September 15, 2010

Canada invests in grain research

The Canadian government is investing in grain research to increase yields for the country's producers, according to Parliamentary Secretary Pierre Lemieux and Member of Parliament Bev Shipley.
 

The Canadian Field Crops Research Alliance will receive up to US$4 million to develop new grain and oilseed varieties that are tailored to meet the needs of the marketplace and increase profitability for farmers.
 

Lemieux said the investment will drive innovation, help farmers harvest better crops and higher profits so they can continue to compete and succeed in the global marketplace.

Research will focus on six field crops, including winter wheat, grain corn, soy, spring wheat, oats and barley, and work to develop new varieties with increased yields and more resistance to drought and disease. Variety development will also target new markets in the food, industrial and feed markets both here in Canada and around the world.

Developing new varieties is vital to maintaining a strong grain and oilseed industry, as diseases and pests are constantly adapting. The knowledge and results from this project will allow researchers to shorten the cycle time for varietal development in the future.
 

The six field crops included in this project accounted for over three million hectares of grains and oilseeds in Eastern Canada, generating US$2.9 billion in farm gate receipts in 2009.
 

Funding for this project comes from the Developing Innovative Agri-Products initiative, which is delivered by the Growing Forward framework under the Agri-Innovations programme, a US$158 million five-year programme announced to support industry-led science and technology projects.