Agri-Tech East members Hummingbird Technologies and Itaka Crop Solution have been selected to join the Canadian HARVEST programme which is organised by SREDA and includes participation in Ag in Motion, Western Canada’s largest Outdoor Farm Expo, and introductions to leading Saskatchewan agriculture companies and professionals.
Agri-Tech East was selected to partner with SREDA in the UK and Dr Belinda Clarke, Director Agri-Tech East, says: “Creating international links to share ideas and innovation provides mutual benefit and I am delighted that Agri-Tech East members, Hummingbird Technologies and Itaka Crop Solution will be participating in HARVEST.”
Vincenzo Brugaletta is CEO for Itaka Crop Solution, a leader in the use of beneficial microorganisms and naturally occurring products to boost crop resilience and performance.
He is excited by the opportunity and says: “Saskatchewan farmers and growers are known for their progressive approach to agriculture and much of Canada’s 2.43 million acres of organic farmland is in this province.
“So as a young, ambitious company participation in HARVEST provides an exciting opportunity to meet and engage with these leaders.
“Our ‘soil first’ approach to improving crop performance is equally applicable to conventional farming so we think this makes Saskatchewan a perfect market for introducing integrated programmes, where biorational products can play an valuable role in making agriculture more sustainable.”
It is also a great door-opener for Hummingbird Technologies. The company uses artificial intelligence and computer vision techniques to provide farmers with high resolution crop maps compiled from UAV, satellite and plane imagery. A spokesperson commented that Hummingbird is very keen to work in Canada as it offers a good fit for its products which include analysis and application maps across multiple arable crops.
Agri-Tech East is the UK partner for the initiative for which seven companies from eight countries were chosen to travel to Saskatoon.
“The future of the agriculture industry depends on advancements in agriculture, as producers strive to feed the world,” said Alex Fallon, SREDA President and CEO. “The Saskatoon Region is a hub for world-class agriculture innovations and innovators, so it’s not a surprise that our HARVEST program is attracting companies from around the world to learn more about what is going on right here on the prairies.”
The 2019 HARVEST winners are: 3Bar Biologics, USA; Atmonia, Iceland; Hummingbird Technologies, United Kingdom; Itaka Solutions, United Kingdom; Mercaris, USA; SensoTerra, Netherlands; and Timac Agro International, France.
The winners were chosen by experts representing Saskatchewan agriculture companies, organizations and government: Ministry of Trade and Export Development; Farm Credit Canada; Ag-West Bio; Ministry of Agriculture; Prairie Agricultural Machinery Institute; Farm West Ag; National Research Council Canada; and Innovation Saskatchewan.
SREDA, with support from the Government of Saskatchewan and industry partners, launched the program in 2017 as a fresh approach to business attraction. Seven global ag-tech companies have been selected to travel to Saskatoon from 15-18 July.
Agri-Tech East member PBD Biotech was part of the programme in 2017 and as a direct result has established an office in this vibrant region.
More about SREDA.