The governments of Canada and Saskatchewan have announced a joint investment of $6.9 million to support livestock and forage-related scientific research in Saskatchewan in 2025. Combined with industry co-funding, the total investment amounts to $7.2 million.

This funding is part of Saskatchewan’s 2024-25 agriculture research budget, which allocates $37 million to various initiatives. The support is provided through the province’s Agriculture Development Fund (ADF) under the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (Sustainable CAP). This year, the ADF will fund 30 research projects focused on livestock and forage advancements.

“We are working with the provinces and territories to deliver vitally important programming through Sustainable CAP,” says Federal Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Lawrence MacAulay. “Our shared investment with the Government of Saskatchewan in these Agriculture Development Fund research projects will help create growth and make sure our great sector remains on the cutting edge.”

The ADF selects projects through an annual competitive process, identifying research initiatives that support the livestock industry’s innovation, profitability, and competitiveness. This year’s funded projects address various topics, including:

• Enhancing research capacity for pathogens and the development of vaccines and therapeutics to control infectious diseases, including those with pandemic potential.
• Evaluating the combined impact of prescribed fire and post-fire herbicide applications on controlling woody plants like snowberry in rangelands.
• Investigating how trace-mineral supplementation could improve feeder calves’ response to vaccines.

This year, industry partners contributed an additional $216,000 to support 10 of the ADF projects. The contributing organizations include:

• Saskatchewan Cattlemen’s Association
• Saskatchewan Forage Seed Development Commission
• SaskPork
• Western Dairy Research Collaboration (BC Dairy, Alberta Milk, SaskMilk, and Dairy Farmers of Manitoba)