Canadian Wheat Research Coalition funds AAFC variety development

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Published: June 10, 2025

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Photo: Dave Bedard

A coalition of Prairie crop groups has pledged nearly $20 million in funding to develop new varieties of wheat.

“We are helping tackle some of the biggest challenges on the farm, like disease, pests and tough weather, while keeping our focus on the quality standards our customers count on,” said Dean Hubbard, chair of the Canadian Wheat Research Coalition (CWRC), in a Tuesday news release.

The coalition includes Saskatchewan Wheat Development Commission (Sask Wheat), Alberta Grains and the Manitoba Crop Alliance. It pledged $19.9 million over three years to a core breeding agreement with Agriculture Agri-Food Canada (AAFC).

The agreement will support development of Western Canadian wheat varieties with resistance to diseases like fusarium and rusts, and to pests like orange wheat blossom midge and wheat stem sawfly, the release said.

AAFC will also work on varieties that can withstand environmental stressors like heat and drought.

The Canadian Wheat Research Coalition also holds core breeding agreements with the University of Saskatchewan Crop Development Centre, the University of Manitoba and the University of Alberta.

About the author

Geralyn Wichers

Geralyn Wichers

Digital editor, news and national affairs

Geralyn graduated from Red River College's Creative Communications program in 2019 and launched directly into agricultural journalism with the Manitoba Co-operator. Her enterprising, colourful reporting has earned awards such as the Dick Beamish award for current affairs feature writing and a Canadian Online Publishing Award, and in 2023 she represented Canada in the International Federation of Agricultural Journalists' Alltech Young Leaders Program. Geralyn is a co-host of the Armchair Anabaptist podcast, cat lover, and thrift store connoisseur.

 

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