The Government of Canada is investing up to $2 million in the Port of Johnstown to enhance grain drying capacity for local farmers in Eastern Ontario.
The funding, which was announced by Francis Drouin, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, under the Adoption Stream of the Agricultural Clean Technology (ACT) Program, will help the port to purchase and install a new grain dryer with heat capture and air recycling features that will minimize fuel consumption by roughly 20 to 40%, or more than an estimated 344 metric tonnes of CO2e, annually.
The project will expand the ability for local producers to dry grain more efficiently, move grain to market sooner and reduce the risk of grain spoilage experienced in previous seasons due to limited drying capacity.
The Port of Johnstown serves as the industrial center for the Township of Edwardsburgh Cardinal, and is a key stakeholder for the agriculture sector providing services to over 1,600 farmers in the region.
"Across Eastern Ontario, our government is committed to working closely with farmers to reduce CO2 emissions and develop technology to prevent further climate change. By investing in the Port of Johnstown, we continue to establish the right building blocks to get to net zero by 2050," Drouin said.
Across Ontario, the ACT Program has supported 113 projects to date, including 40 grain dryer projects, representing a total of $46.5 million.
The Government of Canada continues to invest in the research, development and adoption of clean technology to help the agricultural sector support a low-carbon economy, while feeding a growing population.
Lawrence MacAulay, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, said, "Our goal is to help the Canadian agricultural sector innovate and adopt clean technologies. This investment in more efficient grain drying technology will help to reduce the sector's greenhouse gas emissions and leverage technology to mitigate climate change."
