Mr. Speaker, Deborah Buszard of McGill University and Bertrand Farmer of Quebec's Dairy Herd Analysis Service, have been awarded the Prix Léo-Derikx. This is an award created to acknowledge innovative models for long term partnerships at the pre-competitive phase of research and development.
This McGill University project, started as a means of helping dairy farmers, has developed into a world-class centre of expertise on which the entire Canadian dairy industry depends when decisions need to be made. At present, it receives and analyzes data on more than 13,000 Canadian dairy herds, comprising some 750,000 cows. This represents some 1.2 million milk production records annually.
Working together, the dairy businesses and the award winning academics have proven that great things can come out of effective partnerships. Their success has enriched university training and research programs in Quebec and in Canada, and given them concrete advantages.
Our sincere congratulations to the award winners.