Canola Acreage for spring 2015!

[SASKFARMER3]

One thing seems real funny about the spring of 2015 and that's farmers I believe are voting with their check books.
Was at a seed meeting the other day and the same blah blah blah, we have new improved varieties their only two years away. Yah Canola is such a great crop and then at the very end, please buy your seed by end of march so we can get Jump start on it before you go to seed.
Ah farmers can get jump start and put it on them selves or they come out and treat your seed.
Also a myth is that the best varieties are gone so buy buy buy. This to is Bull shit, friend texted that he got the best Liberty the other day treated with Lumiderm for a very good price. Ah commercial's on TV are to coerce farmers into buying early to keep the gravy train going.

Yes I'm hard on Canola but really it has became a crop that costs have gotten out of control. Most believe like I do that in now almost takes a 35 bushel crop at 9 to break even. So if we get a 30 or 20 or 12 that was our dumb luck because every one else got paid.
Marketing is another thing with Canola yes finally were working through the shit show of 2013 crop and BS that was reported. The rail issues etc. But reality is were still not getting paid a fair return considering the Canadian dollars position.
Finally on the Acreage question. All in industry know that Canola Acreage will be down yet they all blow smoke up our ass saying that the number will be high and going higher.
Farmers know what will happen with canola acreage and this last years price direction and costs for inputs will put canola where it belongs. Lower acreage because you cant keep growing a crop that costs way to much to grow.
Now as I sit in todays blizzard in Regina acreage might be shifting for other reasons. If farmers were wet last year why seed something that hates water. Yes the dryer areas will seed maybe a bit more now because moisture is moisture.
Canola a once great crop that industry took and destroyed for their personal gain forgetting you still need farmers to grow the crop so they can feed off it.
New varieties always promise the world but usually leave a bad taste in farmers fields.
Project 2025 is a great idea but they forgot about one group that needs to get some of the wealth.
Ah farming, Get the sleds out its back to winter in a big way.
Brpppppppppppppppppppppp.

[SASKFARMER3]

Similar comments on acreage that with the dry winter all wet areas of Sask and man will mysteriously dry up and grow a crop in 2015. Ah these experts have never seen a farm been on a farm or know what the hell a farm looks like.

[Oliver88]

I can't believe some seed companies think farmers should pay for the seed before seeding.

[SASKFARMER3]

Just wait once the new rules are in place for wheat and oats it will get even more interesting.
But on canola as companies make designer canola. Stacks so you go in and pick No club root but sclerotina res and RR or Liberty plus pot shatter etc. Bill is x amount of dollars up front so you can get the best seed.
That's coming designer canola.

[farmaholic]

That was a ****ing game they started when "everything was in tight supply" Order early pay early to be "in the rebate program". Fight back, tell them to **** off. There isn't that much difference between the varieties that you need to play that game anymore. I ordered mine after the new year but refuse to pay for it until I pick it up. Money can accrue interest in my account or not pay interest on the OP or LOC or what have you...

We took it hook, bait and sinker, this fish doesn't bite near as easy anymore. Neither do you.

[Hamloc]

Sask3 while I agree with all your points you have previously stated that 40% of your acres will be canola. The unfortunate reality is that even with the overpriced seed farmers will still grow canola albeit slightly less than last year imo. In the US corn and soybean seed prices have both gone up this year even though commodities are way down big seed corps are the same on both sides of the border. US farmers compensate by seeding less seeds per acre which is harder to do with canola.

[bucket]

Went to basf knowledge harvest. They never do an accumulated Or running total of the sprays they recommend.

Rebates just prove they used your money for 8 months.

Why guys fall for this shit is beyond me.

A local had basf deliver his rebate cheque personally. Never asked if their was any interest like 2 percent per month on it.

[Braveheart]

Demand for canola is solid and growing. We won't be cutting back. It's still the most profitable "mainstream" crop for us.

Note that I said for us. Your experience may well be different.

[tweety]

So are you saying farmers are stupid, or just yourselves?

I'm thinking just yourselves. You are the customer, do what you want.

In fact, you've done exactly what you want, so everything is as it should be.

As the saying goes, of you wanna change...... Change.

[WiltonRanch]

Corn and soy country guys are screwed cause they buy pretty much every year. We re lucky here because canola is really the only major crop we buy seed for every year. If you can make it work without canola that's great. They effed it up. But canola still is my best money crop although it's getting less so all the time. It will only get worse.

[Oilking]

Sf3, everyone agrees with u that the price of canola seed is too high. You are a pretty big farmer based on your acres that u have stated and a good percentage is still going into canola.Don't take this as a cheap shot, but why are u still growing canola? If u didn't grow an acre it would send a message to the local retailers. And if everyone else did the same, just watch the seed price come down. Everyone keeps seeding it, yourself included, that is the problem

[farmaholic]

Bucket,

Or they over charge for the stuff in the first place.

Just think how the guys feel that don't use enough of one companies product or don't farm alot of acres to "qualify".

Anyone use a lot of generics where they can? That's some pretty old chemistry already, some with some resistance issues.

[SASKFARMER3]

We have done our part could be a drop of 25%. From last year on acreage.
On seed rates 4 is this years rate per acre/lb.
On varieties 1/3 top 1/3 med 1/3 low cost seed system.

[farmaholic]

SF3... if everyone can effectively drop their seeding rate by 1 or 1.5 lbs/ac. The SeedCos will keep jacking the seed cost. They know how much per acre they're getting now. Expect seed costs to rise 20-30% if everyone can/will reduce the seeding rate. They will steal your efficiency, you paid for the drill that makes it a possibility....

[MBgrower]

Farmaholic is right, seedcos base seed costs on per acre basis. If everone buys a $250k vacuum corn planter to reduce seed rates down to 2 lbs per acre, the seedcos will increase the price to $30 per lbs. So the few guys without corn planters will be S$#t out of luck.