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Ontario Grain Farmer Magazine

Grain Farmers of Ontario Applauds Federal Government Commitment to Agriculture Research

Guelph, ON (January 15, 2019) – Grain Farmers of Ontario, the province’s largest commodity organization, representing Ontario’s 28,000 barley, corn, oat, soybean and wheat farmers, today acknowledges the important contribution to agriculture research announced by the Canadian Government.

In Saskatoon today, Lawrence MacAulay, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, announced new funding of up to $39.3 million under the Canadian Agricultural Partnership (CAP) for four science clusters including barley, wheat, soybean, and diverse field crops. These investments include an additional $28.4 million in contributions from industry, for a total investment of $67.7 million.

“Growers across Canada face increased global demand for crops and look to research to ensure they have access to the best varieties with durable disease resistance, increased yields and the highest quality. This new round of CAP funding will help our farmers grow their businesses and enhance the global reputation of Ontario grains as high-quality, sustainably-produced, crops,” said Markus Haerle, Chair, Grain Farmers of Ontario.

Grain Farmers of Ontario is a founding member of the Canadian Field Crop Research Alliance (CFCRA), which will lead the Soybean Cluster. Through the CFCRA, Grain Farmers of Ontario also supports eastern Canadian wheat research through the Wheat Cluster, and eastern Canadian barley research through the Barley Cluster.

The Soybean, Wheat and Barley Clusters will receive $25.6 million from AAFC, to improve the adaptability and value of these crops, and ensure competitive and sustainable options for farmers.  

“We are extremely pleased with the federal government’s commitment to agriculture investment,” said Barry Senft, CEO, Grain Farmers of Ontario. “Grain farming in Ontario is the basis for 40,000 jobs in the province and we need new and innovative ways to meet the demands on our farmer-members for high quality and competitive yields in a global marketplace. Research is the key to meeting those objectives.”

CAP is a five-year, $3 billion investment by federal, provincial and territorial governments to strengthen the agriculture and agri-food sector. The Partnership builds on Growing Forward 2, the previous five-year agreement that ended on March 31, 2018.

The CFCRA is a not-for-profit entity founded in 2010 with an interest in advancing the genetic capacity of field crops in Canada, particularly soybean, corn, wheat, barley, and oat. The CFCRA is comprised of provincial farm organizations and industry partners, including: Atlantic Grains Council, Grain Farmers of Ontario; Producteurs de grains du Québec; Manitoba Pulse & Soybean Growers; Manitoba Corn Growers Association; Saskatchewan Pulse Growers; Prairie Oat Growers Association; SeCan Association; and FP Genetics.

Investment in research is a long-term strategic initiative of Grain Farmers of Ontario for the benefit of all barley, corn, oat, soybean, and wheat farmers. Find more information about research investments in our Research Project Database: https://gfo.ca/research/research-project-database/

Contact

Markus Haerle, Chair – (613) 229-8336, marhaerle@gmail.com
Victoria Berry, Manager, Communications – (226) 820-6641; vberry@gfo.ca

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Grain Farmers of Ontario
Grain Farmers of Ontario is the province’s largest commodity organization, representing Ontario’s 28,000 barley, corn, oat, soybean, and wheat farmers. The crops they grow cover over 6 million acres of farm land across the province, generate over $4.1 billion in production value, result in over $27 billion in economic output and are responsible for over 90,000 jobs in the province.