Canola convention looking to long term

Source: Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food

The big players in one of the most significant Saskatchewan crops will be meeting at a national conference this month to strategize on the future of their industry.

More than 200 people representing all facets of the canola industry, including growers, input suppliers, crushers, processors, exporters, researchers, regulators and marketers, will converge at the national “Canola – Growing Great 2015” conference to discuss a strategic plan for the booming crop between now and 2015.

Canola is a multi-billion dollar industry, the impact of which continues to expand in Saskatchewan. Canola production last year in the province was nearly four million tonnes.

Saskatchewan Canola Growers President Darin Egert will be attending the conference in Victoria, B.C. from March 20 to 23, and says it will be an important event for the industry.

“This convention will attract the whole industry, from the growers to the crushers to the grain companies to the final product producers, so you are mixing with everyone in the entire canola industry,” Egert said. “It’s the place to be.”

The convention is focused on exploring the mega-trends in food and fuel in North America and around the world.

Egert says developing a strategy that looks as far ahead as 2015 is the right approach.

“I think the canola industry has always had a long-term view. The goals have to be pretty long-term to get all the steps that have to be taken, such as increasing yield, increasing oil content, and increasing the amount of acres that can be seeded through different agronomic practice and different varieties,” Egert stated.

“So it’s something you don’t want to rush into. We want to make sure we do everything in the right order so that we are not oversupplying.”

The conference speakers’ list is both distinguished and international. Laurie Demeritt, president of the Hartman Group, and David Hughes, professor emeritus of food marketing at Imperial College in London, will address food trends.

The editor of Oil World, Thomas Mielke of Hamburg, Germany, and Greg Webb of Archer Daniels Midland, will lead the discussion of biofuels, present and future.

Jim Williams, president of WTRG Economics in Arkansas, will talk about the relationship of the petroleum and renewable fuel industries in North America.

Syngenta is the lead sponsor, with partner sponsors BASF, Bayer CropScience, Cargill Limited, the Canadian Canola Growers Association, Monsanto Canada, and Pioneer Hi-Bred. Other sponsors are Archer Daniels Midland, Bunge, Louis Dreyfus, Dow AgroSciences, Mitsui and Company, RBC Royal Bank, and TD Canada Trust Agriculture Services.

More details, as well as registration information, can be found on the conference website at www.canola-council.org/conference/index.htm.

For more information, contact:

Darin Egert, President
Saskatchewan Canola Growers Association
Phone: (306) 937-2005

Diane Wreford, Assistant Vice-President, Public Affairs
Canola Council of Canada
Phone: (204) 982-2108
Email: wrefordd@canola-council.org