Minister MacAulay announces investment to keep Canada's crop sector on cutting edge

Jan 18, 2019

Saskatoon, Saskatchewan – Canadian field crop farmers are working hard to ensure the sector remains vibrant and strong. The crop sector is a key contributor to Canada's economy, representing $25 billion in farm gate receipts, $21 billion in exports and supporting thousands of jobs across the country while expanding markets for the sector's safe, high-quality products.

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

These new Clusters will drive innovation and discovery in the Canadian field crops sector over the next five years:

The Barley Cluster ($6.3 million) aims to improve productivity in the science and technology of using barley for food and increase disease resistance. The Cluster will be led by the Barley Council of Canada.
The Diverse Field Crop Cluster ($13.7 million) focusses on variety development, crop protection, production agronomy and value added practices to support diverse crop growth. The Cluster will be led by Ag-West Bio Inc.
The Wheat Cluster ($13.9 million) aims to deliver higher-yielding wheat varieties to producers, and to develop the next generation of Fusarium Head Blight resistant varieties. The Cluster will be led by the Canadian Wheat Research Coalition.
The Soybean Cluster ($5.4 million) will help Canadian soybean crops become more resilient and productive, increase the geographic range for growing crops and benefit the environment. The Cluster will be led by the Canadian Field Crop Research Alliance.

Source : Government of Canada

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.