SaskBarley commends new Canadian National Barley Cluster for advancing research.
June 13, 2024 (Saskatoon, SK) – Yesterday marked a significant milestone for the Canadian barley industry as Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) unveiled the Canadian National Barley Cluster, a collaborative investment of $9.6 million over 5 years between industry partners and AAFC to amplify the competitiveness and resilience of Canada’s barley sector.
Administered by the Canadian Barley Research Coalition (CBRC), the new Barley Cluster signifies commitment to Canada’s barley industry. This initiative will allocate funding towards research projects focused on advancing feed barley, barley genetics, agronomy, disease resistance, and sustainability – essential priorities for all stakeholders in the Canadian barley value chain.
Speaking on behalf of the SaskBarley, Executive Director, Jill McDonald, emphasized the importance of this initiative in shaping the future of barley: “We are excited to see this investment in the new Barley Cluster. Projects conducted during this agreement will help us ensure barley is a competitive crop choice for farmers in terms of yield, pest and disease resistance and crop quality. This new investment will build on advances made in previous Clusters and addresses new challenges facing the barley industry.”
The Barley Cluster’s funding, totaling over $5.2 million from AAFC’s Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (Sustainable CAP) AgriScience program and over $4.4 million from producer and private organizations, signifies a commitment from both government and industry partners towards fostering innovation and resilience within the barley sector. In addition to SaskBarley, contributors include Alberta Grains, Beef Cattle Research Council, Brewing and Malting Barley Research Institute, Canadian Field Crop Research Alliance, CBS Bio Platforms, Manitoba Crop Alliance, and Western Grains Research Foundation.
Cody Glenn, Chair of SaskBarley and a farmer from Climax, SK, expressed gratitude for the collaborative efforts and government support: “We would like to thank the government and industry stakeholders for their continued support of invaluable research under this program. Barley is such an important crop for farmers to include in their rotations and has important end uses in Canada and beyond, so this research will go a long way towards ensuring barley remains a profitable crop option.”
Research priorities under the previous National Barley Cluster (2018-2023) can be found at BarleyResearch.ca.
For media inquiries or further information, please contact:
Serra McSymytz
Communications Manager
Saskatchewan Barley Development Commission
smcsymytz@saskbarley.com
Shelley Lasgasse
Barley Cluster Lead
Canadian Barley Research Coalition
slagasse@barleyresearch.ca
