Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada
November 15, 2015

Acreage of fall rye has been dropping for the last ten years according to Stats Canada crop reports. Many market analysts expect the trend to continue and indicate that lack of innovation has left the crop behind and it is no longer a competitive crop for most growers.

However, FP Genetics Inc, along with breeding partner KWS and FP Genetics’ grain partners, are striving to change the current image of the crop. The new hybrids available will change the market to one that is very profitable for farmers by delivering the quality needed by end-use customers in the consumptive market.

Rod Merryweather, CEO of FP Genetics, says their first year of results with their new hybrid fall rye, Brasetto, which was accessed from KWS, is winning over many farmers who focus on maximum economic returns. For example, David Hamblin from Morris, Manitoba, commented, "I grew a field of Brasetto and had it yield 94 bushels per acre even after the field received 20 percent hail damage just as the crop was heading. With prices in the $6 per bushel range, it was one of my best returns of any of our crops on the farm."

FP Genetics’ grain partners, North American Food Ingredients Inc. (NAFI), Paterson Global Foods and Scoular Canada Inc., are also part of the value proposition as they contract the production with food companies. Floyd Howard of NAFI says, "North American Food Ingredients became involved with Brasetto in 2015 after an existing customer specifically asked us to supply them with this specific variety. They wanted Brasetto because of its seed plumpness and its extraordinarily high falling number. Further demand interest from other consumptive buyers has convinced NAFI that Brasetto and Bono will constitute a major component of our rye business going forward."

"Hybrid rye is a totally different crop than its open-pollinated cousin," adds Merryweather. "That means it will be grown on highly productive land with good agronomics so yield and ultimately profit, can be maximized for the grower. It will never be a major crop but we believe there is a premium market for rye that will make it interesting to many growers. This market could account for 50,000 acres of production per year and maybe more. Longer term, we will look at the feed and industrial markets, which could add even more acres to the opportunity.”

FP Genetics believes that growers can realize yields over 100 bushels per acre, with Brasetto, as they gain experience with the crop. Growers need to understand what hybrid rye is capable of when higher management levels are applied to the crop.

"We are committed to bringing even better seed genetics to the market via our breeding partner, KWS. We are currently testing the hybrid called Bono with end-use customers. It yields 10 percent higher than Brasetto. That adds another $60 per acre of revenue for the grower," says Merryweather.

Website: http://www.fpgenetics.ca/

Published: November 15, 2015