Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
November 15, 2007
The
Canadian Wheat Board (CWB) is working to find an innovative
replacement for Canada’s grain identification system that will
protect Prairie farmers’ premium markets when the existing
Kernel Visual Distinguishability (KVD) process is phased out
after 2010.
“We need to ensure that eliminating KVD does not harm
international marketing efforts,” CWB president and CEO Greg
Arason said. “Canada’s quality-control system for grain is a key
competitive advantage that farmers can’t afford to see eroded.”
Under KVD, each wheat class is assigned distinct visual
characteristics such as seed-coat colour and kernel shape. This
allows grain inspectors to quickly and accurately identify the
wheat class simply by looking at a handful of kernels. The
target proposed by the federal government in April envisions
removal of KVD from minor wheat classes in August 2008 and
complete removal from all wheat after 2010. The move is intended
to aid plant breeders in developing improved varieties that may
not meet current visual criteria.
In pursuit of a replacement, the CWB has invested more than $1.3
million into development of “black box” technology to identify
varieties using wave-length measurements from molecular signals.
This elevator-driveway test is being developed in partnership
with NeoVentures Biotechnology and the Manitoba Rural Adaptation
Council. It would allow a wheat “fingerprinting” system that is
quick and affordable for farmers and grain handlers, compared to
other KVD replacement options.
A CWB investment of $1.7 million has also been made to help
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s Cereal Research Centre
develop DNA-based varietal identification. This accurate
laboratory-based system would be used on high-volume rail car
samples.
The CWB is an active supporter of the new Canada Western General
Purpose Wheat Class, to be launched in August 2008. The
industrial general-purpose class will accommodate new wheat
lines for use in ethanol production and specialized animal feed.
The removal of KVD may facilitate development of these
varieties, which will no longer be subject to visual appearance
requirements.
However, the consistency and integrity of the Prairies’ top
milling wheats – Canada Western Red Spring wheat and Canada
Western Amber Durum – currently rely on KVD.
“These are our flagship products that generate the highest
return for farmers,” Arason said. “As the CWB prepares for the
removal of KVD, the new technologies will be crucial in managing
the shift to a non-visual system.”
Controlled by western Canadian farmers, the CWB is the largest
wheat and barley marketer in the world. One of Canada's biggest
exporters, the Winnipeg-based organization sells grain to over
70 countries and returns all sales revenue, less marketing costs
to farmers. |
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