Dr. Chandra Singh, Lethbridge College’s senior research chair in agricultural engineering and technology, has been granted nearly $500,000 over five years by Results Driven Agriculture Research (RDAR) to continue his work in post-harvest crop and quality losses.
RDAR made the funding announcement Tuesday afternoon.
As an RDAR-funded research chair, Singh says he and his team will focus on minimizing post-harvest losses, adding value to local crops and developing products and technological solutions to meet the needs of Alberta’s agri-food ecosystems.
“By reducing crop losses and boosting on-farm productivity through innovations at [Lethbridge College’s] Advanced Post-harvest Technology Centre (APHTC), we are paving the way for a more sustainable and prosperous future for Alberta producers,” Singh says in the RDAR news release.
Singh joined the college’s Centre for Applied Research, Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CARIE) in 2019 as the first Applied Research Chair in Agricultural Engineering and Technology.
Raised on a small family farm in India, Singh completed an undergraduate degree in Agricultural Engineering, a master’s degree in Postharvest Engineering and a PhD in Biosystems Engineering, giving him a rare and sought-after combination of expertise in both equipment and technologies, as well as an understanding of the science of agriculture. Before arriving at Lethbridge College, he was an Associate Professor of Engineering at the University of Southern Australia jointly co-appointed by Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC), Australia’s national research organization.
In November 2023, Singh appeared virtually before the Senate’s Standing Committee on Agriculture and Forestry (AGFO) to share his expertise on grain drying and grain storage as it pertains to Bill C-234.
Tuesday’s grant announcement by RDAR means Singh will continue his research and tenure at Lethbridge College through 2029.