Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
February 13, 2003

Western Grains Research Foundation (WGRF) has selected two independent teams to conduct reviews of funding agreements for the Wheat and Barley Check-off Funds, which support breeding programs for those crops in Western Canada.

Reports from the reviews will assist the farmer-funded organization as it prepares to develop a second round of long-term Check-off funding agreements with breeding institutions, to begin in 2005, says Dr. Keith Degenhardt, a Hughenden Alberta, producer and Chair of WGRF. Current agreements, which expire at the end of 2004, outline how funds are to be used by the institutions, covering everything from specific funding allocations to targets for breeding progress.

"The Wheat and Barley Check-off Funds began in the 1993/94 crop year to support Canada's competitiveness in wheat and barley breeding," says Degenhardt. "Capacity at existing breeding programs had been declining. The initial funding agreements were based on the recommendation that WGRF support these programs, rather than start a program of its own. This would allow for the fastest, greatest payback to producers. The agreements were reviewed at mid term by a team with expertise in production, marketing and breeding, which concluded the agreements were on track to meet 10-year breeding targets."

The Funds have made a significant impact on breeding programs in Western Canada, he says. They are based on check-offs of 0.20/tonne for wheat and $0.40/tonne for barley, deducted from Canadian Wheat Board final payments to producers (the exception is barley in Alberta, which is covered by a separate Alberta check-off). The Wheat Check-off has generated over $3 million annually and the Barley Check-off has generated approximately $700,000 annually - both of which have doubled the breeding activity of check-off funded programs.

"The Check-off Funds result in new varieties with higher yields, improved quality and greater disease resistance," says Degenhardt. "Varieties developed in part with producer funding are beginning to reach today's marketplace and producers' investment has earned them an equity share in the genetics of their crops."

The new Wheat Review Team and Barley Review Team include members with plant breeding, marketing, quality and farming expertise. They will review each component of current breeding agreements, and provide advice on key questions regarding how best to manage producers' check-off investment amid changing production, market and social demands.

The Wheat Review Team is headed by Dr. Keith Tipples, retired Director of Canadian Grain Commission's Grain Research Laboratory. It also includes Dr. Walter Bushuk, retired cereal chemist at the University of Manitoba; Dr. Duane Falk, cereal researcher at the University of Guelph; and wheat producers Don Tait of Elrose, Sask., and Allan Klassen of Laird, Sask.

The Barley Review Team is headed by Don Macyk, retired Managing Director of the Alberta Agricultural Research Institute. Other members include Dick Klaffke, retired Research and Development Manager for Agricore; Dr. Keith Briggs, retired University of Alberta cereal breeder and Chair of the Department of Agricultural, Food and Nutritional Science, University of Alberta; and barley producers Cam Henry of Oak River, Man., and Doug Sword of Unity, Sask.

The overall review process involves several key steps. First, Review Teams will conduct their reviews and deliver reports to the Wheat and Barley Check-off Advisory Committees by March 31. The Committees are two ongoing WGRF advisory groups, comprised of farmers, researchers and marketers, that meet annually to review breeding progress and develop recommendations for the WGRF Board. The Advisory Committees will evaluate recommendations from the Review Teams and use them as a basis to develop a framework for WGRF and research institutions to use in developing new agreements.

Additional input from producers, researchers and industry is encouraged, says Lorence Peterson, WGRF Executive Director. Written comments can be forwarded to WGRF, no later than March 15, for consideration by the Review Teams.

"An outline of funding allocations, breeding targets, and other key parts of current breeding agreements is available on the WGRF Web site, www.westerngrains.com," says Peterson. "Written comments can be sent electronically through the Web site or by surface mail to the WGRF office. They must be received by March 15, to allow sufficient time for consideration by the Review Teams."

Western Grains Research Foundation is the largest grains research funding organization for farmers in Western Canada. The Foundation is funded and directed exclusively by producers, who allocate approximately $5 million annually to research through the Wheat and Barley Check-off Funds and a separate Endowment Fund.