Comments from seed royalty meeting

[bucket]

Thanks westernvicki


There are some good ideas but this why I think farmers need more time to digest the info....it can't be all about money....the data is actually more important to you as a seed grower because if you can pick up on minor issues prior to a larger release to commercial growers then it becomes a more palatable because it delivers better value to a run of the mill dumb****led farmer like me.....


I will let you give the breeders shit for the garbage you are given to work with.....

But that's the purpose of seed growers ...to provide value to commercial growers much like the breeders are to supply you with good seed to multiply...

The next step is to figure out the logistics to owning a seed company like or to compete with Limagrain....I suspect you have some good insights to that as well. ...

[furrowtickler]

Ever walk into a poker game and wonder which one of these idiots is getting fleeced tonight? If it isn't plain obvious in the first 15 seconds.... it's you. The Fed's have tried to go after cap gains, "the 1% must pay", they see a giant pool of assets in an unorganized group. They are bleeding enough on oil royalties the provinces are stepping in. Can't go after cars. The banks pay too well to go after. Guess what, its primary ag that's gonna pay. Like ducks in a barrel and the public will back them because we are driving shiny iron and shiny yards, tax breaks everywhere. There's no other sector they can go after ....

Very true , we are like a turtle flipped on its back .
Although they could go after the real estate market, but the would kill their base in Vancouver and The GTA

[westernvicki]

I am a seed grower. I came in late and also sat at the front.

The debate on seed has been all of my life. But as a result of being a seed grower I have developed a respect for what I can do to achieve: incremental gain. A little better yield, a little better durability on quality, due to seed quality or attributes like stand ability, sprouting resistance, shatter, colour. From I lifetime of experience and 44 crops I have won and I have lost, nothing if for certain, except death and taxes. I find my quest for knowlege on varieties to acheive incremental gain has led to a I lobby for better data. We need better information on varietal performance. Better follow up on tests results, like seed quality in a bad year, standability in the snow, and yes this was a bad year, but a good year to gauge seed & weathering quality on varieties.

So many things we can and should do better.

The world is rapidly changing, seed technology is rapidly changing, it will take money to keep up, how much, well indeed nothing is free.

In AU, GOV & industry contribute not just farmers.

This is what I see:

Challenge government for matching money for seed royalty, the should anti up and if they do they will have an vested interest in insuring fees do not sky rocket.

Challenge government to set up a process of seed variety tender that is transparent and accountable as indeed the potential for conflict of interest and undue influence is real. The committee to award all varieties from public institutions should include fair and sound minds, at least one non farm lawyer, a non farm accountant, like Federated Coop reach beyond the farm for intellectual capital.

Make seed royalty a tax credit as it is used for research purposes it should be a tax credit.

Better Data: if we are going to pay more for varieties, then we need to have better data. Standardize variety tests, do agronomic and functionality, annual & averaged data, available by plot and by aggregate. Contract the process, data needs to be at arms length to plant breeders and the seed trade. Make it mandatory to be part of check off that you are in the program, and that some of the cost is supported by % of check off earned.

Many sectors of the industry benefit from seed, and yields, including elevators, part of the contribution of the delivery system is free administration.


Should we ask, why a nation will support dairy and poultry and dump beef, hogs and crops, of course, and so at the very least we need to ask for this to be done right, & for contribution. The world is increasingly more competitive, it has only just begun to show its face, We need efficient, competitive, transparent, accountable, a process of not just more money but better use of that money.

And we should ask: why not a farmer owned seed company like Limagrain?
Limagrain is highly successful the blue print is there.

Dare to find a solution.

[macdon02]

This will go through and then they will focus on the livestock industry for royalties on bulls and cows....why not....its an easy sell job when you have divided farmers on issues...

Ever walk into a poker game and wonder which one of these idiots is getting fleeced tonight? If it isn't plain obvious in the first 15 seconds.... it's you. The Fed's have tried to go after cap gains, "the 1% must pay", they see a giant pool of assets in an unorganized group. They are bleeding enough on oil royalties the provinces are stepping in. Can't go after cars. The banks pay too well to go after. Guess what, its primary ag that's gonna pay. Like ducks in a barrel and the public will back them because we are driving shiny iron and shiny yards, tax breaks everywhere. There's no other sector they can go after ....

[bucket]

This will go through and then they will focus on the livestock industry for royalties on bulls and cows....why not....its an easy sell job when you have divided farmers on issues...

[macdon02]

Yep thirty million and they spend 20 so rest goes to telling gov what they need and it’s morr money.

This is a utter joke.

Driving Canadian farms to third world farms one program at a time. Soon we’ll be cutting pennies in half to make a buck.

But let’s have a great seed industry in canada with no producers.

Let’s create with our money new varieties and then sell them to the world so they can grow.

And undercut us

There'll be GST on it ....

[SASKFARMER3]

Yep thirty million and they spend 20 so rest goes to telling gov what they need and it’s morr money.

This is a utter joke.

Driving Canadian farms to third world farms one program at a time. Soon we’ll be cutting pennies in half to make a buck.

But let’s have a great seed industry in canada with no producers.

Let’s create with our money new varieties and then sell them to the world so they can grow.

And undercut us

[bucket]

zero news about the meeting from what I tried to find so far....30 million a year from farmers....its not news????

nothing to see here folks....

[bucket]

I was late so I just went to the front where there is always chairs...there wasn't a seating arrangement but I think the seed growers had a plan to be at different tables to ensure their voice was heard. ...

[grassfarmer]

I wish I could think faster and process what I heard yesterday (dec 4) and go to the meeting in Edmonton....

I know what you mean bucket been in that situation many times. Bottom line is you are not going to win in a controlled agenda meeting format like that though. If as I suggested you can mobilize 100+ farmers to go to the next meeting - take it over by rearranging the seating and call some media ahead of time and tell them to expect some fireworks. That works, I've witnessed it in the past. If you can't mobilize 100 farmers then I guess it isn't an important issue - at least that's the message we're sending.