A must read for farmers

[parsley]

I read the report, and thanks for it.

One thing charliep, I think people will eat out less often, but I do think there is potential, and I mean tremendous potential for take out business that caters to working parents' kids.

Tasty veggies. No gravey. All GOOD INGREDIENTS.

In your report it's restaurant or prepare at home.

I think another option there.

[Fransisco]

Listening to what consumers tell you. Hmm...

What did consumers of conventionally grown Canadian canola (of which the majority is genetically modified, sprayed with pesticides and grown with synthetic fertilizers) tell us this year?

Well lets see.

From AGRIWEEK,

" The canola marketing, exporting and processing systems did a superb job on the record 2008 canola crop. The 2008-09 crop year was the first in the history of the western Canadian canola industry in which records were set in production, domestic crush and exports all in the same year.

With 12.64 million tonnes produced, it was a challenge. As previously reported by the Canadian Grain Commission, exports in the year that ended July 31 were 7.842 million tonnes, 40% higher than 5.594 million in 2007-08.

The top canola buyers were China at 2.872 million tonnes (659,000 in 2007-08); Japan 2.065 million (2.131 million); Mexico 1.162 million (1.231); United States 698,000(853,000); and United Arab Emirates at 529,000 (347,000). There were more
offshore customers for canola who took a million tonnes or more than there were for wheat or barley, and non-durum wheat exports were barely double canola exports.

Domestic crushers certainly did their part. Canola crush set a new record at 4.285 million tonnes, up from 4.147 million in 2007-08. Domestic crush was 33.8% of the record 2008 harvest, down from 43.5% in the prior year, but there have been only three years in which domestic processors took more than 40% of the crop. The recent low was 32.5% in 2004-05. Canola oil
production was 1.841 million tonnes, up from 1.739 million in 2007-08. Average oil content was 42.96% vs. 41.93% in 2007-08.

Meal output was 2.490 million tonnes vs. 2.493 million. The usual midsummer lull in crush did not occur this year; during July crushers processed 369,518 tonnes, compared to 320,201 in June and 338,459 in July 2008. Figures are for all reporting crushers including non-members of the Canadian Oilseed Processors Assn.

High exports and domestic use kept what could have been an unmanageable carryover within historic limits. Carryover will be officially reported by Statistics Canada in the July 31 grain stocks survey due Sept. 9, which will include farm-stored stocks. However the total carryover should be between 1.5 and 1.75 million tonnes, similar to 2007-08 carryover of 1.528 million.

Canola production was nearly triple that of durum wheat in 2008 but carryover will be smaller. That means that 87% of the record 2008-09 canola supply (production plus carry-in) was used during the crop year. The corresponding figure was 80% for non-durum wheat (including domestic feed use) and 71% for durum.

The 2008-09 crop year set records that may stand for years. The industry’s ability to absorb high production is as very good omen for 2009-20."

Looks like a record number of satisfied customers to me who if anything are saying," can I have some more, please?"

[fjlip]

Another reason Canola is in demand,"Good News to Take to Heart

On October 6, 2006, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration authorized a qualified health claim for canola oil on its ability to reduce the risk of coronary heart disease due to its unsaturated fat content. The claim3, which canola oil bottlers and makers of eligible products may use on labels and advertising materials, states:

Limited and not conclusive scientific evidence suggests that eating about 1½ tablespoons (19 grams) of canola oil daily may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease due to the unsaturated fat content in canola oil. To achieve this possible benefit, canola oil is to replace a similar amount of saturated fat and not increase the total number of calories you eat in a day. One serving of this product contains [x] grams of canola oil.

Oh, Omega-3!

Substitution of canola oil for other fats would substantially increase the intake of ALA. Emerging evidence suggests that ALA – the only omega-3 fatty acid found in appreciable amounts in some vegetable oils – might help protect the heart by having beneficial effects on abnormal heartbeats, inflammation and blood clots. Furthermore, considerable epidemiological evidence shows that ALA intake is associated with decreased incidence of and death from heart disease. As a result, the AHA Nutrition Committee concluded in 2002 that total intakes of approximately 1.5 to 3 g/d of ALA “seem to be beneficial” and recommended that Americans regularly consume vegetable oils and other foods high in ALA."

[LWeber]

Listening to what consumers tell you. Hmm...


How's that attitude working for you in flax - Fran?

[Fransisco]

As far as I can tell it's bureaucrats that have a problem with flax. Not consumers.

Non-tariff trade barriers are not exactly unheard of. Especially coming from the EU.

[checking]

Tolerances need to be established. Look hard enough Larry, and there probably is a little bit of CWB support in all of us!!!!

[parsley]

E.U. GMO Page 17 graph


http://ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/archives/ebs/ebs_244b_en.pdf

[parsley]

p.22 graph

[Fransisco]

Why parsley I'm surprised at you. An opinion poll? What people say and what they actually do are usually two very different things.

And there is of course the qualifier on page 20,

" It is important to note that these proportions are based only on those 50 per cent or so of respondents who give one of the three common logics as a response: those giving a different combination, including any containing one or more ‘don’t know’ response, are excluded. <b>So it would not be valid to say that, for example, 58 per cent of Europeans are opposed to GM food;</b>"

But okay, for the sake of argument lets pretend that this really is the opinion of all Europeans. What of the 42% in this poll who are not opposed to GMO's? Their choice is somehow invalid because they are not part of the "majority". I don't think so.

Funny, when the wheat board comes out with an opinion poll like this in favour of the monopoly. You argue that there should be a choice. Yet here it's absolute majority rule.

[parsley]

I was wearing dark glasses, (you know me well enough to pick up that nuance), so I only have to quote Sam in Cheers, "Lighten up Rebecca." LOL

I usually try not to quote polls. But, you know that, fran.lol

[Fransisco]

Here's the kind of thing I like to quote. It's from the German Central Committee on Biological Safety regarding the ban on Bt corn.

"Considering all scientific information available and keeping the precautionary principle in mind, <b>the ZKBS concludes that the cultivation of the maize line MON810 poses no danger to the environment</b>. The risk assessment contained in the statement of the ZKBS of 2007 is thus confirmed, taking the current publications into account."

"A scientific assessment of the study results has revealed that none of them confirm potential adverse effect on non-target organisms by MON810 under cultivation conditions. The assessment is also considering the fact that some of the studies are of scientifically lower quality. <b>The conclusion of the ZKBS is in line with the expert assessment of a French author group (Ricroch et al., 2009) and the opinion of the EFSA (European Food Safety Authority) on the request for renewal MON810 (EFSA, 2009). Both documents regard the German ban as scientifically not justified.</b>"



<a href="http://www.bvl.bund.de/cln_027/nn_1209020/EN/06__Genetic__Engineering/ZKBS/01__Allg__Stellungnahmen/05__plants/zkbs__mon810__engl.html">link</a> Creates a hyperlink

[Fransisco]

But things like science and free trade don't seem to matter to the Eurocrats.