Ottawa-The closure of Agriculture Canada research facilities across the country will be devastating for farmers, says Conservative agriculture critic John Barlow.

Shutting down the seven research facilities and experimental farms will devastate Canada's domestic research capacity at a time when farmers are already under enormous pressure from rising input costs, burdensome red tape, unreliable supply chains and unpredictable market access, Barlow said in a statement.

“These stations aren't just buildings; they are decades of accumulated knowledge, ongoing research and trusted partnerships with local farming communities. Once closed, the expertise cannot simply be rebuilt overnight.”

Canadian farmers deserve a government that invests in the tools and research producers need to stay innovative, Barlow said. There is also the loss of irreplaceable scientific expertise as hundreds of scientists and researchers are being fired.

Conservatives believe strongly in strengthening the agricultural research network, not gutting it, because it is essential to Canada's food security.

Agriculture Minister Heath MacDonald and the Liberal government should immediately halt the closure of these agricultural research facilities. Barlow has called on the minster to reverse the decision to dismantle critical components of Canada’s agricultural research and innovation system.

To back him up, Barlow is asking farmers, researchers and concerned Canadians to sign a petition he has started to show the Liberal government Canadian agriculture must be a priority.

“Our farmers, ranchers and processors have embraced new varieties, new technologies and smarter stewardship practices, all while feeding Canadians and millions of people around the globe. Consider what Canadian ingenuity has already given the world.”

Canola, one of the most widely consumed vegetable oils on the planet, was born in Canada. “It is a true testament to what happens when brilliant researchers are given the tools and the freedom to innovate.”

Canada is also the birthplace of zero-till farming. “Again, developed right here at home and exported around the world to improve soil health and increase drought-resilience.”

About 80 per cent of the wheat varieties planted each spring in Canada were developed by Agriculture Canada. Advances in research such as drought-resilient seed varieties or genomics are not small achievements; they have changed the course of global agriculture.

“However, Canada's edge was not built on luck. It was built on science, research, and a federal government that understood its role in championing our incredible agriculture sector. That partnership is broken after a decade of Liberal leadership.

The Commons agriculture committee has heard from a wide range of voices including scientific experts, university deans, government officials and agricultural organizations all raising serious concerns about these closures.

The petition can be signed at https://johnbarlowmp.ca/ag-research

This news report prepared for National Newswatch