As the cost of doing business is skyrocketing, growers need a seed regulation system that will give farmers faster access to innovative and affordable varieties. This was discussed at the Seed Summit 2022, the second session of discussions dedicated to the development of seed production in Canada. The Potatoes News portal reported about the event.
More about Seed Summit 2022
Seed Summit 2022 takes place for three consecutive weeks during February, bringing together stakeholders from the entire agro production chain. The purpose of the event is to discuss how the Canadian seed regulatory framework can be changed to improve the country's seed and agricultural sectors.
The first session (February 7) was devoted to the theme "The seed system in Canada: past, present and future". The topic of the second meeting (February 14) is “Understanding and meeting the needs of agricultural producers”.
During the meeting, five speakers gave their views on how to involve agro-producers more widely in the process of modernizing seed regulation and ensure that this promotes innovation at both the industry and farm levels. Sounds simple enough, but according to keynote speaker Sean Haney, the path to a modern and effective regulatory system can be rocky.
Haney noted that it is critical that all participants in the process of modernizing seed regulation - from industry to farmers - trust each other and put everyone's interests at the forefront of the process. “If you're not willing to open up and trust the other side, it's very difficult to collaborate and make changes. How can we build trust among all stakeholders?” - the expert addressed the audience of listeners.
“It should not be about power or who controls what. Many times I heard the representatives of the parties say: “How can we make it profitable for us?” I urge people not to follow this path,” he added.
Mark Huston, manager of Huston Farms in Thamesville, Ontario, stressed in his speech that confidence in the purchase of seeds is very important for growers; they want to know what they are buying. “The predictability of seed rules is very important to help growers build confidence in the system,” he said. “If we want less regulation, how do we balance that in terms of risk?”
Jonathan Nyborg, President of Nyborg Farms in New Brunswick, pointed out to the audience that, along with regulatory upgrades to speed up the process of bringing promising new varieties directly to farmers, agricultural gains must remain affordable. “We are coming out of an extremely difficult year; Commodity prices are rising, and at the same time, production costs are rising. The cost of fertilizers and fuel is increasing. Seeds will obviously also be more expensive. This is something we need to keep an eye on for the industry to remain sustainable,” said Nyborg. "An additional concern for manufacturers is the inflation rate in Canada, which hit 5.1% last week, the highest since 1991," Nyborg added.
Sintez Agro-Food Network Representative Hunnam pointed out that farmer participation is key to a successful move forward. “Farmers buy seeds; plant them and take the risk. Improving our seed regulatory system should not be viewed as a seed growers initiative; it should be a farmers' initiative, but the seed companies and the companies that buy the crops should definitely be involved in the work on it,” Hunnam said.
“Farmers need to get better varieties faster, and I would like seed production to be more farmer-centric, that is the point of change, not to modernize the rules of operation of seed companies,” he stressed.
Prices and efficiency
“The introduction of a new variety will certainly encourage the use of certified seeds, but only if we can simultaneously provide an effective price,” said Nick Sekulich, general manager of Prestville Farms in Alberta. “We have to make sure we have the right price offer. This will be facilitated by market factors. I'm not sure we have that right now in every aspect of our regulatory framework," he said.
“The biggest challenge we face,” Sekulich added, “is bridging the cost gap between the second or third generation crop seeds that a farmer produces on his farm and the seeds my company receives when all my costs are accounted for. Now the gap is huge."
Summing up the meeting, Sean Haney recalled that at present the share of certified seeds in the total volume of grain seeds planted in Canada is small. According to the Canadian Seed Trade Association report (which merged with three other seed associations to form Seeds Canada last year) in Canada's Seed System: Economic Impact Assessment and Risk Analysis report, only 20% of the area devoted to growing commercial spring wheat in Western Canada, certified seeds were used between 2012 and 2014.
To change that, Haney added, big ideas are needed that transcend borders. “I encourage all of you to look abroad for ideas. Don't be afraid to imitate. It often seems to us that our system is the best, but we should not be afraid of changes, because in fact they can bring great benefits, ”the expert noted.
Haney gave the example of the Canadian health care system, which has come under fire in the past two years. “All it took was the pandemic, it helped identify some areas where we need to make real improvements, especially when it comes to things like ICU capacity. It's entirely possible that there are things our American neighbors are better at that we can emulate and make our system a little better, but that doesn't mean we need a replica of the American healthcare system."