Saskatchewan farmers to access more innovation

Regina, Sask. – An investment in research programs in Saskatchewan will help its farmers innovate and become more profitable.

The investment of $7.4 million is from the province and Ottawa and has gone to the Agricultural Demonstration of Practices and Technologies (ADOPT) program and the Agriculture-Applied Research Management (Agri-ARM) program.

The two levels of government will provide $3.4 million over the next five years to assist Agri-ARM sites with operating and capital investments.

Agri-ARM connects eight regional applied research and demonstration sites into a province-wide network. Each location has an affiliated producer group that sets the research priorities for that site. These sites serve as centres for applied research and demonstration, focusing on increasing value from crops and enhancing production efficiency and environmental stewardship in the region.

Through the ADOPT program, $4 million is available over the next five years to accelerate the transfer of new technologies to Saskatchewan’s farmers and ranchers.

The program provides funding to producer groups to evaluate and demonstrate new agriculture practices and technologies at the local level.

“Research is important to the growth of the wheat industry in Saskatchewan,” says Cherilyn Nagel, Wheat Development Commission interim chair.  “With the local Agri-ARM sites and ADOPT program, producers are able to see research that they can put into practice right away in their operations.”

“SaskCanola values this investment as it allows canola producers to see how new practices and technologies work under local conditions,” says Joan Heath, SaskCanola chair.