Federal government gives $7.5M to Dairy Farmers of Canada to support sustainability
The federal government is providing $7.5 million to Dairy Farmers of Canada (DFC) to support research that will help the dairy industry reach its goal of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions from production by 2050.
DFC will research solutions to improve the environmental and economic sustainability and resiliency of the sector.
The advocacy group will develop and implement plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and sequester carbon, as well as improve the health and welfare of cows and the quality of milk produced.
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Funding is provided through the AgriScience Program – Clusters Component, under the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership.
"This investment over the next five years to the fourth Dairy Research Cluster is essential to enable robust and evidenced-based research that ultimately supports Canadian dairy farmers. Today's announcement reinforces the work we are doing within the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership and supports another important step towards carbon neutrality,” Pierre Lampron, president of DFC, said in a statement.
Ottawa also provided an update on the fifth compensation payment for dairy producers under the Dairy Direct Payment Program (DDPP).
Beginning August 31, compensation of up to $1.2 billion will be paid over six years to account for the impacts of the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA).
"Dairy farmers across the country produce top-quality products, while caring for their animals and working to protect the environment. Today's announcement will help Dairy Farmers of Canada build on their momentum, by ensuring they have access to the tools and research they need to continue to improve the economic, environmental and social sustainability of the industry. Setting the quota reference date for the Dairy Direct Payment Program will also ensure that producers have the necessary information further in advance to be able to plan and evaluate their farm situation,” said Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Marie-Claude Bibeau.
