An investment of more than $200,000 into technology at five B.C. companies that service the agricultural sector was revealed January 17 by the provincial and federal governments.
The money comes from the Tree Fruit Market and Infrastructure Initiative that Victoria and Ottawa combined to pump $5 million into in 2010.
Cawston Cold Storage snagged $106,000, which was the largest investment, to help it improve storage technology.
Four other investments included:
· Coral Beach Farms getting more than $35,000 to help it develop software to automate the sorting of stemless cherries;
· Jind Fruit Co. getting more than $26,000 for a project to improve cold storage;
· The Okanagan Kootenay Cherry Growers’ Association getting more than $21,000 for two spotted wing drosophila larvae management projects; and
· The B.C. Fruit Growers Association Research and Development Test Orchard getting $19,200 to create quality standards that all cherry packing organizations can use for their domestic and export markets.
Investing in agricultural technology can be a controversial enterprise.
In June, Business in Vancouver reported that Okanagan farmers were concerned that their businesses and the reputation of B.C.’s fruit industry would be damaged if Ottawa approved genetically modified apples developed in the Okanagan.
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