The Canadian Government has announced plans to invest in the country’s poultry sector to drive innovation and growth.

The announcement was made by Canadian Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Marie-Claude Bibeau during her visit to the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Montreal in St Hyacinthe.

Bibeau said: “Our Government is committed to helping Canada’s poultry sector maintain consumer trust and stay on the cutting edge by finding new and innovative solutions to challenges faced by the industry.

“This funding will play an important part in ensuring that the sector is able to continue to grow sustainably and do more to meet high consumer demand.”

As part of the new initiative, the government will make an investment of nearly C$8.2m ($6.09m) in the Canadian Poultry Research Council under the Canadian Agricultural Partnership, AgriScience Program Clusters.

The funding from the government is in addition to an investment of C$3.7m ($2.7m) made by the industry.

It will be used for developing products and processes that will address threats to the poultry value chain, as well as improve poultry health and welfare.

Canadian Poultry Research Council president Helen Anne Hudson said: “Funding for the third poultry science cluster allows the poultry industry to conduct research projects that reflect the priorities of the industry and Canadian consumers.

“The Canadian poultry farmers are constantly evolving their production practices in response to these priorities, which include the enhancement of the health and welfare of the animals, improving food safety, development of innovations in antimicrobial alternatives and vaccines development, as well as research in preserving the environment and long-term sustainability of the poultry industry in Canada.”