Canadian Wheat Alliance is born

Governments seek to boost wheat research

By Amanda Brodhagen, Farms.com

The Government of Canada in partnership with the Government of Saskatchewan and the University of Saskatchewan announced the creation of the Canadian Wheat Alliance (CWA). The CWA will focus on research to work towards improving the yield of domestic wheat.

Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz said that the CWA will enhance the quality of Canadian wheat and strengthen wheat grower’s position in the world market. The alliance will invest $97 million over the first five years. The Government of Canada will invest $85 million in funding - the Government of Saskatchewan will add an additional $10 million, while the University will contribute $1.4 million per year.

The CWA will work collaboratively with all levels of government and will welcome engagement of both public and private sector organisations. The alliance will seek to improve new wheat varieties and conduct other research on disease resistance, drought tolerance and more. Wheat contributes nearly $4 billion to the farm gate annually.