WINNIPEG, Manitoba, Nov. 01, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Demonstrating the potential across Canada’s plant-based value chain, an industry collaboration is developing new artificial intelligence technology that promises to improve the quality of Canadian protein crops and ingredients. Supported by Protein Industries Canada, project partners Enns Brothers, Crop Sentry, DL Seeds and AGT Foods will develop the technology to meet the needs of farmers and ingredient processors.
“Projects like this demonstrate how Canadians are harnessing the power of AI to address complex problems and drive real impact across our country,” said the Honorable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry. “Through our pan-Canadian Artificial Intelligence Strategy, Protein Industries Canada is working with partners to more sustainably produce high-quality plant-based ingredients and products to meet growing demand for environmentally friendly and nutritious food options at home and abroad.”
Building on Crop Sentry’s previously developed IoT sensor system, the partners will optimize in-field sensors on pea and canola crops to autonomously collect phenotypic data throughout the growing season. This in-field data collection will enable farmers to better gather measurements on crop quality, improving data-driven decision-making with positive ripple effects across the entire value chain.
“Canada’s food and ingredients sector is evolving, and with this evolution comes the need for new technologies, including those that harness the vast potential of artificial intelligence and machine learning,” said Bill Gruelle, CEO of Protein Industries Canada. “By focusing initial efforts on on-the-ground AI technologies, project partners are building on the established success of Canada’s agriculture industry to add value and improve sustainability in the plant-based value chain. This approach will benefit not only Canadian farmers, but also ingredient processors and Canadian families.”
Improved crop quality provides ingredient processors with a more stable protein supply, providing a consistent supply of high-quality, functional ingredients that can help consumer packaged goods manufacturers develop new food and beverage products. The technology also aids in traceability efforts related to sustainability, field management and allergy concerns, meeting the changing needs of Canadian and international consumers.
The end result is a stronger Canadian supply chain and economy, while also improving the products consumers can enjoy.
“We are excited to be part of this partnership,” said Ray Bouchard, president and CEO of Enns Brothers. “We believe frontline producers are a critical component of the value chain and that it is important to deploy technology at scale to provide a strong value proposition to producers.”
“We are pleased that this group of partners shares our vision and has placed their trust in the advanced technologies we are developing,” said David Hodge, Crop Sentry’s chief strategy officer. “Their expertise will be invaluable as we continue our important work to provide growers with the advanced technologies they need to achieve their productivity and sustainability goals.”
“This collaboration is a great opportunity to bring together the entire value chain to develop new tools that will add value to the development, production and processing of new pea products. New varieties form the foundation of our plant-based value chain and DL Seeds is excited to be involved to see how these new tools will unlock new insights into plant development and how genetics and management can improve quality for growers and processors,” said Chris Anderson, general manager at DL Seeds.
“Technology is becoming an increasingly critical element across many sectors, and agriculture is no exception. Data is essential to provide the information needed to produce higher quality products across the agricultural value chain. This starts on the field, where data-driven decisions can improve the quality and sustainability of the crops we grow, and enable processors like AGT Foods to produce better products for consumers and the markets we serve. We believe that leveraging technologies such as AI, such as those being developed and deployed through this partnership, will be a major driver for the agriculture sector,” said Murad Al-Katib, president and CEO of AGT Foods.
This project is the first announced for Protein Industries Canada’s Artificial Intelligence division. A total of $13 million has been invested in the project, with Protein Industries Canada contributing approximately $5.9 million and the remainder jointly by partners. Protein Industries Canada’s Artificial Intelligence division is funded as part of the Pan-Canada Artificial Intelligence Strategy, in which the Government of Canada is investing in efforts to advance the adoption of artificial intelligence across Canada’s economy and society.
Through this initial round of funding, Canadian Protein Industries and its industry partners have invested more than $460 million in growing Canada’s plant-based food, feed and ingredients sector through 55 technology and capacity-building projects. The organization’s Artificial Intelligence division is expected to complement these projects by helping companies across the ecosystem incorporate AI and ML techniques into their operations to optimize processes, increase sustainability and improve the functionality, taste and nutritional profile of Canada’s plant-based foods, feeds and ingredients.
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About Ens Brothers
For the past 66 years, Enns Brothers has been honored to serve customers throughout Manitoba. The company is locally owned and run by a team of dedicated professionals with deep roots in the community. With decades of experience behind them, Enns Brothers has worked hard to build a reputation for reliability, integrity and innovation.
About Crop Sentry
Crop Sentry was founded in 2021 by a leadership team with more than 100 years of agriculture, technology and risk management experience.
Experience the Crop Sentry solution – a groundbreaking AI-driven Internet of Things (IoT) device and software platform that enables continuous (24/7), non-destructive crop monitoring and analytics. Crop Sentry leverages advanced technologies such as long-range LiDAR and multi-spectral imaging to deliver automated crop scouting, real-time insights into key phenotypic variables, crop quality, and yield forecasts.
About DL Seeds
DL Seeds is a leading developer of canola, pea and faba bean genetics. Based near Morden, Manitoba, DL Seeds uses a network of four research stations to develop hybrid seeds and varieties for farmers, distributors and processors across North America.
About AGT
AGT Food and Ingredients Inc. (AGT Foods), majority owned by Fairfax Financial Holdings Limited, is a Saskatchewan-based global leader in plant-based protein and value-added processing of pulses, grains, staple foods and ingredients for export and domestic markets. Founded on a “farmer to world” philosophy, AGT Foods purchases pulses, grains, oilseeds and specialty crops from farmers around its facilities in Canada, Turkey, the United States, Australia, China and South Africa and processes them into pulses, milled durum wheat, canola products, pulse meal, starch, fiber, protein, extruded products and retail packaged foods for export to customers in over 120 countries worldwide. AGT Foods operates a robust network of grain production, processing facilities and short-line rail system in the heart of Saskatchewan’s canola, pulse and wheat growing regions.
For more information, visit www.agtfoods.com.
