Government of Saskatchewan Proclaims Biotech Week

Agriculture Minister David Marit proclaimed September 28 to October 4, 2020, Biotech Week in Saskatchewan to celebrate the role biotechnology plays in the agriculture industry.

“Biotechnology is a significant source of growth in the agriculture sector and plays an important role in ensuring the sustainability of our industry,” Marit said. “Saskatchewan’s biotech sector has been at the forefront of ensuring our producers have the innovative technologies and agronomic practices they require to feed a growing population.”

Saskatchewan is considered a biotechnology leader, with roughly one-third of Canada’s agricultural biotechnology sector calling the province home.  Biotech Week, first proclaimed in Canada in 2003, celebrates the work of these researchers and raises awareness of the role the sector plays in agriculture and the life sciences.  Biotech Week in Saskatchewan coincides each year with Global Biotech Week.

“Global Biotech Week is an opportunity to celebrate Saskatchewan’s bioscience sector,” Ag-West Bio President and CEO Karen Churchill said.  “Saskatchewan organizations are involved in sustainable crop development, creating products that use enzymes to replace harsh chemicals, producing nutraceuticals and healthy foods, environmental remediation using microbes, and of course vaccine development.  We should all be very proud of the accomplishments of our local scientists and entrepreneurs.”

The Government of Saskatchewan supports agricultural innovation through a variety of research-focused programs and initiatives.  This includes a $32.9 million commitment to agricultural research for the 2020-21 fiscal year.

Ag-West Bio is coordinating activities across the province to mark the week, including several events in Regina and Saskatoon that will be held virtually this year.

A full list of events is available at www.globalbiotechweeksask.ca/

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