Farmer Investment Into Research Pays Off

Feb 10, 2016

The Western Grains Research Foundation (WGRF) is committing to a new five-year research support agreement with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC).

WGRF will invest more than $21 million to support AAFC's western wheat and barley breeding programs until 2020.

Federal Agriculture Minister Lawrence MacAulay was in Saskatoon for the announcement.

"It's so important that we have the collaboration between the Agriculture and Agri-Food, and the farmers, and everybody involved in the industry - so that we come up with the right programs," he said. "That's how this was established in the '90s - it's vitally important."

The money will go towards research into wheat and barley diseases; insect resistance; environmental stresses, like drought and flooding; and developing genetic markers for plant breeding selection.

Source : PortageOnline

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