Agricultural research has doubled since 1995 when the federal government slashed funding, says the top bureaucrat in Agriculture Canada’s research branch.
Losing a third of its research staff to budget cuts was “a near-death experience,” said Brian Morrissey.
But Morrissey told a recent Canada Grains Council seminar the matching investment initiative has put more money and people into federal labs than were cut.
“It has been a painful process, but there is a very positive aspect to it,” he said.
Under the initiative, the federal government matches research spending put forward by industry and farmers.
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Morrissey said the current research budget allows for 2,300 full-time employees, but a head count this summer revealed 4,000 people working in labs under a variety of funding arrangements.
He pointed out the Western Grains Research Foundation checkoff, paid by farmers, has doubled wheat and barley breeding on the Prairies, and has helped create 11 new varieties.
Morrissey said the research partnerships with the private sector will soon be the major influence in setting priorities for federal research.
The Western Canadian Grain Vision Committee recently hired an economist to study how research decisions are made, co-ordinator Bruce Kirk told the seminar.
Kurt Klein from the University of Lethbridge found the private sector is playing a bigger part in making decisions through matching investment programs, producer checkoffs, advisory committees and the Canadian Agri-Food Research Council.
But Klein reported industry often favors research projects with short-term payoffs over long-term, “public good” research.
Morrissey said that should not be a problem. He defined public-good research as work that the private sector can’t do profitably. In those cases, partnerships can help get things done at a price the market can bear.
“Even if the private sector lose 10 cents on the dollar, that isn’t a reason for the public to pick up … the whole cost of doing the study,” he said.
If 90 cents of the cost comes from the private sector and 15 cents comes from the government, the work can still get done at the least cost to government, he said.
Morrissey also said scientists sometimes tend to raise the issue of long-term research because they prefer to work independently on lengthier projects.
Seminar participants also heard a report from the Canadian Agri-Food Research Council, which has come up with a set of broad recommendations for a research strategy. The council involves 800 people on various committees.
But Anders Bruun, of Manitoba Pool Elevators, expressed impatience with the council’s work.
Bruun said agriculture research should come up with demonstrated results so public sector funding isn’t further cut. He said the last success story was the development of canola 30 years ago.
Bruun compared the council to a car design committee that has decided a new car will be fuel-efficient, safe and economical.
“But you still have absolutely no idea what you’re going to come up with,” he said.
“I think we’re a long way from a cohesive … research strategy that produces success stories every year.”
But council member Terry Daynard, of the Ontario Corn Producers Association, said industry involvement has changed it from being “a bit of a sleepy group” several years ago.
Daynard said the council will soon come out with a more detailed business plan.
