The Governments of Canada and Saskatchewan have announced a combined investment of $9.7 million to support crop research in Saskatchewan in 2026. This funding includes $7.2 million through the Agriculture Development Fund (ADF) to support 39 new crop research projects and $2.5 million through the Strategic Research Initiative (SRI) to address the long-term management of herbicide-resistant kochia and wild oats. The investment aims to help Saskatchewan farmers remain competitive, innovative, and profitable while tackling pressing agricultural challenges.
ADF projects are selected through an annual competitive process and cover a wide range of research topics. These include evaluating subsurface drip irrigation, enhancing resistance to wheat stem sawfly, improving drought and phosphorus tolerance in lentils, managing riceworm infestations in northern wild rice production, and validating sustainable bale wrapping materials made from flax straw and oat hulls. The projects are carried out in close collaboration with industry partners, leveraging an additional $3.2 million from 13 industry organizations, including the Alberta Canola Producers Commission, SaskWheat, SaskOilseeds, SaskBarley, and RDAR, among others.
The SRI project, led by Dr. Shaun Sharpe at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, focuses on developing sustainable strategies to manage herbicide-resistant weeds. This multi-year project brings together a multidisciplinary team from AAFC, the Universities of Saskatchewan, Regina, and Manitoba, and the National Research Council. The total project investment is $3.2 million, combining $2.5 million in government funding with contributions from industry partners such as SaskWheat, SPG, SaskOilseeds, SaskBarley, RDAR, and Alberta Grains.
Both the ADF and SRI are part of the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership, a five-year, $3.5 billion federal-provincial-territorial initiative to enhance the competitiveness, innovation, and resilience of Canada’s agriculture and agri-food sectors. This program includes $1 billion in federal programs and activities, along with $2.5 billion in cost-shared funding designed and delivered by provinces and territories.
Federal Minister of Agriculture Heath MacDonald emphasized that investing in agricultural research helps farmers address current and emerging challenges while creating new opportunities. Saskatchewan Minister of Agriculture David Marit highlighted that long-term investment in crop research has established Saskatchewan as a global leader in crop exports, driving economic growth. Industry representatives, including Jake Leguee of SaskWheat, noted that this funding demonstrates strong collaboration between governments and producers to innovate and overcome agricultural challenges.
