Manitoba’s dairy industry receives funding for research

Winnipeg, Man. – More than $1.4 million is going to the University of Manitoba to help the province’s dairy industry.

In a statement the province’s ministry of agriculture and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada announced the funding to the University of Manitoba’s Glenlea Research Station dairy barn.

The funding is going towards expanding the dairy facility “through a repurposed swine barn and install a new automated milking system, free stalls for dairy cattle, dedicated spaces for calves, milk collection tanks, above-ground manure storage, new flooring and related laboratory equipment,” says the statement.

Both the province and federal government say “the new equipment will ensure the dairy research facilities meet industry standards and support the growth of value-added dairy processing in Manitoba.”

The statement says the project is likely to go to tender later this year.

The Dairy Farmers of Manitoba (DFM) is also providing funding for the renovation.

Henry Holtmann, the vice-chair of the DFM, says the organization wants to support dairy research. “We have long understood the value of investing in research to advance our industry by continually providing milk of the highest quality, excellence in animal care, and improving environmental stewardship,” he says in the statement.

The dairy industry in Manitoba generates more than $250 million in farm gate revenues.

The statement says the funding for the renovation project will be provided through the Growing Forward 2 (GF2) Growing Innovation – Capacity and Knowledge Development Initiative. It provides financial assistance to lead and implement innovation in Manitoba’s agriculture, agri-food and agri-processing sectors.