Photo: AAFC

As the planned closure of the Lacombe Research and Development Centre moves ahead, researchers are working quickly to preserve decades of agricultural data and protect experiments that have taken years and in some cases generations, to build.

The federal facility, which has served Canadian agriculture since 1907, is among several research centres slated for closure as part of a national restructuring by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC). The decision has raised concerns across Alberta's farming sector, where producers, municipalities and industry groups rely heavily on the centre's independent research.

Scientists at Lacombe are now focused on salvaging valuable information from long-term trials before operations wind down. Some experiments involve continuous data collected over many years, making them impossible to duplicate if interrupted. That includes work in livestock genetics, crop production, forage development, disease management and meat science.

Researchers are cataloguing samples, securing records and determining which projects can be transferred to other facilities. In some cases, living plant material, genetic lines and biological samples must be relocated quickly to prevent permanent losses.

The Lacombe centre has played a major role in western Canadian agriculture, developing innovations that have improved productivity and sustainability for farmers and ranchers. It is also home to Canada's only federally operated meat sciences program, adding to concerns about the long-term impact of the closure.

Local officials and agricultural organizations continue pressing Ottawa to reconsider the decision. They argue the loss extends beyond jobs, affecting research partnerships, producer confidence and the availability of unbiased, publicly funded science.

More than 100 employees are expected to be affected, along with numerous collaborators and producer groups that depend on the centre's expertise and infrastructure.

Even if some projects are relocated, experts warn the interruption of long-running trials could leave permanent gaps in research that producers have counted on for generations. For many in the agricultural community, preserving that information has become an urgent priority.