Canada government, with the aim to drive innovation and discovery in wheat, barley, varied field crops and soybeans over the next 5 years, has announced funding of C$39.3 million.
The financial support for the 4 science clusters is part of the Canadian Agricultural Partnership and comprises industry contributions worth C$28.4 million for a total of C$67.7 million.
Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, Lawrence MacAulay said, “Demand for our field crops continues to grow and these investments in innovation and research will help in positioning the cultivators to grow top quality products sustainably, while meeting customer demands at home as well as abroad for years to come”.
The Barley Cluster (C$6.3 million) intends to improve output in the science and technology of using barley for food and boost disease resistance. The Barley Council of Canada will lead the cluster.
Brian Otto of Barley Council of Canada said, “Ongoing investment in barley research and innovation to improve varieties, production practices and utilization is very important to the continued sustainability and productivity of the barley value chain”.
On the other hand, the Diverse Field Crop Cluster (C$13.7 million) emphasizes upon - variety development, production agronomy, crop protection and value-added practices to maintain diverse crop growth. The Ag-West Bio Inc will lead the cluster.
Ag-West Bio director of corporate initiatives, Mike Cey said, “Crop diversity is important for keeping Canada’s agricultural ecosystem fit and productive”. He said “The Diverse Field Crops Cluster research will develop these high-potential crops and the markets to go with them. Growers will have more high-value crops to pick from. The Cluster will also deliver economic and environmental benefits for Canada.”
The Wheat Cluster (C$13.9 million) plans to provide higher-yielding wheat varieties to the producers and to build up the next generation of Fusarium Head Blight resistant varieties. Canadian Wheat Research Coalition will lead it.
Chairperson of Canadian Wheat Research Coalition, Terry Young said, “This partnership between government, producers and industry will facilitate greater innovation in variety development and agronomic practices that will keep wheat output strong across the country”.
Last, the Soybean Cluster ($5.4 million) will help the Canadian soybean crops become more elastic and productive, boost the geographic range for growing crops and benefit the environment. It will be led by Canadian Field Crop Research Alliance.
President, Canadian Field Crop Research Alliance, Salah Zoghlami said, “Continued research investment in enhanced crop performance that helps in growing and securing Canada’s soybean market share worldwide is essential”. He added that “We are delighted to see the government recognizes the importance of research in soybean and other crop production to benefit the farmers."
The Canadian Agricultural Partnership is a 5-year, C$3 billion investment by the federal, provincial and territorial governments to reinforce the agriculture and agri-food sector. Through the AgriScience Program, the administration is supporting principal edge discovery and applied science and innovation driven by industry research priorities.
