Accessible and user-friendly software for improved risk management in the sheep sector
News Release
November 16, 2017 – Saint-Joseph-de-Beauce, Quebec – Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC)
Lamb meat and mutton are increasingly popular food choices among Canadians, creating better business opportunities for sheep producers and the agricultural sector as a whole. The Government of Canada provides leading support for science and innovation in order to increase business profitability, enhance industry competitiveness, and foster growth and the creation of good, well-paying jobs.
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance and Member of Parliament (Louis-Hébert), Joël Lightbound, on behalf of the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, Lawrence MacAulay, today announced a contribution of up to $437,562 to Université Laval for the production of a new version of the Simulovins software, which will facilitate decision making for sheep farmers and steer them toward the most profitable models and production techniques.
Quotes
"Our government has made business risk management one of its priorities to help the agricultural industry develop, stay competitive and create jobs. This update to the software created by Université Laval will be used to assist and guide sheep producers in Quebec and across Canada in making the best choices to ensure the viability and profitability of their farms and their industry."
- Joël Lightbound, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance and Member of Parliament for Louis-Hébert
"Simulovins is a unique simulation of a sheep business in operation. It can be used to train farmers and professionals both in Canada and around the world. It can be used for distance learning or in hybrid mode. This is an excellent example of knowledge transfer that meets users’ needs."
- Jean-Claude Dufour, Dean, Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences
Quick Facts
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In 2016, Canada had 9,390 sheep farms; farm cash receipts for the sector totaled $179.9 million, of which Quebec farms accounted for $46.5 million, or 25.9%.
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Simulovins is a software program that simulates the workings of a sheep herd, taking into account all the production parameters and making it possible to track all the relationships among those parameters. Initially developed for research purposes, the software was revamped to make it accessible to and more user-friendly for agricultural advisors and forward-thinking sheep farmers.
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The project is being funded under the AgriRisk Initiatives program, which supports research and development, as well as the implementation and administration of new risk management tools for use in the agriculture sector. AgriRisk is a Growing Forward 2 Business Risk Management initiative.
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Contacts
Guy Gallant
Director of Communications
Office of the Honourable Lawrence MacAulay
613-773-1059
Media Relations
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
Ottawa, Ontario
613-773-7972
1-866-345-7972
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Annie Dubé
Regional Communications Manager, Quebec
514-315-6180
514-476-8583 (Cell)
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