Several agriculture companies in and around London are getting a piece of a $22-million fund to improve their operations.
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Bankrolled by the federal and provincial governments, the Agri-Tech Innovation Initiative supports as many as 319 farming and agribusinesses across Ontario with as much as $22.6 million. It “aims to enhance operational efficiencies and productivity,” according to a statement from Elgin-Middlesex-London MPP Rob Flack, Ontario’s minister of farming and agriculture.
Eight companies in London or nearby are set to receive a portion of the funding, totaling roughly $450,000.
“These investments will allow established and emerging businesses to speed up efforts to optimize their operations and support growth for our agriculture and food sector,” Flack said in a statement.
The funding goes to eligible farm and food-processing businesses to help them invest in technology, equipment or processes to expand production or enhance efficiency. Officials say applicants could get as much as $100,000 each.
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Aylmer-based J&L Walker Farms hit that six-figure mark. Owner John Walker detailed in a statement where the money is going.
“The funding is going to a robotic arm that applies disinfectant to the cow’s udder,” Walker said. “It’s going to drive efficiencies, and it will also help with other practices in our animal health and food safety.”
Two other companies in the region getting $100,000 are Van den Broek Dairy Goats Inc. in Springfield, a community about 40 kilometers southeast of London, and Ontario Plants Propagation Ltd. in St. Thomas.
Projects that are approved for funding are to be completed by 2027, government officials said.
The Local Journalism Initiative is funded by the Government of Canada
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