Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) is shutting down seven research initiatives nationwide, including two satellite research farms in Saskatchewan.

The farms are located in Scott, southwest of North Battleford, and near Indian Head, east of Regina. Employees at these satellite farms explore ways to enhance crop yields on the prairies.

Steven Cole, the mayor of Indian Head, mentioned that he and the staff at the local research farm learned on Thursday that their facility would be closing soon.

"As a leader in our community, I’m appalled. That farm has been operational for 140 years this summer.”

Cole informed CBC that to his knowledge, activities in Indian Head may only persist for another four to six months.

He indicated that approximately 30 full-time staff members will either be unemployed or will have to move to another nearby municipality.

The federal agency has reported that roughly 665 positions have been eliminated across the nation, with nearly 1,050 employees receiving notifications on Thursday.

Cole expressed that the research farm in Indian Head has meant a lot not just to the community, but to his family for generations.

"My father was employed there, my grandfather worked there, my uncle was also involved," Cole said. "We have a longstanding connection with this farm, and I will regret seeing it disappear."

These job reductions are part of the federal government's strategy to tighten its public service budget.

“Like other federal agencies, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) has pinpointed savings over the next three years while staying committed to its essential mission,” the AAFC stated.

“AAFC will remain the largest agricultural research organization in Canada, with 17 research centers across the country and agricultural land in every province.”

The satellite farms in Saskatchewan aim to boost crop outputs.

Richard Gray, a professor of agricultural economics at the University of Saskatchewan, remarked that this work is crucial for enhancing the productivity in the province.

"Our farms can compete with anyone globally," Gray said. "They're lucrative and sustainable, so it’s vital that research — which generates knowledge that ultimately leads to new varieties or advanced agronomics or innovative machinery — is supported in the long run."

Gray suggested that resources might need to be reallocated to ensure that the research being conducted at these sites can continue in some capacity.

Nationwide, satellite farms in Nappan, Nova Scotia and Portage la Prairie are also being closed.

Research and development centers in Guelph, Ontario; Quebec City, Quebec; and Lacombe, Alberta will likewise be shut down.