Canada’s wheat industry is at a crossroads. For decades, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) has been the cornerstone of wheat breeding in Western Canada. In fact, many of the top-performing wheat varieties in virtually every class originate from AAFC programs, notes Rob Graf, science advisor for SeedNet and himself a former wheat breeder for AAFC who bred such game-changing varieties as AAC Wildfire.
During his years with AAFC, he witnessed firsthand a changing plant breeding landscape where government is gradually pulling back from field-ready cultivar development, and he says action is needed now to ensure a plan can be developed that will allow for a health future for wheat breeding.
“Without action, there’s a real risk of falling behind global competitors. We have to act now to establish a funding model and create an environment that attracts investment and innovation,” Graf says.
AAFC is increasingly focusing on prioritizing upstream research and needs to move from being a direct competitor to an innovation partner along the breeding continuum, says Francois Eudes, national AAFC science lead for the breeding innovation and crop germplasm development portfolio. He also serves as director of research, development and technology of the Science and Technology Branch at AAFC for sites located in Alberta.
“AAFC remains deeply committed to plant breeding. What’s happening is a shift in how we contribute. This doesn’t mean we’re abandoning breeding; it means we’re evolving our role to work together with partners to ensure innovations make it to the market without breaking the innovation pipeline.”
While this research is vital, the looming challenge is clear: Who will lead the way in field-ready cultivar development in Canada?
The absence of a clear strategy could jeopardize the future competitiveness of Canada’s wheat industry, Graf says. Farmers are at the heart of this conversation, he notes. They rely on advanced wheat genetics to improve yields, enhance disease resistance, and withstand increasingly unpredictable climate conditions. But advancing these innovations requires long-term, sustainable funding on par with our main competitors.
Plant breeder Robert Graf.
Photo: Hamis Naeem
The Funding Question
One potential solution Graf believes could play a role is the adoption of an end-point royalty (EPR) system, which charges royalties at the point of grain delivery. This system aligns the cost with productivity — farmers pay more in good years when yields are higher and less in challenging years.
To put this in perspective, Canada produces an average of about 1.1 billion bushels of wheat annually. While the level of EPR required to attract investment would require study, a modest EPR of 1 cent per bushel could generate $11 million annually to reinvest in breeding, he says. Doubling that rate to 2 cents would bring in $22 million — an amount that could significantly bolster wheat research and development while sharing the financial burden fairly.
“Regardless of the approach, the key is to act now and implement a system that works for the majority,” Graf adds, but recognizes that not everyone will be happy about it.
According to Dean Hubbard, chair of the Canadian Wheat Research Coalition and a member of the Alberta Grains board of directors, diversified funding streams to future-proof plant breeding are essential.
End point royalties, for example, have strong proponents who argue they provide a sustainable funding model. However, designing a system that works for all stakeholders is no easy task.
“A common concern is the reliance on farmers to shoulder the majority of the funding burden through mechanisms like checkoffs,” he says. While checkoffs are indeed critical and valuable, they can’t be the sole solution.
“We have to have a funding model where farmers play a crucial role, but aren’t the only funders of seed development,” Hubbard says. “It’s a shared responsibility that all stakeholders have to play a role in.”
Graf agrees, but notes that many other stakeholders don’t necessarily have the same vested interest in ensuring that new wheat varieties continue to improve. He suggests that unfortunately, most of the burden will fall on the producer, despite benefits throughout the value-chain and to the Canadian economy.
For wheat breeders, long-term funding stability is essential. A three- or five-year funding cycle is insufficient for meaningful innovation, Hubbard notes.
Andy Chen is wheat breeder for Limagrain Cereals Research Canada
The Role of the Private Sector
Historically, government plant breeding — and publicly-funded breeding in general like that done at universities — has shaped Western Canada’s wheat industry. Most wheat varieties available in the West are from public institutions, with very few being bred by private companies.
Currently, there is a single private entity carrying out wheat breeding — Limagrain Cereals Research Canada (LCRC), a joint venture between France’s Limagrain and the Manitoba-based Canterra Seeds.
Today, at just 30 years old, LCRC’s wheat breeder Andy Chen, based in Saskatoon, Sask., is making his mark, helping shape the future of privately developed wheat varieties in Canada.
Chen studied in the U.K., diving into wheat genomics during his PhD and gaining fresh insights into breeding from a European perspective. While in the U.K., a meeting with Jason Reinheimer, LCRC’s former wheat breeder, opened the door for Chen to step into his current role.
Now leading LCRC’s wheat breeding program, Chen’s team is pushing boundaries to develop varieties that meet farmers’ needs. LCRC has already released several wheat varieties including CS Accelerate and CS Daybreak. Both are under the Variety Use Agreement (VUA) platform, which allows farmers to save seed for replanting while paying a royalty.
“In private breeding, our goal isn’t just to match public programs — it’s to go beyond and bring farmers additional value,” Chen explains. “That’s critical for introducing new varieties and ensuring our breeding program stays strong for the future.”
Looking ahead, LCRC is working on bringing innovations like an herbicide-tolerant wheat to farmers.
Dean Hubbard is chair of the Canadian Wheat Research Coalition.
Farmers as Drivers of Change
With federal budget constraints looming and the possibility of a new government in Ottawa, waiting passively is not an option, Graf says.
“It’s far better for the industry to take control than to scramble reactively if and when cuts are imposed.”
The wheat industry in Canada has the tools, talent, and motivated producers to lead this charge, he says. By creating an environment where public and private entities can thrive, we can secure a competitive future for Canadian wheat breeding.
“The time to act is now. Farmers, industry leaders, and policymakers need to come together to build a system that works,” Graf adds. “Inaction will gradually erode our competitiveness but by the time it’s noticed, it will be very difficult to recover.”
Whether it’s adopting an EPR model, spinning off AAFC’s wheat breeding into a quasi-private entity, or creating entirely new frameworks, the goal is the same: ensure Canada’s wheat industry remains a global leader.
“We’ve got some of the best breeders in the world,” Hubbard says. “But they need long-term support to keep delivering innovations that benefit everyone.”
