Bayer to invest more than C$45 mln in new canola research facility in Canada

Bayer Crop Science plans to invest more than C$45 million (about US $33 million) in a new canola research and development facility in Winnipeg, Manitoba, expanding its breeding and seed development capacity in Canada.

The center will support seed development for canola, camelina and winter canola, with work focused on trait integration, yield trial seed processing and seed quality analysis. The facility is intended to improve breeding efficiency and product performance for growers.

Antoine Bernet, head of Bayer’s Crop Science division in Canada, described the project as a long-term commitment to the country’s canola sector. He said the site is expected to contribute to faster genetic gains, including higher yields and improved agronomic traits, and to support the development of additional herbicide tolerance and weed control options.

Bayer has restructured its canola breeding program  in recent years around precision breeding technologies. Mike Graham, the company’s Crop Science R&D lead, said those changes have helped accelerate genetic improvement, strengthen disease resistance and expand field data collection used to guide product positioning.

The new facility is designed to support that breeding approach and future work in canola and biofuel-related crops, the company said.

Design is scheduled to begin in 2026, with the site expected to be operational by the end of 2028. The project will consolidate some existing canola breeding and seed generation activities.

Under the revised structure, Bayer’s Smartpark site in Winnipeg will continue to handle early-stage canola breeding workflows, while its Carman, Manitoba location will focus on multi-crop nursery field operations.

Canada is the world’s largest exporter of canola, a crop used for vegetable oil, protein meal and increasingly as a feedstock for renewable fuels. Investment in breeding and trait development is gaining importance as growers face pressure to raise yields, manage resistant weeds and meet evolving sustainability and market requirements.