The newly formed Canaryseed Association of Canada is eager to get a checkoff in place.
“We want to proceed as quickly as possible, keeping in mind that there must be thorough consultation with the growers and the industry,” said association president Ken Schikowski.
Details on the proposed checkoff are scant other than it will be a refundable levy collected on canaryseed sold in Saskatchewan.
The group doesn’t know how much would be taken off producer cheques or what agency would administer it.
“At the moment we’re not even sure. We just decided we needed to do something,” Schikowski said.
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Establishing a checkoff was an idea that emerged last summer but it was formalized at the first meeting of the association’s board of directors held April 16 in Saskatoon.
The goal is to fund research that will produce superior varieties and create an alternative market for the crop in human food applications.
Canaryseed is now sold exclusively as bird feed.
“We want to improve the agronomics and economics of canaryseed,” Schikowski said.
“The checkoff is not meant to expand acreage and production. This is a minor acreage crop with a limited market. Overproduction can lead to dramatic price reductions.”
Prairie farmers seeded 620,000 acres of the crop in the 2003, 90 percent of which was sown in Saskatchewan.
It is not known how many canaryseed growers reside in the province where the proposed levy will be assessed.
This presents a dilemma since the association must prove to Saskatchewan Agriculture that the majority of growers are in favour of the checkoff.
Schikowski doesn’t know how they will resolve that issue.
The plan is to hold a couple of late July meetings in conjunction with crop tours in the Indian Head and Elrose areas followed by a few winter gatherings. Growers attending those events will be asked to vote on the proposed refundable levy.
A series of meetings held in 2003 indicated there was strong support for the idea.
Schikowski said growers recognize the need for producer money to trigger government investment in the industry.
He is hopeful a checkoff could be in place in time for the 2005-06 crop year.
In other canaryseed news, the Canadian Grain Commission is close to a decision on whether to add the crop to the list of 21 others eligible for payment protection under the Canada Grain Act.
Growers who delivered canaryseed to Naber Seed and Grain Co. Ltd. lost thousands of dollars when the Melfort, Sask., specialty crops processor went into receivership in 2002.
That prompted the commission to consider expanding its list of eligible crops to include canaryseed. Commission spokesperson Paul Graham said that process is nearing completion.
“The person I talked to in policy is hopeful it will be on the commission agenda within the next three to four weeks.”
