BIOTECH WEEK PROCLAIMED IN SASKATCHEWAN

Today, Agriculture Minister Bob Bjornerud proclaimed the week of September 16-23 Biotech Week in Saskatchewan.

"Saskatchewan is a leader in biotechnology with a reputation for excellence in agricultural production and research," Bjornerud said. "Biotechnology plays a vital role in the competitiveness of Saskatchewan's agriculture industry and will continue to be important to our success in the future."

Saskatchewan is Canada's agricultural biotechnology capital with 30 per cent of the Canadian industry located in the province.

The provincial government is committed to supporting biotechnology research. In September 2010, Premier Brad Wall announced an additional provincial investment of $5 million over four years for agricultural biotechnology research. In addition, funding for agriculture research in the provincial budget has increased by more than 30 per cent since 2007.

Biotech Week is held in conjunction with National Biotech Week observed across Canada.

"National Biotech Week is an opportunity for Saskatchewan to raise awareness of the advances that are being made here in the biosciences," Ag-West Bio Inc. President and CEO Wilf Keller said. "Vaccines, crop improvement, diagnostics, industrial bioproducts, natural health products and genomic technologies; these are just a few of the areas where we really excel, both in research and more and more, in the commercialization of technologies."

Events to be held in Saskatoon during Biotech Week include an educational outreach day at the University of Saskatchewan on September 23. BIOTECanada will celebrate the launch of National Biotech Week at the University of Saskatchewan on September 16 with the grand opening of the Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization's newest facility, the International Vaccine Centre.

For more information or to see a full list of events, visit www.agwest.sk.ca.

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For more information, contact:

Jenna Webb
Agriculture
Regina
Phone: 306-787-2359
Email: jenna.webb@gov.sk.ca