Ottawa rejects call to reverse closures of agricultural research facilities

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Ottawa, Ont. (Rural Roots Canada) – The federal government is moving ahead with the closure of seven agricultural research facilities despite a parliamentary committee’s call to pause and reverse the decision.

In its response to a May report from the House of Commons Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food, signed by Agriculture Minister Heath MacDonald, Ottawa acknowledged but did not accept the committee’s recommendation to halt the closures and consult with scientists, employees, industry stakeholders and provincial and local governments about their potential scientific and economic impact.

The government says the decision was made as part of its Comprehensive Expenditure Review and followed an analysis of infrastructure costs, program delivery and long-term operational requirements.

The agriculture committee had called for the closures to be reversed after hearing from 27 witnesses, including scientists, academics, federal officials, industry representatives and community leaders.

Witnesses raised concerns about losing long-term and region-specific research involving forage production, cattle genetics, soil conservation, seed development and climate adaptation. Some warned research built over decades cannot simply be moved or recreated elsewhere.

The government says closing the facilities does not mean all research conducted at them will end. AAFC plans to relocate some scientific positions and activities and transition projects to other locations where possible.

The department says it will continue to operate 17 research centres and associated farmland across Canada, with at least one research centre in every province.

However, the government’s response says spending reductions are expected to result in an approximately seven per cent reduction in AAFC scientists.

AAFC says the consolidation is intended to shift spending away from maintaining facilities and toward research expertise and activities.

The committee had also called for site-specific cost-benefit analyses to justify the closures and assess risks to long-term research. The government acknowledged that recommendation, saying its savings proposals were based on financial analyses of individual sites and that it is working to preserve valuable data and genetic resources.

You can read the government response here.

Photo Credit: AAFC website

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