Nominations open for Canadian Agri-Food Awards of Excellence

Source: Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food

Do you know a Saskatchewan producer, business, organization or individual who has made an extraordinary contribution to agriculture? If so, why not put their name forward for a prestigious national honour?

Nominations are now being accepted for the Canadian Agri-Food Awards of Excellence.

The awards recognize outstanding achievement in five key areas that are vital to the continued success of the agricultural sector: environmental stewardship, innovation, export performance, agricultural awareness and education, and agricultural volunteerism.

The annual awards are sponsored by the federal department of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) and the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair (RAWF). This year, they will be presented at the 2006 Canadian Agri-Food Awards of Excellence Banquet, hosted by RAWF on November 6 in Toronto.

"This country has some pretty special people making significant contributions to the sector," awards co-ordinator with AAFC Brock King said. "These awards are a way to shine a spotlight on their achievements."

The awards have been handed out annually since 2001, but surprisingly, have never gone to anyone from Saskatchewan.

"It's something we'd love to see redressed," King said with a chuckle. "Given the innovative and vibrant agricultural sector in Saskatchewan, it would be terrific to have a nominee from the province finally break that drought this year."

Nomination forms, additional information on the awards, and specific criteria for each category are available on the AAFC website at www.agr.gc.ca under "Features," or by using the website's search function.

The deadline for nominations is September 8, 2006.

For further information, contact:

Brock King, Co-ordinator, Canadian Agri-Food Awards of Excellence
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
Phone: (613) 759-7780
E-mail: kingb@agr.gc.ca
Website: www.agr.gc.ca

Royal Agricultural Winter Fair
Phone: (416) 263-3406
Website: www.royalfair.org