Nine (9) projects have been selected for funding. Each will address livestock sector concerns and further strengthen Alberta’s multi-billion-dollar beef industry, a major contributor to the province’s economic success. Projects funded as part of this joint funding announcement include:
$2.1 million to expand the depth and scope of surveillance work by the Canadian Feedlot Antimicrobial Use (AMU) / Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) Surveillance Program. High-quality data about bovine respiratory disease (BRD) and the resistance of its pathogens to treatment is essential. This information helps farmers, veterinarians, and the beef industry make informed decisions, ensuring cattle health and allowing for quick responses to emerging diseases.Ultimately, this will improve cattle health outcomes and contribute to a safer beef supply.
$668,000 will be used to study the control of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC). This research aims to develop a safe solution that can help prevent the growth of biofilms, contamination that makes surfaces and equipment harder to clean. This work is important for improving food safety and protecting public health.
$427,000 combined investment will support the growing demand for efficient animal protein production by developing rapid techniques to assess the nutrient value of animal feeds. This technology will equip producers and scientists with a fast, accurate, low-cost analysis tool for in-field and laboratory use. Better animal nutrition can lead to healthier animals and more sustainable food production.
The federal Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, the Honourable Lawrence MacAulay, said: “We’re committed to supporting Alberta’s world-class beef producers. These initiatives show just how much we can achieve through strong partnerships, and they’ll deliver great benefits – not just for Alberta, but for the whole country.”
The Honourable RJ Sigurdson, Alberta Minister of Agriculture and Irrigation, commented: "Alberta's beef industry has an international honor of excellence. Research and partnership are critical to ensuring our beef sector maintains its reputation while growing the sector. I am proud that our beef industry is feeding the world, and RDAR's work is fundamental in ensuring our agricultural field remains competitive, with our producers continuing to lead in beef production."
Speaking on today’s announcement, Dr David Chalack, RDAR Board Chair, said: “We’re pleased to be providing further support to our beef industry through these vitally important projects, and are thankful to our partners at BCRC in helping to deliver these investments.”
“Applied research is important to help producers make on-farm decisions and implement strategies that improve producer productivity and profitability,” says Craig Lehr, BCRC Chair and Alberta beef producer. “Bovine respiratory disease (BRD) and antimicrobial resistance are ongoing issues for the Canadian beef industry. Projects investigating causes and transmission of BRD pathogens and antimicrobial resistance will help inform future prevention and treatment practices.”
Alberta Beef Producers Chair, Brodie Haugan, responded to today’s announcement, by saying: "Producers across Alberta can be further assured by today’s news, that work is being done to make our industry stronger, safer, and more profitable, through research programs like these. Producer check-off dollars make ABP's investment into the future success of our industry possible."
To learn more about these and other funded projects, please see the addendum below or visit rdar.ca
About RDAR
RDAR is mandated to target strategic investments in producer-led, results-driven agriculture research to power the profitability, productivity, competitiveness, and sustainability of agriculture in Alberta. As a not- for-profit organization, RDAR's funding comes from the Government of Alberta and the Government of Canada through the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership. For more information, please visit: rdar.ca
About BCRC
The Beef Cattle Research Council is Canada’s national industry-led funding agency for beef, cattle and forage research. The BCRC’s mandate is to determine research and development priorities for the Canadian beef cattle industry and to administer Canadian Beef Cattle Check-Off funds allocated to research. The BCRC’s vision is a transparent, competitive, resilient and sustainable Canadian beef industry supported by strategic and effective research, technology transfer and innovation. beefresearch.ca
About ABP
Alberta Beef Producers (ABP) is a not-for-profit industry commission representing Alberta’s cattle producers. ABP’s work spans critical areas such as research, production, communications, marketing, policy advocacy, and stewardship. Run by producers for producers, ABP is dedicated to maintaining a sustainable, competitive beef industry for the benefit of all Albertans. albertabeef.org
About the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership
The Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (Sustainable CAP) is a five-year, $3.5-billion investment by federal, provincial and territorial governments to strengthen competitiveness, innovation, and resiliency of Canada’s agriculture, agri-food and agri-based products sector. This includes $1 billion in federal programs and activities and a $2.5-billion commitment that is cost-shared 60 per cent federally and 40 per cent provincially/territorially for programs that are designed and delivered by provinces and territories. alberta.ca
Media Contact:
For all enquiries, please contact:
Richard Hilton, Manager, Stakeholder Relations and Communications richard.hilton@rdar.ca
Addendum:
The following nine (9) research projects have all been approved for RDAR funds as part of today’s announcement:
A combined $1.1 million investment will investigate the role of trace minerals and vitamins in bolstering the immune system of beef steer calves. Micronutrient deficiency is a potential risk factor for bovine respiratory disease, and recent Canadian data have identified deficiencies in calves and cows. This research will help develop and promote the adoption of cost-effective management practices and technology that reduce the need for and preserve the effectiveness of antibiotics. It will also improve the prevention and mitigation of animal disease issues.*
A combined $2.1 million investment will expand the depth and scope of current surveillance work by the Canadian Feedlot Antimicrobial Use (AMU)/ Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) Surveillance Program, which, since 2019, has mapped temporal trends in bovine respiratory disease (BRD) pathogens and AMU/AMR. High-quality epidemiological data on BRD and AMR carried by BRD pathogens are crucial to inform producers, veterinarians, the beef industry, and help identify emerging trends to support cattle health outcomes.*
A combined $427K investment will help meet the growing demand for efficient animal protein production by developing rapid techniques to assess the nutrient value of animal feeds. This technology will equip producers and scientists with a fast, accurate, low-cost analysis tool for in-field and laboratory use.*
A combined $668K investment will be used to investigate biofilm-forming Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC), linked to periods of higher-than-expected STEC contamination at beef processors. This work aims to provide a non-toxic QSI for preventing STEC biofilm formation.*
A combined $600K investment will investigate control methods for mycoplasma bovis, a major cause of chronic pneumonia and death in beef cattle. M. bovis is responsible for 54% of mortalities on Ontario feedlots, causing significant economic loss and animal suffering.*
A combined $352K investment aims to provide a more comprehensive picture of Bovine Respiratory Disease (BRD) AMR, which will inform management practices to mitigate its spread and dissemination. This project will address the beef industry's priority to improve understanding of AMR in beef production systems and environments.*
A combined $344K investment will ensure food security and sustainable beef production by enhancing ruminant forage utilization efficiency and reducing grain usage through probiotics. The project seeks to lower food costs, increase market demands, and add value to cereal straw, benefiting alternative feedstock sectors and the economic chain from manufacturing to sales.*
A combined $486K investment will research the effect of divergent fibre digestion efficiency on growth performance, methane emissions, and carcass characteristics of beef cattle, as well as its association with the host genetic/genomic makeup.*
A combined $151K investment will evaluate remote postmortem meat inspection at different provincial slaughterhouses using two-way live-stream video communication with augmented reality software as an alternative to current on-site inspection. This technology could lead to open market opportunities for smaller processors, reduced travel-related expenses, increased shift time and cattle flow into the plant per week, and allow more processors to be inspected without putting consumers at risk.*
*These investments are cost-shared by the federal and provincial governments under the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership.