(Courtesy of Olds College of Agriculture & Technology)

By Josh Hall

Agriculture

Western Crop Innovations launches April 1 in Lacombe

Mar 25, 2024 | 2:31 PM

The Government of Alberta has announced that it is relaunching the Field Crop Development Centre in Lacombe as Western Crops Innovations (WCI).

Launched in 1973, the FCDC has, in recent years, been managed by Olds College.

WCI will be a non-profit corporation with an interim board, and serve as a global leader, the province says, in agriculture research, resulting in tangible benefits for farmers. Those benefits include higher profits and a more abundant food supply at an affordable cost for consumers, adds the province.

The new structure, they say, will revitalize the organization and better position it to meet the industry’s needs.

“It’s an exciting time for crop research in Alberta,” says RJ Sigurdson, Minister of Agriculture and Irrigation. “Western Crop Innovations will carry on the Field Crop Development Centre’s substantial legacy, ensuring its work is addressing the issues farmers are facing in the fields.”

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Starting up April 1, WCI will carry on the former banner’s research, including its well-known barley breeding program.

“Considering my farm’s proximity and history with FCDC, I’m happy to help guide Western Crop Innovations to conduct research and development leading to commercialization of superior crop varieties that will benefit Alberta and western Canadian agriculture sectors,” adds Jason Lenz, chair, WCI.

As for Olds College, its role will be lessened, but it will continue continue to be involved in providing administrative support for IT and HR during WCI’s inaugural year.

In a statement, Olds College says it is pleased that funding for barley breeding in the province will continue and is proud of the part its played in that important work and leading FCDC for the past three years.

“Under our leadership, FCDC has developed and released a number of high-performing varieties, just one example of the many successes we enjoyed together,” says Crystal Steeves, Director, Marketing and Communications, Olds College.

“Our new role is a temporary one — to assist WCI with administrative support during their development phase — but we anticipate a relationship with them for many years to come as we work together in the annual AgSmart event, applied research and other areas.”

Jessi Rampton, press secretary for Minister Sigurdson, was asked for some elaboration on why this is happening now.

“The decision to transition to a long-term partner was made to ensure the centre aligns more closely with industry and better positions Alberta to support competitiveness and innovation,” Rampton says.

The facility in Lacombe includes offices and labs downtown, with a farm south of town that has 400 acres of crop and the James Helm Cereal Research Facility, which includes more lab space, offices and growth chambers.

Interim board members are as follows:

• Jason Lenz, chair
• D’Arcy Hilgartner, vice-chair, Results Driven Agriculture Research
• Fred Lozeman, former finance chair, Alberta Beef Producers
• John Conrad, assistant deputy minister, Agriculture and Irrigation

Cost of operating WCI in its first year is around $3.5 million, with the government contributing $3.2 million and industry support to be determined.