Nappan Research Station to Continue Work

The agricultural community will continue to benefit from research at the Nappan Agricultural Research Centre, in Cumberland County.

"I am extremely pleased that the federal government acknowledges the important research work being done at the Nappan centre and will continue the centre's operation until a review is complete," said Chris d'Entremont, Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries.

Andy Mitchell, federal Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, announced on June 23, that the Nappan centre will remain open while a national science review into the country's current investment in science is being carried out.

The review will take into account regional initiatives by government partners, universities and industry to ensure researchers and the research facilities are working together to achieve a common goal.

This review will include consultation with communities, stakeholders, industry representatives, provincial and territorial governments, universities and research institutes. It will take place over the next several months and will identify key priorities and strategies that will maximize investments.

"The province has actively supported the good work at the Nappan research centre. Scientific research is so critical to the success of our agriculture industry. This is a first step. In fact, not only do we want to see Nappan excel, we want to see the research capacity increase," said Mr. d'Entremont.

The Nappan research centre has a long history of supporting the Nova Scotia beef sector. Founded around 1896, the Nappan centre is one of the first agricultural research stations to be established by the federal government. Its geographical position, located on the border of three Maritime provinces and land holdings of upland and marshland typical of the region, make it an ideal centre for Maritime research and technical exchange.

During the national review, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada will be putting a moratorium on all recently announced science location closures including, not only Nappan, but sites in St. John's, NL, Kapuskasing, ON and Winnipeg, MB.