To say 2021 wasn’t a very good year for seed growers in Western Canada is putting it lightly. The combination of drought conditions and unrelenting summer heat across much of the Prairies hurt seed production and has some farmers scrambling to secure the seed they need for the coming growing season.
“It hit crops hard and there was just no relief from it all summer,” said Mike Shewchuk, president of Saskatchewan Seed Growers’ Association (SSGA), in an interview in November. “It’s hard to say exactly what’s out there, but at this point we do know that numbers are down significantly.
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“We hate to see a farmer make a new contract or something and not be able to secure enough seed for it. It’s the reality that could be possible this year,” he added. “If anyone’s looking to get seed in April and are hoping to get what they want, it’s likely not going to happen.”
Another factor driving demand is farmers who normally use saved seed for their crop production may have had to put that seed into commercial grain markets to fulfil their contracts last year, figuring they could get certified seed to replace it, Shewchuk noted.
“But the certified seed market is also fairly depleted. It’ll be pretty tough this year, he said.
Shewchuk’s advice for grain producers was to talk to their seed retailers as soon as possible to let them know what seed they’re looking for.
“You might not get the first pick of the variety that you’re looking for. It might be the second or the third. And you might have to go a little bit farther than normal when buying some of the seed,” he said.
Seed more expensive
If farmers are successful in finding the seed they want, they’re likely going to pay more to get it.
“A retailer isn’t going to sell seed for less than the commercial grain is worth in the elevator,” said Shewchuk. “With the spike in commercial markets, the seed price is going to be affected as well and go up accordingly with the commercial grain prices.”
The executive director of the Manitoba Seed Growers’ Association (MSGA), Jennifer Seward, recommends producers try to book their seed and lock in a price as soon as they can. That’s because seed price is based on the pit price on the trading floor, and as those values rise so will the cost of seed.
“There is supply out there, and retailers and distributors are working hard to make sure they have enough supply of the varieties they need, but it’s important to talk to your retailer now so you aren’t disappointed,” Seward told Grainews in November.
Kelly Chambers, executive director of Alberta Seed Growers (ASA), agrees it’s a good idea for farmers to check in early with their local pedigreed seed grower.
“If they don’t have a supply, they may know where they are able to get one, and the distributors are working with their members to move supply around to where it’s needed,” Chambers said in November.
Contact information for all Alberta seed producers can be found on the ASA website.
New tool, SSGA
In Saskatchewan, the SSGA has a new tool that makes it easier for growers to track down the seed they need. The new tool is called the Interactive SaskSeed Guide, which you can find online.
The tool allows users to tailor their search to information relevant to their local area. Users select specific characteristics, generating a report that shows the varieties best suited for their regional conditions and also provides some additional details about the varieties.
From this report, when the variety is selected, the breeder, distributor and pedigreed seed grower who has the certified seed available are shown, along with a georeferenced map with the seed grower’s location.
Shewchuk said the mobile-friendly tool provides the convenience farmers are looking for these days.
“We live in an age of smartphones, and so much business is done out of your smartphone now,” he said. “There are a lot of varieties out there and this helps you narrow down your search for what you’re looking for.”
Shewchuk added the SSGA is continuing to update and streamline the interactive guide, which was launched last summer. “People are learning about it and we’re pretty excited to have it available.”
Seed for Manitoba growers
Farther east, the annual Seed Manitoba publication put out by the MSGA, Manitoba Agriculture and the Manitoba Co-operator is a valuable resource containing agronomic, disease resistance and quality data from regional variety evaluation trials. The year 2022 marks the 30th anniversary edition of the Seed Manitoba guide, which can be found online here.
Seward said Manitoba farmers who want to search further can try www.seedlocator.net, an online resource from the Canadian Seed Growers’ Association, which includes all of the producers with seed varieties and classes across the country.
