Mr. Basillais began his career with the CDC as an economist in 2003. He has held various leadership positions with the CDC, and was named Director of Policy and Economics in 2016. He brings to the position of CEO extensive experience with both the CDC and the sector.

Mr. Riendeau was first appointed as CEO of the CDC in 2018. As CEO, he has worked to improve collaboration between segments of the dairy supply chain, and supported the modernization of supply management. 

The CEO will deliver on the CDC’s annual plan, and will contribute to delivering on the priorities outlined in the CDC’s mandate letter. The mandate letter recognizes the importance of a vibrant and sustainable dairy sector to Canada’s economy, as well as the importance of dairy supply management for rural communities and farm families across the country. The mandate letter calls on the CDC to continue to advance the Government of Canada’s ambitious environmental commitments and support climate resiliency. It also outlines priorities in the areas of transparency, innovation, international trade, engagement, and inclusivity.

In 2016, the Government of Canada implemented an open, transparent and merit-based process for selecting Governor in Council appointees. Appointees play a fundamental role in Canada’s democracy by serving on commissions, boards, Crown corporations, agencies and tribunals across the country.

“With over 20 years of service at the Canadian Dairy Commission, Benoit Basillais is very familiar with both the stakeholders and the issues facing the dairy industry. Now as CEO, I trust that he will make a significant contribution to the success of the dairy industry while increasing the transparency of the pricing mechanism. I would also like to thank Serge Riendeau for the invaluable contribution he made during his four years at the helm of the Commission.”

says Marie-Claude Bibeau, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food.

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Across Canada, start-ups focused on agricultural innovations are developing breakthrough technologies to help address farm management challenges. These technological advancements are important to providing farmers with access to the tools they need to maximize production, increasing food supply, and boosting economic growth.

SomaDetect Inc., located in Halifax, Nova Scotia, provides dairy farmers with access to data on milk quality, reproductive status, and herd health indicators from every cow at every milking. With funding of up to $707,873, the company will combine its sensors with artificial intelligence to deliver real-time milk quality information at the farm level. Farmers can closely monitor information to keep their herd healthy and free of diseases, and improve reproductive success rate, ultimately producing the best possible milk for consumers.

Vivid Machines Inc., located in Toronto, Ontario, provides fruit and vegetable growers with a computer vision system that captures visible and chemical details of every plant across a crop, from bud to harvest. With funding of up to $390,297, the company will develop its sensor and vision technology to capture plant-level data below the canopy of leaves. This will generate a real-time understanding for producers of the quantity and quality of fruit on every plant. As a result, they can better manage plant growth and predict yield, and diagnose diseases, pests and nutrient deficiencies early. This helps growers maximize volume and quality of food for Canadian and global consumers.

The development of cutting-edge technologies is helping farmers find efficiencies and cost savings in their daily operations, while doing their part to feed a growing global population. The Government of Canada continues to invest in agricultural innovation that encourages knowledge sharing and bridges the information gap between scientists and farmers, strengthening agriculture in Canada for the long term.

Quotes

“Research and innovation are vital to giving our farmers the tools they need to tackle farm management challenges and boost food security. These new technologies, developed by SomaDetect and Vivid Machines, will allow farms of all sizes to have access to information in formats they can use. Investments like these support growth in Canada’s agricultural sector.”

says The Honourable Marie-Claude Bibeau, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food

“SomaDetect Inc. is a leader in Canadian dairy and in the Halifax community. Their sensors help farmers provide the best quality milk to Canadians, while supporting jobs in our community and in Nova Scotia. By investing in innovative projects like these, the government is helping keep the agriculture sector strong and sustainable for the future.”

says Andy Fillmore, Member of Parliament for Halifax, Nova Scotia

“Access to real-time information on crops is an important part of farmers’ work. It allows them to be better organized, mitigate risks and disease, and help advance their business. Based here in Toronto, Vivid Machines Inc. plays an important part in helping farmers understand crops through sensors and computer vision technology. I applaud their efforts in helping their local community and farming communities across Canada.”

says Julie Dzerowicz, Member of Parliament for Davenport, Ontario

“Building new technology is full of challenges. Funding from AgriScience means that we can explore key projects that have some elements of technical risk. This is incredibly exciting for our dairy farmers and the industry as a whole. We are excited to receive this funding and to dig into this new project. For a startup like SomaDetect, this support makes it possible for us to continue to develop our technology and remain at the absolute forefront of milk monitoring, computer vision, and artificial intelligence.”

says Bethany Deshpande, CEO and Founder, SomaDetect Inc.

