Staff / Canadian Western Agribition’s annual scholarships are open for applications for 2012.

“One of Agribition’s strongest goals is to promote innovation in agriculture. There is no better way to foster innovation than to feed the minds of the young people who will be our industry’s leaders in the near future,” said Marty Seymour, CEO and general manager of Agribition.

Established in 1994, the Agribition Scholarship program has awarded over $150,000 in scholarships. The fund receives contributions annually from private donations as well as from other Agribition events.

The Canadian Western Agribition Scholarship program is intended to provide financial support and incentive to support young Agribition participants seeking higher education. To qualify for one of the $1,000 grants, applicants must have participated during a past Agribition as an exhibitor (such as in a livestock show, 4-H, grain and forage classes or active trade show exhibitor). Applicants must be pursuing a post-secondary or graduate program that is at least two years long. Scholarships are provided to help cover costs of the second or subsequent year of an education program in Canada or U.S.

The deadline for applications for this year’s scholarships is July 1, 2012. For a scholarship application, visit: www.agribition.com/Show_Information/Education/Scholarship/.

More agricultural co-operation with Kazakhstan

Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz and his counterpart from the Republic of Kazakhstan, Minister of Agriculture Asylzhan Mamytbekov signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) April 2.

The MOU will increase co-operation in the areas of animal and plant production and development, and it will also increase knowledge sharing and exchanges of new technologies. A joint Canada–Kazakhstan working group will be established and will meet annually to ensure that the goals of this MOU are met.

In 2011, Canadian agriculture and food exports to Kazakhstan totalled about $14 million, which included exports of Canada’s top-quality breeding cattle. Canada is a trading partner of choice for Kazakhstan, particularly in the livestock and agricultural machinery sectors.