Support for Canaryseed Check-Off

SASKATOON - Jan 10/045 - SNS -- Producers attending this year's meeting of the Canaryseed Association of Canada approved creation of a refundable check-off for market development and agronomic research.

The "informal vote" at the association's meeting during the Crop Production Week here was 66 in favor and 21 opposed with two spoiled ballots, the group said. Of those expressing an opinion, 76% were in favor.

The survey was preceded by an explanation of the proposed check-off by Ken Schikowski, a Regina area canaryseed producer who is serving as president of the Canaryseed Association of Canada. He outlined a budget based on the check-off being set at $1.75 per metric ton (MT) of canaryseed marketed.

Saskatchewan is the top producer and exporter of canaryseed in the world. The crop is used exclusively as a bird feed. The development proposal includes an examination of whether canaryseed has a place in the human food market and then getting the necessary approvals.

"Some producers at the meeting expressed concern that a refundable check-off and the development of a producer-controlled commission could result in too much production for available markets," noted Schikowski. "That is not our intention and we are pleased that most producers in attendance want to move forward with a check-off."

Producers will have another opportunity to hear about the check-off proposal and express their opinions at the annual meeting of the Canaryseed Association of Canada. That meeting is scheduled for February 10 at Eston, Saskatchewan. That's the heart of one of the main canaryseed growing areas in the province.

If producers continue to support the concept, it may be possible to have a canaryseed check-off established for the beginning of the new crop year in August of 2005.

According to Statistics Canada, Saskatchewan farmers seeded 840,000 acres of canaryseed in 2004, as compared to 30,000 acres in Manitoba and 10,000 acres in Alberta. After greater than average production in 2004, prices have declined to around 11 cents per pound.