Barry Senft, whose resume in Canadian agriculture includes stints as CEO for Grain Farmers of Ontario, executive director for the Canadian International Grains Institute, chief commissioner of the Canadian Grain Commission and second vice-president for Saskatchewan Wheat Pool, becomes executive director of Seeds Canada on June 1.

Senft, originally from Lipton, Sask., stepped down in April last year as GFO’s CEO, having led that organization since its 2009 formation in a merger of Ontario’s corn, soybean and wheat grower groups.

Seeds Canada formally launched in February, completing a merger of the Canadian Plant Technology Agency (CPTA), Commercial Seed Analysts Association of Canada (CSAAC), Canadian Seed Institute (CSI) and Canadian Seed Trade Association (CSTA).

Senft’s “national experience in the grain sector, understanding of agriculture issues and extensive experience in strategic development and leadership will be an asset,” Seeds Canada president Ellen Sparry said in a release Thursday.

“The impact of the seed sector is already significant, but there is great potential for it to do more if we can unlock its full potential with the right regulations and support,” Senft said in the same release.

Senft, as executive director, is expected to work with the Seeds Canada board and staff to “ensure the organization continues to grow throughout the amalgamation and deliver enhanced services for members and clients.”

Among his first tasks, the organization said, “will be to enact a renewed outreach to current and potential members and to drive Seeds Canada’s members priorities to the forefront of government agenda.”

The organization’s first annual general meeting is scheduled to take place virtually from July 9 to 16. — Glacier FarmMedia Network

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Members of the Canadian Plant Technology Agency (CPTA), Commercial Seed Analysts Association of Canada (CSAAC), Canadian Seed Institute (CSI) and Canadian Seed Trade Association (CSTA) have voted in favour of amalgamation, the groups announced Wednesday.

An inaugural board of 15 directors (see below) has been named for the new organization and has set up a transition committee to work on putting the new structure in place ahead of the formal merger on Feb. 1 next year, the groups said.

CSTA represents the seed trade, including some farmer-level seed growers, seed retailers and major seed companies such as BASF and Bayer. CSAAC represents seed-testing labs, CSI delivers accreditation and monitoring programs and CPTA supports intellectual property protection for the seeds sector.

The Seeds Canada founding groups said the new organization has “received a great deal of interest and the number of members is expected to grow, bringing new voices and perspectives to the existing membership of the four groups.”

The goal, they said, is for Seeds Canada’s membership to include national and provincial seed associations as well as seed growers from across the country.

For now, however, it won’t include the Canadian Seed Growers Association (CSGA), whose members voted this summer to reject a previous proposal for a five-way amalgamation.

The remaining groups announced in October they would put the new four-way merger proposal to their members for a second vote.

The CSGA would have been the largest of the five, as it represents pedigreed seed producers, with a membership made up mainly of farmers. It also has statutory power to certify pedigreed seed.

For now, the CSGA, in its role as a CSTA affiliate, is expected to be invited to become an affiliate member of Seeds Canada, as would some provincial seed grower associations.

The CSGA had been in on developing the original amalgamation proposal, which dates back to a 2015 brief from the CSGA and CSTA, followed by a 2017 “green paper” on the “core ideas and context for the next-generation seed system.”

CropLife Canada, a separate body representing life science companies that develop and sell new varieties and crop protection products, had also originally been part of the proposed group but opted out before the earlier vote this summer.

A 2018 white paper from the five organizations pointed out that, among other issues facing the seeds sector, the groups have “overlapping memberships and even directors, creating a significant draw on member time and resources.”

Critics of the five-way proposal this summer warned of a risk that larger agribusinesses and multinational seed companies might ultimately dominate Seeds Canada — a concern merger supporters have said was largely unwarranted.

“Growers play an integral role in the seed system, and Seeds Canada needs their involvement to succeed,” the four Seeds Canada groups said in their statement Wednesday.

For now, they said, “the priority is to have a smooth transition and ensure business continuity for members on Day One of Seeds Canada.” — Glacier FarmMedia Network

Who’s on the board?

