Saskatchewan Pulse Growers has funding agreement with Crop Development Centre, but grower wonders if money should be spread out to include more research groups
A former chair of Saskatchewan Pulse Growers says it is time the organization considered a new model for funding research.
Lyle Minogue said the existing model was developed at a time when pulse crops were having a difficult time garnering any attention in the research community.
SaskPulse came up with the novel approach of providing funding to the University of Saskatchewan’s Crop Development Centre in exchange for exclusive rights to new varieties that are distributed royalty-free to the province’s growers.
“I’m wondering, is it time we have to revisit that model because we have millions of acres of pulses now?” Minogue said at the organization’s annual general meeting.
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He believes changing the research funding model could help the industry attract investment by some of the big players in the seed technology business.
“We grow a variety of canola that gives us the chemical Liberty. It’s a miracle for cleaning up weeds and it gets phenomenal yields,” said Minogue.
“But under our current model, that company would not probably have any interest in looking into lentils and peas.”
He thinks it is time to reconsider directing the vast majority of research dollars to one organization.
“Maybe we should look at spreading that around and getting other research institutions involved,” said Minogue.
SPG chair Corey Loessin said the timing is right to have that discussion. The 15-year funding agreement with the Crop Development Centre expires in 2020 and negotiations are underway on a new 15-year pact.
He said that while Canadian farmers planted 8.5 million acres of peas and lentils last year, they are still relatively small crops on a global scale and may not attract the attention of the big seed technology companies, regardless of what funding model is adopted.
SPG executive director Carl Potts agreed with Minogue that a lot has changed since the last agreement was signed with the CDC.
Far more acres of peas and lentils now go in the ground, plant breeder’s rights have changed and there are new challenges with diseases such as root rot.
However, he didn’t sound willing to consider straying too far from the existing model for funding research.
“From an SPG perspective, we’re very interested in continuing a similar type of arrangement that we’ve had over the last number of years,” said Potts.
“We’re interested in continuing that strong partnership with the Crop Development Centre.”
He said the association is focused on finding the right funding model for the centre for the next 15 years with an end goal of providing farmers with the best varieties at a reasonable cost.
Loessin said research funding will be one of the topics discussed at eight regional meetings being held across the province this winter, and he encouraged growers to provide their input at those meetings or to call one of the directors of the organization.
