Canada is falling behind in private wheat breeding research

[Fransisco]

"When producers are adequately compensated for what they grow"

And that's not going to happen as long as we've got a government legislated monopoly on wheat sales.

[charliep]

Perhaps this question relates to competiveness.

I note the two different models for canola and wheat. Canola is
driven by private investment in plant breeding research. Its Canadian
acres and yields are increasing at a rapid pace. Much can be
explained by the demand side (growth is because there is a market
demanding canola oil) but I would argue plant breeding research has
supported this.

Canadian wheat (you can extent to all North America by the way) has
been driven by public breeding where investment is dropping. North
American share of world wheat production and trade is shrinking and
being replaced by the new exporters. As a crop in prairie rotations,
wheat (and cereals in general) are less profitable and being dropped
out of acres except for rotation (you guys may argue that).

Off topic on the above. The original question relates to a lot of the
work I am doing these days. How to attract investment in agricultural
research and in particular plant breeding. Can we afford to sit back
as low cost producers in eastern Europe, Ukraine, Russia, etc adopt
our technology? Europe and Australia continue to do research with
well funded and focused plant breeding initiatives (two very different
models by the way).

I seem to be killer of discussion but a very interesting topic to think
about when you are busy harvesting.

[charliep]

Gerrid

I will add onto your list of questions.

Does our regulatory system allow for research and innovation among a
wide group of companies (small and big)? Or have we (maybe
broadening to North America) created a situation where only the big
boys (Monsanto, Dow, Syngenta, etc.) have the money to do R & D or
the capability to take on the risk?

Are there more effective ways for farmers/government to capture value
for their investment in R & D including plant breeding? The Aussie
model?

[wmoebis]

Why such a differance between grain and livestock. If you want to cross breed, pure bred or inter bred there are no rules. You just have to show papers if you want top dollar for pure bred.

As example: It is the market that demands your breeding program. If the market didn't like angus X char it would pay less. If market didn't like cutlass X golden there wouldn't be a market.

There are no rules for livestock producers that say you have to raise only stock from purebred parentage or it has to work in the oven or look a certain way. They can breed thier cows to it's brother and as long as it survives it can go into market place. Even if it has three ears and five legs.

Livestock breeders pay for thier own breeding programs and make money buy selling thier product. Supply and demand keeps them going.

On my plate what is the diff between meat, potatoes, peas and bread when it comes to breeding program?

[vvalk]

No one forces you to buy the seed. It it gives you a ROI then buy it. There's no conspiracy here. You have a choice. Agstar talking about getting full value for our wheat made me LOL.

[charliep]

I don't know if there is that much difference between livestock and crops. In
both cases, you need to pay for access to genetics.

Perhaps hogs and the feather industries come closer to what the crop
industry might look like. If I were to survey today, what percent of pig
operations would use their own home grown breeding stock versus
purchased genetics? If you buy breeding stock, you pay for it with the
driver you see value in the investment. The same questions could be asked
about chicken and turkeys.

Tongue in cheek but the hog industry is a lot like canola and cattle more
like wheat. But that might spark a debate and would be off topic.

[charliep]

Just to help me, what percentage of farmers use certified seed (cereal grains)? The number in my head 15 % but need to give this reality check.

[wd9]

wmoebis, the difference is in transgenics and the regs around that. You can cross conventionally or use mutagenesis all you want in grain like livestock.

For example if you had a beef cow that had the meat consistency of chicken thru DNA manipulation, it too would be subjected to the rigors of novel trait registration hell and would probably not get approved.

[furrowtickler]

Agstump, what planet are you on, we live in Western Canada - there is little hope that money flows anywhere from board grains. All I ever see and hear is excuses from the borg why we should not expect real market prices for wht - excuses are for loosers. And don't give me b/s about the current raise in pro's - they are still a joke.

[gustgd]

Off topic but since I started I can take it.

For the animal analogy if you cross a Brahma with a Char you can sell it.

If you cross Superb with Texas wheat you get feed. Doesn't matter how good it performs. Millers can be beating down your doors. If it's not a registered Variety in Canada it's FEED.

Maybe if you wanted to go through the CWB buyback ....................