The Canola Agri-Science Cluster will receive the funding over the next five years.

The new federal/provincial Canadian Agricultural Partnership (CAP) is allocating $12.1 million. An additional $8 million dollars will come from producer organizations, grain companies and oilseed processors through the Canola Council of Canada.

“This research will increase yields, reduce production risks, maintain public trust, further enhance sustainability and confront the challenges of a changing climate,” says Bernie McClean, a canola growers from Glaslyn, SK and chair of SaskCanola’s research committee.

Twenty-five projects will be carried out in collaboration with public research institutions across Canada.

“It will focus on both agronomy and production research,” says Jim Everson, president of the Canola Council of Canada. “For example, what can we do to improve nitrogen fixation with canola, which would help reduce producers costs and be also good from an environmental point of view.”

The Canola Council of Canada has set a goal of increasing canola production to 26 million metric tonnes by 2025. That would require an average Western Canadian canola yield of 52 bushels an acre.