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Water Adaptation Management and Quality Initiative (WAMQI) to Issue Funding

April 9, 2014 – Farm & Food Care Ontario (FFC) has announced that the Water Adaptation Management and Quality Initiative, also known as WAMQI, is set to deliver approximately $1.5 million to 28 eligible projects over the next 12 months.

Funding of the projects, selected from 43 eligible submissions, is provided through the federal-provincial-territorial initiative Growing Forward 2.

"[The initiative] builds on the successful Water Resource Adaptation and Management Initiative [from 2013], says Bruce Kelly, Environment and Program Lead for FFC, in a news release. "[It] will further our efforts to improve agricultural water use efficiency and better our understanding of managing agricultural nutrients."

Successful WAMQI applicants and projects approved for funding include the University of Guelph, ENPAR Technologies, the Ontario Potato Board, the Livestock Research and Innovation Council, and Ontario Pork among others. Approved projects include those pertaining to irrigation, water recycling, soil quality standards, minimization of Nitrogen loss in soil, and creek water conservation. Projects have been chosen that support farm water quality and water quantity objectives and that will benefit Ontario agricultural producers and organizations. Kelly says that he is pleased with the scope and diversity of the applications submitted this year.

Farm & Food Care, and the Canadian and Ontario governments say they hope that this applied research and demonstration program will help to foster pilot projects that showcase innovative technologies and solutions for agricultural water conservation and efficiency. The initiative also supports projects that demonstrate efficient use of nutrients and nutrient management related to water quality.

For further information on the program please contact Bruce Kelly directly at 519-837-1326 Ext 292 or via bruce@farmfoodcare.org.

April 9, 2014  By Potatoes in Canada