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Agriculture Roundup for Monday October 26, 2020

Oct 26, 2020 | 11:20 AM

MELFORT, Sask. – The Canadian Barley Research Coalition (CBRC) has committed more than $1.5 million over five years to a core barley breeding agreement with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada.

The agreement ensures that Western Canadian farmers will have continued access to premium barley varieties.

CBRC which was officially formed earlier this year includes Alberta Barley, the Saskatchewan Barley Development Commission (SaskBarley), and Manitoba Crop Alliance (MCA).

Chair of the CBRC and SaskBarley Jason Skotheim said the new phase of funding will allow the continuation of breeding programs.

“The aim is to design new varieties that have the best sources of disease and insect resistance, are designed for western Canadian growing conditions and will deliver high quality traits for end users,” Skotheim said in a news release.

The funds will support the development of new two-row malting varieties that are adapted to Western Canada and have improved yields, stronger straw, and higher kernel plumpness, test weight and kernel weight as well as improved disease resistance.

The Manitoba government will move ahead with a plan to eliminate the education tax on farmland.

Starting next year, the phase-out will apply to farmland, and incorporated farms.

Keystone Agricultural Producers have been lobbying the provincial government to eliminate or reduce the education tax burden on farmers for several decades.

Details on how the phase-out will work, including the province’s plan to address the impact on school tax revenue, will be announced at a later date.

alice.mcfarlane@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @AliceMcF