It is unclear whether canaryseed will benefit from the good fortunes of a related crop, says an industry official.
The United Nations has declared 2023 as the International Year of Millet.
Millet is often used in conjunction with canaryseed in birdseed mixes, so the fate of the two crops is intertwined in that market.
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But millet is increasingly being used as a food ingredient and that is where the excitement is being generated, according to a recent bakingbusiness.com article.
“It’s already a staple in India and Africa and is one of the world’s oldest cultivated crops,” Matthew Schueller, director of marketing insights and analytics for Ardent Mills, told the publication.
“We anticipate the UN’s declaration will inspire consumers in regions where this grain isn’t as common to try new recipes with this nutrient-packed ancient grain.”
The millet industry hopes the UN designation will do for millet what the 2013 International Year of Quinoa did for that crop.
North American quinoa demand has been growing at a clip of 19.2 percent per year since 2010, according to the bakingbusiness.com article.
Millet can be used as a topping on baked products or to create a gluten-free flour for making bread, wraps and flatbreads. It typically comprises about 10 percent of the total flour mix in those recipes.
Millet got a big boost recently as a sesame seed substitute when the U.S. Food and Drug Administration named sesame as the ninth major allergen.
Food companies are mandated to declare sesame as an ingredient on food labels starting Jan. 1, 2023, according to the bakingbusiness.com article.
Kevin Hursh, executive director of the Canary Seed Development Commission of Saskatchewan, wasn’t aware that the UN has designated 2023 the International Year of Millet and is unsure if the canaryseed sector will be able to ride on the anticipated new wave of demand for millet.
“I don’t know if that’s a reasonable expectation or whether it would be completely a one-off,” said Hursh, adding it is an interesting development to monitor.
The commission obtained human food approval for dehulled canaryseed in Canada and the United States in 2016 but generating interest in the commodity has been a slog.
“It has been a frustratingly slow process to actually get traction and get any amount used within the human food market,” said Hursh.
Two families have set up a dehulling operation at the Wiens Seed Farm near Herschel, Sask., so there is ability to supply the food market.
InfraReady Products of Saskatoon can also supply flour and meal, while Purely Canada Foods has been exploring canaryseed as an ingredient in other food products.
“We keep hoping that somebody will take it up and want it as an ingredient in something they’re doing in the plant protein market,” said Hursh.
Just because canaryseed and millet can be used as substitutes in the birdseed market doesn’t mean they have similar nutritional and functional attributes in the food market, he added.
Statistics Canada did not produce a canaryseed production estimate in its August report. Hursh said he doesn’t pay much attention to the official canaryseed production number.
“We continue to sell more canaryseed than Statscan says exists and that happens year after year,” he said.
Hursh believes acres are down compared to last year, but yields are better. They are not much better in the west-central region, but they are definitely improved in the Regina/Moose Jaw area and in the northeast of the province.
Nobody has a good handle on carryout. High prices flushed out some decades-old supplies but there still appears to be more in the system, he said.
Prices of 39 to 40 cents per pound have generated returns similar to other cereal crops but nothing that stands out.
Hursh said a real head-scratcher is that export numbers are similar to last year, yet levies based on sales are down significantly.
That will likely be a topic of discussion when the commission holds its annual general meeting in Regina on Dec. 14, breaking its longstanding ties with Saskatoon’s Crop Production Week in January.
Contact sean.pratt@producer.com
