SCOTT, Sask. – The road to a new pulse laboratory at the University of
Saskatchewan’s Crop Development Centre just got $1.5 million shorter.
Ralph Goodale, standing in for federal agriculture minister Lyle
Vanclief, and Gordon Nystuen, deputy minister of agriculture in
Saskatchewan, announced the contribution during a July 10 field day at
the federal research farm near Scott, Sask.
In January, the Saskatchewan Pulse Growers announced a commitment to
raise $10 million to build facilities for a new pulse field lab. That
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included raising $1.5 million through industry contributions and using
it to access government funding.
The $1.5 million pledged at Scott is coming from the
Canada-Saskatchewan Agri-Food Innovation Fund, a federal-provincial
initiative that will end in 2003. The federal government contributed
two-thirds and the province one-third to the fund.
Nystuen said most of the fund’s money has been spent, but there were
some dollars left. The Saskatchewan Pulse Growers approached the
holders of the fund and talked about the need to build infrastructure
to diversify the pulse crop sector, with the goal of adding another
billion dollars of annual sales from the industry in the next decade.
“Those are ambitious targets, but with the response we’ve seen from
the ag community in the last decade, that can be achievable,” said
Nystuen.
“We think they’re correct in saying that this industry can grow. It has
that kind of potential and we will do it through innovation and
research.”
Goodale said the value of science and innovation in the success of
sectors like the pulse industry is part of the reason for the
government’s support for the lab.
“For the immediate future, we need a strong focus on pulse crops for
agronomic reasons, economic reasons and international reasons,” Goodale
said.
“This is a big and important Saskatchewan business. To keep it and
build it, cutting edge research and development are absolutely crucial,
especially in light of some anticipated action and market interventions
on the part of the United States.”
One way for Canadian farmers to fight back is through brain power,
staying ahead with superior scientific research.
Pulse researchers have outgrown the current 30-year-old field lab.
Plans for the new facility include a 2,000 sq. metre building with labs
for plant pathology, agronomy, physiology, crop quality, breeding and
nutrition activities. The building would help consolidate activities
surrounding recent U of S research investments, including a $250,000
seed storage building in 1998, a $750,000 breeder seed cleaning plant
in 2000 and a $250,000 pulse crop pathology lab in 2001.
