PROVINCE FUNDS INCREASED ORGANIC RESEARCH CAPACITY AT THE U OF S

The Government of Saskatchewan is contributing $250,000 to support the Organic Agriculture Centre of Canada's (OACC) prairie office at the University of Saskatchewan.

The office's role at the University of Saskatchewan is to identify and fund research projects, increase awareness of current research, and act as a source of information for producers.

"To help our producers maintain a leadership role in the growing of organic crops in Canada, we need to increase the amount of Saskatchewan-based organic research," Agriculture and Food Minister Mark Wartman said. "Saskatchewan is currently responsible for 35 per cent of Canada's organic production, and our acreage is expanding by 20 per cent a year."

The mandate of OACC, headquartered at the Nova Scotia Agricultural College, is to provide organic research and education, and to initiate outreach programs for organic agricultural producers across Canada. In recent years, the Centre has taken steps to establish a western base, and has received financial support for this project from the three prairie governments, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, the University of Saskatchewan and the Canadian Wheat Board.

"The vision of OACC is to strengthen the science and practice of organic agriculture in Canada," OACC Director Dr. Ralph Martin said. "This generous contribution from the Government of Saskatchewan will enable Dr. Brenda Frick and others on the OACC team to meet our goals where organic agriculture is really happening."

"We are happy to see this commitment by the provincial government," University of Saskatchewan College of Agriculture Acting Dean Dr. Graham Scoles said. "We are especially happy to have the resources to properly investigate sustainable organic agricultural practices."

Since 1997, Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food has provided approximately $2.5 million for a variety of organic related projects including: an organic trade and market analyst position at the University of Saskatchewan (a four-year, $500,000 project); feed pea-based forage for organic livestock; organic on-farm research into soil fertility and weed control; spring wheat cultivars for organic production; and organic flax varieties.

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For More Information, Contact:

Scott Brown Agriculture and Food Regina Phone: (306)787-4031 Cell: (306)536-3851