How many is too many?
When it comes to wheat research projects that’s difficult to say. And that’s a problem.
Without a comprehensive accounting of what the 266 wheat research projects now underway in Canada are focusing on, no one can say with certainty that research is as effective and efficient as it could be.
The national wheat industry needs a mission statement to direct research, one in which clear objectives and desired outcomes are set out.
Wheat research decisions tend to be regionally based and that’s not necessarily improper since a large part of research funding comes from regional commissions through producer checkoffs. There is some co-ordination of wheat research projects among regional wheat commissions, but there are no unified national priorities to guide the work.
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The federal government currently pays 46 percent of wheat research, producer checkoffs pay 31 percent and the provinces pay 23 percent.
But whether or not these many projects are as effective as they could be we are unable to say with certainty.
To that end, Cereals Canada has started compiling a database of projects across the country. The intent is to eventually make the database active and continuously update it, but making the database public remains an obstacle due to confidentiality issues.
As a concept, a research project database would allow various commissions access to a detailed list of work being done across the country and enable them to explore ways to work together or find other efficiencies.
While it is true that some projects will remain regionally based by nature, such as regionally specific agronomic studies, it may also be possible to redirect funds to areas of need not currently addressed by existing projects.
This is also where national guiding principles can help. A broad coalition of members from the various wheat commissions could view the current projects through a national lens. Cereals Canada, or a special, newly created task force, could serve that function.
A national body with a detailed understanding of current research projects would, in theory, be able to make suggestions about priorities based on market intelligence.
For example, if Canada’s wheat customers are asking for a specific type of wheat, then a national oversight group could help direct research toward those rising trends.
Unfortunately, an over-arching body like this remains a long way off, so for the time being, work on the project database and getting it public must be the priority.
So, how many wheat research projects are too many?
Stephen Morgan-Jones, a former regional director with Agriculture Canada, told a recent crop symposium that 100 projects in progress would be considered a lot.
Unfortunately, we can’t know for sure until proper assessments on the larger industry needs are carried out.
As well, clear national and regional objectives are the only way to ensure farmers and taxpayers are getting the most bang for their research dollars.
