Ottawa, province fund crop research projects

The federal and provincial agriculture ministers spent the first half of this week handing out millions of dollars to fund dozens of crop research projects in Saskatchewan.

Timed to coincide with Saskatchewan Agriculture Week, the $79.7 million worth of announcements represent the specific allocation of previously-announced funding.

Around $12 million will cover the cost of 44 research projects, including 28 at the University of Saskatchewan, aimed at improving crop varieties and mitigating diseases and pests.

The most valuable of those, a $2.5-million U of S initiative led by Tom Warkentin, will aim to “enhance the protein content and the amino acid profile” of smooth yellow peas.

These projects ... cement our province as a leader in agriculture research.

The remaining $67.7 million will fund four research “clusters” focused on making barley, wheat, soybeans and “diverse field crops” hardier and more productive.

The bulk of the money is allocated under the five-year, $388-million Canadian Agricultural Partnership, with additional funding provided by various agriculture industry groups. Those groups include the Western Grains Research Foundation (WGRF), which contributed $6.6 million.

The Saskatchewan government’s portion of the funding comes out of the $31.8 million it allocated for agriculture research in the 2018-19 budget, up slightly from $26.8 million last year.

“Not only do these projects enhance our industry by creating more opportunities for producers and agri-businesses, they cement our province as a leader in agriculture research,” Saskatchewan Agriculture Minister Dave Marit said in a statement.

Investing in agricultural research is understood to provide a significant return on investment, up to $20 for every $1 spent in the case of wheat, and less for other crops, according to the WGRF.

The announcements, as is customary, were made during the Cropsphere agricultural conference in Saskatoon.