Industry needs to take a flaxative.

[haveapulse]

I believe the industry should demand a Royal Commission or whatever you may wish to call the process. We need a thorough review to acccount for the state of the industry today.

It is only fair to point out, that it was not only farmers who need to be held accountable. Why did it take 5 years after the flax council recommended the variety be pulled for the Government to react? Where did the seed go in the meantime? How was that seed acounted for in the destruction. How do we account for the spread and contamination of non GMO breeder seed?

A chapter dedicated to the impact of GMO canola on the mustard industry would be in order.

The reality today is we have two crops affected due to GMO intolerance: mustard and canola and Monsanto is on a push for GMO wheat. Under current regulation there would be not penatly to Monsanto to introduce GMO wheat into Canada despite potential customer rejection. Correct me if I am wrong!


The outcome of this review would include future recommendations and protocal on how we allow GMO into Canada, given the intent of Monsanto with the Wheat Growers support for GMO wheat development.

We need clear rules, accountability and transparency, and regulations to enforce the above.

We need to be able to control the entrance of GMO seeds into our production, and be ready should the consummer approve of this technology to open the door if and when but not before.

Anyone know where the Ministers of AG Provincial and Federal on this one?

[parsley]

A Royal Commisssion?
1. It will deliver a decision made BY Government FOR government.
2. It will be costly and serve to enunciate taxpayers' view that farmers are whining again.
3. It will drag out for at least two years.

[oneoff]

In addition to the problems farmers have from industry; there are also problems that stem from within the farmer ranks.
We've got more than our share of collaborators and extremely selfish and self centered individuals who would never entertain any thought that didn't have immediate apparent gain to themselves.
In their extremely small worlds; centered on themselves; those individuals must feel no need to cooperate and band together at times to confront problems that are well beyond an individuals ability to do anything.
This story has been repeated so many times it is disheartening. And then one remember how collective actions; particularly in Sask have had profound results in the past. Too bad we've let most of those gains slip away, and now have no heart to tackle todays problems.

[parsley]

well oneoff, I'm not exactly being a mealy-mouth. LOL

I've found farmers ned to "mull" a bit, though.This isn't only about grain, you know. This is about rural communities and it' about rural culture.

And farmers have been pretty darn good at both. pars

[oneoff]

It's fine to "mull"; but the time comes to "Lead, Follow or Get Out of the Way"

[tipsy]

Checking, I'm thinking unless something changes dramatically between now and Aug 1 there is going to be substantially more than 400,000 mt of flax carry over! My thoughts are flax supplies are at burdensome levels and it's going to take some time to chew thur the present stocks let-alone the new crop that will be produced in 2010.

[oneoff]

So why are farmers so keen to add to burdensome supplies and make the situation worse? There are many things basically wrong with farmers marketing senses ( and I mean everyone including myself).
It is easily argued that the free market system is the best of a bad lot; but it is a very bad lot indeed.

[haveapulse]

We talk accountability. We talk transparency. Talk is cheap; where is the action? While Pars you have suggested ways to deal with the issue who is going to take charge? Where is the leadership?

So if it not a Royal Commission what is it then? (NO worries that this will never happen anyway cause the root of this problem is too heavily embedded in the whose who of our industry. )

We need to go foward knowing we have growing competition for global markets. Competition from the Eastern Block is real, and we are not the cheapest origin in the world. Today, we see the impact of lower cost peas being offered to the world weighing on the price of peas. Tomorrow it will be flax.

We can quit producing flax, and try to starve the buyers, but it will not work.
The flax will come from other regions and or factories will change formulas.

As an industry we need to purge the problem. I suggest that regulations which today failed to penalize the entry of Triffid as a non registered varieity need to be established. From what I can see we are not even talking of closing this door yet!

And it amazes me that farmers will balk over the cost of certified seed flax then march right in and pay 30 to 50$ an acre for 5 to 6 lbs of canola seed or 500$ a bushel, making the suggested retail for flax of $16.65 look pretty darn inexpensive in comparison.

And yes for some of us who sell flax seed every year and did not produce Triffid on our farms, it will be an opportunity.

However as an industry, an industry which is characterized by individual CEOS on every farm, unlike Toyota with a single CEO, I believe we need to have leadership which is beyond the scope of individuals call it what you will.

[charliep]

Way off the flaxative discussion but will note the adoption of canola biotech (Alberta numbers).

Year 1999 Conventional canola (no biotech) - 31 %. Liberty Link (LL) - 14 %. Roundup Ready (RR) - 24 %. Clearfield (developed mutagenesis) - 31 %.

Year 2004 Conventional - 6 %. LL - 24 %. RR - 57 %. Clearfield - 14 %.

Year 2009 conventional - 1 %. LL - 42 %. RR - 52 %. Clearfield - 6 %.

You also need to be aware of what your competitors are doing. Picking on Australia - Significant biotech programs with an emphasis on dealing with agronomic issues of all types (not just herbicide tolerance) funded through their GRDC. Europe - after eliminating genetic engineering (or at least on the surface), major dollars being spent on bio technology in the private sector (limited public breeding). US - Will let everyone answer their own question here but stacking of traits adding to yield potential every year. Eastern Europe - Just have to adopt western technology plus will get access EU plant breeding outcomes.

[charliep]

Perhaps a learning from the flaxseed issue is that all genetic events have to be registered in major markets. This wasn't done with triffid flax.

The genetic events in canola have been registered in Europe.

[haveapulse]

I agree, knowing what your competitor is doing is paramount. Doing the research and having the technology ready when the time is right for the market place is essential. Regulating introduction of that technology into a willing market place is key. Knowingly doing all of the above enables competitiveness, & efficiencies. And in all this in a the multi headed industry requires leadership, and vision.

[charliep]

From this past week, bringing a new genetic trait forward is $100 mln and ten years plus/minus.

Perhaps the challenge is not to be on the bleeding edge of biotechnology but hopely close to the early innovators or at least the early adoptors. We don't want to be on the laggard end of the world.

[oneoff]

Yeah... But.... Does anybody; or any company or corporation have the right to ruin organic farmers or late adopters; just because they have a bright novel plan to make a buck for themselves.
The answer seems obvious; but maybe not. I once saw a neighbor rationalize that his crop was worth way more than his organic neighbor; and so he had the God given right to spray with abandon. Maybe the whole industry thinks that way.
Thats the test I'd use to check whether the new idea is fit to be released from the test tube by the marketing department and risk manager lawyers.

[bucket]

Charliep

Did being on the leading edge of flax development help us?

By the way the people responsible for being ahead of their time are no where to be found, are they?

And as in typical fashion the correct response would be to get the gmo event registered. If the customer doesn't want it, it really doesn't matter how wonderful the crop or gmo event is, does it?

[charliep]

Actually found out it is not possible to get a genetic event retroactively
- not a possibility flaxseed.

There is a process to get genetic events registered in Europe. It has
worked for soybeans for a long time. It has worked for corn this
summer to get its dust registered in soybeans for adventitious
presence (not fully registered for unrestricted access). It works for
canola.

The process is to have the potential event reviewed by the European
Food Safety Agency (you can google them). The next part of this
process is public review/consultation and approval by parliament/a
political process.