Calgary, Alberta
April 23, 2003

A new report on barley breeding in Western Canada offers producers and others an up-close look at the latest progress, trends and issues shaping the future of the crop.

The 2003 Barley Breeding Report, "Portfolio for Progress," was produced by Meristem Information Resources Ltd., an independent, Calgary-based communications company, in partnership with Western Grains Research Foundation (WGRF), a major research funding organization for farmers in Western Canada. It is produced for a broad range of barley stakeholders, including everyone from farmers and industry to consumers and the general public.

The report provides a simple overview of the world of barley breeding, including a look at barley breeding in the big picture, highlights of breeding progress and class-by-class updates on new barley varieties. It also features a short course on how Western Canada develops barley varieties.

"What happens in barley breeding today will play a major role in the future of barley in Western Canada," says Lorence Peterson, Executive Director of WGRF. "For farmers, this has implications for everything from their investment in barley research through check offs, to the performance and market competitiveness of their crop in the years ahead. Understanding the fundamentals of barley breeding can help producers make decisions on their role in barley research and gain valuable perspective on where the crop is headed."

The growing role of farmers in research is a major trend covered in the report. Since the 1993/94 crop year, barley growers in Manitoba and Saskatchewan have generated approximately $600,000 annually for investment in barley breeding programs through the Barley Check-off Fund administered by WGRF. Since 1991, a separate provincial check off in Alberta, administered by Alberta Barley Commission, has collected up to $1.2 million annually, with roughly one quarter targeted for allocation to barley breeding. These check offs are part of a worldwide trend to farmer-funded crops research.

The 2003 Barley Breeding Report is a complementary publication to the 2003 Wheat Breeding Report. Both are supported as part of a broader effort by WGRF to keep producer investors informed of changes in their industry, and to help them best prepare for future trends and issues. The report was produced with the assistance of technical reviewers with broad involvement in barley breeding.

The full 2003 Barley Breeding Report is available on the Meristem Land and Science Web site, www.meristem.com  - a resource for science-based information. The report can also be accessed through the Western Grains Research Foundation Web site, www.westerngrains.com, which includes a broad range of regularly updated barley breeding information. Producers can request a printed copy of the report from the Foundation office by phone: (306) 975-0060, fax: (306) 975-0316, or email:
info@westerngrains.com.

Meristem Land and Science features progress and perspective from the best minds in science. It is presented in co-operation with partners in agriculture, food, environment and life sciences.