b'LETTER TO THE EDITORDONT CUT THE SCIENCE THAT PAYS THE BILLSClosing regional research stations would undermine one of the highest-return public investments in Canadas agricultural economy.By Ron DePauw and Robert GrafAGRICULTURE AND Agri-Food Canadas (AAFC) plan to close research stationsThe economic case for preserving across multiple provinces targets the verythis capacity is overwhelming. Wheat infrastructure that underpins Canadasbreeding alone generates an estimated agricultural competitiveness while leav- 32:1 benefit-cost ratio. Every dollar ing the departments growing adminis- invested yields $32 in returns to trative overhead largely untouched. farmers, taxpayers and consumers. Very No one disputes the need for fiscalfew government programs can make discipline. But cutting front-line sciencethat claim.that consistently delivers some of theEliminating half of the Prairie highest returns of any public investmentresearch network does not increase is not fiscal responsibility; its short-termefficiency; it removes the only national thinking. Robert Graf (left) is science advisor forfield-level system capable of producing AAFCs regional research networkSeedNet, while Ron DePauw serves asthe site-years required for credible science advisor for SeCan.is Canadas only coordinated systemvalidation. Consolidating research risks capable of evaluating new crop geneticsduplicating work already performed and management practices across diverseby universities and the National agro-ecological zones. These sites gener- Without that validation, farmer riskResearch Council, while dismantling ate the multi-location, multi-year dataincreases and adoption slows. AAFCs unique comparative advantage. that determine whether a new varietyThe proof is in the field. This will result in slower innovation, actually performs under heat, drought,AAC Brandon, Canadas most widelydiminished industry confidence and disease pressure, and variable soils.grown wheat variety for the pastadoption, and a less responsive federal decade, was developedresearch system at precisely the moment using data from Indianwhen climate pressure and global Head, Regina, Swiftcompetition demand agility.Current, Scott, andIf savings are required, Lacombe, all part ofadministrative imbalance deserves the network now facingcloser scrutiny. Industry observers closure. AAC Coldfront,have already raised concerns regarding the highest-yielding winterthe growing ratio of management to wheat developed for Westernscientific expertise within AAFCs Canada, depended on testingScience and Technology Branch. at Lacombe, Indian Head,Producers and industry partners and Portage la Prairie.recognize this and have consistently These varieties did notshown a willingness to contribute to succeed by accident.sustainable solutions, but AAFC must They succeeded becausebe willing to meet them with a science-they were rigorouslyfirst approach rather than continued tested across the environ- administrative expansion.ments farmers actuallyCut the overhead if necessary. Dont operate in. cut the science that pays the bills. MARCH 2026SEEDWORLD.COM/CANADA 27'