Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC), Canterra Seeds, and the Alberta Wheat Commission (AWC) announce a partnership aimed at combining the strengths of producers, along with the public and private sectors, to create improved Canada Prairie Spring Red (CPSR) wheat varieties for farmers._x000D_
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With a total contribution of $3.4 million over five years from AAFC, Canterra Seeds and AWC, this public/private/producer partnership, or 4-P, will strengthen Harpinder Randhawa’s Canada Prairie Spring Red (CPSR) breeding program at Lethbridge Research Centre._x000D_
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Through combined expertise, this collaboration will streamline the development and commercialization of CPSR wheat at AAFC Lethbridge Research Centre (LRC), benefiting Alberta farmers and Western Canada as a whole._x000D_
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“Our goal is to bring products to market that will help grow farmers’ profitability and competitive edge,” says Kent Erickson, chairman, Alberta Wheat Commission. “Providing the producer perspective on agronomic characteristics will ensure that wheat varieties coming from the LRC program meet the needs of growers.”_x000D_
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AWC will receive a share of royalties on new varieties resulting from the program to be used for future CPSR research and development._x000D_
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“In our evolving marketplace, we often hear talk of the need for true partnerships between public breeders, private companies and farmers,” says David Hansen, president and CEO of Canterra Seeds. “We are proud to bring this public/private/producer partnership to fruition.”_x000D_
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Canterra Seeds will provide additional technical and field-testing capacity for the CPSR material from AAFC Lethbridge, and increased funding and support for the program as a whole. These collaborative efforts will also factor in input from Alberta’s wheat producers._x000D_
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CANTERRA SEEDS currently works with a wide range of varieties from AAFC’s various breeding programs, including the CPSR varieties AC Conquer VB and AAC Crusader.
