May 14, 2009, Saskatoon – The University of Saskatchewan has purchased a North Battleford feed mill to develop a unique-in-Canada national research facility that will enhance animal nutrition and feeds research and benefit Canadian crop, livestock and feed processing industries.
The $12.6-million Canadian Feed Technology Research Facility will
research, develop and commercialize new and better high-value animal
feeds from low-value crops and from byproducts of biofuels production
such as ethanol and biodiesel.
The crop, livestock and feed processing industries have indicated a strong need for this research.
Funding has been committed by the Canada Foundation for Innovation, the provincial government, and industry sources.
“This
new research centre will benefit both animal and human health and help
make the U of S an international leader in feeds processing research
and commercialization,” said Karen Chad, U of S Acting Vice-President
Research.
“It will advance undergraduate and graduate student
training programs and also provide training opportunities for producers
and feed processors. More than 25 researchers and 30 graduate students
from many disciplines will use the facility.”
Renovations to
transform the feed mill into a research facility are expected to begin
in July. The research operation will begin in late summer or early fall
of 2010.
To generate revenue for facility maintenance and
research, a part of the industrial capability has been licensed to
Cargill, a global leader in animal nutrition and feeds, for commercial
feed processing and toll feed processing services.
“We are
pleased to collaborate with Cargill, a company whose recognized
expertise, market presence, and understanding of global markets will
help attract global clients to the facility and to Saskatchewan,” said
Chad, noting the facility will serve a broad range of industries and
involve regional, national, and international partnerships.
Project
leader Bernard Laarveld said the feed mill provides an excellent
research base for the U of S because there’s significant space to
accommodate the full range of activity—from laboratory to pilot plant
to industrial-scale research—a major advantage in generating value for
industry. The U of S will offer contract research opportunities to the
private sector.
“Researchers are extremely keen to use this
centre as it will advance research in many areas that include crop
breeding for feed quality traits, reduced antibiotic use, better
livestock nutrition, improved animal health and product safety, feed
delivery of vaccines for disease control, environmental protection, and
higher-value commodity crops,” Laarveld said, noting that new feeds
produced at the mill will be used for animal feeding research at the U
of S and elsewhere.
He noted the new centre will enhance and
support the U of S feeds research cluster that includes the Crop
Development Centre, the Feeds Innovation Institute, the Prairie Swine
Centre, the Poultry Centre, the Beef Research Station, the new Dairy
Innovation Centre, the Prairie Aquaculture Research Centre, and the
Canadian Light Source synchrotron which can be used to relate
structural characteristics of feeds to nutritional quality.
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