The federal government announced an investment of $80 million to replace the Centre for Plant Health in Sidney, B.C. The Centre is a CFIA diagnostic testing, research and quarantine facility, with both laboratories and greenhouses.
The development of this world-class plant health research facility will provide CFIA scientists and partners with state-of-the-art facilities to advance plant science, the government said.
The CFIA collaborated closely with the B.C. Ministry of Agriculture, a long-standing partner of the Centre for Plant Health, as well as other partners to develop a vision and business case for enhanced investment in the facility. The Centre will be developed over five years in continued collaboration with industry, provincial governments and academic partners, providing opportunities for the local community, the province and scientific partners across Canada.
“We applaud this investment by the federal government as it will enable BC’s leading scientists to apply novel technologies, like genomics, to critical agricultural issues such as invasive pathogens and viruses. Canadian import/export markets will be stronger and more competitive because of this investment,” said Pascal Spothelfer, president and CEO of Genome British Columbia.
