SASKATOON — It seems like every oilseed crop is vying to be a biofuel feedstock, with one notable exception. “Flax is kind of the odd man out,” said Dale Leftwich, policy manager for the Saskatchewan Flax Development Commission. He doesn’t know why that is the case. “I’m not sure what all of the reasons would […] Read more
Tag Archives Saskatchewan Flax Development Commission
Increasing flax yields faces genetic challenges
Researchers who want to optimize flax for seed production must backtrack on 8,000 years of agricultural development
SASKATOON — When Bunyamin Tar’an introduced a new flax variety, CDC Esme, to an audience of farmers, the question from the floor was immediate: what about the straw? “Similar to (CDC) Glas,” he said. “Almost all the plants have similar structure. A lot of the challenge with flax is that the straw is really, really […] Read more
Canola-flax merger gets final approval
SASKATOON — Saskatchewan’s canola and flax growers have voted to approve the amalgamation of their two grower groups. Resolutions were passed at both the Saskatchewan Canola Development Commission (SaskCanola) and Saskatchewan Flax Development Commission (SaskFlax) annual general meetings. “The collaborative efforts are expected to streamline operations, enhance research initiatives and provide a more cohesive voice […] Read more
Producer input sought on proposed flax-canola merger
Two Saskatchewan oilseed commissions are seeking feedback from growers on a possible amalgamation. The Saskatchewan Canola Development Commission and the Saskatchewan Flax Development Commission sent notices in the mail to farmers asking them to participate in an online survey. “Mostly, we want to find out if there’s any major concerns that maybe our boards haven’t […] Read more
Flax area expected to be smallest since 1950
Statistics Canada expects 689,000 acres of the crop will be planted this spring, an 11.6 percent drop from a year earlier
Greg Sundquist, chair of the Saskatchewan Flax Development Commission (SaskFlax), said flax is disease resistant compared to canola, as well as cheaper to grow and can be quite profitable. He said the lack of flax acres will become a temporary setback.
