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AGRICULTURE: Federal government invests more than $416,000 in Alberta’s emerging biofuels industry

            (AlbertaIndex, June 27, Wednesday) --- The Federal government is investing more than $416,000 in three southern Alberta projects to help the emerging biofuels industry, said Chuck Strahl, the Federal Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food and Minister for the Canadian Wheat Board.

            In a statement issued on his behalf, Rick Casson, Member of Parliament for Alberta’s Lethbridge, said:
          
“Canada’s new government is helping to ensure that producers are able to participate in and benefit from increased biofuels production in Canada. The renewable energy industry holds great potential for enhancing the economic prosperity of the communities of Lethbridge, Drumheller and Coalhurst.”
            Through the Biofuels Opportunities for Producers Initiative (BOPI), the three firms will receive funding to prepare feasibility studies and business plans to study the suitability of biofuels production according to location and needs in the industry.
            “It’s encouraging to see the federal government provide support to help these companies explore the vast potential for biofuel production and use,” said Dee Ann Benard of the Agriculture and Food Council, which administers the BOPI program in Alberta. “These projects demonstrate how committed the Council is to our environment and to our agricultural sector.”
            BOPI is a two-year $20 million commitment by Ottawa designed to provide farmers and rural communities with opportunities to participate in, and benefit from, increased Canadian biofuels production. The initiative helps agricultural producers and others develop sound business proposals, as well as undertake feasibility or other studies to support the creation and expansion of biofuel production capacity.
            It is delivered through the industry councils in each province and territory that administer agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s Advancing Canadian Agriculture and Agri-Food Program.
            In Budget 2007, Ottawa allocated $2 billion over seven years to support the production of renewable fuels. In addition, since coming to office, this government has announced $500 million to assist farmers and rural communities to seize new market opportunities in the bio-economy through biofuels and bio-products initiatives.
            The Canadian government is committed to establishing regulations that will require 5% average renewable fuel content in transportation fuels by 2010 and intends to regulate a 2% requirement for renewable content in diesel fuel and heating oil by 2012.
            Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) wants to ensure that these targets are implemented in ways that result in the greatest possible benefit to the agricultural sector, including ownership of biofuels production facilities by agricultural producers.


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