The federal and Saskatchewan governments have contributed $7.7 million to crop-related research projects through the Agriculture Development Fund.
Saskatchewan Agriculture Minister Lyle Stewart announced the funding agreement Jan. 9 at CropSphere in Saskatoon.
Ottawa and Saskatchewan have committed an additional $6.25 million over the next five yearto the University of Saskatchewan’s Crop Development Centre.
That money will be used to cover operational costs at the CDC related to crop research and the development of new crop varieties.
“Investing in innovative, crop-related projects and supporting research organizations like the CDC not only provides Saskatchewan farmers and ranchers with the very latest in research and development, but also allows our province to be competitive on the world stage and helps attract some of the best researchers in the industry,” Stewart said.
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“We’re very proud of our investments through ADF. They create future growth opportunities and help improve the bottom line for producers and food processors.”
Thirty individual crop research projects will receive funding through the ADF, covering a wide range of topics related to crop production and management.
Specific projects that will receive funding are related to the development of new clubroot resistant canola varieties, improved fuarium resistance in durum wheat, better control of root rot in pea and lentil crops and increased use of fababeans in pet food and fish food products.
Federal and provincial funding commitments through the ADF were also used to leverage additional funding through a variety of producer-directed organizations, including the Western Grains Research Foundation, the Saskatchewan Wheat Development Commission (SaskWheat), SaskBarley, SaskFlax, SaskCanola and the Saskatchewan Pulse Growers Association.
SaskWheat, for example, will contribute an additional $2.7 million to ADF research projects related to wheat.
The WGRF will commit $1.4 million to nine ADF projects as part of its ongoing ADF co-funding agreement.
“WGRF’s funding is about benefitting western Canadian crop growers,” said Dave Sefton, a Saskatchewan farmer and chair of the WGRF.
“The WGRF is pleased to be supporting nine new research projects through this partnership. We know the knowledge and tools these projects will provide are vital for our continued success as producers.”
