SWIFT CURRENT, Sask. — Federal Agriculture Minister Lawrence MacAulay today announced $35.3 million for infrastructure at the Swift Current Research and Development Centre.

Construction of new laboratories has been underway since May 2015 but the project had not been previously officially announced.

Once construction is complete, current labs will be renovated into office space.

MacAulay was at the centre for the announcement along with Saskatchewan premier Brad Wall and provincial agriculture minister Lyle Stewart.

MacAulay said the government is committed to research and recognizes the role the Swift Current centre in particular has played in making Canadian farmers efficient and competitive.

Today’s farmers produce twice as much as they did a century ago, on half as much resources, thanks to research and development, he said.

“Being a farmer that’s pretty important to the bottom line,” he told centre staff and stakeholders gathered for the announcement.

Wall, who is also the MLA for Swift Current, said the research centre has been an important economic driver for the area since it opened in 1921. He noted that AC Barrie, long the standard for hard red spring wheat, was developed there.

MacAulay on Thursday planned to visit the G3 elevator at Pasqua and the food farm, an agricultural awareness project at Moose Jaw. Plans to join Stewart in a combine Tuesday were thwarted by rain.

Contact karen.briere@producer.com