Agriculture committee  Thanks very much, Natasha. Yes, as a reminder, in the context of the ACT, there are three main objectives. The first is the key, namely green energy and energy efficiency, where we're looking at grain drying technologies and supporting grain dryer purchases by producers, as well as for barn heating.

Environment committee  There was a decision at that time to suspend the program intake, partly because of the budget available for that for the first two years. However, as I mentioned in my opening remarks, in budget 2022 the government decided to triple the amount of funding for the program for an additional five years, and we're very pleased.

Environment committee  Again, I'll say that we are diligently going through the applications that are in the system. Just to be clear, we're prioritizing those with the highest potential for GHG reduction. That's where we want to focus our attention in the context of the cost per tonne and reducing that from the various technologies we're looking at.

Environment committee  I would just mention that, in the context of budget 2022, we received $1 billion in environmental programming, and $330 million of that was in the clean-tech program, but also programming that looks at on-farm adoption. That's where we are looking at nitrogen reduction efficiency technologies in engagement with both manufacturing and processing.

Environment committee  Thank you, Mr. Chair. I'd like to begin by acknowledging that I am speaking to you today from the traditional and unceded territory of the Algonquin Anishinabe people here in Ottawa. On behalf of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, I am pleased to speak to you about how clean technologies are being utilized in Canada's agriculture and agri-food sector to reduce greenhouse gases and other negative impacts, and about technologies that help to contribute to global emission-reduction targets.

Agriculture committee  That's correct.

Agriculture committee  In the context of the agriculture clean-tech program, yes, we are looking at both an on-farm adoption and also an innovation component. I should say that part of the dollars will also be used for agri-food processing. There is an opportunity to get and use those dollars to support increased innovation technologies with regard to some of our environmental goals.

Agriculture committee  It's to use that as a fuel for the grain drying, as part of the new biomass technology. Again, there are different elements, different types, but that's the intent.

Agriculture committee  Unfortunately, I'm not an expert on biomass, but can I say that it's one of the elements that we're looking at. There are Canadian companies that are fully engaged in using biomass as a clean fuel—if we're thinking of wood pellets and of oat pellets—for grain drying. I'm not an expert on the technology behind it, but it is one of the promising areas of focus in the context of grain drying vis-à-vis the traditional grain dryers that we see on the market currently.

Agriculture committee  Thank you, Mr. Chair. Unfortunately, the level of funding is not a question for officials. We have $50 million, and I think we're going to play with that money, for sure.

Agriculture committee  Thank you very much, Chair. I would make two comments. On the grain drying, again, I would remind the committee that in budget 2021 as part of the $165 million agriculture clean-tech program, $50 million was carved out for this as well as $10 million for fuel switching, which was another component that was deemed to be part of the $165 million.

Agriculture committee  Thank you very much, Mr. Chair, for the question. I'll just follow up my colleague, Matt Parry's, comment. Yes, absolutely, I think that one of the elements we are looking at in engaging with stakeholders, industry associations, and other stakeholders on the on-farm side is to look at those agronomic practices and whether there are opportunities to share “best practices”, I will call them, or knowledge transfer.

Agriculture committee  In the context of the agriculture clean-tech program, the details haven't been announced yet. That will be done shortly. We are looking at both an on-farm element and a research component. To the question about technology, we know there are different types of technologies currently in the market.