The federal government and private and producer groups announced $20 million toward wheat research, today.
“The investment in research through the Wheat Cluster will keep wheat profitable and sustainable for Canadian farmers, increasing quality and yields while finding new solutions for environmental stressors like drought and diseases like Fusarium head blight,” said Jake Leguee, chair of the Canadian Wheat Research Coalition (CWRC) in a news release.
“Farmers have been practicing minimum tillage and nutrient stewardship for decades, and the activities funded under this will enhance those practices, allowing farmers to contribute further to the Government of Canada’s climate targets,” he added.
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Feed Grains Weekly: Price likely to keep stepping back
As the harvest in southern Alberta presses on, a broker said that is one of the factors pulling feed prices lower in the region. Darcy Haley, vice-president of Ag Value Brokers in Lethbridge, added that lower cattle numbers in feedlots, plentiful amounts of grass for cattle to graze and a lacklustre export market also weighed on feed prices.
The feds promised over $11.2 million in funding for the Canadian National Wheat Cluster, via the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership.
Producer groups and private organizations like the Manitoba Crop Alliance, Alberta Grains and Western Grains Research Foundation (WGRF) contributed more than $9.3 million, the Canadian Wheat Research Coalition (CWRC) said in a news release.
CWRC will administer the research cluster.
“High-yielding, resilient wheat varieties are essential for farmers and this funding will help propel innovation in this critical area,” said Laura Reiter, chair of the WGRF board.
