N.D. Crop Improvement And Seed Association Donates $25,000 For Seed Conditioning Facility

Apr 24, 2017

By Toni Muffenbier

The facility will help meet the needs of the seed industry.

The North Dakota Crop Improvement and Seed Association (NDCISA) has donated $25,000 to North Dakota State University’s North Central Research Extension Center (NCREC) near Minot for a new seed-conditioning facility.

“This facility is a long-term investment in North Dakota’s agriculture producers and we thank the NDCISA for their donation,” says Shana Forster, NCREC director. “Once built it will help us meet the current and future needs of the seed industry and serve our clients’ needs.”

In the 2015-2017 legislative session, the N.D. Legislature granted $750,000 to the NCREC for the new facility, with permission to raise funds for an additional $1.5 million to contribute to the project. The State Board of Higher Education approved these numbers.

An active fundraising campaign is ongoing through the NDSU Foundation and Alumni Association.

Groundbreaking on the project is expected sometime this year.

Source: ndsu.edu

Video: Why Invest in Canada’s Seed Future? | On The Brink: Episode 3

Darcy Unger just invested millions to build a brand-new seed plant on his farm in Stonewall, Manitoba so when it’s time for his sons to take over, they have the tools they need to succeed.

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When fusarium hit Western Canada in the late 90s, it was Canadian breeders who responded, because they understood Canadian conditions. That ability to react quickly to what’s happening on Canadian farms is exactly what’s at risk when breeding programs lose funding.

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We’re on the brink of decisions that will shape our agricultural future for not only our generation, but also the ones to come.

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On The Brink is a year-long video series traveling across Canada to meet the researchers, breeders, farmers, seed companies, and policymakers shaping the future of Canadian plant breeding. Each week, a new story. Each story, a piece of the bigger picture.

Episode 3 is above. Follow Seed World Canada to catch every episode, and tell us: Do you think the next generation will have the tools they need to success when they takeover? How is the future going to look?