August 27, 2012

With the support of the Harper Government, soy growers of Canada will benefit from a research project to find soy varieties that will expand export opportunities to the Japanese market.

Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Agriculture Pierre Lemieux, on behalf of Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz, together with National Revenue Minister Gail Shea (Egmont), announced an investment of more than CAD800,000 (US$808,000) to help the soy industry develop varieties that match the tastes and demands of the Japanese consumer.

"Our Government's top priority remains the economy, and innovative investments play an important role in fostering new economic growth for our agriculture producers," said Lemieux. "This investment will help our soy producers cater to the expanding Japanese market, creating new opportunities to increase sales and boost their bottom lines."

The Eastern Canada Oilseeds Development Alliance (ECODA) will test soy varieties and related soy products for their individual taste, texture, odour and appearance to find the variety that best matches the demands of the Japanese marketplace. Plant breeders, genomic and bioscience researchers, growers and customers will all be involved in the evaluations. This screening system will identify the biochemical compounds in soy that give soy products their distinct taste and texture, and will link this back to soy breeding work.

The Harper Government fully supports moving research innovation from the lab to the marketplace so it can benefit farmers, producers, and the Canadian economy. This project will test soy varieties developed during ECODA's 2010 Eastern Canada Oilseed Development Initiative, which received CAD3.2 million (US$3.23 million) from AAFC's Developing Innovative Agri-Products (DIAP) Initiative, bringing these new varieties closer to marketability.

"ECODA focuses on research that involves supply chain partners and projects that have a direct link to the marketplace," said Rory Francis, President of ECODA. "Commercialisation of research results will ensure that producers and processors see the return on their CAD269,000 (US$272,000) research investments in this project."

Tateno International Inc., an importer and wholesaler company in Tokyo, Japan, has worked with ECODA's supply chain partner, Sevita International, for several years to import Canadian soy for use in its value-added products.

Company president Koichi Tateno said: "We are pleased to participate in this exciting project. It provides all of us with the opportunity to better identify Canadian soy varieties that can best suit our food market needs."

ECODA brings together partners from Ontario, Quebec and the Maritime provinces. The partners include Sevita International (Inkerman, Ontario and Belle River, PEI), TRT-ETGO du Québec (Bécancour, Québec) the Atlantic Grains Council, and the Prince Edward Island AgriAlliance. ECODA's mission is to coordinate the efforts of producers, processors, exporters, researchers, and government organisations in increasing the economic value and impact of the oilseed sector in Eastern Canada.

This investment is made through the Agricultural Innovation Programme (AIP) - a CAD50 million (US$50.5 million) initiative announced as part of Canada's Economic Action Plan 2011. AIP is part of the Government's commitment to help Canadian producers benefit from cutting edge science and technology. AIP boosts the development and commercialisation of innovative new products, technologies and processes for the agricultural sector.