OTTAWA,
ON, July 22, 2024 /CNW/ - Today, ahead of
Dairy Farmers of Canada's 2024
Annual General Meeting in St. John's,
Newfoundland and Labrador,
the Honourable Lawrence MacAulay, Minister of Agriculture and
Agri-Food, announced an investment of more than $8.5 million for two projects led by Dairy
Farmers of Canada (DFC) through
the AgriAssurance Program – National Industry Association
Component, an initiative under the Sustainable Canadian
Agricultural Partnership.
The investment will allow DFC to improve existing producer
support tools, such as the national dairy cattle traceability
program, DairyTrace, and the related proAction® quality
assurance program, which provides a framework for high standards of
farming.
DFC will be receiving up to $5,000,000 over five years to advance
sustainability and public trust in the dairy industry, leveraging
the proAction quality assurance program. The proAction program
ensures Canadian dairy farms maintain high standards in terms of
environmental impact, food safety, animal care, and more.
Environmental stewardship is a top priority for the Government of
Canada, and the on-farm
assessments through proAction, and projects planned through DFC's
sustainability initiatives, will assess areas such as greenhouse
gas emissions, carbon sequestration, water use, and biodiversity,
to help farmers make environmentally conscious decisions in their
farming practices.
DFC will also be receiving up to $3,572,786 over five years to build on their
existing tools and strengthen DairyTrace to help protect and
enhance animal health, public trust, and
sustainability. Traceability supports the sustainability and
viability of the dairy industry by helping prevent the spread of
disease, thereby promoting more sustainable food production and
supporting new federal regulations for animal health.
Quotes
"Dairy farms are at the heart of so many communities across the
country, and I know just how hard our dairy farmers work to provide
us with top-quality products while caring for their animals and the
environment. Today's investment is about giving Dairy Farmers of
Canada the support they need to
help farmers adopt sustainable practices to lower emissions, and
improve the traceability and safety of dairy products."
- The Honourable Lawrence
MacAulay, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food
"Canadian dairy farmers are working hard to make their farms
more sustainable. We are helping make sure they can provide some of
the world's best milk, cheese and other products for future
generations."
- The Honourable Gudie
Hutchings, Minister of Rural Economic Development and Minister
responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency
"DFC welcomes these AAFC investments which will help the
Canadian dairy industry find long-term success in safety and
sustainability. These programs go hand in hand: improved
traceability protects against and prevents disease spread,
supporting the viability of our nation's dairy farms. This results
in less waste and a more sustainable food supply chain for all
Canadians."
- David
Wiens, President of Dairy Farmers of Canada
Quick facts
- The Canadian dairy industry is a vital pillar of rural
communities across Canada, and a
key economic driver. In 2023, there were 9,443 dairy farms in
Canada supporting more than 45,000
direct jobs.
- The AgriAssurance Program – National Industry Association
Component, under the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership,
provides funding to national industry associations for
national-level projects to help industry develop, verify and
integrate assurance systems to address market and regulatory
requirements and to enable industry to make credible, meaningful
and verifiable claims about the health, safety and quality of
Canadian agriculture products.
- The Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership is a
$3.5-billion, 5-year agreement
(April 1, 2023 to March 31, 2028), between the federal, provincial
and territorial governments to strengthen the competitiveness,
innovation, and resiliency of Canada's agriculture, agri‐food and agri‐based
products sector.
- Dairy Farmers of Canada is the
national policy, advocacy and promotional organization representing
Canadian dairy producers. Dairy Farmers of Canada seeks to maintain policies that promote
the sustainability of Canadian dairy production and promote dairy
products and their health benefits. Dairy farmers have set a goal
of net-zero emissions from farm-level dairy production by
2050.
Associated links
- AgriAssurance Program – National Industry Association
Component
- Dairy Farmers of Canada
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