Federal government contributes $2 million to local livestock industry
ELORA – Michael Chong, Member of Parliament for Wellington-Halton Hills, today attended a ground breaking ceremony for the new Livestock Research and Innovation Facility at the Elora Beef Research Centre in Elora. The ground breaking ceremony also marked an investment of $2 million by the federal government.
The investment will enhance the genetic profiling of eastern cow herds to improve feed efficiency, which is expected to significantly reduce costs for the sector. The research will take place within the Elora Beef Research Centre, which is being expanded through an investment by the Province of Ontario.
Also in attendance at the ground breaking ceremony were federal Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, Lawrence MacAulay; Ontario’s provincial Minister of Agriculture, Food, and Rural Affairs, Jeff Leal; Member of Provincial Parliament for Wellington-Halton Hills, Ted Arnott; and Vice-President of Beef Farmers of Ontario, Joe Hill.
“We are already among the most productive agricultural regions in the province, and this new facility will give us an even greater competitive edge and benefit the beef sector across Canada,” said Chong.
The facility is a joint partnership between the Government of Canada, the Government of Ontario, Beef Farmers of Ontario, the Agricultural Research Institute of Ontario, and the University of Guelph.
Canada’s beef sector is an important driver of economic growth, contributing $2.69 billion annually to the Ontario economy and supporting 61,000 jobs in the province.
– 30 –