Saskatoon (January 9, 2018) – The Saskatchewan Wheat Development Commission (Sask Wheat) has committed $2,684,204 million to support wheat research projects funded under the Saskatchewan Agriculture Development Fund (ADF) in 2017. Saskatchewan’s Minister of Agriculture, the Hon. Lyle Stewart, announced the funding of all crops-related ADF projects at CropSphere 2018 on Tuesday, January 9.
“The producer funding Sask Wheat has committed through the ADF process means Saskatchewan’s wheat producers will play a significant role in finding solutions to issues such as fusarium head blight, other diseases and environmental stressors, issues that are impacting producers across the province,” says Bill Gehl, Sask Wheat Chair. “These projects will allow Sask Wheat to continue to achieve our mandate of maximizing returns on producer check-off investments and building long-term, sustainable growth for the industry.”
The total project investment towards the ADF projects co-funded by Sask Wheat, which includes leveraged funding and funds invested by the project proponents, is $11,081,552. Sask Wheat has committed nearly $6.1 million to projects through the ADF process since 2014. This research falls into the areas of variety development, production and post-production.
“We know that targeted research is the best way to empower wheat producers in Saskatchewan to continue growing the quality wheat that the world demands,” Gehl says. “We are very pleased to partner with the government, and collaborate with other ADF co-funders, in order to strengthen the future of Canadian agriculture.”