Seed Synergy... what does our Canadian seed system.. need to do?

[bucket]

CaseIH
On triffid flax... the needed legal and moral stamina... to break the western Canadian plant breeding system apart... would have been sort of like shooting ourselves in the foot. Painful, nonproductive... and an added penalty... of reassembling our plant breeding infrastructure... at added great cost on top of initial losses. Triffid flax was an unfair costly mess... that cost our own farm way over 6 figures ...
A Canadian class action legal solution... that is/was flawed by many American standards.. at least... appeared to make Canadian legal proceedings here... 1. high risk with low probability of real financial compensation returned to grain growers. 2. Suing Universities.. poorly capitalized seed co's... along with plant breeders and their staff...that very likely missed the problem ... ended with accidental widespread contamination of virtually all Canadian flax genetics... meant real financial pain for most flax growers/industry...
Thx; Tom

In other words those that were responsible couldn't accept responsibility......so like this new seed tax it was downloaded to primary producers....

[Hamloc]

Dear Braveheart;
We have been told: The Feds have told the Seed Industry leaders... 'Status Quo' is not an option...
I agree much innovation and good varieties have resulted from the present system...
I am simply providing another forum to take information forward... I personally agree with many of the points raised here. Thx for your thoughts!
Sincerely,
Tom

I think what is being missed in this debate is clearly stated here by Tom. The federal government has said the status quo is not an option. What this tells me is that the federal government no longer wants to fund seed research. I think most have interpreted this suggestion of end point or trailing royalties has come about as a method of funding seed research with farmers money instead of federal taxes. Do we want our seed research controlled by in some cases foreign owned corporations or by our own government? I am certainly not a fan of increased seed costs or of our federal researchers being eliminated. It seems to me that it is important to develope and grow crops that work well in our environment. It appears to me Justin Trudeau is finding another way to stick it to the west.

[bucket]

I think what is being missed in this debate is clearly stated here by Tom. The federal government has said the status quo is not an option. What this tells me is that the federal government no longer wants to fund seed research. I think most have interpreted this suggestion of end point or trailing royalties has come about as a method of funding seed research with farmers money instead of federal taxes. Do we want our seed research controlled by in some cases foreign owned corporations or by our own government? I am certainly not a fan of increased seed costs or of our federal researchers being eliminated. It seems to me that it is important to develope and grow crops that work well in our environment. It appears to me Justin Trudeau is finding another way to stick it to the west.

The federal government should also quit:

1. Funding Bombardier
2. Funding oil cars
3. Funding grain cars subsidy
4.Funding auto sector
5. Funding repairs on rail lines


Everyone that says farmers don't need government in their business should look at other industries and the amount of money they receive...

And everyone of those business can move their tax base to another jurisdiction .


Gormley is all upset about Nutrien's head office location....He should be worried about the cost of fertilizer and where it is priced out of....on some farms the difference in fertilizer price 2018 to 2019 out weighs the CEO's salary...

Some people are just too myopic....and still have blinders on.

[sawfly1]

Not getting into the discussion right now.
But Tom , your first post .
Wow I do not care how much chocolate you cover it in .
It is still a turd

[sawfly1]

A little off topic , sorry
But could relate to Triffid.

Like canola now, in future when ownership , of all seeds retains with the seed
Co.s we only lease the right for a season at a time.

What happens when we cancel the lease .
All the volunteers.belong to the seed Co. Correct.
So really it should be their
Responsibility .to get come get their crap .

[furrowtickler]

So we need to grow more , increase yields and use more inputs for what again ???? $3/bus wheat ??
So who benefits from this system again??
Oh yes , absolutely everyone in the ag industry except for the primary producers.
I challenge one expert, or Tom , to prove me wrong here ...
the primary producer in this situation will be the only one not to benefit from this system going forward... in fact we will have only increased costs for the benefit of every one else .... again if you disagree .. prove me wrong ... show all of us the math of how the primary producers will benefit..

[furrowtickler]

Remember to add in all the additional costs of carbon tax’s as well as the seed (royalties) ... tax in all figures.
Someone show us how we are not going to lose money ... I am interested to see how this will be accomplished.

