Wheat research cluster announces $20 million over five years

Valuable wheat research across the country will receive crucial funding through the newly announced Canadian National Wheat Cluster, worth more than $20 million over five years.

Administered by the Canadian Wheat Research Coalition (CWRC), the Wheat Cluster will fund research projects that advance wheat genetics, agronomy and sustainability for the benefit of Canadian farmers.

Jake Leguee, CWRC chair, says wheat is a vital crop in the rotations of farmers across the country.

“The investment in research through the Wheat Cluster will keep wheat profitable and sustainable for Canadian farmers, increasing quality and yields while finding new solutions for environmental stressors like drought and diseases like Fusarium head blight,” says Leguee. “Farmers have been practicing minimum tillage and nutrient stewardship for decades, and the activities funded under this will enhance those practices, allowing farmers to contribute further to the Government of Canada’s climate targets.”

Winnipeg North MP Kevin Lamoureux announced the new Wheat Cluster on March 6, 2024, on behalf of Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Lawrence MacAulay. Over $11.2 million in funding for the cluster will come from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) through the Sustainable Canadian Agriculture Partnership AgriScience program, while over $9.3 million will come from producer and private organizations from across Canada, represented by:

• Alberta Grains
• Saskatchewan Wheat Development Commission
• Manitoba Crop Alliance
• Western Grains Research Foundation
• Canadian Field Crop Research Alliance

“Canada’s reputation for world-class wheat depends on a strong research network, working together from coast to coast,” says Lori-Ann Kaminski, CWRC president and research program manager for cereal crops with MCA.

“In the previous Wheat Cluster, we made great strides toward innovations that will provide tangible benefits to Canadian wheat farmers for many years to come. I am confident the new cluster will be another triumph of teamwork across the wheat value chain.”

The CWRC is a collaboration between MCA, Sask Wheat and Alberta Grains aimed at improving the net relative profitability of wheat for western Canadian farmers.