Comments from seed royalty meeting

[SASKFARMER3]

We have nothing left to give.

I agree with Furrow if Wheat becomes unprofitable Ill grow something else. We use to laugh it was a filler crop before the CWB ended. Needed it for rotation but the reality is it just broke even. Canola paid the bills plus pulse.

But thanks to useless organizations that probably think the seed idea is great screwed up Peas.

Now more costs.

100-bushel wheat is possible but reality like canola it has a min to do with Variety and lots to do with Mother nature giving timely rains.

A fertility program to grow a 100-bushel crop. Yea it's not 100 n and 50 phos.

A fungicide program that you actually understand what's happening in your field.

No hail from mother nature at the wrong time or spring frost or got forbid a fall frost.

See ever where till it's in the pit is a risk by agreeing to this latest parasite move to extract more money from us with Zero risks to them.

Watch if it happens you will get yearly Oh, we need an increase in the tax of 1% pay up my farmer.

It will continue till we're broke.

Go to Russia or Ukraine and try this shit or South America the new frontier. Won't happen but pick Canadian farmers bones clean oh yea that shit show will happen.

Like Vicky says we need to get our shit together and look at the changing world.

Were landlocked and the bottleneck is the Mountains etc.

These other areas that can grow two to three crops a year or cheap producing areas will kick our ass.

Will we eventually be like oil Bankrupt and looking at the Feds and saying WTF happened.

Do something fun once bring up google maps and look south to the American water system and see how close it actually is to your farm. I think Sask Alberta and Manitoba would be better as Americans than Canadians Just saying.

Eventually, the Mouse fights back. It's happening in France I think us peaceful Canadians need to take our country back.

[bucket]

Westernvicki

Here is the real life scenario on durum

in 2016 I grew my crop from 2015 seed ...it was a terrible FUZZ year as everyone knows....no amount of spray saved even the newest varieties....that is a fact.

In 2017 I used more of the leftover 2015 seed...grew a 1cwad
In 2018 i used the 2017 crop...it was a 1cwad until september 13 then the rains came....everyone knows about this....even the newest varieties would be downgraded due to weather....

Royalties and new varieties don't guarantee anything to me except more costs to my farm....Guarantees seed companies money though...

Here is another point I brought up talking to government people...I was at the elevator this fall during harvest and the marketing rep was telling a guy that delivered a 3cwad to put it on their 5cwad 10ppm Fuzz program because it was better money....

They talk about better value and higher performing varieties but this year the highest and best value would have been to sign a 5cwad 10ppm FUZZ contract for my whole durum crop....That price is still better than today's for a 1cwad.

The stress of watching a crop weather to lower grades would have went away....

Value can mean different thing to different people....Value means money in my pocket...

New high performing varieties can't guarantee that....

[Rareearth]

So seed companies need royalties to develop better quality and higher yields to remain competitive?

1. Please provide example “apples to apples” please demonstrating the current Canadian varieties are inferior to grains being produced in other countries.

2. If “cost” competitiveness for Canadian growers can only be maintained with better quality and higher yields, please illustrate and demonstrate:
- how much better the quality would have to be for Canadian grower competitiveness.
- how long would or could this attribute be maintained exclusively in Canada before other competitive nations have the same attributes ( oh ya, the multi national companies will sell the same varieties/different name in all other Countries it can)
- and who are we being out competed by?

- repeat all quality questions and insert yield



3. Are there terminator gene technologies that will be bred into the varieties subtly? To protect the varieties?

4. Europe is classifying mutigenisis as a GMO technology. How are these new varieties being bred?
Crisper is also being defined as a GMO technology.

5. If we have seed royalty system there is no need for producer check off system, the seed companies will do all agronomy, Market promotion, etc (you know look after the producer)

[macdon02]

So as devils advocate, US soybean grower pays checkoff to bean board, rup beans get developed, then M takes beans to Brazil and surprise surprise, the Brazilian bean grower doesn't buy seed and doesn't pay royalty. So M sees all the benefit and the growers get the pickle. Sounds like paying a tax to clean up a third world mess ... I'm assuming no clause when epr is paid that the genetics are solely for the benefit of Canadian growers? Of course not ....

[GOODRUM]

Did I understand it correctly that this is not being considered in the United States?

