Minister launches £4.9m oats study at Royal Welsh Show

The deputy first minister Ieuan Wyn Jones has officially launched a major new study - led by Aberystwyth University - to develop improved varieties of oats. The launch took place this morning, during the Royal Welsh Agricultural Show.

The project - Quality Oats (QUOATS) - is a £4.9m five year project that is expected to enhance health benefits as more and more people turn to oats as part of a healthier diet.

Speaking about the programme, Ieuan Wyn Jones said: "As part of my Economic Renewal Programme (ERP) I have highlighted the need for Wales to maximise its share of external research funding.

“It is great to see how working in partnership, the Welsh Assembly Government through the A4B programme has enabled Aberystwyth University to lever in substantial funding from DEFRA and the BBSRC for the benefit of the Welsh economy in a key research and development priority area."

This project brings together the whole of the oat production chain including breeders, crop marketeers, levy boards and industrial end users. A new development will be the use of the most recent genomics technologies to study traits in a model system based on an old diploid cultivar. The team will also develop oats that provide a high energy feed for the poultry and ruminant sectors that may also help reduce greenhouse gas emissions from animal production.