Edmonton, AB (Rural Roots Canada) – Alberta’s Minister of Agriculture, RJ Sigurdson, has released a letter he sent to federal Agriculture Minister Heath Macdonald, raising concerns over cuts and closures of research facilities by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC).

In the letter, Sigurdson says the closure of seven research facilities, particularly the Lacombe Research and Development Centre, is concerning and will profoundly affect both the crop and animal sectors.

Sigurdson says Alberta’s Results Driven Agriculture Research (RDAR) has multiple funded programs at the Lacombe facility that rely on the specialized infrastructure, long-term field plots, and federally inspected meat research capacity there.

His letter adds that, as global markets evolve, Canada’s competitiveness relies on the ag sector’s “ability to innovate, adopt new technologies, and advance scientific understanding across the agricultural value chain,” and notes that research is the engine of that progress.

Sigurdson concludes by calling for collaborative conversations among all stakeholders.

Lana Popham, BC’s Minister of Agriculture and Food, has also addressed the AAFC cuts, telling Rural Roots Canada that any cuts made to agricultural and science research are a “huge concern.”