Saskatchewan seed growers are looking for ways to protect their industry’s reputation.
At a panel discussion hosted by the Saskatchewan Seed Growers Association during Crop Production Week in Saskatoon, SSGA members discussed potential strategies aimed at ensuring that pedigreed seed meets the expectations of commercial grain producers. They also want to ensure that seed quality concerns are addressed.
Potential strategies include seed warranties, education campaigns and mediation in the event of a seed failure.
The production of pedigreed seed is a highly regulated industry, and seed that is sold to farmers must be tested to ensure varietal purity, germination levels and the absence of weeds and disease.
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Nevertheless, failures can occur, and seed grower Les Trowell of Saltcoats, Sask., said the industry could benefit from a system that protects buyers and ensures their satisfaction.
Trowell said pedigreed seed can pass through many hands before it reaches a commercial grain grower.
Contract seed production is becoming a common practice in the industry, he added. That means certified seed growers have less control over the production process.
As well, after seed is harvested, its integrity can be jeopardized by transporters, processors, seed treatment applicators, warehousers, distributers, retailers and custom applicators.
“A lot can happen to that seed, but as seed growers, our fingerprints are all over that grain, right to the end,” he said.
“It’s not really common (that a failure occurs), but it can happen.”
Dale Adolphe, executive director of the Canadian Seed Growers Association, said the seed industry has worked hard to develop a reputation among commercial grain producers.
The blue tag that denotes certified seed is widely recognized as an assurance of quality, he said. However, the industry should be prepared to deal with problems and consider steps that ensure an isolated problem does not sully the entire industry.
“(Failures are) going to happen no matter how good the system is,” Adolphe said.
“There are still going to be errors. And there is still going to be mishandling no matter how good the education is … but I think we can work harder.”
Seed growers who attended the panel discussion suggested a variety of measures that could protect the industry, enhance customer satisfaction and reduce the potential for litigation.
Options included:
- An education campaign aimed at informing seed growers and commercial grain producers about proper handling and storage techniques.
- The establishment of a formal mediation committee to hear customer complaints and address customer concerns.
- The inclusion of a written warranty on seed invoices, outlining seed buyers’ rights and obligations.
- Training programs for seed handlers and contract seed producers.
- Stricter adherence to and/or maintenance of existing industry regulations, particularly those pertaining to land use restrictions for pedigreed seed growers.
Lynden Butler, a commercial grain grower from Marcelin, Sask., said farmers who buy pedigreed seed understand that mistakes can happen.
He recently had a problem involving impurities in a batch of pedigreed malting barley seed.
His concerns were eventually addressed, but the lack of a formal resolution process caused frustration.
“I don’t think (I have) a lack of confidence in the blue tag …. It was more the process of having the issue resolved,” Butler said.
“There was a lot of confusion in between the time that I was able to get a hold of the seed growers association and the point that I actually got any type of reasonable response from the seed grower.”
He said educating people about the seed growing process, its regulations and the rights and responsibilities of growers and buyers would help address confidence issues.
