Ottawa is providing more details on the 50 million dollar program to support farmers switch to more efficient grain dryers.

The application process will begin later this month as part of the Agricultural Clean Technology program.

To be eligible, any new dryer or retrofit project will have to have a total cost of at least 50 thousand dollars.

Federal Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau says the federal government will cover up to half the cost for farms.

Bibeau did not provide specifics, but eligible projects could range from retrofitting components of an old propane dryer, to the installation of new biomass-based grain dryers.

The goal is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The 50-million dollars for grain dryer upgrades will be distributed over five years.

She adds Ottawa is still working on a 100 million dollar carbon tax rebate program on natural gas and propane used for grain drying.

The rebate was announced in the last federal budget.
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(with files from cjww)