Saskatchewan Wheat Pool has reached an agreement with WestBred LLC in the United States that will give western Canadian farmers the potential to access the highest quality of durum seed available.

The agreement gives the Pool the opportunity to obtain exclusive Canadian rights to test, produce and sell durum wheat developed from the desert durum varieties grown in Arizona, as well as other rights to other wheat
seed varieties. Desert durum is currently recognized internationally as the top durum in terms of gluten strength, a quality especially prized by European pasta manufacturers.

"This agreement allows us to capitalize on our ability to ensure traceability and segregation of the grains we provide our end users, furthering our strategic initiative to expand development of identity-preserved (IP) seed varieties," Pool CEO Mayo Schmidt said. "We continue to pursue alliances that enhance our customers' ability to access top-quality seed and, at the other end, open up new and lucrative markets for western Canadian grain and oilseed production."

The Pool will test plot seed provided by WestBred, a subsidiary of Barkley Seed, Inc., to identify varieties suited to Western Canada. WestBred is recognized as a leader in high-quality durum seed development, particularly in the area of high gluten strength, which improves elasticity in dough.

The agreement also enhances the Pool's ability to market its durum, particularly in Italy, one of the world's largest importers of high-quality milling durum. Barkley Seed's wholly owned marketing subsidiary, International Grain and Services in Bologna, will market the Pool's proprietary strong gluten durum varieties, including AC Navigator, into Italy.

Saskatchewan Wheat Pool is a publicly traded agribusiness headquartered in Regina, Saskatchewan. Anchored by a prairie-wide grain handling and agri-products marketing network, the Pool channels prairie production to end-use markets in North America and around the world. These operations are complemented by value-added businesses and strategic alliances, which allow the Pool to leverage its pivotal position between prairie farmers and destination customers. The Pool's Class B shares are listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol SWP.B.