“With the size and quality requirements for marketable fruit, crop load management is one of the pressing issues for growers. Maximizing the amount of fruit that makes it to the produce aisle with the help of accurate farm data will improve profitability while also helping reduce food loss. Thanks to the funding we received from AAFC through the AgriScience projects component, we’ve been able to develop and refine sensor prototypes and machine learning models that can detect, track, and count fruit while they’re on the tree, to help growers efficiently understand the needs of each plant on their farm.”

says Jenny Lemieux, Co-Founder and CEO, Vivid Machines Inc.

Quick Facts

• The Canadian Agricultural Partnership is a $3 billion, five-year (2018-2023) investment by federal, provincial and territorial governments to strengthen and grow Canada’s agriculture and agri-food sector.
• The AgriScience Program aims to accelerate the pace of innovation by providing funding and support for pre-commercial science activities and cutting-edge research that benefits the agriculture and agri-food sector and Canadians.

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Extreme weather events and natural disasters are a growing threat to the safety and economic stability of Canadian communities. To support the resiliency of country’s agriculture and agri-food sector throughout these difficult times, it is imperative that producers and processors have access to the resources they need in the face of emergencies.

“Emergency Preparedness Week is an opportunity to review our emergency preparedness plans in the agricultural sector. The weather events of the past year and the avian flu we are currently experiencing are some examples of the many kinds of challenges agricultural producers must be ready to face. Our government continues to improve its practices, invest in prevention and support those who ensure our food security.”

The Honourable Marie-Claude Bibeau, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food

Funding for the two recipient organizations will help the sector increase its capacity to face emergencies. The recipient organizations include:

• Animal Health Canada (formally known as National Farmed Animal Health and Welfare Council) in Elora, Ontario will receive up to $2,572,888, for a three year project under the AgriAssurance Program to enhance Animal Health Emergency Management in provincial/national associations. This project will help enhance the emergency management capabilities of Canada’s livestock and poultry industries, to remain ready in the face of adverse events and a continually evolving disease landscape. Outcomes include addressing lessons learned from previous animal health emergencies, improving protocols, and developing training and resources.
• Swine Innovation Porc will receive up to $446,135 under the Canadian Agricultural Strategic Priorities Program, to develop strategies to mitigate the impact of an African swine fever outbreak on the pork sector. This will help the industry prepare for a potential disease incursion and help manage surplus animals in the event of an outbreak.

“This dedicated funding for emergency management and risk assessment in the agriculture sector is a step forward that will benefit the industry, while helping our hardworking farmers and producers who feed Canadians stay prepared for future emergencies. As we mark Emergency Preparedness Week, a dedicated focus on being prepared across sectors will make Canada more resilient to the threats that exist, both globally and domestically.”

The Honourable Bill Blair, President of the Queen’s Privy Council for Canada and Minister of Emergency Preparedness

Producers also have access to a comprehensive suite of Business Risk Management (BRM) programs to help them manage risks that threaten the viability of their farms. AgriStability, one of the BRM programs, protects Canadian producers against large declines in farming income for reasons such as production loss, disease outbreak, increased costs and changing market conditions. To allow farmers more time to sign up and take advantage of the support available under the program, governments recently agreed to extend the deadline to enroll to June 30, 2022.

This year’s theme is Emergency Preparedness Week: Be Ready for Anything, which highlights the importance of being prepared before disasters strike. The Government recognizes the challenges our agriculture sector has endured and will continue to work with industry partners to invest in tools and resources that help prepare for emergencies in the future.

“Past experience has demonstrated the importance of emergency preparedness to respond and recover from disruptive events. The Swine Innovation Porc welcomes the support of the Government of Canada in supporting new initiatives to develop innovative methods to face food supply threats such as African Swine Fever outbreak.”

