Companies from the Canadian province of British Columbia continue to further agricultural innovation, using technology to develop new products and processes that will support food production and food security in the province.
The governments of Canada and British Columbia are supporting 14 new projects with more than $2.4 million through the Canada-British Columbia Agri-Innovation Program to help create opportunities in the province’s agricultural and technology industries.
BC Hot House Foods – based in Surrey - is widely known for its greenhouse-grown cucumbers, peppers and tomatoes. With funding of over $380,000, BC Hot House is working to develop a feasible method to cultivate greenhouse strawberries commercially in British Columbia for people to enjoy year-round. The company is working with experts from Europe who have had success in growing soft fruit in protected environments.
Ecoation Innovative Solutions in North Vancouver is receiving $500,000 to develop and test an automated pesticide-free crop treatment that will immediately address pests in greenhouse vegetables, using a crop monitoring robot the company invented.
The technology involves use of biological control agents and UV-based disinfection. The location-based intelligence is gathered and provided to growers through a web application that was developed by Ecoation. The technology’s treatment system pilot in vegetable greenhouses will be the first time it is used in Canada.