(Image Credit: (file photo/farmnewsNOW Staff))

By Alice McFarlane

Federal cutbacks

Farm groups write to the feds on research cuts

Mar 13, 2026 | 12:19 PM

Organizations that represent Canadian farmers across conventional and organic production of crops and livestock have united in their opposition of the closure of research facilities in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec and Nova Scotia, and the Organic and Regenerative Research Program.   

They are also opposed to the elimination of positions of the researchers, technicians, and support staff who carry out research and operate the facilities.  

The twenty organizations sent a letter to Agriculture and Agri-Food Minister Heath MacDonald expressing their concern that there were no consultations with farm organizations prior to the announced cuts.   

The groups also stated the decision was made without understanding the extent of the research, its value to farmers, the economic return of public research investments, the collaboration among research stations, the significance of the geographic footprint of the AAFC research stations and farms, and the value of specific programs and research sites’ land base.  

“It is increasingly clear to us that the decision to eliminate this critical public research infrastructure was made without considering its true value to farmers, the Canadian public and the future of our food and agriculture system,” the letter stated.  

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While it was suggested that universities or the private sector would be able to compensate for the federal government’s retreat from public agriculture research, the group believes that is not realistic.   

“Universities carry out important, valuable research, but cannot replace AAFC’s research capacity. They are cash-strapped, and grant funding is short term, precarious, and often tied to commercial partners. They do not have access to the secure, dedicated land base or provide the stability required for long-term studies and multi-site plant breeding trials or agronomic studies. University research is driven by academic interests and timelines and may not always align with farmers’ needs.”  

The research centres and farms slated for closure support livestock production and land management on the Prairies, in Eastern Canada and the Maritimes; agronomic research across climatic zones and soil types; and disease and pest management research needed to address serious and emerging production problems across the country.   

The group is calling for an immediate pause on closures and employee terminations for a minimum of 24 months so the government can take time to re-evaluate closures and cuts.   

The letter can be viewed here. 

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alice.mcfarlane@pattisonmedia.com