Seeds Canada’s inaugural 15-member board includes:

• Annie Bergeron, CEO, Les Grains Semtech
• Philippe Charlebois, CEO, Semican
• Georges Chausse, seed division lead, Sollio Agriculture
• Chris Churko, CEO, FP Genetics
• Brent Collins, head of canola seeds, North America, BASF
• Holly Gelech, business development manager, SGS BioVision
• Dianne Gilhuly, president, Kent Agri Lab
• Monica Klaas, general manager, Alberta Seed Processors Association
• Jeff Loessin, corn, soy and winter wheat marketing lead, Corteva Canada
• Quentin Martin, co-CEO, Cribit Seeds
• Eric McLean, owner, Ben Ledi Farms
• Jeff Reid, general manager, SeCan
• Nick Sekulic, seed grower, Prestville Farms
• Ellen Sparry, general manager, C+M Seeds
• Jim Wilson, vice-chair, Canterra Seeds

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The Canadian Seed Trade Association (CSTA), Canadian Plant Technology Agency (CPTA); Commercial Seed Analysts Association of Canada (CSAAC) and Canadian Seed Institute announced plans Tuesday to seek approval from their respective boards and memberships for a four-way amalgamation.

No longer in the Seeds Canada hopper is the Canadian Seed Growers’ Association (CSGA), whose membership “did not vote in favour” of a five-way amalgamation proposal during a vote held over six weeks ending in late August.

The amalgamation proposal dates back to a 2015 brief from the CSGA and CSTA, followed by a 2017 “green paper” on the “core ideas and context for the next-generation seed system.”

A 2018 white paper from the five organizations pointed out that, among other issues facing the seeds sector, the groups have “overlapping memberships and even directors, creating a significant draw on member time and resources.”

The CSGA, which would have been the largest participating group in a five-way merger, represents pedigreed seed producers, with a membership made up mainly of farmers. It also has statutory power to certify pedigreed seed.

The CSTA, meanwhile, represents seed companies including major multinationals such as BASF and Bayer as well as smaller seed grower/retailers. CSTA president Ellen Sparry said last month it’s hoped the CSGA would co-operate with a separate Seeds Canada organization, possibly through a formal agreement.

The four other organizations said Tuesday they now plan to build on the momentum from their previous votes in favour, and update the Seeds Canada ratification package before undertaking a new membership vote.

“The goal is to ensure that members and stakeholders, including seed growers, will see value in the new amalgamation package,” they said in a release.

Implementation work on the new plan will take place “concurrently,” with the goal of bringing Seeds Canada into existence in February 2021 pending board and membership approvals, the groups said.

“While there may be one less amalgamating partner, the vision for Seeds Canada to become the voice of the seed sector, including seed growers, analysts and the seed trade, remains the same,” the groups said.

The new plan’s goal, they said, is for Seeds Canada’s membership to eventually include national and provincial seed associations, “as well as seed growers from across the country.” — Glacier FarmMedia Network

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Members of the Canadian Plant Technology Agency (CPTA), Commercial Seed Analysts Association of Canada (CSAAC), Canadian Seed Growers’ Association (CSGA), Canadian Seed Institute (CSI) and Canadian Seed Trade Association (CSTA) had voted on the proposal over the past six weeks.

Offering up no details, the groups said in a release Thursday that “one organization, the Canadian Seed Growers’ Association, did not vote in favour.”

The seed organizations, in their joint release, said the “result is disappointing, and the boards of each participating organization will now consider how to move forward.”

Of the five groups involved, the CSGA is the largest. It represents pedigreed seed producers, with a membership made up mainly of farmers. It also has statutory power to certify pedigreed seed.

Without a unanimous decision in hand, the groups’ boards said Thursday they will “reconvene to determine the next steps” and expect to update members by the middle of September.

The groups had announced their plans in June for a vote on whether to amalgamate under the banner “Seeds Canada,” in a move they said would “bring together these organizations for greater efficiency and a common purpose: a stronger, united voice for Canada’s seed sector.”

The groups had said at the time that if one or more of the five didn’t ratify the plan, the remaining groups “may proceed to amalgamate on their own” — or could then choose not to proceed at all.

The proposal dates back to a 2015 brief from the CSGA and CSTA, followed by a 2017 “green paper” on the “core ideas and context for the next-generation seed system.”

A 2018 white paper from the organizations pointed out that, among other issues facing the seeds sector, the groups have “overlapping memberships and even directors, creating a significant draw on member time and resources.”

Critics of the proposal, however, have voiced concerns that larger agribusinesses and multinational seed companies may ultimately dominate Seeds Canada.

