The Canadian National Wheat and Barley Clusters are in the thick of planning for the next National Agriculture Policy Framework

In anticipation of the announcement of the next National Agriculture Policy Framework the Canadian Wheat Research Coalition (CWRC) has begun preparation of a Canadian National Wheat Cluster (Wheat Cluster) submission for 2023-2028. The submission that will follow the current Canadian Agricultural Partnership (CAP) Wheat Cluster under the Science Cluster Program, is a partnership between producer groups across Canada, private industry, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) and research institutions.

Due to the September 2021, federal election, the complete National Agriculture Policy Framework priorities and guidelines have not been announced. However, climate change and environment, economic growth, and sector resiliency have all been identified as key areas of focus. With these areas of focus in mind, the CWRC and our funding partners opened our call for letters of interest in August 2021, with a request for proposals aligned with the federal and industry priorities of climate stress resilience, sustainable control of insect pests and disease, nutrient use efficiency and wheat quality.

The call for letters of interest closed September 28, 2021, with 64 submissions received. The Wheat Cluster Technical Working Group, made up of funder representatives including both staff and farmers, is reviewing each letter of interest to determine if the project should move forward to the full proposal stage. Before submission, the projects will have to be narrowed down from a total funding request of over $66 million to around $25 million. Final applications will be submitted in the fall of 2022, with the successful projects expected to officially start on April 1, 2023.

In parallel with the wheat industry, the barley industry, led by the Canadian Barley Research Coalition (CBRC) is developing their own submission to the National Agriculture Policy Framework. The next iteration of the Barley Cluster will be submitted by the CBRC a collaboration of Alberta Barley, the Saskatchewan Barley Development Commission, Manitoba Crop Alliance and supported by co-funders across Canada. The CBRC’s call for letters of interest closed on November 15, 2021, with a final submission timeline of fall 2022.

Both of the Wheat and Barley Clusters support innovative research in genetics and agronomics that benefit western Canadian farmers and the wheat and barley industries. The Science Cluster Program provides an opportunity for producer funders to leverage their investments with federal funding from AAFC. These clusters represent a significant portion of the Alberta Wheat and Barley Commissions’ research investments and the commissions welcome any inquiries from producers. For more information visit wheatresearch.ca, barleyresearch.ca or contact director of research, Dr. Lauren Comin, at lcomin@albertawheatbarley.com.