SaskCrops looking for solutions to recent AAFC research staff reductions & station closures

SaskCrops (consisting of SaskBarley, SaskOats, SaskOilseeds, Saskatchewan Pulse Growers, and Sask Wheat) are concerned about the impact of recent Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) staffing reductions and research station closures. These cuts will have a significant impact on the capacity to undertake crop research important to farmers, and will have broader impact on the Canadian agriculture sectors’ productivity and global competitiveness.
 
AAFC sites at Indian Head (SK), Scott (SK), and Lacombe (AB) impacted by the cuts manage important field research supporting breeding, weed, disease, agronomic, and insect research, minor use pesticide registration, regional variety trials, and more. Loss of these sites will reduce people, infrastructure, and project capacity to undertake this critical research on behalf of farmers.
 
Research is critical to increase productivity, keeping farmers competitive long-term in a global economy. SaskCrops members, the provincial government, and other stakeholders have made numerous substantial investments into research, highly qualified personnel, equipment, and infrastructure in recent years to address an already concerning downward trend in capacity. This latest setback only underscores the importance of work that lies ahead to protect and grow research capacity.
 
“While the full extent of the impact these cuts will have on projects and the sector is still to be fully realized, we cannot stress enough the value that the research undertaken by AAFC researchers and their research stations provides for farmers,” says Stuart Lawrence, Chair of Saskatchewan Pulse Growers. “Cutting edge research ensures farmers remain competitive and we are working to uncover alternate pathways forward to ensure this important work continues and capacity can be preserved.”
 
To address this issue, SaskCrops is engaging with governments, research organizations, and other grower groups to identify solutions and pathways to minimize the impact of these cuts on farmers and the research that keeps them competitive.