Specialty Oilseeds

[charliep]

Parsley and I had a conversation about the impact of GMO canola (don't want to go there - to many bruises) and this raised other questions in my mind. The threads have had good discussions around specialty canolas (most non GMO).

It reminded me of some of the other oilseed alternatives.

1) Does anyone know where western Canada is at with regards to releasing a mustard with canola properties (Alba is a variety that comes to mind)?

2) Where is linola/other solins at? Is anyone considering in the coming crop year?

3) Are there other oilseeds western Canada should be spending more time thinking about? Safflower. Oil type sunflowers/sunolas?

4) Specialty markets for non GMO canola. Parsley raised (plus others in the industry) the risk factors around contamination.

[parsley]

charliep,

Seeingst you lost neither your customer nor your income, I don't think you can claim your 'bruising' as legitimate, can you?

Parsley

[charliep]

Parsley

You are right. The customer is always right.

There was another customer in this process and that is the farmer that evaluated and used the technology. It allowed them change their business from where canola could only be grown on the cleaniest land to where this crop could be grown on any land. It also allowed them to more readily adopt minimum till/low disturbance technology more rapidly (could have been done otherways but likely not as quickly).

I come back to my last statement in the previous thread - the issue is how farm communities handle the technology to allow some neighbors to capture the premiums that may appear from non GMO varieties. Western Canada may have to move from thinking about farm rotations to community ones. There will have to be commitments on how volenteers canola is handled.

Others thoughts.

[TOM4CWB]

Charlie;

The mustard Canolas "Arid and Amulet" are being marketed by SWP.

They are Canola quality oil, about 45.4% and meal about 45% protein.

They must be kept seperate from canola until crushing.

Seed is $2.79/lb minus 10% until Dec. 15th. If paid for by the 15th, then, 15% off.

Juncea is marketed as dramatically reducing the effects of heat, stress and drought. It is specifically bred to withstand the extremes of Southern SK. and AB. It has very good lodging, shattering resistance, and good blackleg resistance.

On Linola, the EU is the target market, so the eastern prairies are targeted to be growing it, as it goes through the St Lawerence Seaway (freight from AB gives Linola a competitive disadvantage). Agricore United handles this product.

I am surprised you didn't talk about flax, as these prices are very good now as well!

[TOM4CWB]

Parsley;

You folks have a good opportunity to hit the Canola market with Juncea ... give this some hard thought!

[bmj182]

Canamera Ltd. has a non GM, high
euricic acid canola that they contract
for, offering fixed or floating pricing
options. I've never grown it (drought)
but it looks like they pay a reasonably
good premium.

[TOM4CWB]

BMJ;

We grew this HEAR in 2001, it was easy to handle, about 90% yield of GMO varieties... easy to harvest... very good vigour as seedlings.

We are planning to grow some in 2003.

30M of isolation from other Canola is required... so make sure you have a full road allowance between your field and neighbours fields of regular Canola. Cross polination is the reason for this restriction.

[melvill]

Tom, 30 meters only of isolation? The beekeepers in the Brooks area tell me that their bees will forage well over 1/4 of a mile. How can 30 meters protect? Makes a person wonder about how safe non-GMO canola is from introduction of GM genetics.

[parsley]

I can tell you, melvill.

Long standing canola buyers say, "So long, it's been good to know you".

The patent holder claims he has no responsibility for genetic pollution or loss of markets.

The non-GM canola farmer tightens his belt from the loss of income.

The message: Ownership must have responsibilities as well as privileges. The Ag industry has to address this.

Parsley

[TOM4CWB]

melville;

The argentine varieties of GMO canola are self pollinating, and Ag Canada plant product inspectors enforce the rules. This is to stop High Erusic Acid product from cross breeding with Canola quality seed. The minute amount bees transfer has not been found to damage Canola quality seed produced outside the isolation required seperation.

On Juncea, as a Grainnews article points out, crossouts of Canola into Mustard has not been a peoblem after many years of GMO production... as I can confirm of our own experience.

AS Juncea is visually distigushable from Canola, a good fit could be created for Organic production, as long as all Canola quality Juncea remains non-GMO.

[charliep]

I understand what you are saying about a customer. The experience is even more painfull if there is a shipment and damages.

Having said that, the industry already has idenfity preserved programs for other specialty canolas - no one seems to worry about genetic pollution here.

Example - I bought a tub of Lactantia margarine. Claim to fame - made from non hydrogenated canola oil. Not 100 % sure on inter mountain varieties but all Nexera canola likely used in this canola product are non GMO. Some how, the system is able to keep this crop segregated all the way from the field level (minimal genetic contamination) to the grocery store shelf (if the process failed at this level, you would have rancid oil relatively quickly).

A zero risk world doesn't exist for anything. What is needed is very precise protocols to ensure the product meets customer needs/contractual commitments.

[TOM4CWB]

Charlie;

Did you know Cargill has a RR Intermountain Canola with a $30/t premium... they are to be coming up with a minimum price contract for both normal and this specialty Canola in the next few weeks I understand.

I asked for a minimum price contract on 03 feed barley... they are going to work on it... Malt barley that could be rejected (next summer) needs a minimum price contract to the feed barley prices... if the malt barley is rejected.

I sincerly hope this 02 production failure produces a big crop of new pricing options, it does look encouraging that this may be the case!

[charliep]

Talked to Phil Thomas/Murray Hartman at a canola meeting today and they came up with another idea for non GMO. Their suggest was to grow a polish type canola (Brassica??). No GMO varieties in this type/no outcrossing.

I have to be carefull about my comments about the mustard as well. The varieties you mention Tom4cwb (Juncea) -are from the brown/oriental mustard family. Alba is the yellow mustard strain - a little farther out from the breeding world/lots of concern from current yellow mustard growers about getting characturistics mixed in with current yellow mustard varieties.

[TOM4CWB]

Charlie;

Watch the polish non-GMO Canola...

There was RR polish avaliable a couple of years ago... so purity of seed as well as field/outcrossing to GMO is possible if neighbours grew it and it volunteers.