Saskatchewan to celebrate Biotech Week

Agriculture Minister David Marit has proclaimed Sept. 24 to 30 as Biotech Week in Saskatchewan, to celebrate the benefits of biotechnology in the province.

Organizers hope to raise awareness of the important and growing role biotechnology plays in agriculture and the life sciences.

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“Biotechnology is truly a Saskatchewan success story – it has allowed us to create very specialized crops and to develop new industrial uses for those crops,” Saskatchewan agriculture minister Dave Marit said.

“GM canola has reduced tillage and simplified weed control, saving producers money and fuel. As the home of roughly one-third of Canada’s agricultural biotechnology sector, Saskatchewan is a biotech leader.”

Biotech Week in Saskatchewan coincides with the national and global biotech weeks.

In Saskatchewan, Biotech Week activities are being coordinated by Ag-West Bio, the province’s bioscience industry association, and include several events in Regina and Saskatoon.

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“With the technology advancing so rapidly, and with so much misinformation out there, it’s more important now than ever to promote science and technology,” Ag-West Bio President and CEO Wilf Keller said.

“Biotechnology is a crucial tool in the development of hardier crops, nutritious foods and vaccines. With climate change and the environment a major concern today, the public should also appreciate that biotechnology helps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, as well as the amount of land needed to produce our food.”

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The Government of Saskatchewan continues to support agricultural innovation. The Ministry of Agriculture has committed $31.8 million to agriculture research for the 2018-19 fiscal year.

For a full list of Biotech Week activities in Saskatchewan, visit the AG-West Bio website here.