Resolution

WHEREAS the federal government is currently developing research and innovation programs for the 2023-2028 policy framework;

WHEREAS funding through Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s AgriScience Cluster program is crucial to the operations of public breeding programs;

WHEREAS breeding activities that develop trait technology and innovation play a vital role in the economic and environmental sustainability of crop production in Canada;

BE IT RESOLVED that Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada protect the viability of public crop breeding programs by ensuring that AgriScience Clusters provides funding for all crops breeding activities necessary to bring a new crop variety to market, and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a minimum 70:30 (government-producer) cost share funding ratio is reinstated for smaller acre crops that cannot afford to meet the full cost share ratio.