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Canada invests nearly $2 million in oat cultivar development

The Honourable Marie-Claude Bibeau, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, and the Honourable Ralph Goodale, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, announced an investment of up to $1,982,915 for Prairie Oat Growers Association to improve oat varieties for the Canadian oat industry.

Canada produces about three million tonnes of high quality oats each year, and is the largest exporter of oats in the world. This project aims to develop new oat cultivars suited for production in Western Canada – the region that represents nearly 90 per cent of Canada’s oat production. The cultivars developed will have end-use quality identified by the industry, and will carry genetic resistance to major diseases, pests and adverse environmental and changing climatic conditions.

The project is funded through the Canadian Agricultural Partnership’s AgriScience Program, which aims to advance the growth and profitability of the sector by accelerating innovation through support for pre-commercial science activities and cutting-edge research.