The Canadian Agri-Food Automation and Intelligence Network (CAAIN) is seeking applications for a competition geared toward creating or developing new smart farm networks.
Funding under this initiative will support collaborative on-farm tech innovations in hopes encouraging farmers to adopt emergent agriculture technology.
CAAIN receives funding from Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada to address challenges facing agri-food producers and processors. CAAIN CEO Darrell Petras said this competition would expand on the network’s previous goals.
“This is building on an initiative that we at CAAIN have run in the past, and that is supporting the use of smart farms to build a network, or networks across Canada.”
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“We are focused on helping innovators reach the farm gate,” he said. “Ultimately, what we want to do is drive production at the farm level, increase productivity, increase the efficiency, support the farmers.”
“It will be a competitive process,” Petras said, “but we’re certainly open minded in terms of who comes forward, what regions and what types of technologies they bring to us.”
“This is an emphasis on collaboration to make sure we’re driving… the right technology forward for adoption.”
According to a December 8 CAAIN press release, the competition will build on the $30 million CAAIN has already committed to 30 projects whose value is over $100 million.
Proposals will be evaluated based on several criteria, including technical merit, breadth and knowledge of network members and economic and social benefits to Canadian ag-tech and agriculture. More eligibility guidelines apply and can be found on the program guide.
Petras described the smart farm network as a “test market” for new ag technology across Canada.
“Just because the technology works in Alberta for particular type producer doesn’t mean same technology work the same way in Ontario or another part of Canada,” he said.
There are currently eight smart farm locations across Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Ontario. Petras said he thought all regions across Canada could benefit from smart farm expansion.
“We just want to reach as many as many producers as we can en masse and then connect them,” said Petras. “It could be an extension of what’s already being… within an existing network, or it could be a separate network.”
Initial applications must be in by Jan. 12. The competition term will begin in June 2024. Successful networks must complete their activities by September 30, 2026.
–updated Dec. 14 to correct the name of Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada.
— Jonah Grignon reports for Glacier FarmMedia from Ottawa.
