The future looks good for seed companies

[farmaholic]

Careful Sawfly, talk like that will get you labelled a negative unprogressive thinker. Heaven forbid anyone thinks critically....

[tstep]

Let's all Support the organizations that are fighting against this.

[tstep]

Bill C-18, the “Agricultural Growth Act” omnibus bill, amending several federal agricultural laws, was introduced in Parliament on December 9, 2013. The Bill passed Second Reading in the House of Commons on June 17, 2014. The Agriculture Committee began its study of the Bill on October 7, 2014. If passed, it will give multi-national agri-business much more money, power and control while increasing farmers’ costs and reducing farmers’ autonomy and Canadian sovereignty. The NFU presented before the Committee on October 9 (read the official transcript) and also submitted a brief.

[tstep]

Sign, circulate and submit the THE RIGHT TO SAVE SEED Petition and here is info about how to submit your completed petitions and why we are not using an electronic petition. Go to the National Farmers Union website to print a petition and to email your MP on this issue.

[gustgd]

Just because it's late dan dim coming home from hockey, I'll ask the question.

How should varietal development be funded?

For the record WGRF spends farmers private dollars and leverages them with public, university and other institutional. We put in about 20% of the cost to bring a new variety to market.

What's the NFU model?

Anyone else have ideas?

[gustgd]

Wow I can't spell.

Sorry should know better than to post this late.

[sumdumguy]

We need farmers to organize a demonstration. Pickets and tractors!

[SASKFARMER3]

Gust I don't care for the NFU model but you have to see what is going to happen with Wheat. Its so easy to predict what's coming, its not even funny.
Again farmers walk into the slaughter house just like the cattle and have the hooks put on their feet thinking hm this seems ok then Boom and its lights out.
Canola system makes huge dollars for them and now wheat oats barley etc etc.
Great system if this is the best the farm groups could see coming why not just tell Ritz were taking our groups home and not participating. Go to media and say farmers who grow the crops don't want any part of this. Guess what with the hysteria on GMO out their we would have won. The public doesn't understand and this would have gone in our favor.
What's coming is only good for one group and it sure isn't the farmer.

[farmaholic]

Very good point SF3, get the public on our side. Sounds like the organic model.

[Hopalong]

What is so different about the system that government critics see coming from the United States one?
Would like to see similar research funding systems on both sides of border.

[gustgd]

Sask3 unless I see you and others standing up and demanding a non refundable check off their is no other way I see farmers participating in a wholly funded varietal program. You can point to the canola model and your distaste but as I've seen around Canada canola has kept the lights on for most farms.
If you had "normal" weather the past couple years I imagine you would be like most other non lentil growers around here.
Still as much canola as agronomicaly feasible on spec.

As well mandatory check offs are illegal in Alberta. Can someone explain why that was? I think it had to do with cattle.

Even if this new legislation comes in it will be 15 years until a new system becomes self sustaining. This is based on the Australian model. Who is going to write cheques until 2030 to make the industry better.

[mustardman]

What's wrong with Staying Out of upov 91. Upov 78 seemed to be working just fine for us.

Did anyone hear Ron Depau (cereal breeder public) speak at cropshere? I missed it

There is lots of Exageration on how the private canola model is soMuch more successful than Public Cereal breeding.
Mind you private breeding is unbelievably successful for shareholders !