Posted on June, 13, 2024 at 09:18 am
Federal Agriculture Minister Lawrence MacAulay announced funding on Wednesday of up to $5.25 million for a new barley research cluster under the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership, which runs from 2023 to 2028.
Industry and grower organizations have also committed $4.3 million, bringing total funding for the barley research cluster to $9.6 million over five years.
The Canadian Barley Research Coalition — which is led by Alberta Grains, SaskBarley and Manitoba Crop Alliance — says it will use the funds to advance feed barley, barley genetics, agronomy, disease resistance and sustainability to make barley a more resilient and profitable crop for Canadian farmers and end-users.
“Our hardworking barley producers provide top-quality grain to so many industries, from the livestock sector to the Canadian brewing industry,” noted MacAulay, in a news release. “This vitally important research will help producers incorporate climate-resilient barley crops into their operations and increase the profitability and sustainability of their farms.”
Funding partners for the barley research cluster include the following private and producer organizations:
– Alberta Grains,
– Beef Cattle Research Council,
– Brewing and Malting Barley Research Institute,
– Canadian Field Crop Research Alliance (Atlantic Grains Council, Grain Farmers of Ontario, Producteurs de grains du Québec, SeCan),
– CBS Bio Platforms,
– Manitoba Crop Alliance,
– Saskatchewan Barley Development Commission (SaskBarley), and
– Western Grains Research Foundation.
The previous five-year national barley research cluster, which ran from 2018 to 2023, received $6.3 million in federal funding, with industry contributions bringing the total to $10.2 million.
Source: Real Agriculture