New director of crop development centre familiar to Saskatchewan

Source: Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food

“I’m happy as pie!” Those were the words of Dorothy Murrell, commenting on her appointment as Managing Director of the Crop Development Centre (CDC) at the University of Saskatchewan.

She started her new position on January 1 of this year.

“I’m still on the very steep slope of the learning curve here,” said Murrell. “The competence among the staff, the collaborative relationships and work with industry and grower groups is a real breath of fresh air.”

The CDC was established by Saskatchewan's agriculture department and the National Research Council in 1971. Its mission is to increase the diversification of crops and their products by improving existing varieties, creating new uses for traditional crops, and introducing new crops.

Murrell comes to the CDC with an impressive resume in the seed industry. Her most recent posting was as North American Business Manager for Svalof Weibull Seed Ltd. Prior to that, she was Production and Corporate Sales Manager for Newfield Seeds of Nipawin.

Those private sector postings followed experience as a forage seed specialist with Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food.

She is the president of the Canadian Seed Trade Association, and a past board member of Saskatchewan Trade and Export Partnership.

“What I’m finding is that my current relationships with external partners are easily transferred to this new role,” Murrell said. “The CDC has great cachet with grower groups in the province, which is well-deserved.”

While it is too early to say what her own vision for the centre is, Murrell is very conscious of the improvements to so-called traditional crops such as wheat, barley, flax, oats and the pulse crops that have originated with the CDC.

“I think it’s incredibly important to do the work that’s being done, to continue to look for opportunities within these crops. The position of the Crop Development Centre is to make sure that we are world leaders in those crops,” said Murrell.

She and her staff at the CDC are also looking at the changing environment and new markets that will call for new developments.

“This whole bio-fuels initiative has become so interesting. We have wheat breeding here which can feed into the process,” she noted.

Regardless of the project focus, Murrell says she is simply happy to be in Saskatchewan, contributing to the advancement of the province’s agricultural industry.

For more information, contact:
Dorothy Murrell, Managing Director
Crop Development Centre
Phone: (306) 966-8195
Week of February 12, 2007