Alberta Grains and Western Crop Innovations Launch Three-Year Agreement to Strengthen Barley Breeding in Alberta

Alberta Grains (AG) and Western Crop Innovations (WCI) have signed a new three-year Breeding and Technician Chair agreement to advance feed barley breeding in Alberta. Announced at the Alberta Grains Regional Meeting in Lacombe, the partnership represents a $600,000 investment from Alberta Grains, delivered at $200,000 per year, to fund a breeder and senior technician dedicated to high-impact barley research and variety development.

Strengthening the Future of Public Plant Breeding in Canada

Cereal breeding in Canada has long relied on public funding, but the landscape is rapidly shifting. With the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) moving forward on Seed Regulatory Modernization and farmers urging Prime Minister Carney’s government to recognize agriculture’s economic importance, the need for sustainable public plant breeding has become a national discussion.

At the same time, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) faces budget reductions and plans to exit variety development in favour of pre-breeding. These changes highlight growing uncertainty around the future of public plant breeding programs, particularly for crops like barley that are vital to western Canadian agriculture.

Western Crop Innovations: A New Model for Plant Breeding

Formerly known as the Field Crop Development Centre (FCDC), Western Crop Innovations began its transition in April 2024 from a publicly funded breeding institution to a not-for-profit organization supported through a mixed public–private funding model. This transformation is reinforced through partnerships with industry groups and post-secondary research institutions.