Canada's Agri-Food Industry Gets Web-Enabled Boost

Compiled ByDeborah Austin A new Web-based agri-food exchange in Canada plans to offer producers, county elevators, and commodity groups a collaborative e-business environment -- and future alliances with other industries for exchanges and procurement. The entity -- Agri-eBusiness Group Inc. (AEBG), Guelph, Ont. -- is funded by the Agricultural Commodity Corp., Ontario Corn Producers' Assn., Ontario Soybean Growers and Ontario Wheat Producers Marketing Boards, and the Ontario Rural Job Strategy Fund. Business-to-business e-commerce services firm BCE Emergis Inc., Montreal, will deliver technology solutions. AEBG targets June 2002 for online implementation of its first participation level, with further expansion driven grassroots-up by industry participants including 40,000 to 50,000 cash-crop farmers, says President Brian Hughes, AEBG. AEBG plans to reduce business bottlenecks and create a central loan system for commodity organizations.