Vineland Research Station receives government funding

From the St. Catarine's Standard:

The federal government is seeding the Vineland Research Station with $2.5-million in an effort to help profits bloom for horticultural and agricultural producers.

Included in the investment is $1.4 million to modernize the station’s rose breeding programs using start-of-the-art DNA fingerprinting technology. The technology will help develop rose varieties resistant to cold and disease.

“Back by market research, the result will be a hardy, made-in-Canada rose that can take on markets from Calgary to Copenhagen,” said Conservative MP Pierre Lemieux, the parliamentary secretary to the agriculture minister, who made the announcement at the research station’s packed open house Wednesday.

“With new firewalls against cold and disease, Canada’s nursery industry can cut costs and gain a competitive edge in the world rose market.”

The second part of the funding is a $1.1-million to help producers of crops such as eggplant, okra and sweet potatoes through research into growing varieties adapted to Canadian conditions.

For more, visit the St. Catarine Standard's website.