Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
January 14, 2014
Today Saskatchewan Agriculture Minister Lyle Stewart and Member of Parliament Kelly Block (Saskatoon-Rosetown-Biggar), on behalf of Federal Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz, announced nearly $7 million in funding for 46 crop-related research projects.
“Our Government is proud to support crop research projects that benefit Saskatchewan farmers through improved yields and disease control,” said MP Block. “These projects will enable producers to be more productive, competitive, and profitable.”
“This year’s record-breaking Saskatchewan harvest demonstrates the benefits of investments in research and innovation,” Stewart said. “Our record commitment to research is paying off, and the projects receiving funding today will help to ensure Saskatchewan continues to be a leader in agricultural production.”
Projects to receive funding in 2014 include:
- The performance of direct-cut harvest systems in canola;
- Improving nitrogen fixation of peas;
- Improving disease resistance in wheat;
- How residue from soybeans contributes to nutrition and yield in cereal crops the following year;
- Identifying new mustard varieties with improved yields;
- Honey bee health and the management of Varroa mites;
- The use of lentil bran as a food ingredient; and
- Weed control practices.
This funding is from the Saskatchewan Agriculture Development Fund (ADF) and is part of the record $27.7-million agriculture research budget for 2013-14.
Through ADF producers benefit from discoveries into disease resistance, weed management, herbicide tolerance, increased yields, new ways to add value to crops and new technologies.
The investment in agriculture research will help the agriculture industry achieve the goals set out in the Saskatchewan Plan for Growth, which includes increasing crop production and agri-food exports and establishing Saskatchewan as an international leader in biosciences.
This ADF funding leverages additional third party funding of more than $3.3 million, with the Western Grains Research Foundation, Saskatchewan Pulse Growers and Saskatchewan Canola Development Commission among the organizations partnering on ADF projects. In total, 28 of the projects are receiving at least some funding from one of these groups. In addition, a significant level of funding and in-kind contributions are being leveraged from various other partners.
“Pulse research is increasingly important to our industry as consumer demand for pulses continues to grow,” Saskatchewan Pulse Growers Executive Director Carl Potts said. “This funding will fuel further research in priority areas that will help us meet growing demand and build a long-term, sustainable future for the industry. We are pleased to once again partner with ADF on this work.”
“We appreciate the federal and provincial governments’ commitment to advancing agriculture research in Saskatchewan through the Agriculture Development Fund,” Western Grains Research Foundation Board Chair Dave Sefton said. “Co-funding partnerships between ADF and producer commodity groups help maximize the investment producers make in crop research.”
“The ADF research projects will augment a growing sector because of the support of the federal and provincial governments in agricultural research,” SaskCanola Board Chair Joan Heath said. “Research is vital in order to ensure Canada’s position as a global leader.”
Funding for ADF projects is provided under Growing Forward 2, a federal-provincial-territorial initiative. A complete list of funded projects is available on the Agriculture Development Fund website www.agriculture.gov.sk.ca/ADF.
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