B.C. agri-tech firm lands federal funding to commercialize next-generation seeder
by Canadian Manufacturing.com Staff
Startup will use the $1.8 million in federal seed money to build six large-scale seeders for field testing as it looks to break new ground in farming industry
The company’s CX-6 Smart Seeder offers the age-old farming industry a new way to seed fields, improving yields while cutting down on costs. PHOTO: Clean Seed Capital Group, via YouTube
BURNABY, B.C.—A West Coast company is one step closer to helping farmers make better use of every square foot of growing space.
Based in Burnaby, B.C., Clean Seed Agricultural Technologies Ltd. is shifting its growth plans into high gear using a $1.8 million investment from the federal government. The company intends to use the funds to manufacture six new CX-6 SMART Seeders for field testing on farms, as well as to upgrade its assembly line.
“We proudly welcome the ongoing resolute financial support of our government to commercialize our Canadian designed and developed CX-6 Smart Seeder here at home and abroad,” Graeme Lempriere, the company’s CEO, said.
After first completing field trials in 2014, the company spent about two years establishing its manufacturing base for the new machinery. Eventually partnering with Manitoba fabricator WS Steel, Clean Seed’s first commercial CX-6 rattled off the line in Steinbach, Man. earlier this year.
Among the machinery’s innovations is its ability to integrate computer-based soil mapping technology with the tradition seeding process—an attribute Clean Seed says makes the CX-6 the world’s only “smart” seeder. The design tweak, along with many others, allows the equipment to deliver a precise amount of seed, fertilizer and other nutrients to match conditions in specific parts of a field, optimizing yield while cutting down on cost.
