Canada - Water and Irrigation Demonstrations - Okanagan/Similkameen

Description

VGN Resources Group Inc. (VGN) will be the Program Administrator for projects under the Ministry of Agriculture and Food's (Ministry) extension programming for environment and climate change.  This RFP and project is administered by VGN on behalf of the Ministry.The agriculture industry has identified a knowledge gap and extension need, to address climate challenges in agriculture and facilitate climate adaptation, mitigation, and environmental sustainability. The ability of producers to help mitigate the climate challenges provide linkages to the larger Ministry mandates. The Okanagan and Similkameen water and irrigation demonstration project specifically links to goals of climate mitigation and environmental sustainability. It aims to increase awareness and adoption of water-efficient  irrigation equipment and water management practices on farms. Producers will have the chance to observe equipment demonstrations in an on-farm setting and to review data collected from these field demonstrations and associated case studies.   This project builds on opportunities currently offered by the Beneficial Management Practices (BMP) program, a complementary, on-farm cost-share incentive program to assist farm and ranch operations to mitigate some of the risks identified in the farm-specific Environmental Farm Plans (EFPs). The goal of the BMP program is aligned with the goals of increasing adoption/upgrading of technology to increase water use efficiency. This project will be beneficial for demonstrating such technologies in on-farm settings.   Key strategies in achieving Ministry priorities are the development of partnerships with private industry, academia, NGO, and other levels of government to explore new ways to support increases in food production.    In terms of reconciliation, the potential exists for co-development and collaboration with Indigenous peoples.  Working to create equitable participation of Indigenous peoples in the agriculture and food sector led to the creation of the B.C. Indigenous Advisory Council on Agriculture and Food (IACAF).  The purpose of this contract is to develop and implement a protocol for site selection, implementation and maintenance of on-farm water management demonstrations and a methodology for relevant data collection. These actions will help to showcase technology and practices which can increase water use efficiency on the farm.  The proponent of this contract will also be responsible for development of case studies and collection of data in the field pertaining to on-farm water usage and resulting crop yields from the on-farm demonstrations. Case studies will be created to aid in producer understanding and adoption of beneficial management practices and technologies. The proponent will cooperate with other contractor(s), as directed by the Ministry, to incorporate the protocol and data collection on farm sites utilized for field days in a separate but related project. The proponent will also provide outreach and on-farm knowledge and technology transfer at field days to increase producers’ adoption and understanding of water use.  These initiatives to improve producers’ understanding and adoption of innovative technologies and practices for more efficient water use will help to promote and support the longevity and productivity of agricultural operations.

Opportunity closing date

30 July 2024

Value of contract

to be confirmed