Farm funding

The Thunder Bay Agricultural Research Station wouldn’t be able to survive without provincial funding, says the station’s direction of research and business.

The province announced Monday that it would provide $621,000 over a three-year period to the city’s Agricultural Research Station. The station’s research projects have included new crops and environmentally friendly products that could be developed by local farmers.
Tarlok Singh Sahota, director of research and business with the research station, said their funding was about to run out in August, but now the station would be able to running for three more years.

“This is how we have been able to survive,” Sahota said. “This was very necessary. Farmers aren’t that all rich that they can support a research station on their own incomes. So we need support from the public and private sources.”

He added that the funding will help them in their research of using fertilizer more efficiently.

The cost for fertilizer has continually increased and could become too expensive for farmers to use.  Sahota said they hope their research will help farmers keep their costs down as much as possible.

MPP Bill Mauro (Lib., Thunder Bay – Atikokan) said it was important to support initiatives that help local farmers.

“Here in Northwestern Ontario we obviously have a unique situation given the climate,” Mauro said.

“The work that they are doing here is moving forward on crops that can survive in this climate. As the push continues for more locally grown food, I think we are going to see that industry really grow. People want locally grown food and they want to know where their food comes from.”