New soy group established

Reading Time: < 1 minute

Published: September 18, 2014

Politicians in Ottawa will have one more farm voice bending their ears in the coming months.

Soy Canada held its inaugural meeting Aug. 22.

The new organization will be focused on developing national policy for the soybean industry, funding agronomic research and conducting market development work.

“I’ve been involved in farm politics and policy for the last 20 years, and this one has got a lot of enthusiasm,” said Ernie Sirski, vice-chair of Soy Canada.

“It’s exciting to be part of. It’s part of a growth industry.”

Read Also

 clubroot

Going beyond “Resistant” on crop seed labels

Variety resistance is getting more specific on crop disease pathogens, but that information must be conveyed in a way that actually helps producers make rotation decisions.

Canadian growers planted 5.5 million acres of soybeans this year. Acres have almost reached their capacity in Quebec and Ontario, and the growth is all out West.

Growers in Sirski’s home province of Manitoba planted 1.25 million acres of the oilseed this year. Another 280,000 acres were seeded in Saskatchewan.

Soy Canada is arising out of the ashes of the Canadian Soybean Council, which was established in 2005.

That organization has been dissolved and the remaining funds rolled into Soy Canada. Sirski said the former national organization didn’t place much emphasis on policy or research.

The new national body represents 27 organizations, including producer groups, seed developers, crushers and exporters.

All of the organizations will contribute to a checkoff that will provide core funding for Soy Canada to pay for staff and office space.

Grower groups in Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba and Saskatchewan will pay five cents per tonne of soybeans produced in their provinces.

About the author

Sean Pratt

Sean Pratt

Reporter/Analyst

Sean Pratt has been working at The Western Producer since 1993 after graduating from the University of Regina’s School of Journalism. Sean also has a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Saskatchewan and worked in a bank for a few years before switching careers. Sean primarily writes markets and policy stories about the grain industry and has attended more than 100 conferences over the past three decades. He has received awards from the Canadian Farm Writers Federation, North American Agricultural Journalists and the American Agricultural Editors Association.

explore

Stories from our other publications