New Seed System smells like CWB

[farmaholic]

WHO WE ARE
The Western Canadian Wheat Growers Association is a voluntary farmer-run advocacy organization dedicated to developing policy solutions that strengthen the profitability and sustainability of farming, and the agricultural industry as a whole.

Our origins date back to December 1969, when a concerned group of producers and industry representatives met to discuss how they could create an effective farm organization to promote positive, market-oriented policy solutions. On April 3, 1970, a charter was granted to the Palliser Wheat Growers Association, today known as the Western Canadian Wheat Growers Association.

Back in 1970, the first public policy objective was to obtain protein premiums on wheat. Since then, the Wheat Growers have been instrumental in achieving many key policy goals for prairie farmers and the ag sector, including:

-the elimination of inter-provincial boundaries on feed grains
the removal of quotas on canola, flax, and feed grains

-separate pool and grade classes for malt barley

-protein premiums on wheat and finer protein increments

-the introduction of CPS types of wheat

-creation of the Pesticide Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) for streamlined pesticide registration applications

-removal of oats from the Canadian Wheat Board (CWB)

-freer trade with U.S., Mexico, and Europe

-pre-harvest glyphosate

-plant breeder’s rights, leading to greater development of new crop varieties

-grain transportation reform

-CWB pricing options

-the elimination of Kernel Visual Distinguishability (KVD) as criteria for registration of new wheat varieties

-grain marketing freedom

-extension of the rail interswitching distance from 30 km to 160 km, creating the opportunity for greater rail competition

Today, the Wheat Growers support:

-open and competitive markets

-a commercial and efficient grain handling and transportation system

-agricultural innovations that add value, enhance competitiveness, and increase net returns to farmers

-sound, science-based environmental and food safety policies

-greater operating freedom to manage our farm businesses in a profitable and sustainable manner

-elimination of production-distorting subsidies

-removal of barriers to market access

[the big wheel]

WHO WE ARE
The Western Canadian Wheat Growers Association is a voluntary farmer-run advocacy organization dedicated to developing policy solutions that strengthen the profitability and sustainability of farming, and the agricultural industry as a whole.

Our origins date back to December 1969, when a concerned group of producers and industry representatives met to discuss how they could create an effective farm organization to promote positive, market-oriented policy solutions. On April 3, 1970, a charter was granted to the Palliser Wheat Growers Association, today known as the Western Canadian Wheat Growers Association.

Back in 1970, the first public policy objective was to obtain protein premiums on wheat. Since then, the Wheat Growers have been instrumental in achieving many key policy goals for prairie farmers and the ag sector, including:

-the elimination of inter-provincial boundaries on feed grains
the removal of quotas on canola, flax, and feed grains

-separate pool and grade classes for malt barley

-protein premiums on wheat and finer protein increments

-the introduction of CPS types of wheat

-creation of the Pesticide Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) for streamlined pesticide registration applications

-removal of oats from the Canadian Wheat Board (CWB)

-freer trade with U.S., Mexico, and Europe

-pre-harvest glyphosate

-plant breeder’s rights, leading to greater development of new crop varieties

-grain transportation reform

-CWB pricing options

-the elimination of Kernel Visual Distinguishability (KVD) as criteria for registration of new wheat varieties

-grain marketing freedom

-extension of the rail interswitching distance from 30 km to 160 km, creating the opportunity for greater rail competition

Today, the Wheat Growers support:

-open and competitive markets

-a commercial and efficient grain handling and transportation system

-agricultural innovations that add value, enhance competitiveness, and increase net returns to farmers

-sound, science-based environmental and food safety policies

-greater operating freedom to manage our farm businesses in a profitable and sustainable manner

-elimination of production-distorting subsidies

-removal of barriers to market access

And every one of those goals is failing why? Because the real views of real farmers is not being heard. Too much political agendas by all these groups.

[farmaholic]

The word "Industry" does show up in the "about us" statement. And with the list of sponsors it doesn't surprise me in the least.

