The Alberta government has expressed concern following a federal announcement that could see several Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) research stations shut down, including the Lacombe facility.
Speaking at the Crossroads Crop Conference in Edmonton, Alta., Alberta’s assistant deputy minister of primary agriculture, John Conrad, says the province is still absorbing the news but is already engaging with federal counterparts.
Conrad says the Alberta government is mindful of the implications for long-standing research programs and the people affected by the decision. “It’s early, we’re concerned, we’re actively talking and we’ll do our very best to optimize,” he says, noting that Alberta is a co-investor in some of the work conducted at Lacombe and sees the site as a critical part of the province’s agricultural research ecosystem.
The Lacombe station also works closely with Western Crop Innovation (WCI), a not-for-profit organization formerly known as the Field Crop Development Centre, which is based in the same community. Conrad acknowledges the need for collaboration to preserve research capacity in the region, saying Alberta wants to “preserve and optimize that agricultural research space… we really need it in this country, in this province.”
While questions remain about whether Alberta could take on any displaced research projects, Conrad cautions against speculation, citing provincial budget pressures and the need for further discussions.
Beyond research, Conrad highlights Alberta’s continued focus on market access and emergency preparedness, as the province works to support producers amid global trade uncertainty and ongoing climate and disease risks.
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I'm Amber Bell and this is Real Agriculture here today at Crossroads Crop Conference in Edmonton, Alberta. Getting to talk with John Conrad, who's the Assistant Deputy Minister of Primary Agriculture in Alberta.
Welcome, John.
It's great to see you.
Well, thank you. It's always good to be here at Crossroads having great conversations.
Now, there has been some news this week coming out of Ottawa regarding the shutdowns of a number of research stations and Agriculture and Agro Food Canada announced it. So what is the Alberta government's reaction to this?
Yes, well, thank you for that. We're very concerned about that announcement and its implications for agricultural research. I think that's fair to say at the top. I think the other thing I would need to say is it's very early days not only for the Alberta government to absorb this and for the minister to absorb it, but also for our federal colleagues. I was able to speak with some of them yesterday at the executive level and they're very focused on the men and women in Guelph and in Lacombe specifically that are impacted. I was really happy to hear that. The downside of that is they haven't talked or thought very much yet about transitioning all of those vital aspects of their programming that we're keenly interested in and in some cases are co investors in. So I think the position of the Alberta government is one of maximum curiosity. We've communicated concern, a desire to collaborate with our federal colleagues and to optimise as much as possible on the way forward in terms of what is the shape of things to come in Lacombe, knowing that we have our own budgetary headwinds, we have our own western crop innovations that the Alberta government does put public money into along with industry members. So there are many conversations to be had. So I guess to summarise, it's early, we're concerned, we're actively talking and we'll do our very best to optimise. And lastly, we are very aware of how valuable that long standing entity is and how impactful it is to the men and women in Macomb and their families that have been impacted.
Is WCI based out of Lacombe?
Yes, actually it is based out of Lacombe and it used to be known as the Field Crop Development Centre. It was part of the Alberta government a number of years ago, 2020. We had put. It was a government decision. We put our agricultural research and extension outside of the public service. It stood up aadar the results driven agricultural research to lead our scientific agenda. And so the Field Crop Development Centre has come to morph into this not for profit company now known as Western Crop Innovation. So it is entirely based there. There is a lot of, as you can imagine, there's a lot of cross pollination, pun intended between the federal facility and our facility in Lacombe. So clearly need, need for lots of dialogue with our neighbours and colleagues. And as I said a moment ago, we'll seek to optimise with the federal government and people that are impacted in Lacombe as much as possible. We want to preserve and optimise that agricultural research space. We really need it in this country country, in this province.
And as you mentioned, it is early days so let's see if you can even, even gear guests towards this way. But is there any chance that Alberta Agriculture would take over some of the research projects that have been going through the Lacombe station?
I would, I want to refrain from speculating. I, I, as I said we are co invested on some of the projects there. We are very interested in the work. We profit from some of the services that are delivered by that entity. A lot of services and variety registration for example. Like speaking so badly about Western Crop innovation a moment ago. But I think it would be far too premature for me to even speculate about us taking that on. We, as I said a moment ago, we do have our own budgetary headwinds here in Alberta with our provincial budget. I think some time and some conversations need to flow before I could even make an educated guess.
Makes perfect sense. Now you have been mentioning that the Alberta government has been working towards market access for grains. Can you talk a little bit about that?
Absolutely. We are living in very interesting times. We just talked about the federal conversation and some of the movement in that department. International trade is very, very challenged and that's putting it uber mildly. We have been active with various trips to different countries to talk about our fantastic products that we grow and that we raise here in Alberta. I think the. Jason Hale, my deputy minister was just in New Orleans for an agricultural conference right after New Year's. Spent four days there, brought back some good ideas but was able to present the Alberta brand and some of the things that we do here. So. Well, Jason's off to Washington Next weekend or next week, I should say. I think he's travelling on the weekend, continuing to work with our American friends. Notwithstanding the choppy water that can come out at different political levels and the executive, the Americans are our biggest trading partner and our department, our government, has not lost sight of that as well. Minister Sigurdson is in Dubai as we speak. He's normally, normally loves to be here at Crossroads, especially for the evening reception and the networking opportunities. But he's beating the streets right now over in Dubai, trying to expound on the wonderful products we have here and explore new opportunities. Yes, we have our tried and true relationship, our markets in the United States, but we are not resting there. We are seeking to expand and open up new markets for these fabulous producers, many of which are behind me right now.
Now, within your purview is also stability and emergency management. Can you speak a little to what is ongoing in that department?
It's hard to believe that I have anything to do with stability, isn't it, Amber? But yes, I'd be happy to. I mean, this is the time of year where we have great conversations, producers can come to sessions like this and exchange ideas. But we are walking ever closer to the emergency season, which in Alberta typically begins around the 1st of March. And of course we are examining the agriclimatic conditions, snowpack, all of that calculus and thinking that's going on right now. So as a public service, we are working aggressively to be prepared for whatever cards were dealt from, call it extreme flow. Like the last number of years it's been drought as a primary concern and drought is like a horrible traffic accident that takes months to happen. It's really, really a tough one and it requires all hands on deck and all manners of collaboration. And those preparations are ongoing as well. I'd be remiss, I know that we're at crossroads, but I'd be remiss if I didn't talk a little bit about plant and animal disease preparation. And with whether it's something to do with the potato nematode or whether it's something to do with African swine fever or foot and mouth disease. We are continuing to burnish and prepare our response plans for that. Like it's going to happen tomorrow. And yeah, it's so a little bit of the technical and disease response and a little bit of the lyrical and the seasonal in terms of what kind of growing conditions are we going to have this year. But yeah, that, that one always walks among us. And I don't want to say we're ready but we're as ready as we possibly could be for whatever, whatever we are presented with.
There is a lot going on in agriculture right now.
There is. Some of it's pretty spooky, but a lot of it is exhilarating as well. So thank you for covering it so well.
I want to thank you so much for your time. And that was John Conrad on Real Agriculture.
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