René Roy, Vice-Chair Swine Innovation Porc

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The innovative Surplus Food Rescue Program is a $50-million federal initiative designed to address urgent, high volume, highly perishable surplus products falling under fruit, vegetables, meat and fish and seafood. These surpluses were created because the COVID-19 pandemic largely shut down the restaurant and hospitality industry, leaving many producers without a key market for their food commodities.

The Program awarded contributions to eight organizations that leverage existing food redistribution and recovery networks and agencies, who will bring the food to every region in the country. Partners, which include leading not-for-profits Food Banks Canada and Second Harvest, and La Tablée des Chefs, will redistribute products such as potatoes, walleye, chicken, turkey, eggs, and more. In total, the program will redistribute approximately 12 million kilograms of surplus food to more food insecure families that would otherwise have been wasted.

For over 30 years, Nutri-Group and its partner producers have been providing consumers in Canada with high-quality sustainable eggs, while helping farmers build stronger businesses and rural communities. Through the Surplus Food Rescue Program, Nutri Group will be providing Food Banks Canada and Second Harvest more than 1 million dozen eggs at cost to ensure Canadians continue to receive fresh, nutritious food during the pandemic. The eggs will be redistributed to many food banks and local food organizations across Canada, notably across the network of moissons in Quebec.

The significant disruptions to Canada’s restaurant and hospitality industry caused by COVID-19 has left many producers with surplus food and no way to get it onto the plates of Canadians. The eight partnerships announced which involve over 100 different organizations will help farmers meet the needs of vulnerable Canadians and recover the cost of their efforts.

The funding provided under the Program is ensuring producers and food processors like Nutri Group are fairly compensated for their work at the cost of production, while growing relationships with community food providers and supporting efforts to reduce food waste.

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“Food producers and processors have had to deal with so many new challenges over the past months, while continuing to supply Canadians with the high-quality food they produce. Manitoba processors have stepped up to deal with those challenges, just as Canadians have never been more appreciative of the importance of our food supply chain. The funding our two governments are delivering together today gives Manitoba processors an extra financial boost to adjust to the challenges presented by COVID-19 and help keep their workers safe.”

“A COVID-19 response for the agri-food and agri-product sector is needed to ensure processors can adapt, recover and maintain competitiveness,” said Pedersen. “The pandemic has required them to make changes to their operations and enhance their employee protections. Manitoba’s food and agri-product processors are significant contributors to our economy, so we are pleased to offer a program that helps respond to these challenges.”

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The governments of Canada and Ontario are investing up to $10 million in emergency assistance for beef and hog farmers. The funding will help cover the increased costs of feeding market-ready cattle and hogs due to COVID-19 related processing delays while redirecting surplus pork products to help those in need. This program will help ensure the country’s food supply chain will remain strong and ready to recover as the economy gradually and safely reopens.

The beef cattle set-aside program will provide beef farmers with up to $5 million in support. Farmers can claim $2 per head of cattle per day to help pay for additional maintenance costs should they have to keep their market-ready animals on their farms for extended periods of time.

The hog sector support program will also provide hog farmers with up to $5 million to help
cover additional maintenance costs. Ontario is also providing up to $1.5 million to process
and package surplus pork for food banks, to provide those in need with fresh, locally produced pork products. This will assist the pork processing industry with managing capacity while helping those in need.

Marie-Claude Bibeau, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, said:

“We are grateful to our hardworking farmers who are providing Canadians with safe and healthy meat products. This investment is another way we are supporting the agricultural sector to ensure a stable meat supply and keep high-quality and affordable Canadian meat products on our grocery store shelves and kitchen tables.”

Ernie Hardeman, Ontario Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, said:

“During consultations with the pork and beef sectors, the need for emergency support to help them maintain their operations during COVID-19 was clear. We understand the challenges that our farmers are facing and we are working with our commodity organizations to address their priorities and help our farmers manage through these unprecedented times.”

Both the beef cattle set-aside and hog sector support programs are being offered through AgriRecovery initiatives, under the Canadian Agricultural Partnership. The provincial contributions are part of Ontario’s Action Plan: Responding to COVID-19.

Rod Phillips, Minister of Finance and Chair of Ontario’s Jobs and Recovery Committee, said:

“Ontario’s Action Plan: Responding to COVID-19 provided $17 billion in relief, including additional resources for the health care system and direct support for people and jobs. Throughout the pandemic, farmers have continued playing their vital role in feeding the province and supporting our economy. We know these are challenging times for our farmers so we are stepping up to help cover some of the increased costs they are facing.”

