Questions Arise as Canada Shutters Ag Research Facilities Due to Budget Cuts

RealAg Radio host Shaun Haney says farmers there are already sounding the alarm about what this could mean for the future of ag research.

ALBERTA, CANADA (RFD NEWS) — Agriculture and Agrifood Canada confirmed the closure of a handful of research station sites, a move that is part of ongoing federal budget cuts in Canada. RealAg Radio host Shaun Haney says farmers there are already sounding the alarm about what this could mean for the future of ag research.

“There’s a loss of researchers, and it doesn’t mean that somebody isn’t going to pick them up and some of their work can’t continue,” Haney explained. “This is just a major disruptive sort of step change; I guess that has everybody reeling a little bit

Haney said the funding cuts have disrupted ongoing research and trials, noting specifically that a station in Saskatchewan that conducts many breeding trials has been closed. He says farmers near shuttered facilities are also raising questions about crops already in the ground, like winter wheat, and who is responsible for harvesting them.

“Come July, those are questions that have really been unanswered at this point,” Haney continues. “The goal is, here, if Canada is going to be a research and innovation leader, we’re really seeing some challenges to the innovation pipeline with the shutting down of these stations.”

While Canada’s government says it is working to streamline, Haney says communication is the missing piece. He says Canada has not officially addressed the public on the issue, which has led to misinformation.

Related Stories
Pressure on grain storage capacity and stronger export positioning are pushing more grain onto railroads, highways, and river systems as logistics become a key bottleneck this fall.
The Cotton-4 are pushing hard for new value chain investments. Still, many U.S. cotton producers face unsustainable losses, and weakened regional textile capacity threatens the survival of the Carolina “dirt-to-shirt” supply chain.
Late harvest and tight supplies shape crop progress and agribusiness this week. Here is a regional snapshot of harvest pace, crop conditions, logistics, and livestock economics across U.S. agriculture for the week of Dec. 1, 2025.
Tryston Beyrer, Crop Nutrition Lead at The Mosaic Company, examines planning trends as producers weigh corn and soybean plantings for 2026.
Brooks York with AgriSompo joins us to offer an update on what agents are prioritizing as the calendar year winds down.
The newly elected Executive Vice President of the Tennessee Cattlemen’s Association (TCA), Dale Parker, joins us on-set to share his vision for his state’s cattle industry.
SDRP Stage 2 now helps producers recover shallow, uninsured losses from major 2023–2024 disasters, with streamlined sign-ups open through April 30.
Tyson’s capacity cuts weaken local basis, tighten kill space, and heighten dependence on imports, signaling more volatility for producers.

Marion is a digital content manager for RFD News and FarmHER + RanchHER. She started working for Rural Media Group in May 2022, bringing a decade of digital experience in broadcast media and some cooking experience to the team.

LATEST STORIES BY THIS AUTHOR:

Alex Templeton works alongside her dad, sharing her life through social media and her blog Ag Talk with Alex.
Secretary Rollins also met with specialty crop producers at a local strawberry farm to discuss workforce needs and the Trump Administration’s recent wins related to significantly cutting the cost of H-2A labor for California farmers.
Brent Graves, auctioneer and mentor, shares his journey supporting youth in agriculture, livestock competitions, and how he is turning junior livestock auctions into a classroom for youth in agriculture.
China’s beef policy risk stems from domestic volatility, making export demand inherently unstable. Jake Charleston with Specialty Risk Insurance offers his perspective on cattle markets, risk management, and producer sentiment.
USDA flash corn sales, Cattle on Feed and Inventory reports, and beef packer antitrust concerns dominate January agricultural market news.
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins said permanent access to the higher ethanol blend would provide farmers with much-needed certainty while supporting domestic crop demand.