Others have asked aloud whether the proposed new organization would result in the undermining of Canada’s current pedigreed seed system. — Glacier FarmMedia Network

CORRECTION, Aug. 27: A previous version of this article incorrectly referred to Aug. 27, 2020 as “Friday.” We regret the error.

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A “detailed ratification package” has gone out to members of the Canadian Seed Growers’ Association (CSGA), Canadian Seed Institute (CSI), Canadian Seed Trade Association (CSTA), Canadian Plant Technology Agency (CPTA) and Commercial Seed Analysts Association of Canada (CSAAC).

The new organization, if ratified, “will bring together these organizations for greater efficiency and a common purpose: a stronger, united voice for Canada’s seed sector,” the groups said in a release Friday.

The ratification package going to members of the five groups will include details about the amalgamation and the proposed bylaws, finances and governance structure for Seeds Canada.

Webinars, member meetings and other communications will take place “in the coming weeks and months” and voting will take place “over the summer.” Members in good standing with more than one of the organizations will be eligible to cast votes with each of those groups.

If one or more of the member organizations doesn’t ratify the plan, the remaining groups “may proceed to amalgamate on their own” — or may choose not to proceed, they said.

The proposal dates back to a 2015 brief from the CSGA and CSTA, followed by a 2017 “green paper” on the “core ideas and context for the next-generation seed system.”

A 2018 white paper from the organizations pointed out that, among other issues facing the seeds sector, the groups have “overlapping memberships and even directors, creating a significant draw on member time and resources.”

CSGA is the largest of the five groups, representing pedigreed seed producers, with a membership made up mainly of farmers. It also has statutory power to certify pedigreed seed.

CSTA represents the seed trade, including some farmer-level seed growers and major seed companies, while CSAAC represents seed-testing labs.

CSI delivers accreditation and monitoring programs and CPTA supports intellectual property protection for the seeds sector.

CropLife Canada, representing life science companies making and selling new varieties and crop protection products, had originally been part of the proposed group but has since opted out and would co-operate with the new group, if formed, by way of a memorandum of understanding.

The current proposal would see Seeds Canada offer “over 36 essential services” to members and clients, including all original services offered by the five founding groups, through a new “single window” model.

The membership model would be voluntary, with voting privileges going to “seed industry business class” members — business entities, including sole proprietors — who grow, breed, condition, test, inspect, develop, trade/sell and/or distribute seed and/or seed crops.

Branch organizations, such as the provincial seed organizations now affiliated with the CSGA, would continue to operate as “autonomous entities.”

Seeds Canada would not have control or any role in such branches’ governance, membership, staff, assets, finances activities or initiatives, but would “continue to honour collection and remittance of fees.” — Glacier FarmMedia Network, with files from Allan Dawson of the Manitoba Co-operator.

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Palmerston, Ont.-based C+M, during its annual Red Wheat Industry Day on Thursday, brought growers an extensive breakdown of updated plant breeders’ rights (PBR) in Canada and the implications for farmers and downstream users.

Patty Townsend, outgoing CEO of the Canadian Seed Trade Association and a last-minute stand-in for Lorne Hadley of the Canadian Plant Technology Association, spoke on PBR91, the amended PBR directives that went into effect Feb. 27.

Townsend highlighted the specifications outlined in the new PBR91 guidelines relative to those laid out in the PBR78 directives, and what’s at stake in terms of the use of so-called bin-run or farm-saved seed at the farm level and in research and development investment.

The use of bin-run is repeatedly cited as an impediment to attracting investment in plant breeding for cereals in Canada. With PBR91, the liabilities for using bin-run or farm-saved seed are reaching farther from the farm, to other on-farm participants, as well as local elevators, grain-handlers and downstream users.

Townsend ran four different quizzes to test the audience’s understanding of the regulations, from the mere use of bin-run, which remains legal on a grower’s own farm, to the trade of seed for services rendered, which is illegal.

In her outline of the changes, she noted increased investment in the development of new varieties has taken place around the world, including in France, Argentina, China and Poland, following the adoption and implementation of PBR.

In Argentina, she said, the release of new varieties doubled in 10 years. In China, that number increased by 300 per cent in just five years. And the benefit, aside from reinvestment of funds into development of new varieties, is increased yields for growers.