Beef Farmers of Ontario President Rob Lipsett, said:

“I would like to thank Minister Hardeman, Minister Bibeau and our federal and provincial governments for their investment into the creation of a beef cattle set-aside program for Ontario. This will be an important tool to have available to help manage potential disruptions within our processing sector. Having this safeguard in place, if it is ultimately needed, is critically important.”

Eric Schwindt, Chair, Ontario Pork, said:

“Ontario Pork appreciates the continued dialogue with the government during this worldwide crisis. The announced program is an important first step in helping family pork farms to navigate this stressful situation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.”

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COVID-19 caused significant disruptions to areas of Canada’s food system, as it forced the
near closure of the restaurant and hospitality industry in Canada and the United States. Some producers across Canada are left with surpluses of quality food, while increased demand from grocery stores alone is not expected to clear the inventory before it spoils. At
the same time, the pandemic has increased the demand for food from food banks and other food security organizations in communities across Canada.

The Surplus Food Rescue Program has two core objectives:

• Provide assistance to organizations serving vulnerable populations to acquire and
  process surplus commodities and food that would otherwise be lost or destroyed and
  distribute them to populations in need.
• Connect surplus food commodities to vulnerable populations to avoid food waste.

The program aims to ensure the surplus food reaches vulnerable populations in Canada through the purchase, processing, transportation, and redistribution of surplus food. The program is designed to rescue surplus food that may be fresh, frozen inventory, or in need of further processing due to its highly perishable nature.

Eligible applicants include for-profit and not-for-profit organizations (industry groups, processors, distributors, food serving agencies, regional and municipal governments, and
agencies (can include schools or school boards) that can demonstrate an ability to handle the full logistical requirements for acquiring, processing, transporting and ensuring shelf-life stability of surplus commodities and delivery to organizations serving vulnerable populations.

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Both leaders acknowledged that food and food products are essential to safeguarding the
health of our citizens and stressed the importance of reliable food production systems. They confirmed their continued support of the integrated supply chain.

Canada’s Temporary Foreign Worker program is mutually beneficial: it provides needed support and labor to Canadian farmers and processors and creates wages for Mexican families. Minister Bibeau reiterated that Canada will continue to work with Mexico to facilitate further work opportunities through the Temporary Foreign Workers program while respecting Canada’s public health guidelines to ensure the health of all workers and halt the spread of COVID-19.

Source: Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

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The two leaders emphasized the importance of agricultural trade for food security, and the
continued collaboration between our two countries to facilitate integrated supply chain
and to safeguard the health of industries and citizens.

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Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, the Honourable Marie-Claude Bibeau, traveled to Winnipeg to participate in the CropConnect Conference — Manitoba’s top crop production and farm management conference — to engage with farmers and industry stakeholders. She also met with Manitoba Agriculture Minister Blaine Pedersen to discuss key agricultural issues and priorities for the province.

During her visit, Minister Bibeau met with grain farmers and recognized that 2019 has been difficult for them as a result of bad weather, but also rail and trade disruptions. The grain sector is an important driver of Canada’s economy and a key priority for the government. The Minister reiterated that she will continue to work with her colleagues across the government and with her provincial partners to find the best ways to support farmers, not only for 2019 but for years to come.

While in Manitoba, she was pleased to announce funding to Canada Grains Council to develop the first-ever code of practice which will help grain farmers tell their story of environmental sustainability and high-quality grains to consumers and to our global customers.

The Minister also had the opportunity to meet with Manitoba pork producers and discuss how they will continue to work together to protect and strengthen their sector. Minister Bibeau reaffirmed the government’s commitment to diversify Canada’s agri-food trade and announced funding for Manitoba Pork Council to help pork producers in the province manage risk during times of financial pressures on their businesses.

While in Manitoba, Minister Bibeau had discussions with the Keystone Agricultural Producers’ (KAP) Young Farmers committee about their valuable perspective on the challenges and opportunities facing them and the importance of taking part in the decisions that affect their future. She encouraged them to apply to be part of the first Canadian Agricultural Youth Council that will help shape the future of the sector.

Source: AAFC 

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