Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
April 15, 2003

Western Canadian farmers who want details about Western Grains Research Foundation's (WGRF) research and business activity of the past year are encouraged to check out the Foundation's 2002 Annual Report.

WGRF is made up of 17 diverse agricultural producer organizations. Through its administration of the Wheat and Barley Check-off Fund, and the Endowment Fund, it has become the largest grains research funding organization in Western Canada. In 2002, it allocated approximately $4.6 million to crop research.

"The Annual Report is our business report to producers in Western Canada who have become major investors in crop research through their support of the Wheat and Barley Check-off," says Lorence Peterson, WGRF Executive Director. "This year's report includes an in-depth discussion of the Check-off and the Endowment Fund to ensure producers have a good understanding of the progress being made.

"It also serves as an opportunity for WGRF to re-state its business strategy for its producer investors," he adds. "As a farmer funded, farmer directed organization, WGRF is committed to getting the most out of producer investment. That means leveraging Check-off dollars as much as possible to attract additional research funding, keeping administrative costs low to maximize the dollars available to research and keeping producer members aware of the progress being made as a direct result of their contributions."

Printed copies of the 2002 Annual Report are currently being distributed to WGRF's 17 member organizations and their boards. Individual copies are also available at no charge to western Canadian crop growers directly from the Foundation office, 210-111 Research Drive, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, S7N 3R2, phone: (306) 975-0060, fax: (306) 975-0316. The electronic version can be accessed at any time through the WGRF Web site at www.westerngrains.com.

WGRF is also the partial sponsor of free, educational special reports that cover major crop research developments and the grain industry as a whole. The most recent reports are the 2003 Wheat Breeding Report: "Canada in the Big Picture" and the 2003 Barley Breeding Report: "Portfolio for Progress." Both are available in printed formats and on the Web. More information on getting copies of these reports is available from the WGRF Web site.