WGRF

[jluimes]

I have request my WGRF check off be returned to me. We are being charged royalties every time we buy seed for variety development funded by the WGRF anyways. I was told for Superb that is still running at $1.25 per bushel. Every increase in yeild is matched by a decrease in price so why are farmers paying for the development of new varieties when they get none of the benefits? As farmers we need to focus on marketing and cost reduction, not yeild increase.

[charliep]

Thought I would post the website for the Western Grain Research Foundation.

http://www.westerngrains.com/index.html

I will leave the issue of double dipping alone - paying for varietal development through a check off and paying for seed.

An observation is that Canadian wheat and barley yields (on the average) are not increasing. The increases in world wheat and feed grain production are occurring outside Canada.

The other issue I note is the new world is moving to more specific trait based grains versus straight commodity. The marketing efforts you note require plant breeding - the question is who pays.