April 07

PRAIRIE FARMERS EXPECTED TO SEED RECORD AREA OF CANOLA

According to the first seeding intentions survey released April 24 from Statistics Canada, Prairie farmers intend to plant a record area of canola, and less spring wheat and flaxseed.
- Canola acres may reach a record 14.7 million acres, up 11.5% or 1.5 million acres from 2006
- Flaxseed acres may drop by 650,000 acres, a decline of 31.3% from 2006 to 1.4 million acres
- Spring wheat planting may drop 16.1% to a possible 16.7 million acres
- Durum wheat is expected to rise 13.8% to 5 million acres
- Barley is expected to rise 15.5% to an estimated 10.2 million acres
- Oat acres are expected to rise 23.7% to reach 5.2 million acres
For more information, click HERE.

EASTERN FARMERS SET TO PLANT RECORD CORN AREA

Statistics Canada's seeding intentions survey also reported that corn growers in the East intend to seed record areas of grain corn. In Quebec, seeded area should rise 13.0% to 1.1 million acres, just under the record set in 2002, while Ontario acreage may rise 32.3% to 2.2 million acres, equal to the previous record set back in 1981. In soybeans, Manitoba farmers reported a strong decline of 120,000 acres to 240,000 acres, Quebec farmers a 2.0% decrease to 476,900 acres, and in Ontario, acreage is expected to remain steady at 2.2 million. For more information, click HERE

CANADIAN GRAIN COMMISSION TO ELIMINATE KERNEL VISUAL DISTINGUISHABILITY BY 2010

In reponse to recommendations presented in the Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food report concerning the Canadian Grain Commission (CGC), the federal government has set a target date of 2010 for the complete elimination of kernel visual distinguishability (KVD) as a segregation tool and variety registration requirement for Western Canadian wheat classes. "The provision of a target date will send a signal to the wheat breeding community, where the elimination of KVD will enable increased innovation in the development of new wheat varieties for both traditional and new end uses, including livestock feed and biofuels. In turn, wheat producers will be provided with more options," said CGC Assistant Chief Commissioner Terry Harasym.

NATIONAL FORUM ON SEED

The National Forum on Seed held its seventh meeting on March 26 in Ottawa. Some of the agenda items covered included an update of all recent work including Crop Consultative Working Groups, financing, and the focus of the Forum for 2007/08. A key item on the agenda was an update on the CFIA Seed Modernization Consultative Initiative. CFIA noted that the final report should be available by the summer. Members of the Forum urged CFIA to move quickly on making changes to the seed variety registration process.

FUNDING INNOVATION THROUGH CERTIFIED SEED

In April, the Canadian Seed Trade Association and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada co-hosted a workshop on funding innovation through certified seed. The workshop focused strongly on the CSTA's proposal for a tax incentive on certified seed. Participants in the workshop included representatives of AAFC, Foreign Affairs and International Trade, Finance Canada, CSTA, Canadian Seed Growers Association, the Canadian Federation of Agriculture and the Grain Growers of Canada. In addition to further work on the calculation and cost of a tax incentive, the implications of a certified seed tax incentive for Canada's international trade obligations and for national business risk management programming were discussed. According to members of the Canadian WTO negotiating team, the tax incentive proposal in its current form is trade distorting or "amber" under WTO rules for domestic support programs. However, participants at the workshop learned that some incentive programs for research and development are considered "green" or non-trade distorting under WTO rules. CSTA and its partners, including the Value Chain Roundtable on Special Crops, will continue to develop the proposal and others to promote certified seed as part of the innovation agenda.

FASTER IMPLEMENTATION OF RENEWABLE FUELS STRATEGY

The Canola Council of Canada wants Ottawa to accelerate its long-term strategy that requires renewable fuels make up 2% of diesel fuel sold in Canada, and hopes Ottawa will require 5% biodiesel use by 2015. According to CanWest News Service, Barb Isman, the Council's President, told the annual meeting of the Canada Grains Council in Winnipeg that a 2010 startup for biodiesel is manageable. "We're already behind the other countries of the world, so we have to move ... forward," Isman said. Major producers could have facilities up and running by early 2009 - plenty of time to meet a 2010 goal, Isman said in the interview. The Canola Council recently released a new canola production target of 15 million tonnes per year by 2015, which is considered highly achievable with ongoing hybrid development.

NEW DISTIRBUTION CENTRE FOR SEMINIS

Starting in May, Seminis, the vegetable seed division of Monsanto will begin using the Monsanto facilities located in Chatham, Ontario to distribute seed to Canadian greenhouse growers. "With this new distribution centre in Chatham we can now ship seed to our Canadian customers overnight, or make it available for pick-up at the centre on the same day the order is placed," said Seminis Protected Culture Sales Manager, Joep van de Burgt.

CFIA RELEASES NEW VARIETY REGISTRATIONS LIST

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has released the list of new varieties that were registered between January 1 and March 31, 2007. The list includes four canola, seven barley, six soybean, and two lentil varieties. To view the list, click HERE.

