The Saskatchewan Seed Growers’ Association (SSGA) is expressing deep concern over the federal government’s decision to significantly reduce Agriculture and Agri‑Food Canada (AAFC) research capacity, including the closure of key research sites and the loss of scientific staff across the Prairie region. These cuts include the shutdown of AAFC’s Indian Head and Scott research farms, facilities that have long played a foundational role in crop development, agronomy, and variety testing in Saskatchewan.
For more than a century, Saskatchewan’s public research network has been essential to the development of new crop varieties, disease‑resistant genetics, and regionally adapted agronomic practices. The Indian Head and Scott stations maintain invaluable stocks of Breeder Seed, supports breeding programs and regional variety trials, programs that directly underpin the success of pedigreed seed growers and the farmers they serve.
The loss of these research sites represents a major setback for Saskatchewan’s seed sector. Our members rely on strong, science‑based public research to ensure that new varieties are well‑tested, regionally adapted, and ready to meet the agronomic and environmental challenges facing Prairie farmers.
Saskatchewan’s seed growers depend on a robust research pipeline to maintain Canada’s global competitiveness in cereals, pulses, oilseeds, and specialty crops. Reduced federal capacity threatens:

• Variety development and pre‑breeding programs, which require long‑term, stable public investment. 
• Regional variety trials, essential for ensuring that new genetics perform reliably under Prairie conditions. 
• Agronomic and pest‑management research, which supports sustainable production and environmental stewardship. 

Seed growers are at the front line of delivering innovation to farmers. Without strong public research, the entire value chain from plant breeders to producers to exporters will feel the impact. SSGA joins other Saskatchewan and national organizations in urging the federal government to: 

• Reverse the decision to close AAFC research stations in Indian Head and Scott. 
• Restore staffing levels necessary to maintain core research programs. 
• Engage directly with producer groups and seed sector stakeholders to develop a long‑term, stable plan for public agricultural research in Canada. 
• Ensure that Prairie‑based research capacity is strengthened, not diminished, given the region’s critical role in national food security and export markets.

SSGA remains committed to working with Saskatchewan and national partners to advocate for a modern research framework that reflects today’s realities. As government funding models evolve, the association is focused on helping transition toward a system where industry plays a stronger role in sustaining high‑quality public research. SSGA will continue to engage with policymakers to ensure Saskatchewan’s seed growers and producers have the tools, science, and shared investment needed to remain leaders in global agriculture.