Canada’s wheat and barley breeding system is facing a critical turning point, as major farm organizations, universities and industry stakeholders are discussing the optimal future for cereal breeding in Western Canada.
This month, a coalition that includes the Canadian Wheat Research Coalition (CWRC), the Canadian Barley Research Coalition, Seeds Canada and Prairie universities released a joint vision statement calling for stronger collaboration, long-term investment and greater integration of advanced breeding technologies.
The effort comes amid growing concern about Canada’s ability to maintain public breeding capacity and remain competitive in global crop innovation. Industry groups have warned that cuts to Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada research capacity could threaten the country’s long-term position in wheat breeding.
At the centre of the discussion is a key question: how can Canada continue delivering the next generation of high-performing wheat and barley varieties farmers need to stay profitable and competitive?
For Jocelyn Velestuk, chair of the Canadian Wheat Research Coalition and a Saskatchewan farmer, the answer starts with collaboration.
“We had all the major players in the wheat breeding sector at the table, which is a really important step as we move forward,” Velestuk says on the latest episode of the Seed World Canada podcast. The resulting vision statement and guiding principles outline priorities including attracting public and private investment, improving farmer choice and ensuring sustainable returns on investment.
Velestuk says the conversation is especially important at a time when farmers are dealing with tight margins, evolving pest pressures and increasing production risks.
“We need a wheat breeding innovation system in Canada that can keep up with that and really keep providing those tools to farmers,” she says, pointing to innovations such as midge-tolerant wheat as examples of the value modern breeding can deliver.
While the long-term structure of the system is still being discussed, industry leaders say more stakeholders will be brought into the conversation in the months ahead. The broader goal is to build a system capable of attracting talent, supporting innovation and delivering measurable results for producers.
Despite the challenges, Velestuk remains optimistic.
“An inflection point is how I look at it,” she said. “We’re at a point right now where we can make those changes and create something better.”
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