March 07

CEREALS TAKE CENTRE STAGE AT PGDC

During the first meeting of the new structure as the Prairie Grain Development Committee, 35 new crop lines were recommended for registration. In lentils, the first medium green imidazolinone-tolerant variety was recommended for registration. In cereals, several varieties for specific end use markets were recommended, including a low-phyate barley variety suitable for the monogastric feed market and a hulless oat with high protein and oil content. The introduction of the Canadian Western General Purpose wheat class spurred plenty of discussion about these high-yielding, low-protein cultivars and the details on cultivar registration and disease testing. Members of the Wheat, Rye and Triticale Group also developed a plan to release wheat midge resistant varieties packaged as a blend, with 10% of each bag being a susceptible refuge variety which would slow the development of insect resistance.

BARBER TO JOIN SYNGENTA

Simon Barber will join Syngenta as the new Biotech Regulatory Affairs Manager, Canada on June 1. Barber joins Syngenta with significant regulatory experience from EuropaBio (the European BioIndustries Association), where he was the Director of the Plant Biotechnology Unit, based in Brussels, Belgium. Prior to this, he held positions as the Administrator, Environmental Health and Safety for the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, and Chief of the Plant Biotechnology Office at the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. Barber will be based in Arva, Ontario.

CFIA'S NEW RULE FOR IMPORTS OF CERTIFIED SEED

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has launched a new two-year pilot project introducing alternate phytosanitary import requirements for certified seed of wheat (including durum), barley, triticale, and rye originating from North Dakota and approved areas within Montana. A certified seed tag, in combination with a Certificate of Origin, is accepted in lieu of a phytosanitary certificate. Currently, North Dakota and approved areas within Montana - which are free of the regulated pests karnal bunt, dwarf bunt, and flag smut of wheat - are allowed to participate in this pilot project.

GOVERNMENT ANNOUNCES AG RESEARCH INVESTMENT

Last week, during four separate announcements, the federal government announced investments into 77 agriculture research projects in Western Canada to the tune of $8.9 million dollars. The projects are distributed within Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta. Some of the projects include:
- genetically enhancing winter wheat for improved environmental sustainability, enhanced food safety, and expanded end-use product utilization
- researching sustainable expansion of canola production for the food and biodiesel markets
- enhancing capacity to conserve and utilize the genetic diversity of Canadian bioresources
- exploring areas of plant biology relevant to crop production and breeding to develop novel Brassica crops.

AC ANDREW LEADS ETHANOL PROSPECTS

As the production of ethanol grows in Western Canada, a high-yielding soft white spring wheat, AC Andrew, is being promoted as having the best characteristics for both the grower and the ethanol producer. Soft white spring wheats are a good fit for ethanol production and Brian Beres, Cereal Agronomist with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada in Lethbridge, believes they provide both what the grower and ethanol plant are looking for. "Soft white spring wheat still has one of the highest starch percentages of all of the other wheats," Beres says. "The latest regional performance data has AC Andrew yielding 20 per cent higher than a hard red spring wheat such as AC Barrie."

ALBERTA LOSES FUNDING FOR PERFORMANCE TRIALS

Effective next year the Alberta government will discontinue any funding for post-registration regional variety testing. Instead, Alberta Agriculture and Food will provide a grant to the Agricultural Research and Extension Council of Alberta and encourage it to work with industry to move the testing system to one that is fully funded by industry by the end of 2007. Agriculture and Food will maintain its resources directed at pre-registration trials.

CSTA AND ASTA MEET

Senior staff members of the Canadian Seed Trade Association and the American Seed Trade Association met last week at ASTA's headquarters to discuss topics of mutual interest. The agenda included items such as the promotion of pedigreed seed, stewardship and the new ASTA Stewardship Committee, adventitious presence, international trading rules, labelling, and dispute settlement.

BUDGET SUPPORTS BIOFUELS

The 2007 federal budget includes up to $2 billion in support for renewable fuels. The allotment will provide up to $1.5 billion in operating incentives over seven years to domestic ethanol and biodiesel producers, and create a $500 million fund for the commercialization of next generation renewable fuel technologies such as cellulose ethanol. The Canadian Renewable Fuels Association said that if properly implemented, the incentive program will lead to over 20 new world-class biofuels facilities in Canada, create over 14,000 new jobs in rural communities, and provide a new market for over 200 million bushels of Canadian grains and oilseeds.

February 07

NEW GRAIN INNOVATION LAB AT CDC

$10 million of almost $41.5 million in federal/provincial agricultural research money announced Monday is being split between a new feed technology centre and a grain innovation lab at the University of Saskatchewan’s Crop Development Centre. Both of these centres will be located close to the existing pulse crop laboratory and the original CDC crop science field lab. Ag Minister Chuck Strahl told U of S researchers that the federal government is particularly interested in ideas that can be translated into money-making technology for farmers and the agri-food industry, especially research that emphasizes biofuels and bio-products. For more information, click here.

