The Western Grains Research Foundation has announced investments in a pair of projects.
On Jan. 26, it announced a $300,000 contribution to the Mackenzie Applied Research Association (MARA) located in northern Alberta’s Mackenzie County.
The funding will help pay for the construction of a new agronomy centre and repair shop that will be used to advance agricultural research in northern Alberta.
Local producers will contribute another $300,000 toward the project.
The new facility will be located in Fort Vermilion, about 650 kilometres north of Edmonton, and will serve farmers in the Fort Vermilion, La Crete and High Level areas.
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Model-based estimates used by Statistics Canada showed the 2025/26 crop year has seen increases in canola, corn for grain, oats and lentils production while seeing dips in spring wheat, durum wheat, soybeans and barley in comparison to 2024/25.
Mackenzie County is among Canada’s most northerly crop-producing regions. Annual crop production is expanding rapidly in the area, highlighting the need for additional research.
“The new facility will allow staff to process samples and build and repair specialized equipment to better serve the farming community in our region,” said MARA chair Greg Newman.
As well, on Jan. 21 WGRF confirmed a $60,000 infrastructure investment to the Yorkton Research Farm, in Yorkton, Sask., managed by Parkland College and the East Central Research Foundation (ECRF).
“The majority of the work conducted by the farm currently involves small plot grain crop production, said Michael Hall, research co-ordinator with Parkland College.