Entrenching the PBR91 guidelines in Canada, Townsend said, also increases the confidence of plant breeders for investing in Canadian R+D work.

“It also gives international plant breeders confidence to send varieties to Canada,” she said.

Under the heading of “Best Practices” and to underscore the bottom line on PBR91 directives, Townsend said that whether you’re a farmer, a grain elevator operator, retailer or downstream user, “know what you’re buying and know who you’re dealing with.”

Townsend is stepping down as CEO of the CSTA and will be replaced by Grain Farmers of Ontario’s vice-president for strategic development, Crosby Devitt, effective July 27.

The C+M event also featured the unveiling of the company’s new Brasetto rye, the first hybridized cereal in Ontario. Growers who have planted it have seen yields increase by between 30 and 100 per cent, the company said.

Although there may be some “sticker shock” on the pricing of the seed, C+M’s Rob McLaughlin said he’s confident he’ll have growers lining up to sign on for premium contracts he’s expecting to see with millers and distillers.

— Ralph Pearce is a field editor for Country Guide at St. Marys, Ont. Follow him on Twitter at @arpee_AG.

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Combining the numbers of acute honey bee mortality “incidents” by bee yard in Ontario in the 2015 pre-planting and planting periods, up to June 11, Health Canada’s Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) counted 46 affected yards.

That’s down from 79 in the pre-planting and planting periods combined in 2014; 260 in 2013; and 241 in 2012.

The new PMRA figures, obtained Thursday by Grain Farmers of Ontario (GFO) and the Canadian Seed Trade Association (CSTA), thus show declines of 82 and 70 per cent in incidents in the 2015 and 2014 periods respectively against the 2013 level.

By comparison, mortality “incidents” reported during the overwintering period in early 2015 sat at 31 unique yards — the same number reported in the same period in 2014, up from two in 2013.

GFO, in a release Thursday, said the data suggest “the federal government’s leadership on neonicotinoids through improved best practices has been successful.”

The PMRA early last year imposed new measures to limit bees’ exposure to dust from some types of equipment used to plant corn and soybean seeds pre-treated with neonicotinoid pesticides.

The agency restricted farmers’ use of seed flow lubricants — the products used to prevent planters from clogging with sticky neonic-treated seed. Bayer CropSciences’ “Fluency Agent,” billed as reducing “fugitive” pesticide dust, became the lone approved lubricant; talc and graphite were no longer permitted.

The CSTA, in a separate release Thursday, said the data show “the seed industry’s unprecedented action to protect bee health is having a very positive impact.”

The figures “are a great start; however, today’s numbers do not mean that we can stop working to protect bee populations,” CSTA president Dave Baute said in the association’s release.

GFO chairman Mark Brock, however, took aim also at the Ontario government’s plans to restrict corn and soybean growers’ use of neonic seed treatments, to be phased in starting this summer.

“Ontario’s rush to be the first in North America to restrict neonicotinoids is on track to cost rural Ontario’s economy more than $600 million a year, to solve a problem that it appears the federal government has already addressed,” he said Thursday.

The provincial environment ministry, GFO said, is “ignor(ing) the self-reported poor hive management practices of beekeepers, which beekeepers believe contributed to higher-than-normal mortalities in years prior.”

Ontario beekeepers “readily admit to the province that poor hive management by beekeepers in four areas” — starvation, weak colonies, fungal infections and mite infestation, plus weather conditions — “are also likely to blame for bee mortalities,” Brock said.

PMRA noted that while the death losses seen in 2012 occurred around planting time, increases in incident reports of poorly performing hives “later in the (growing) season” were seen in 2013 and 2014.

It could be, PMRA said in a separate report in November, that beekeepers have become “more vigilant in reporting unusual symptoms observed in their colonies, as well as more aware of the process of reporting these issues” to federal and provincial officials.

In 2013, PMRA said, some of the colonies affected later in the season had pesticide residues present in the hives, while other affected colonies “did not have any measurable residues, making it difficult to determine whether or not pesticides were a contributing factor to the effects reported.”

It’s also unclear, PMRA said in November, how “widespread” these effects were, as a “small number of beekeepers account for the majority of reported colony effects.”

In 2014, the agency said, three beekeepers accounted for over 72 per cent of reported incidents. –– AGCanada.com Network

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