Pulse industry founder John Buchan died Nov. 27 from cancer due to asbestos exposure.
Buchan became Canada’s first provincial special crops specialist when he took on a new position created at Saskatchewan Agriculture in 1974.
In that role he helped set the building blocks for a Saskatchewan industry that would grow to more than five million acres from 100,000 acres when he started the job. He was particularly influential in getting the lentil industry off the ground.
“John used a lot of enthusiasm and physical labour on his own part to get some risk-taking growers to try lentils,” said Ray McVicar, Saskatchewan Agriculture’s current special crops specialist.
Read Also
Canola oil transloading facility opens
DP World just opened its new canola oil transload facility at the Port of Vancouver. It can ship one million tonnes of the commodity per year.
“I know he went out and sat on a tractor and helped guys spray to help get this new crop going.”
Buchan also spearheaded the creation of the province’s pulse grower group along with well-known University of Saskatchewan Crop Development Centre breeder Al Slinkard.
He served as secretary-treasurer on the original 1976 board of what would turn into Saskatchewan Pulse Growers. In 1981 he became director of Saskatchewan Agriculture’s crop development branch, a position he held until 2002.
Buchan finished his career with the department as a biofuels specialist, researching yet another new agriculture venture for the province.
