L to R: Doug Freeman (Dean, WCVM), David Lametti (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development), Mary Buhr (Dean, College of Agriculture and Bioresources), Ryan Beierbach (Chair, Saskatchewan Cattlemen’s Association) and Ryder Lee (CEO, Saskatchewan Cattlemen’s Association). Photo: Kyrsten Stringer.

Federal funding for livestock-forage research centre

Government of Canada invests $4.47 million for U of S Livestock and Forage Centre of Excellence

SASKATOON – A $4.47 million investment by the Government of Canada was announced this morning at the University of Saskatchewan (U of S) to support the planned construction of the university’s Livestock and Forage Centre of Excellence (LFCE) to be built near Saskatoon. The money is being allocated to the university through a partnership with the Saskatchewan Cattlemen’s Association (SCA) which is the initial recipient of the federal grant.

The federal announcement was made by David Lametti, parliamentary secretary to Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development and minister responsible for Western Economic Diversification Canada, the funding agency for the grant.

The LFCE will consist of two new facilities on U of S land designed to address forage, cow-calf, beef cattle, and environmental research. The facilities will unite all areas of livestock and forage research under a single complex of field laboratories and science labs at a cost of $37.5 million.

The LFCE project is expected to be completed in 2018. Other funding contributions to date include $10 million from the federal and provincial governments through the Growing Forward 2 program, $10 million from the U of S, and $1 million directly from the Saskatchewan Cattlemen’s Association.

See news release on the LFCE announcement from Western Economic Diversification Canada.

LFCE funding announcement, May 26, 2017 from WCVMToday on Vimeo.