[grassfarmer]

Good report Bucket. Sounds familiar - the carefully stacked deck with small table groups with Government and seed growers spread out among the participants to quell dissent and control agenda.
We were faced with that once at an oil field "open house" to promote a questionable project. We just walked in and rearranged all the chairs into regular meeting format with the Government and oil company reps up front facing the crowd. They were then grilled and told in no uncertain terms exactly what we thought of their plan. It's a way for farmers to take back control of the meeting - maybe folks should try it at the next meeting?

[bucket]

So as devils advocate, US soybean grower pays checkoff to bean board, rup beans get developed, then M takes beans to Brazil and surprise surprise, the Brazilian bean grower doesn't buy seed and doesn't pay royalty. So M sees all the benefit and the growers get the pickle. Sounds like paying a tax to clean up a third world mess ... I'm assuming no clause when epr is paid that the genetics are solely for the benefit of Canadian growers? Of course not ....

Been hearing rumblings on NAT about the soybean checkoffs...

[jazz]

Do something fun once bring up google maps and look south to the American water system and see how close it actually is to your farm. I think Sask Alberta and Manitoba would be better as Americans than Canadians Just saying.

.

In ND there is a far superior rail system that heads to water ports all along the Midwest. The Missouri isn't too far from us but it seems to only be able to handle larger barges part of the season. The americans don't bang their heads against the rockies. They go to open water ports with no geographical barriers. We have some like Churchill or thunderbay but they are very seasonal.


This seed royalty will have major impacts. Not because its big money but because of principle. I know a lot of guys who tolerated control of canola seed because it is low rates and created a market along side it. But wheat - there is no market improvement to be had by growing more of this stuff. Durum is DOA around here at $5.50 per bu even if we can get 60bpa of it.


A lot of smaller guys will just throw in the towel. Carbon tax, seed tax and for some unknown reason N $200 a ton more than 6 months ago.

[Rareearth]

Why can’t every farmer that pays the check off grow king red lentils?

[macdon02]

Been hearing rumblings on NAT about the soybean checkoffs...

I know the past president of the US bean board and ND durum association. This isn't just a Canadian deal, growers as pist they are getting taxed and not getting a return. There's resistance to change in the boards and it pays well. The ones that step in trying to change the way things are done quickly run into a wall. Durum association is pist there's 2 sets of rules depending on country of origin. From what I've been told by Durum board the attempts to use production contracts aren't working and growers are selecting their varieties from universities that are publicly funded. Croplan and Winfield are having limited results even with the carrot of high performance varieties. Nafta protects Canadian seed by grading all US varieties as feed, then a set of phytosanitary rules kick in on feed making it totally unfeasible to import into Canada.

[farmaholic]

Grassfarmer, you're not suggesting these meeting are somewhat orchestrated masterpieces with the facade of Producer consultations with an affect on how this will play out...are you?

This all started with adoption of UPOV91, then the reclassification of some varieties, and de-registering of others. The stage is being set for more control of seed.

We are already well into the process.

[bucket]

Why can’t every farmer that pays the check off grow king red lentils?

Thats a good question........I am going to sit back and wait for the fireworks....

Wait until you find out how much it cost to private label that variety ....

[macdon02]

This is simply a lobby group(seed cos) have the ear of govt because they paid to make changes. Growers get ignored because we don't feed the beast. This is no different then dairy. Consumer gets screwed.

[ajl]

The meeting isolated the question between two choices, one obvious. I guess what bothers me is the age old debate about who pays who benefits and how it relates to the national policy of Canada is one that needs to happen but it was not in the room.

Canada & farmers cannot ignore the fact that increasing global competition from lower cost, more ideally located geographically production zones is real, the debate of how we compete globally, is one the nation should have.

Keeping up with genetic edge is vital to Canadian crop competitiveness, the way the costs are split is the question.

This is just classic seed industry bull. The only way to stay competitive in Canuckistan is keep the cost structure low, not enable more profiteering on the inputs side. Hand picked consultation with a bunch of yes peoplekind. That is the Canuckistanian way.

[furrowtickler]

Grassfarmer, you're not suggesting these meeting are somewhat orchestrated masterpieces with the facade of Producer consultations with an affect on how this will play out...are you?

This all started with adoption of UPOV91, then the reclassification of some varieties, and de-registering of others. The stage is being set for more control of seed.

We are already well into the process.

Some of us tried to call this out from day one . The cheerleaders of UPOV91 were those who were going to benefit financially.... not the othe 98% of us.
It was easy to see where this was all going to end up.
Cereals are only slightly profitable on most farms right now because seed cost can be controlled somewhat. Take that away and most cereals will be a money loser consistently.