Saskatchewan grower says farmers must take a more active role in developing new varieties to improve production
A southern Saskatchewan farmer is espousing the need to co-operate with researchers and even take the lead in developing new varieties to better improve crops on the Prairies.
Ernest Anderson farms in the province’s southwest and is working with University of Calgary researchers on how to increase the protein content of yellow peas.
“Pulses don’t need fertilizer and they are carbon friendly so they’re working on how to get more pulses that farmers will grow and these yellow peas, if we can get the protein way up on them, more guys grow them because they’ll make more money,” said Anderson.
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He said pulses are also resistant to grasshoppers, which can plague dry regions.
Anderson said researchers need farmers to grow different varieties to take them out of research centres and put them in real-world conditions.
“If we can get the protein up to where we can get $14, $15 per bushel for these (yellow peas), I’d grow more of them,” he said. “Everyone wants protein. Protein is valuable.”
Anderson, at 78 years old, is not looking to slow down in helping researchers. He is also working with different varieties of canola, as well as chickpeas.
With canola, Anderson said he’s sponsoring research looking to use genes from kochia, which help the weed to grow almost anywhere, and put it in canola to make it salt tolerant.
“I’m in my third year of that,” said Anderson. “That’s my baby and what I’m paying (researchers) to do.”
If he is successful, “the farmers will be able to keep their own seed,” Anderson said.
He’s not happy with the situation where producers must buy new seed every year.
“I’m not interested in making a $100 billion a year. If I can make my money and a million bucks on it, that’s good enough. Let the farmers reap the benefit.”
There are matching grant programs from governments that can assist producers with development. Anderson said even though he spends more than he is gaining financially so far, he’s committed to continuing his efforts.
“I’ve always been the first on everything,” he said. “I like doing new things. So far, I haven’t made any money but hopefully someday I will. So far, I’ve just spent money but so what? It’s in the name of agriculture.”
