I wanted to give you a quick update and timeline regarding our advocacy efforts following our Annual General Meeting and the Government of Alberta’s announcement that the Field Crop Development Centre (FCDC) will relaunch as Western Crops Innovations (WCI).
For over 50 years, FCDC in Lacombe provided an invaluable role in fostering research and innovation while developing commercialized barley and triticale varieties to the benefit of our members and western Canadian farmers. Our board was a major believer in this mission and backed up these sentiments with strategic investments in FCDC’s activities.
Seed growers were also instrumental in providing critical feedback on varietal performance to FCDC – particularly in our role as intermediary between breeders and commercial viability. With this unique perspective, our members have provided both market and performance feedback while keeping in mind the overarching goal of growing our industry in a sustainable way.
At our AGM in Feb. 2024, we were informed by John Conrad, Assistant Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Irrigation, that the Alberta government was working with FCDC, Olds College, and agriculture sector stakeholders to determine the future of the program.
As we awaited an announcement, we took every opportunity (via one-on-one meetings and through our joint advocacy efforts with
Team Alberta) to reiterate the importance of public research investment in western Canada. We also shared our chief concern that our membership’s resources and institutional knowledge from years of collaboration with FCDC would not be utilized to its full potential without a transition plan.
On Mar. 20,
the announcement from the Government of Alberta was made official and the transition to the newly-formed WCI was initiated. On a positive note, our board of directors was pleased to see that WCI will prioritize the commercialization of superior crop varieties through continued strategic investments in research and development.
Following this announcement, we reached out to the newly appointed Chair of WCI, Jason Lenz to stress the importance of continued collaboration with our seed grower members and asked for a seat at the table when it comes to next steps. We have received indications that this request will be met positively.
While our board is confident that we will have an opportunity to share our member’s unique perspective during the strategic planning process for WCI, our advocacy efforts towards further investment in the future of public research and plant breeding in Alberta will continue.
As these efforts proceed, I commit to you that we will keep you updated through our newsletter and via abcseedgrowers.ca. Alternatively, you can also contact our Executive Director Kelly Chambers at
kelly@abcseedgrowers.ca.
Thank you for your time and your trust.
Brian Ellis
President, Alberta-British Columbia Seed Growers
