Research Update: Producer-led investments in research

ABP’s producer-led Research Committee once again invested producer check off dollars into research in 2025 to improve the competitiveness, sustainability, and profitability of beef producers.

In this funding cycle, proposals were considered through the Agriculture Funding Consortium and Saskatchewan’s Agriculture Development Fund. Each proposal undergoes a scientific technical review and then are evaluated by the producer representatives on the ABP research committee. Decisions are guided by the Five-Year Canadian Beef Research and Technology Transfer Strategy and consider scientific merit as well as benefits for the beef sector in the short, medium or long term.

ABP committed $228,000 to seven projects with a total project value of over $2.5 million, for a leverage ratio of over $11:1, meaning that every dollar spent by ABP was matched by over $11 from other funding sources.

Project topics include:

• Development of new diagnostic tests to improve external parasite control
• Two forage breeding projects—one focused on hybrid bromegrass and one on sainfoin
• Two vaccine development projects using novel platforms
• Novel testing strategies for ergot toxicity
• Evaluating different technologies to measure forage intake and pasture utilization

ABP also continues to support Western Crop Innovations, Canada’s only barley breeding program focused on feed and forage barley variety development.

The research page of albertabeef.org is newly redesigned, be sure to check it out!

Help the Alberta AgriSystems Living Lab Assess Impact

Producers across Alberta and the Peace region of B.C. are invited to take part in a new survey conducted by the Alberta AgriSystems Living Lab.

The survey is designed to track how the adoption of beneficial management practices has changed since the Living Lab started in 2022.

Visit agrisystemsll.ca/survey by March 31, 2026 to participate.

If a 4-H club has referred you to this survey, please make sure to enter the club name at the end.

You could win cool stuff like $1,200 in seed credit or a solar electric fencer!

This was first published in Volume 6 Issue 1 of ABP Magazine (February 2026). Watch for more digital content from the magazine on ABP Daily.