Grainswest - Fall 2026

Fall 2026 grainswest.com 11 BY JEANINE MOYER WESTERN CANADIAN CEREAL breeding is at a tipping point. The Canadian Wheat Research Coalition (CWRC) came to this conclusion last year after the group commissioned a review that identified significant gaps and risks in the current wheat breeding system. These were particularly evident in variety development and pre-market evaluation. The CWRC recognized the need for change and the critical importance of new cereal variety development. In April 2026 the organization partnered with the Canadian Barley Research Coalition (CBRC) to convene a meeting of industry, government and universities to consider the future of Canadian cereal breeding. This workshop’s intent was to identify the effects of the steady erosion of Agri- culture and Agri-Food Canada’s (AAFC) investment in the breeding pipeline. Its additional aim was to lay the ground- work for development of a new western Canadian cereal breeding system. The two groups developed a shared statement of direction in May: “The western Canadian wheat and barley plant breeding system is thriving and innovation driven, where collabora- tion and competition coexist to attract diverse investment and provide farmers with choice in superior, field-ready vari- eties that meet the needs of our end-use customers,” the statement read. The approach calls for stable, long- term investment, modern breeding and testing technologies, stronger connec- tions across the breeding system and regulations that support innovation. Farmers are central to the development of this new direction. The CBRC and CWRC boards are composed of farm- ers who represent Alberta Grains, the Manitoba Crop Alliance, SaskWheat and SaskBarley. They delivered the grass- roots perspective in the vision process. “After all, who is more invested and has a better long-term vision than farmers?” said Jocelyn Velestuk, CWRC chair. She operates a grain farm near Broadview, SK, and noted that since 2020, CWRC has committed $70.5 million to western Canadian wheat breeding programs. Barley faces similar pressures, said Jill McDonald, CBRC president. While barley breeding is less dependent on AAFC variety development than wheat, it relies heavily on public infrastructure such as disease and regional testing cen- tres to deliver new varieties. “Canadian cereal breeders do a tremendous job, but they can only work as well as the system functions,” said McDonald. “Gaps in our system that need to be addressed.” In June, CWRC again met with AAFC to gather information and explore possible paths forward. Velestuk said more stakeholders will join the process as an action plan takes shape. For now, CBRC and CWRC are clearly aligned in their frustrations with the current cereal breeding systems as well as their goals for a future model. Ongoing discussions were recently formalized through a mem- orandum of understanding between the two organizations. Despite their conviction, there is no expectation of a quick fix. McDonald not- ed cereal variety development can take 13 to 15 years. Today’s decisions are made to ensure variety choice and competitive- ness decades from today. “The goal is to give farmers confidence in varieties that perform under Canadian growing conditions, deliver the quality our end-use markets expect and keep both crops profitable in the rotation,” said Tasha Alexander, Alberta Grains director, Region 6. Velestuk believes the impact of this initiative will be felt on farms across Western Canada. “It’s an investment in the future of our cereal crops to ensure farmers continue to have access to va- rieties that deliver the yield and perfor- mance they need, while maintaining the high quality of Canadian wheat that customers around the world demand.” Visionquest A new direction for cereal breeding inWestern Canada “Canadian cereal breeders do a tremendous job, but they can only work as well as the system functions.” —Jill McDonald