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Winter
2018
Grains
West
14
THE
FARMGATE
CAPCLUSTERS
CANADIANAGRICULTURAL PARTNERSHIP TOGENERATE $3-BILLION
BOOST FOR AGRESEARCH
EXTREMELY DRY CONDITIONS
across the southern Prairies in the 2017
season resulted in surprisingly good
yields for most wheat farmers. Prairie
crop commissions credit the successful
harvest to both ongoing research efforts
that have produced drought-resistant
plant varieties and farmers who have
made the best use of soil health and con-
servation practices.
“If we had experienced those drought
conditions in the 1980s or ’90s, most
farmers I know say they would have had
a crop failure,” said Tom Steve, Alberta
Wheat Commission (AWC) general
manager. “But they were able to produce a
good crop last fall because of the practices
that have been developed over the last 20
to 25 years. It shows the importance of
research and continuously moving the bar
to address whatever Mother Nature, or
even the markets, throw at us.”
On April 1, 2018, the Canadian ag
industry will receive a major boost to
research efforts as the new Canadian
Agricultural Partnership (CAP) program
launches in succession to
Growing Forward 2
(GF2). The five-year CAP program sees
ag groups from across Canada collaborate
to align research priorities and have their
input dollars matched by federal, provin-
cial and territorial governments, forming
research clusters that include the National
Wheat Improvement Program (Wheat
Cluster), the National Barley Cluster
(Barley Cluster) and the newly formed
Integrated Crop Agronomy Cluster.
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
(AAFC) will provide the majority of $3
billion in overall funding to strengthen
the entire sector. Led by Cereals Canada,
AAFC worked to develop clear national
wheat research priorities linked to market
demand. In September of last year, they
together released the
2017 Canadian Wheat
Research Priorities
report.
“The report has been an ongoing effort
to bring the entire value chain together,”
said Cereals Canada president Cam Dahl.
“This includes farmers, crop development
corporations and seed companies, public
institutions including AAFC, the provin-
cial governments, universities, exporters
and processors. It’s really a link between
research and what our customers are
demanding.”
Dahl added that the process involves
each sector from coast to coast. “Having
that national and full-value-chain perspec-
tive on where to focus to ensure profitable
As part of the five-year CAP program, Canadian ag groups collaborate to assign research priorities with input
dollars matched by federal, provincial and territorial governments.