Government of Canada invests over $1 million in new technologies to improve farm management

July 6, 2022 - Ottawa, Ontario - Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

Today, the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, the Honourable Marie-Claude Bibeau, announced over $1 million in funding for SomaDetect Inc. and Vivid Machines Inc. through the AgriScience Program to help producers improve farm management and their bottom line.

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.