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A new generation of sustainable agriculture requires a new basis of innovation
A new technology centre will provide an important base of applied research and education in sustainable agriculture. The AgTech Centre, based in Lethbridge, will work in evolving technologies and practices that will drive agricultural production in the future.
Formerly known as the Alberta Farm Machinery Research Centre, the AgTech Centre has been launched with a new mandate to go with the new name.
"The name change better reflects our function, which is technology development on a broader base, both in crop and livestock production," says Rick Atkins, AgTech Manager and Branch Head of Engineering of Alberta Agriculture, Food and Rural Development. "Sustainable agriculture is no longer simply a production issue. We have to develop a systems approach to farming that considers crop and livestock developments in concert, and meets industry and society’s needs in a more holistic way, today and in the future."
With experienced engineers, technologists and support staff, and a network of partners that includes producers, manufacturers, public research facilities and private centres, the AgTech Centre is uniquely qualified to meet the challenges of the new sustainable agriculture.
A History of Innovation
AgTech Centre's roots in agricultural innovation trace to 1958 when Saskatchewan's provincial government founded the Agricultural Machinery Administration. That evolved into the Prairie Agricultural Machinery Institute (PAMI), under which three centres were established each with different responsibilities. The Portage la Prairie, Manitoba station specialized in forage and materials handling equipment while Humboldt, Saskatchewan station’s area of expertise was harvesting and grain handling/ processing equipment. The Lethbridge station, a forerunner of the AgTech Centre, was established in 1975 and took the lead in tillage, seeding and spraying.
Alberta seeks own path
By the mid-1980s, budget pressures spurred PAMI's partners to re-evaluate its structure and mandate. In 1988, the Alberta provincial government decided it wanted more control over the annual operating grant. On April 1, 1988, the Alberta Farm Machinery Research Centre was established as part of Alberta Agriculture's Engineering Services Branch. The change also expanded the Centre's mandate beyond testing, to research and development.
Today, with a further expanded mandate, the AgTech Centre continues to have a complementary relationship with PAMI. |
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