[TOM4CWB]

Furrowtickler,
If our grain quality, and productivity, fail to meet the needs of endusers/consumers... and fail to be competitive globally...
As other nations do progressively respond to the needs of consumers/endusers... and advance in productivity and profitability in other major global grain growing regions...

Seems to me... we...failing to meet the future challenges and changes...is short sighted and will clearly reduce the value of future farmers capital assets... particularly in the long term. For grain farmers... looking to continue the farm for decades... and intergenerationally... cutting R&D is short sighted and will depreciate future revenues. Seed companies in Canada... especially in the Western Canadian cereal sector... are not generally not flush with cash.
Further
The cereal plant breeding sector is about 75% federally publicly funded... if we can't stop the feds from withdrawing from the public cereal plant breeding programs... we all lose productivity and adaptive value added... by failing to progressively meet the changing needs of endusers/consumers.

Private cereal breeding is small... in western Canada...because it is not particularly profitable...

Not because plant breeders and the Western Canadian seed industry... is rolling in cash. Thx Tom

Remember to add in all the additional costs of carbon tax’s as well as the seed (royalties) ... tax in all figures.
Someone show us how we are not going to lose money ... I am interested to see how this will be accomplished.

[bucket]

Furrowtickler,
If our grain quality, and productivity, fail to meet the needs of endusers/consumers... and fail to be competitive globally...
As other nations do progressively respond to the needs of consumers/endusers... and advance in productivity and profitability in other major global grain growing regions...

Seems to me... we...failing to meet the future challenges and changes...is short sighted and will clearly reduce the value of future farmers capital assets... particularly in the long term. For grain farmers... looking to continue the farm for decades... and intergenerationally... cutting R&D is short sighted and will depreciate future revenues. Seed companies in Canada... especially in the Western Canadian cereal sector... are not generally not flush with cash.
Further
The cereal plant breeding sector is about 75% federally publicly funded... if we can't stop the feds from withdrawing from the public cereal plant breeding programs... we all lose productivity and adaptive value added... by failing to progressively meet the changing needs of endusers/consumers.

Private cereal breeding is small... in western Canada...because it is not particularly profitable...

Not because plant breeders and the Western Canadian seed industry... is rolling in cash. Thx Tom

Tom4yourself

The world doesn't want good quality grain nor do they want to pay for it....and we are not emptying our bins...


It something you guys lobbying for this don't understand.


When a grainco buys a 5cwad for more than a 2cwad....why do we need quality?

And higher production has never resulted in higher prices....

Please quit preying on my farm because you lobby governments to do so.....

You never liked the forcefulness of the CWB....seems like you have taken a few pages from their playbook about taking from family farms by taxing their hard work on the grain they grow ...

Just a bit hypocritical. ...actually a lot. ....

No worries ...you are one day closer to Sunday to make it alright. ...

[farmaholic]

Bucket, Tom4himself believes in mandatory tithing and everyone is required to give to "His" Money God.

God bless him.....

[farmaholic]

....sadly, for some people justification and denial helps to clear their guilty conscience!

[TOM4CWB]

Dear Bucket,
Your advice... does not reconcile with our decades of experiences. Our family have found premiums for our grains... and discounts avoided;
1. for high quality grain;
2. prompt service [by our farm] that adds value to our produce for the commercial elevator and or enduser alike;
3. accurate representation by our samples which results in our farms delivery matching quality and volume contracted/marketed/bought by our marketing partners/customers.
4a. We have found.. over the years... end users/customers... seek our produce... and work with us to add real measurable premiums;
4b. As we farm with quality control protocols... that add value to our produce... for our partners whom purchase our farm grains...our family provides.
Sincerely, Tom

Tom4yourself

The world doesn't want good quality grain nor do they want to pay for it....and we are not emptying our bins...


It something you guys lobbying for this don't understand.


When a grainco buys a 5cwad for more than a 2cwad....why do we need quality?

And higher production has never resulted in higher prices....

Please quit preying on my farm because you lobby governments to do so.....

You never liked the forcefulness of the CWB....seems like you have taken a few pages from their playbook about taking from family farms by taxing their hard work on the grain they grow ...

Just a bit hypocritical. ...actually a lot. ....

No worries ...you are one day closer to Sunday to make it alright. ...