The Saskatchewan Barley Development Commission (SaskBarley) says a new funding partnership that involves the federal agriculture department and barley industry organizations will deliver huge benefits for the Saskatchewan barley industry.

“This ongoing commitment to barley research is a win for Saskatchewan barley producers, as the goals of the next cluster are directly aligned with SaskBarley’s focus on ensuring that barley is a profitable and competitive crop choice,” said SaskBarley director Zenneth Faye.

“It’s also a win for the entire barley value chain, as it demonstrates what is possible when everyone works together, alongside the federal government, to make long-term growth for our industry happen.”

SaskBarley is one of the organizations involved in a $10.2 million funding agreement announced earlier today.

The newly formed national barley cluster will receive a total of $10.2 million over five years, including $1.4 million over five years from SaskBarley.

Agriculture Canada will match industry funding at a rate of approximately 3:1. SaskBarley’s total contribution to the project is $1.4 million into barley research over the next five years.

For the past year, SaskBarley has been working with the Barley Council of Canada, the Alberta Barley Commission, the Manitoba Wheat and Barley Growers Association, the Brewing and Malting Barley Research Institute, the Western Grains Research Foundation and the Canadian Field Crop Research Alliance to apply for funding through the Canadian Agricultural Partnership.

The $10.2 million investment will fund a total of 13 barley-focused projects that will aim to ensure that barley is a competitive cereal crop choice for producers in rotation with other major crops.

Individual research projects will focus on:

• Genetic improvements through new varieties with higher yields, better environmental performance, and specific end-use qualities.

• Finding new sources of resistance and evaluating management strategies for fusarium head blight and other crop diseases.

• Maintaining the high quality of Canadian malting barley while understanding how it performs in the malting and brewing processes.

• Exploring potential health benefits of barley as livestock feed beyond its role as an energy source.

• Continuing to identify and evaluate crop management strategies that advance the economic and environmental sustainability of the Canadian barley industry.