A new partnership to develop smart and sustainable farming technologies is meant to benefit New Brunswick farmers.
From left: Damon Goodwin, CEO of ResearchNB; Peter Dawe, chief growth and strategy officer of McCain Foods; Agriculture, Aquaculture, and Fisheries Minister Margaret Johnson; Post-Secondary Education, Training and Labour Minister Greg Turner; Frank McKenna, founder of the McKenna Institute; Adrienne Oldford, executive director of the McKenna Institute; Melissa O'Rourke, associate executive director of the McKenna Institute; Scott McCain, chairman of McCain Foods; and Paul J. Mazerolle, president and vice-chancellor of UNB.
The Department of Agriculture, Aquaculture and Fisheries will work with McCain Foods, the University of New Brunswick (UNB), the McKenna Institute and ResearchNB to create a chair in digital agriculture at the university.
"New Brunswick agriculture producers need resources to be well positioned for the future," said Agriculture, Aquaculture and Fisheries Minister Margaret Johnson. "The chair in digital agriculture will provide the right knowledge and technologies to help New Brunswickers in agriculture increase productivity while minimizing the impact on the environment."
The department will invest $240,000 in the partnership while McCain Foods will contribute $760,000 and ResearchNB will provide $500,000 for a total of $1.5 million. Additional funds from the McKenna Institute and McCain Foods will be dedicated to the development of digital agriculture at UNB.
"We are pleased to partner with McCain Foods and the government of New Brunswick on this substantial initiative," said UNB president and vice-chancellor Paul J. Mazerolle. "This investment will strengthen our research in digital agriculture and support our commitment to sustainability by developing practical solutions for the environment and the agricultural community."
In addition to establishing the chair, the partnership will support a collaborative project to find farming techniques that minimize environmental impact.
"A key part of our effort to promote smart and sustainable farming is leveraging technology solutions to help us redefine the way we grow a potato," said Max Koeune, president and CEO of McCain Foods. "This cutting-edge 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 $1.2 billion in farm cash receipts New Brunswick recorded in 2023 broke the previous record of $1.1 billion, set in 2022.
