The Canadian Barley Research Coalition (CRBC) — a collaboration of Alberta Barley, Saskatchewan Barley Development Commission (SaskBarley), and Manitoba Crop Alliance (MCA) formed earlier this year — has committed more than $1.5 million to a barley breeding agreement with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC). The funding, spread over five years, ensures that western Canadian farmers... Read More
Category: Research
Agriculture research and extension in Alberta has been through an incredible few weeks, to say the least. In the last month, several research programs have moved to new institutions and over 250 agriculture-based staff have been let go, as promised in the last provincial budget. The huge changes beg the question: what will provincially-funded agriculture... Read More
Recent cuts in Alberta government funded agriculture research has prompted the question: What's the future of government funded ag research in Canada? Joining host Shaun Haney for this RealAg LIVE! are Kelvin Heppner and Kara Oosterhuis, RealAg's own field editors from Manitoba and Alberta, respectively. Don’t miss RealAg LIVE! weekdays at 1 pm M/3 pm... Read More
This week marks a "difficult" time in Alberta for the public sector working in agriculture. By the end of this week, it's estimated that over 250 people will have lost — or will be in the process of losing — their jobs with Alberta Agriculture and Forestry, with the layoffs being on the agriculture side.... Read More
Alberta Agriculture and Forestry has reached an agreement to transfer key research programs to the University of Alberta (U of A), expanding its agriculture research capacity. The $3.7 million grant will assist in the transition of critical agriculture research programs and researchers. Devin Dreeshen, Minister of Agriculture and Forestry, says that the U of A... Read More
The Ontario government, through the Agricultural Research Institute of Ontario (ARIO), and the University of Guelph will spend $6.5 million to build a new Field Crop Services building on the Ridgetown campus. The new build will house agronomy research services and modernize the field crops research operations on campus, while also reducing operating costs. Ridgetown... Read More
Alberta Agriculture and Forestry's field crop development centre is changing its location, and how its research is conducted. Now to be housed at Olds College — through an initial $10.5 million grant over three years, funded through Results Driven Agriculture Research (RDAR) — the barley breeding program will continue to develop and introduce new varieties... Read More
The government of Alberta is investing in research capacity at the Lethbridge College through the Results Driven Agriculture Research (RDAR) program. Details are currently being finalized for a $2-million agreement that will see the Alberta Irrigation Technology Centre (AITC) and the Brooks Greenhouse transitioned to Lethbridge College. The agreement will have the post-secondary institution manage... Read More
A team of researchers at the University of Guelph are studying why Canadian baristas sometimes have problems foaming milk for their customers' lattes, and it starts with on-farm milk handling. Dr. David Kelton, Dairy Farmers of Ontario Dairy Cattle Health Research Chair, graduate student Hannah Woodhouse, and animal bioscience undergraduate student Mikayla Ringelberg are studying... Read More
The Office of the Parliamentary Budget Officer has released a preliminary review of the federal government's five superclusters, originally rolled out in 2018. The premise of the supercluster program was set out in the 2017 federal budget, where $918 million of government funds would be doled out over five years for five innovation clusters. The... Read More