CANADA’S NEW FOOD GUIDE RECOMMENDS CANOLA OIL

Canada’s revised Food Guide, released last week by Health Canada, recommends canola oil as one of the best oil choices because of its high percentage of unsaturated fat. For the first time, the Guide recommends a daily intake of 30 to 45mL of unsaturated fat, and uses an illustration of 5mL (1 tsp) of canola oil as “part of your Oils and Fats intake for the day”. To see the new Canada’s Food Guide, click here.

NEW PRESIDENT AT PIONEER HI-BRED LIMITED

Ian Grant has been named President of Pioneer Hi-Bred Limited, the Canadian subsidiary of Pioneer Hi-Bred International, replacing former President Jim Gumpert. Grant joined Pioneer in 1991 as a Canola Research Director and transferred to corn research in 1997. In addition to his new responsibilities, Grant will continue in his current role as Vice-President of Maize Product Development, Pioneer International, Inc. and will continue to serve on Pioneer’s North America Leadership Team.

GM CROPS DECREASE COST AND IMPROVE CONSERVATION

Speaking to Australian farmers about the gains that genetically modified crops have created for Canadian farmers, John O'Donovan, Research Scientist with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada in Lacombe, Alberta, said that GM crops have delivered financial and environmental gains worth tens of millions of dollars a year. He said that in one year alone, herbicide-resistant canola systems in Canada reduced fuel consumption by 31.2 million litres, cut herbicide applications by 6,000 tonnes, and boosted grower revenue by $14/hectare. The adoption of herbicide-tolerant canola has also led to higher adoption of conservation tillage systems.

HARVEY TO RECEIVE ORDER OF CANADA

Bryan Harvey, Professor Emeritus and barley breeder with the Crop Development Centre at the University of Saskatchewan, has been appointed as an Officer to the Order of Canada. The award recognizes a lifetime of achievement and merit of a high degree, especially in service to Canada or to humanity at large. Harvey altered the course of history in the breeding and production of malting barley during his research career. His contributions have helped to make the U of S a national and international leader in the agricultural sciences, and he has assisted in the emergence of the University as an increasingly well respected centre of research excellence in Canada.

January 2007

NATIONAL FORUM ON SEED

The Forum on Seed will host a working group meeting on the subject of Crop Specific Consultative Group on February 6 in Winnipeg. The purpose of the working group meeting will be to develop a statement of advice on the form and function, membership criteria, role and mandate, and governance of Crop Specific Working Groups, using as a starting point the CFIA pre-proposal discussion document. To attend the meeting contact Anne-Marie Parent at (613) 230-2117 or e-mail forum@nationalforumseed.com.

SEED PROGRAM MODERNIZATION WORKSHOP

CFIA is hosting a series of one-day regional workshops on Seed Program Modernization to improve the understanding of the current Seed Program and to actively engage stakeholders in the Seed Program review. Workshops will be held in Calgary on January 30, Saskatoon on February 7, Moncton on February 14, Guelph on February 27, Montreal on March 7, followed by a national meeting in Ottawa on March 27 & 28. For more information or to register contact Charlene Mader at 1-866-475-2565 or e-mail modernization@inspection.gc.ca.

GERMINATION PICKS THIS YEAR'S GENEIUSES

Germination magazine has announced this year's list of forward-thinking movers and shakers in the seed industry. Hand-picked from across Canada by the staff at Germination, the GENEiuses demonstrate there's more than one way to contribute to the advancement of the seed industry. This year's recipients have touched the breadth of the industry including David Dennis, President and CEO of Performance Plants; Bob Wildfong, Executive Director of Seeds of Diversity; Tom Francis, Head of Product Development for Syngenta Seeds; and Trenton Baisley, CEO FarmPure Seeds.

RENEWABLE FUEL: FIVE PER CENT BY 2012

The federal government's call for a 5% renewable fuel standard in all Canadian fuel, including a 2% mandate for renewables in diesel by 2012, is a critical step forward in development in Canada's biodiesel industry. Canola Council of Canada President Barb Isman says, “We, along with biodiesel producers and distributors, are confident we can build the necessary infrastructure to meet a 2% biodiesel requirement by 2010 - two years ahead of the 2012 timeline.”

ANDERSON JOINS CANOLA COUNCIL

Effective January 22, Chris Anderson has joined the Canola Council of Canada's Crop Production Team as Program Manager. Anderson will be responsible for the Canola Agronomic Research Program, Pesticide Harmonization, and the Canola Export Ready program. Anderson most recently worked for Monsanto in canola product development and quality assurance.

20/20 SEED LABS ANALYSIS ON-LINE

20/20 Seed Labs Inc. and 20/20 Seed Labs Saskatchewan Inc. recently launched a new computer software package and web site which makes them the first seed testing laboratory in Canada to offer electronically signed Reports of Analysis on-line. Clients can create samples on-line, print their own labels, and maintain an on-line logbook of submitted samples in addition to reviewing the estimated time for availability of results. For more information, go to www.2020seedlabs.ca