Federal Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Marie Claude Bibeau and Saskatchewan Agriculture Minister David Marit have announced $11 million in funding under the Canadian Agricultural Partnership for 47 crop-related research projects through Saskatchewan’s Agriculture Development Fund (ADF).
The ADF program is supported through the Canadian Agricultural Partnership, a five-year, $388 million investment in strategic initiatives for Saskatchewan agriculture by the federal and provincial governments.
“Producers reap huge rewards from the new knowledge and discoveries developed by research – they become more profitable and more productive,” said Bibeau. “By investing in applied research relevant to Saskatchewan producers’ needs, we are increasing the competitiveness of our industry.”
“We’re strategically investing in crop-related research that will increase our industry capacity, driving toward our goal of increasing crop production to 45 million metric tonnes,” Marit said. “The research we’re investing in includes projects that explore how to manage clubroot, mitigate herbicide resistance and add value to our commodities. These projects will support producers and agribusinesses and help secure our place as a world leader in agriculture research.”
Support for ADF projects is awarded on a competitive basis to researchers looking to examine areas of importance to Saskatchewan producers. For example, a project co-funded with Western Grains Research Foundation and SaskWheat looks at new visual analytics tools for improved crop breeding tools.
In addition to funding provided by the federal and provincial governments, projects supported through the ADF are also receiving $8.7 million in funding from the following partners: Western Grains Research Foundation, Saskatchewan Canola Development Commission, Saskatchewan Wheat Development Commission, Alberta Wheat and Barley Commission, Manitoba Wheat and Barley Growers Association, Saskatchewan Flax Development Commission, Saskatchewan Forage Seed Development Commission, Saskatchewan Cattlemens’ Association, Genome Canada, and the Canadian Wheat Research Coalition.
“We continue to see tremendous value in a collaborative approach to funding research,” Western Grains Research Foundation (WGRF) Board Chair Terry Young said. “WGRF partners with producer commodity organizations and government funding agencies to maximize the investment farmers are making in crop research. WGRF is excited about the potential impact these projects can have for western Canadian farmers.”
For more information, including a full list of funded projects, please visit www.saskatchewan.ca and search “Agriculture Development Fund”.
