The University of Saskatchewan has been awarded 6.76 million dollars from the Canada Foundation for Innovation to resolve challenges facing the cattle and bison industries.

Officials say a specialized team will apply genomics and other new technologies to the beef sector to enhance production, livestock health, and food safety.

The goal is also to reduce greenhouse gases.

The wide-ranging research program includes working with first nations to develop the world’s first bison genome biobank at the university’s Livestock and Forage Centre of Excellence.

A key benefit to beef producers will be development of new genomic tools to enable trait selection, enhance genetic diversity and diagnosis of disease-causing microbes in herds.

The goal is to make it easier for cattle producers to breed animals with better meat quality, stronger disease immunity, improved production and better environmental adaptation.
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