Remember years ago, when canola was always referred to as the “Cinderella crop.”
I think that had something about it coming from nowhere and winning everyone over at the ball. From non-existence it has emerged to become prairie farmers’ number one most loved crop, the first crop on every farmer’s valentine’s list.
As the father of three daughters I know quite a lot about Cinderella now, and I must say the crop these days seems more like the Empress crop and not just a princess any more, so I suppose that metaphor will have to be adapted somewhat, now she reigns supreme.
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To amuse (annoy?) my eldest (almost four year old) daughter, I talk about “Cindarockinrella,” which provokes her to immediately note that “You made a mistake, dad!,” but in the crops realm, canola really is rocking out bigtime. The acreage has exploded, the yields have shot through the roof and it’s now a hardy crop, which is hard to believe.
In the last week I’ve called a bunch of people about the state of the prairie canola crop, and while everyone notes that it’s a dog’s breakfast of conditions, the one thing we know about canola is that it is really tough and can bounce back. That’s bizarre, because just a few years ago I remember everyone talking about what a weak and touchy crop it was. Toughness was not something you would have attributed to it.
But the crop has bounded ahead, and who knows where it will go?
Well, I’m about to speak to two fellows who might know. Or at least have among the best guesses in the world. In less than an hour I’m going to be interviewing the global chairman and CEO of Bunge and the North American division’s CEO, and being people who are investing large amounts of money in a canola crusher expansion at Altona, they have obviously studied this crop and the ability of prairie farmers and the industry to continually boost acreage and yields.
I remember when Richardson International and Louis Dreyfus Canada both announced their plans to build new facilities, and companies like Bunge and ADM announced expansions for theirs, and lots of smart people who knew lots about canola were skeptical that the prairies could produce enough crop to supply everyone. But the signs now are that everyone’s going to be able to get what they need, and that’s an incredible testimony to the genetic possibilities of canola, to the abilities of breeders, the skills of farmers and the power of the industry to produce and move the crop.
So where can canola go from here? That’s what I’m going to be asking the gentlemen from Bunge.
