On Wednesday, the federal Minister of Agriculture Lawrence MacAulay and Saskatchewan Agriculture Minister David Marit announced more than $12 million in funding for forty-four crop-related research projects in the province.

The projects go through Saskatchewan's Agriculture Development Fund and the Strategic Research Initiative.

The ADF and SRI programs are supported through the Canadian Agricultural Partnership, a five-year, $388 million investment in strategic agriculture initiatives by the provincial and federal governments.

According to Wednesday's news release, ADF support is awarded on a competitive basis to researchers looking to examine areas of importance to Saskatchewan producers like developing a weed control system for herbicide resistant wild oat in wheat and improving protein and seed quality in peas and determining the ideal seeding date for quinoa.

The SRI is a new program this year, with the goal of providing targeted funding to advance strategic priorities within the ag industry. Projects are expected to go beyond the scope and scale of work normally undertaken in ADF.