sustainable farming technologies in New Brunswick.
It is part of a new partnership involving McCain Foods, UNB’s McKenna Institute, ResearchNB, and the province.
Adrienne Oldford, executive director of the McKenna Institute, described it as a big opportunity for New Brunswick.
“In the past, we’ve seen a decline in farming. There’s a lot of risk to it,” Oldford said in an interview.
“The more information and the better data that farmers have and they can be more profitable, then it becomes a sector that is then attractive for people to enter and to be a part of it.”
A total of $3.75 million is being invested to help revolutionize digital agriculture, progress regenerative farming practices, and minimize the impact of climate change on farmland.
Oldford said the money will go toward a number of initiatives, including one that will look at how digital applications can be used.
“One example is to replicate data, and we call that a digital twin, and then farmers can take a look at different variables that impact output and yield, the types of materials that they use, and they can they can use that to look at different scenarios and how that will impact yield,” she said.
Max Koeune, president and CEO of McCain Foods, said the digital farm model will help potato farmers worldwide adopt practices that help regenerate soils, improve water management and biodiversity, and ensure a resilient farming operation.
The University of New Brunswick will also create a chair in digital agriculture to oversee research initiatives.
Additionally, the money will support various academic-led research projects in agricultural science, regenerative agriculture and smart farming practices, utilizing interactive analytics, and digital twin technologies.
