MCA News Releases Archives - Page 5 of 5

CBRC commits $2.7 million to USask CDC barley breeding activities

mca2022dev on September 15, 2020

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

September 15, 2020 (Saskatoon, SK) – The Canadian Barley Research Coalition (CBRC) announced today it will invest $2.7 million over five years in the University of Saskatchewan’s Crop Development Centre (CDC) through a core breeding agreement to develop barley varieties with improved agronomics, disease resistance and end-use quality.

The CBRC is a collaboration among the Saskatchewan Barley Development Commission (SaskBarley), Alberta Barley and Manitoba Crop Alliance (formerly the Manitoba Wheat and Barley Growers Association).

“The agreement with the CDC ensures that western Canadian barley farmers can expect new and improved barley varieties from a world-class, multi-million dollar breeding program over the next five years,” says CBRC Interim Chair Jason Skotheim and SaskBarley Chair.

“This investment into the CDC breeding program will produce deliverables that will allow our farmers to stay competitive,” Skotheim says. “The last round of producer funding provided to the CDC saw the registration of two new malting varieties, one feed variety and one hulless variety. In the next five years we expect another three varieties to be released. This will have major benefits to our farmers.”

The CDC, which is known for research excellence in developing high-performing crop varieties, is uniquely set up to deliver effective results for western Canadian agriculture. The new agreement will enable the program to expand and capitalize on new opportunities.

“The keys to past success within the CDC barley breeding program have been the skilled staff, the in-house malt and molecular marker labs and the ability to evaluate large numbers of breeding lines,” Skotheim says. “This CBRC funding will support these pillars moving forward.”

Investment in CDC plant breeding activities has helped create new markets and opportunities for a wide variety of crop producers, said CDC barley breeder Aaron Beattie.

“We are very pleased with the long-term funding from the CBRC and appreciate the confidence they have in our program,” he says. “We look forward to continuing to deliver improved varieties to the Canadian barley industry and providing value to all within the value chain.”

Finalizing this agreement with the CDC was the first order of business for the CBRC, officially formed earlier this year, and is in line with the organization’s goal of facilitating long-term investments aimed at improving profitability and competitiveness for western Canadian barley farmers.

The organization will also provide funding for qualifying regional projects that align with variety development and agronomic priorities.

For more information:

Delaney Seiferling
SaskBarley Communications Manager
306-321-7533
dseiferling@saskbarleycommission.com

Erin Tateson
Interim Communications Manager
Alberta Wheat and Barley Commissions
403-219-7902
etateson@albertawheatbarley.com

Kate Menold
MCA Communications Coordinator
204-807-1912
kate@mbcropalliance.ca

Victoria Dinh
USask Media Relations
306-966-5487
Victoria.dinh@usask.ca

Quotes

“Collaboratively investing in barley’s varietal development is key to keeping barley farmers competitive. This core breeding agreement with the CDC will lead to enhanced barley varieties and secures our future with access to competitive and profitable varieties. Stronger agronomic packages and higher yields combined with quality traits that meet the needs of the brewing and malting industry will be the return on this barley breeding investment.” – David Bishop, Alberta Barley Chair

“Manitoba Crop Alliance understands how important it is for breeders to secure long-term funding when developing new varieties and considers programs aimed at improving the competitiveness and profitability of barley farms in western Canada a major priority. We are thrilled to be doing our part to help make this possible through this collaboration with our sister organizations in Saskatchewan and Alberta” – Fred Greig, Manitoba Crop Alliance Chair

Manitoba Crop Alliance Officially Launches Operations

mca2022dev on August 3, 2020

On behalf of its interim board of directors and staff, Manitoba Crop Alliance (MCA) is pleased to announce to their membership and industry stakeholders that operations officially launched August 1, 2020.

Manitoba Crop Alliance represents over 8000 farmer members who grow and market wheat (spring & winter), barley, corn, sunflower and flax. Manitoba Crop Alliance has set goals to maintain and strengthen the mandates of the five founding organizations in areas including research and agronomy, market access and development, and communication with membership.

Manitoba Crop Alliance can be found online at mbcropalliance.ca where a fresh, innovative website shares information on research projects, agronomic resources for all six field crops, market development/advocacy, recent news and events, and more. The website will be a hub for the organization, updated regularly with relevant information to keep MCA farmer members and other industry representatives engaged. Contact information for Manitoba Crop Alliance’s interim board of directors, crop committee delegates, and staff can also be found on the website.

“The MCA website is a valuable resource for our farmer members, agronomists and industry stakeholders to stay up to date on activities happening with the organization,” says Fred Greig, MCA chair. “In addition to our website, we also are working to build up Manitoba Crop Alliance’s following on popular social media platforms, Twitter, Instagram and Facebook to help keep members informed.”

Members of the agriculture community who use any of the above-mentioned social media platforms are asked to please follow @mb_cropalliance on Twitter and Instagram, and like/follow Manitoba Crop Alliance on Facebook. Farmer members are also encouraged to sign up for MCA’s e-newsletter – Heads Up. There will be monthly agronomic updates to provide subscribers with timely agronomic information such as scouting activities and risk of pests for wheat, barley, corn, sunflower and flax crops. This local, unbiased, science-based information is very important to aid members in making crop production decisions. MCA will also use e-newsletters as a resource to inform subscribers on recent news and events that are relevant to MCA and the crops represented by the organization. There is a link to sign up to receive MCA’s Heads Up e-newsletters at the bottom of the page at mbcropalliance.ca. MCA is also looking forward to sharing several other initiatives, including factsheets, research magazines, and bi-annual newsletters with the agriculture community in the coming months.

Manitoba Crop Alliance will be holding the first delegate elections at the crop committee level this fall with the nomination period opening September 1, 2020. Information on the roles and responsibilities of MCA crop committee delegates, eligibility requirements for nominees, the nomination procedure and election process can be found under About/Governance at mbcropalliance.ca.

“I encourage farmer members to consider running as a delegate with one of the four committees, which are wheat & barley, corn, sunflowers, and flax,” states Robert Misko, MCA’s vice-chair. “Having the crop committees within the MCA governance structure ensures crop specific focus and allows farmer members with an interest and passion for a specific crop type to be involved in the organization,” adds Misko.

With the amalgamation process into Manitoba Crop Alliance completed, the board and staff recognize that there will continue to be a transitional phase over the next few months but are excited to start this new chapter off strong. MCA is looking forward to better serving their farmer members with a more streamlined, quality approach to meet the goals laid out in their mandate.