FarmPure Seeds of Regina will invest $300,000 over five years to fund development of superior oat varieties at the University of Saskatchewan Crop Development Centre (CDC).
 
"Oat research and development, especially the development of improved varieties well adapted to Saskatchewan growing conditions, is critical to long-term success," says Trenton Baisley, CEO of FarmPure, a farmer-owned Pedigreed seed production and marketing organization.
 
The new agreement builds upon a long and successful relationship between the CDC and farmer-owned FarmPure Seeds to increase and market Pedigreed seed.
 
This includes newer oat varieties such as CDC Dancer and CDC Orrin. Recently, FarmPure took on the task of producing Pedigreed seed for CDC SO-I, an innovative feed oat with nutritional characteristics similar to barley.
 
"It's essential that we work together with Western Canadian oat and seed industry players, especially those in Saskatchewan," says CDC oat and barley breeder Brian Rossnagel.
 
"The feedback and support we receive from our research partners and supporters such as FarmPure are critical to future planning and the success of our oat research and breeding program."
 
FarmPure's latest investment will enhance CDC's ability to develop and release superior new varieties as quickly and efficiently as possible.
 
CDC's productive oat research and breeding program continues to focus on refining and improving premium oat end-use quality, as well as developing more disease resistant, higher-performing varieties. Research directions include developing varieties resistant to crown rust for the eastern Prairie region and varieties tailored for specialty food markets.
 
Established in 1971, the U of S CDC is a nationally renowned centre of excellence in crop research. The CDC seeks to increase diversification of crops and their products for Saskatchewan's farmers and agriculture industry by improving existing crops, creating new uses for traditional crops, and introducing new crops.
 
FarmPure Seeds is dedicated to providing superior new crop varieties to its members for multiplication and sale. The company is a major distributor of new cereal, oilseed, special crop, and forage varieties in Western Canada.
 
FarmPure Seeds joins other oat industry players, including Quaker Tropicana Gatorade Canada, Cargill, Super Oats Canada, CanOat Milling and Grain Millers as on-going supporters of the CDC oat research and development program. Core support for the program comes from Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food and the U of S.