Canadian producers and customers worldwide will see strong benefits from the "next generation" of canola cropping options developed by the Saskatchewan Wheat Pool's industry leading research team.

The company's research program recently won support for registration of nine new products, including two Roundup Ready hybrid canolas, two Roundup Ready synthetic canolas, two Juncea canolas, and three new Clearfield canolas.

"Through our involvement in research and development of canola seed, the Pool is providing new and innovative varieties to thousands of producers Prairie-wide. We are leading the market in meeting the demands of
customers here and around the world," said Pool CEO Mayo Schmidt, adding that the Pool has been involved in canola research and development for nearly 30 years and boasts the largest Canadian canola plant breeding program in the country.

One of the Pool's new seed products awaiting registration in 2004 is a top performing Roundup Ready hybrid called SP 451 RR. In the Pool's 2003 Market Development Trials, SP 451 RR showed a significant improvement over SP Admirable with a yield improvement of 10 per cent and a shorter maturation time.

Two higher-yielding varieties of Juncea canola have also received support for registration. Named after two small towns in southern Saskatchewan, "Dahinda" and "Davin" have strong potential for Prairie farmers operating in dryer soil regions.

These new varieties add to the Pool's groundbreaking work of 2002 that saw the introduction of the first Brassica Juncea canola in the world. Juncea canola is derived from oriental mustard, and like mustard, is able to withstand dry soil conditions and high temperatures during flowering. These varieties, which are exclusive to the Pool, also have the characteristic of being resistant to shattering.

The Pool's Research and Development Centre has also developed a new strain of "high stability" canola, designed to produce a healthier cooking oil.

"The work we are doing is good news for consumers, giving them a healthy alternative to hydrogenated oils that are so common in processed foods in North America," said Daryl Males, Manager of the Pool's Seed Research and Development.

This extra-low Linolenic Canola is low in saturated fats, a desirable quality for consumers wanting to reduce their cholesterol levels. The oil does not require hydrogenation to obtain high stability and products made from this oil are free of trans-fatty acids, which carry the same health concerns as saturated fats.

The Pool continues to be an innovator in wheat as well. This year, the Pool is offering producers the first non-GMO herbicide tolerant wheat, CDC Imagine. It has also obtained the rights to another outstanding, hard red spring variety from the Crop Development Centre of the University of Saskatchewan. The variety BW301 combines early maturity, high yield and excellent quality.

Saskatchewan Wheat Pool is a publicly traded agribusiness headquartered in Regina, Saskatchewan. Anchored by Prairie-wide grain handling and agri-products marketing network, the Pool channels Prairie production to end-use markets in North American and around the world. These operations are complemented by agri-food processing and strategic alliances that 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.