Alberta Targets Agtech Innovation with $5M in Support for Crop Diversification Centres

The Premier of Alberta believes that the province’s farmers “are the best in the world.”

Danielle Smith posits that Albertan farmers are “driven by a tradition of constant innovation.”

Much of this innovation, she says, hails from two crop diversification centres that have been conducting agricultural research in the region for decades.

To maintain momentum, Alberta’s Budget 2025 has earmarked more than $5 million for CDC North in northeast Edmonton and CDC South, situated southeast of Brooks.

“Investing in our crop diversification centres ensures world-class research continues to deliver practical solutions that help our producers stay competitive,” stated Smith.

CDC South is a production and research greenhouse facility and base of operations for plant health surveillance and field operations, while CDC North serves a similar function and is also home to the Alberta Plant Health Lab, the Bee Health Team, and Alberta’s Seed Potato Repository.

The provincial funding is intended to support upgrades and replacements to greenhouses, labs, and administrative buildings at both sites, as well as funding essentials like fertilizer, seeds, and pesticides.

“Both crop diversification centres are prime examples of how successful government-industry collaboration can be,” says RJ Sigurdson, who serves Alberta as Minister of Agriculture and Irrigation.

The capital includes $3M for repairs and upgrades at CDC South, $1.2 million for the same at CDC North, and $500K for each centre for “operational support.”

“This funding will help ensure the researchers and support staff at both locations can continue their sector-leading work,” Sigurdson noted.

Rickey Yada, the dean of the Faculty of Agricultural, Life, and Environmental Sciences at the University of Alberta, says that researchers at the institution will “conduct applied research in support of issues and opportunities for Albertan producers.”

This includes “developing advancements and technologies in agriculture, food, soil science, and more to improve food security and make this critical sector of our economy increasingly profitable and sustainable.”