Research stations to close | Nearly half the jobs will be eliminated
Government cuts to wheat research are disappointing and will ultimately hinder production in Western Canada, says Grain Growers of Canada president Stephen Vandervalk.
“Unfortunately, it looks like the spring wheat program for the black and dark brown soils zones has been slashed by about one-third at a time when the world needs more production,” Vandervalk said in a news release.
The federal government informed Agriculture Canada scientists April 11 that the Cereal Research Centre in Winnipeg, one of 19 Ag Canada research stations across the country, would shut down April 2014.
Read Also
Bunge surpasses quarterly profit estimates
U.S. grain trader and processor Bunge Global recently reported a smaller-than-expected drop in second-quarter profit on improved oilseed processing margins.
As details of the closure leaked out April 12, it became apparent that 41 of the approximately 100 positions at the Cereal Research Centre would be cut. The remaining jobs will be transferred to other centres.
“Some will move to the Morden Research Station and some will move to the Brandon Research Station,” said Robyn Benson, Public Service Alliance of Canada regional executive vice president.
“How they (the government) are going to manage it, I’m not sure.”
Grain Growers said research into rust and Ug99 at the Winnipeg centre will continue at the new locations.
Wheat breeders at the Winnipeg centre have helped develop some of the most popular spring wheat varieties in Western Canada, including Harvest, Unity, Superb and Kane.
Its closure and the staffing cuts suggest the federal government no longer wants to be in the business of developing wheat varieties, said Richard Phillips, Grain Growers executive director.
“There is a clear indication here that they are moving the government out of pursuing research through to varietal development.”
Blair Rutter, Western Canadian Wheat Growers Association executive director, didn’t criticize the government’s decision, but said the cutbacks to wheat research are concerning.
“From what I understand, about a third of the Winnipeg program will be cut back,” he said.
Farmers don’t care if public or private money is spent on wheat research, he added.
“Our concern is that we want to see research investment. It doesn’t matter so much who does it, as long as it’s there. Right now it’s not there,” he said.
“There’s more pressure on the private sector, which includes farmers. Certainly farmers are making their contribution and we just need private (companies) to step up to the plate.”
An Agriculture Canada spokesperson said the Cereal Research Centre was an aging building, and moving scientists to other centres in Manitoba will achieve operational efficiencies.
“Although the building is closing, the work done there in germplasm, genomics and pathology research for wheat will continue at our Morden facility and the work done in pathology for other small cereals will continue at our Brandon facility,” the spokesman said, adding the government remains committed to wheat research and breeding.
As an example, the government has invested $8.2 million to the Canadian Wheat Breeding Cluster, a Western Grains Research Foundation initiative.
It’s not clear how much money will be saved by closing the Cereal Research Centre. The government spokesman said the savings are part of the 10 percent reduction in Agriculture Canada spending over the next three years.
