Canadian Wheat Alliance Announced, Funding Tops $90 Million

by

The Government of Canada, the Government of Saskatchewan and the University of Saskatchewan today announced the creation of a new Canadian Wheat Alliance (CWA). This initiative will coordinate research and development projects to improve the yield of Canadian wheat by reducing losses under extreme weather conditions such as drought, heat, cold and diseases, according to a government press release.

The Canadian Wheat Alliance will invest approximately $97 million over the first five years of this initiative to support research to improve the profitability of the Canadian wheat industry, advance the development of Canada’s wheat crops, and help ensure the global competitiveness of Canadian farmers. The Alliance will also study ways to more efficiently use chemical fertilizers to help improve the environmental sustainability of Canadian wheat.

This important network combines the expertise of the National Research Council of Canada (NRC), Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, the Government of Saskatchewan and the University of Saskatchewan. The Government of Canada will invest nearly $85 million in funding and in-kind contributions toward the Alliance. The Government of Saskatchewan has committed an additional $10 million to support wheat research in the province over the next five years, of which $5 million is dedicated to support the CWA activities and leverage contributions from other stakeholders. The University of Saskatchewan is contributing $1.4 million per year in in-kind contributions. The CWA brings together federal, provincial and academic expertise and welcomes the engagement of both public and private sector organizations.

On May 7th, the Government of Canada announced the refocused NRC and outlined how its new structure would bridge the gap between knowledge and discoveries, and industrial innovation The Canadian Wheat Alliance is an example of the kind of research and technology development that NRC will pursue in order to benefit Canadians.

Wake up with RealAgriculture

Subscribe to our daily newsletters to keep you up-to-date with our latest coverage every morning.

Wake up with RealAgriculture

Please register to read and comment.

 

Register for a RealAgriculture account to manage your Shortcut menu instead of the default.

Register