Now if I could only convince myself we, as primary producers, are on equal footing with the list of sponsors. That list of changes may have not benefited primary producers as much as their sponsors.

They are Indusrty, as a whole, focused more than Primary Producer focused....IMHO.

[grassfarmer]

Seed Synergy: the back story
by Cam Goff

Over the last two months farmers have become aware of an ominous drive, coordinated by elements of Canada’s seed industry and financially aided by our federal government, that is attempting to eliminate our right to freely save and reuse our own seed.

This story actually begins in 1990 when the Canadian government adopted the UPOV ‘78 model law for Plant Breeders Rights despite warnings that it could lead to private industry’s control over the foundation of all agriculture: seed and all other propagating material. (UPOV stands for the International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants)

In 2015 Canada adopted UPOV 91. This updated convention prescribes far greater powers for allowing corporations to control and profit from the seeds that form the basis of our food system. It also transformed the right of farmers to save and reuse seeds into a privilege -- one that could be removed or altered by regulation at the whim of government.

This led to an immediate and ongoing campaign by elements of Canada’s seed industry to push for regulations to allow them to seize control of our seed network and eliminate farmers’ historic cooperation and sovereignty over their use of seed. This campaign by corporate seed industry lobby groups has been titled “Seed Synergy” and is being supported by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) to the tune of nearly $500,000 in Growing Forward 2 money.

In the first stage of their campaign, the Seed Synergy group claimed they were simply trying to streamline the process by which varieties of grain were registered in Canada, eliminating duplication and making the process faster, easier, and less costly for them. Oh, and by the way, possibly replacing the basic public plant breeding system that Canada has successfully operated under for the past century.

Well, time moves on, and plans change. Now, two years later, their message is no longer about streamlining the varietal registration process – they now insist that our public plant breeding system is “broken” (their words) and must be replaced. It is no surprise that they recommend replacing it with a system that would allow the ownership, control, and domination of our seed supply by any company at any price they are able to charge. Any remaining public component -- paid for by taxpayers and farmers of course -- would be relegated to the heavy lifting and background science, which would then be turned over to the companies to charge farmers for the finished product.

And what will that cost us? It turns out that no one has done any real cost analysis, so in terms of dollars, no one knows. But Seed Synergy and AAFC both call this whole idea “Value Creation”, so somebody must be going to make some money off of this.

On examination of the self-serving justifications being offered by the sponsoring parties, it appears that no value will be created for either farmers or taxpayers, but that value certainly will be captured by the seed companies. As for who that value is extracted from -- it will inevitably come from farmers.

Fortunately, this story is far from over, and its ending has not yet been written. Farmers must now take all available opportunities, whether at farm shows, commodity group meetings or the AAFC consultation process, to ensure farmers’ right to save and use their own seed is upheld.
- 30 -

Cam Goff is National Farmers Union 1st Vice President (Policy). He farms with his brothers, growing malt barley, canola, durum, spring and winter wheat, oats, flax and peas on their 4,000 acre operation near Hanley, Saskatchewan.

[MBgrower]

if the WCWGA members want to pay a seed tax, let them. but dont impose it on everyone else. Actually they do sound like the ole CWB.

[bgmb]

Yep jump up and down for joy when the cwb is destroyed and farmers equity disappears into thin air. Now advocate for farmers to pay a seed tax and have faith in seed companies to bring us new varieties. This would be like grain companies paying a freight tax to the railways in the hopes of better service.

[grassfarmer]

Yep jump up and down for joy when the cwb is destroyed and farmers equity disappears into thin air.

Seems like it wasn't only the WCWGA that were jumping up and down celebrating that...

[bgmb]

I was happy to see the cwb go. would have been nice to see the farmer equity converted to shares in a public company based on tonnes delivered or something.

[Braveheart]

Seems like it wasn't only the WCWGA that were jumping up and down celebrating that...

True. Huge parties here all around the neighbourhood. For most of us it's an annual event to celebrate. Still giddy.