What qualities will Canadian wheat and barley varieties need to succeed in world markets 10 years from now? What are the top priorities to keep up with changing disease and pest pressures? How can producers best direct their research investment to protect their interests and keep Canada competitive in a rapidly changing world?

These are just a few of the important questions addressed in two independent reports on the Wheat and Barley Check-off Funds, which are administered by Western Grains Research Foundation (WGRF). The reports were commissioned by WGRF, to provide analysis and recommendations for the WGRF Board to consider as the organization negotiates new long-term breeding agreements with research institutions. With current 10-year agreements set to expire, new agreements are targeted to be in place by early 2005.

"Western Canadian grain producers have become major investors in new crop varieties through the Wheat and Barley Check-off Funds," says Dr. Keith Degenhardt, Hughenden, Alta., producer and Chair of WGRF. "As we prepare for the next round of long-term Check-off funding, our top priority is to maintain and build on this progress, to get western farmers the greatest return for their investment. The independent reports provide an important tool to help us reach this goal."

A brief overview of review team recommendations to WGRF is available in the September and October editions of WGRF's Industry Report newsletter, which are available on the WGRF Web site, www.westerngrains.com.

The reports were commissioned as specific business documents for WGRF, to anchor a broader process of analysis, feedback and decision making, says Degenhardt. They were developed by two review teams - one for wheat and one for barley - with a broad base of experience. The teams were given specific Terms of Reference developed by WGRF, with the basic goal to evaluate current breeding agreements and provide recommendations on approaches to best meet future needs. Producers and organizations were encouraged to provide input throughout the process.

Once the reports were developed, they were reviewed by WGRF's Wheat and Barley Check-off Advisory Committees, which provided further analysis and recommendations for the WGRF Board to consider. The Advisory Committees are comprised of half Foundation producer Board members and half representatives from the research and marketing communities.

All final decisions on which recommendations to take forward will be made by the WGRF Board, which is negotiating the agreements directly with research institutions, says Degenhardt. "The recommendations in the reports and from the Advisory Committees are simply for WGRF to consider. Our 18-member producer board will weigh all the feedback provided and come to its own conclusions on what to negotiate with research institutions in the actual agreements."

The reports provide recommendations on breeding targets, class-by-class funding allocations and the fundamentals of how the Check-off operates and is administered. In addition to its value for developing new agreements, the reports have lasting value to help guide the Check-off program as WGRF addresses key issues in the years ahead, says Degenhardt.

The wheat review team was chaired by Dr. Keith Tipples, retired Director of the Canadian Grain Commission's Grain Research Laboratory. It also includes Dr. Walter Bushuk, retired cereal chemist at the University of Manitoba; Dr. Duane Falk, cereal researcher at the University of Guelph; and wheat producers Don Tait of Elrose, Sask., and Allan Klassen of Laird, Sask.

The barley review team was chaired by Don Macyk, full time farmer and retired Managing Director of the Alberta Agricultural Research Institute. Also part of the team were Dick Klaffke, retired Research and Development Manager for Agricore; Dr. Keith Briggs, retired University of Alberta cereal breeder and Chair of the Department of Agricultural, Food and Nutritional Science, University of Alberta; and barley producers Cam Henry of Oak River, Man., and Doug Sword of Unity, Sask.

Future editions of the WGRF's Industry Report newsletter will provide an overview of the new agreements.