Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s plans to reduce its workforce are already drawing warnings the cuts could undermine Canada’s long-term agricultural research capacity.
In a statement Friday, the Canadian Wheat Research Coalition (CWRC) said it is deeply troubled by confirmation AAFC will eliminate approximately 665 staff positions nationwide as part of a plan to reduce the department’s budget by 15% over the next three years.
“These staffing cuts, and related impacts at (federal) research stations, represent a tremendous loss for Canadian agriculture,” said CWRC chair Jocelyn Velestuk. “It is a loss of not only expertise and people who have contributed to farmers’ success, but also of agricultural research capacity that is crucial to fuelling innovation and maintaining progress throughout the industry.”
AAFC has long served as a key research partner for western Canadian farmers, who have invested heavily in public plant breeding programs delivered through the department. Under the CWRC’s current core breeding agreement with AAFC, farmers have committed $19.9 million over three years toward wheat breeding research.
The coalition said Canada’s global reputation for grain quality — and its competitiveness in international export markets — depends on a strong and stable public research network. While the full scope of the staffing reductions has not yet been detailed, CWRC leadership said it remains in ongoing communication with AAFC to better understand how the cuts will be distributed and what programs could be affected.
Reporting by the Western Producer on Friday said several AAFC facilities are facing closure, including research and development centres at Guelph, Ont., Quebec City, Que., and Lacombe, Alta. Satellite research farms at Nappan, N.S., Scott, Sask., Indian Head, Sask. and Portage la Prairie, Man., will also close, the Western Producer said.
Beyond AAFC, the CWRC also partners with the University of Saskatchewan Crop Development Centre, the University of Manitoba and the University of Alberta. In total, the coalition invests more than $9.5 million annually on behalf of western Canadian farmers in crop breeding and innovation. Those investments, the group notes, have delivered substantial returns for producers and taxpayers over several decades.
