The Western Grains Research Foundation (WGRF) would like to thank the Government of Canada for continuing the voluntary producer wheat and barley check-offs for variety research. Presently the check-offs are collected on behalf of WGRF by the CWB. Effective August 1, 2012 the Marketing Freedom legislation will allow the check-offs to be collected by licensed buyers at the point of sale.

“The new collection system allows WGRF to continue to use check-off funds to support wheat and barley breeding programs to put new and improved varieties into farmers’ fields” says Dave Sefton, Chair of WGRF. “Producer investments into breeding research have and will continue to provide a solid return with new varieties for western Canadian wheat and barley growers. WGRF is committed to working with the established and emerging provincial wheat and barley commissions to synchronize check-off collection and regional research investments,” noted Sefton.

“Since 1995 WGRF has been investing almost $5 million dollars annually into breeding research on behalf of producers and the results speak for themselves,” said Garth Patterson, Executive Director WGRF. “WGRF has assisted in the development and release of more than 110 new wheat and barley varieties, many of which are today seeded to large portions of the cropland in Western Canada. The benefits of these check-offs are clearly recognized and valued by producers and the Federal government.”

“I would like to express WGRF’s appreciation to Minister Ritz for his ongoing support of the wheat and barley research check-offs,” says Patterson. “These check-offs will allow producers to leverage additional public and private investment to increase our overall breeding research efforts and remain competitive with other exporters,” says Patterson.

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For further information, contact:

Mike Espeseth

Communications Manager

Western Grains Research Foundation

306-975-0365

WGRF Backgrounder

The Western Grains Research Foundation (WGRF) is a farmer funded and directed non-profit organization investing primarily in wheat and barley variety development to benefit western Canadian producers. Through investments of over $60 million WGRF has assisted in the development and release of more than 110 new wheat and barley varieties over the past decade and a half, many of which are today seeded to large portions of the cropland in Western Canada. WGRF also invests in research on other western Canadian crops through the Endowment fund. Since 1981 the Endowment Fund has supported a wealth of innovation across Western Canada providing over $26 million in funding for over 230 research projects.

WGRF Member Organizations

Alberta Soft Wheat Producers                          Agricultural Producers of Saskatchewan

BC Grain Producers                                        Canadian Canola Growers

Canadian Seed Growers                                 Keystone Agriculture Producers

National Farmers Union                                  Prairie Oat Growers

Saskatchewan Flax Commission                     Western Barley Growers

Western Pulse Growers                                  Western Wheat Growers

Western Winter Cereal Growers                       Wild Rose Agriculture Producers

Marketer (vacant)                                            Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (non-voting)