Institute says more ag research funding needed: federal budget reaction

Wednesday, February 12, 2014

by MATT MCINTOSH

Yesterday’s federal budget specifically mentioned the importance of Canada’s agricultural sector, but to achieve that potential, more funding should be dedicated to agricultural research, says the Agricultural Institute of Canada.

“Overall, the membership is happy to see research funding, specifically the $1.5 billion for the Canada Research Excellence Fund, and the $15 million for the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council,” says Dan Kosick, director of communications at the Agricultural Institute of Canada.

“However, we would like to see more funding for agricultural research.”

The agricultural initiatives identified for funding in the budget fell short of the institute’s recent recommendations on the federal government’s Science, Technology and Innovation Strategy – a plan designed to identify areas of investment in scientific research.

According to their press release from February 10, the institute gave four recommendations to Industry Canada, the ministry responsible for administering the strategy:

1. Continue to invest in “key business innovation programs and demand driven research.”
2. Set up a “real-time” database listing current research initiatives.
3. Increase funding for federal research laboratories to “engage in long-term” research.
4. “Expand on international accreditation efforts” in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

The four recommendations were presented to the government during a public hearing period, which ended on Feb. 7.

“The hearing was a chance for us and the rest of the public to weigh in on where funding should be allocated . . . Our recommendations stressed the importance of agriculture,” says Kosick. BF