SASKATOON – Canada’s sunflower growers are a quiet bunch. But that could change if plans to form a Canadian Sunflower Association take shape later this month.
“There’s an association representing every other crop these days,” said Clarence Leschied from Keystone Grain, a sunflower processor in Winkler, Man.
Leschied said having an official association gives growers a voice in dealing with the government or other organizations. A voice Canadian sunflower growers don’t have now.
But Arthur Jakes, who grows sunflowers near Buffalo, Alta., said he doesn’t think he will join the group.
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“There’s only so many contracts available,” said Jakes. And with few sunflower growers spread out across the Prairies, he doesn’t know what advantage the group would be.
But Leschied said interest in such a group is demonstrated by the 65 to 70 Canadian farmers who already receive National Sunflower Association publications.
Like the American National Sunflower Association they would be affiliated with, the Canadian group would advocate sunflower consumption and growing at home and abroad.
Leschied said Canadian sunflower growers need an association now that they have the opportunity to ship oil sunflowers into the United States.
American crushers restricted in past
In the past, the Sunflower Oil Assistance Program restricted American crushers from importing Canadian sunflowers. But the program was suspended over a year ago and National Sunflower Association director Larry Kleingartner doesn’t expect it to begin again.
And the American market isn’t the only market open to Canadian sunflowers. Leschied said he has had inquiries from Poland, Italy and some Mediterranean countries.
Besides promoting sunflower consumption, an association would also promote growing sunflowers. Leschied hopes that would solve what he sees as a shortage of domestic sunflowers.
While Canada grows about 150,000 acres of sunflowers per year, Keystone Grain has had to buy sunflowers from the U.S. in the past, he said. They would like to see up to 200,000 acres of sunflowers planted on the Prairies annually.
Canola prices a factor
One of the problems for sunflower growers is the price of canola. Sunflowers and canola suffer from the same diseases and shouldn’t be grown in rotation.
Because canola prices are high now, many farmers that could grow sunflowers choose to grow canola.
In fact, the Canadian sunflower crop was down 40 percent last year over the year before, said Leschied.
Another problem is the misconception that sunflowers are difficult to grow. Today, with solid seeding, farmers can use equipment they already have.
For Jakes, the choice to grow sunflowers was an easy one. With a local buyer for his crop, he can avoid the expense of shipping the crop on the rail lines. His crop is always abundant and of good quality. Last year he earned about $575 per acre on his sunflowers.
Jakes also noticed the crop following sunflowers in his rotation does well.
Sunflower production and a discussion about a Canadian Sunflower Association will be part of the Sunflowers for Profit seminar in Winkler, Man. Organized by Keystone Grain, Leschied hopes to form an small committee at the Nov. 20 seminar.
From there, the committee could work at putting the Canadian association together.
