(Lacombe, AB – December 8, 2025) - As announced at the Alberta Grains Regional Meeting hosted in Lacombe, November 20, Alberta Grains (AG) and Western Crop Innovations (WCI) have signed a three-year Breeding and Technician Chair agreement. AG has committed $600,000 over the agreement term at a dispersal rate of $200,000 per year to fund one Breeder position and one senior Technician position to support continued research and development for feed barley breeding in Alberta.

Cereal breeding in Canada has traditionally been a publicly funded endeavour. Recently, agricultural research and development; particularly, public plant breeding, has become a topic of interest within the industry. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has introduced a plan for Seed Regulatory Modernization, while farmers and industry partners are urging Prime Minister Carney’s government to recognize agriculture’s significant contributions to the Canadian economy -- both now, and in terms of future growth potential. At the same time, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) is facing budget cuts and has announced plans to exit variety development, shifting its focus to pre-breeding. These developments have raised important questions about the future of public plant breeding in Canada.

Formerly operating as the Field Crop Development Centre (FCDC), WCI began its transition from public breeding to the not-for-profit sector in April 2024. The organization is operating under a new funding model supported by both public and private partners and strengthened through collaborations with post-secondary research institutions.

“WCI is developing a funding model that hasn’t been seen in the plant-breeding industry before,” said Kevin Bender, Board Chair of Western Crop Innovations.

“One hurdle we had to overcome was finding sustainable ways to fund salaries — particularly for senior research and leadership roles,” Bender added. “That’s where we’ve asked industry organizations to step up. We are pursuing Core Breeding agreements and Chair agreements to support this work.”

This is where Alberta Grains has come forward.

"Our partnership with WCI is a strategic investment in the future of barley breeding in Alberta," said Scott Jespersen, Board Chair of Alberta Grains. "It ensures farmers continue to benefit from leading-edge genetics and research that address the agronomic challenges they face every season. We’re proud to be an early partner in a model that puts farmer success at the forefront.” 

“At the end of the day, WCI and Alberta Grains share a common goal: supporting producer success,” said Bender. “One way we achieve that is by developing top-performing barley varieties; and this Chair agreement will help us to achieve just that. But it isn’t the only area where we’re innovating. If we can demonstrate that this new funding model is sustainable; that it truly works, we may see other breeding institutions adopt it. We’re grateful to Alberta Grains for their continued support and for being an early partner in this venture.”

About Western Crop Innovations

Western Crop Innovations (WCI) specializes in the development of feed and forage barley and triticale varieties tailored for optimal performance in local climatic conditions across Western Canada. WCI’s team of researchers is committed to achieving high yields, bolstering disease resistance, and ensuring superior end-use quality characteristics. WCI’s robust operations include a 400-acre central research facility and 40,000 test plots across Alberta. WCI is driven to deliver varieties that enhance environmental sustainability and improve agronomic outcomes for producers.

About Alberta Grains

Alberta Grains is a not-for-profit, farmer-directed organization that represents the interests of and serves as the single voice for all of Alberta's wheat and barley producers. 

For media request please contact:

Harley Groeneveld
Senior Manager, Communications & Marketing
Alberta Grains
media@albertagrains.com
403-371-2132

Keeley Bender
Communications & Marketing Coordinator
Western Crop Innovations
kbender@westerncropinnovations.com