Sunflower session explores future of industry

Source: Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food

Sunflowers will be in the spotlight at an upcoming event.

The day-long information session and tour will be held June 27 at the Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Experimental Farm in Saskatoon.

Ray McVicar with Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food says the session is targeted to both producers who grow sunflowers already and those who are interested in adding sunflowers to their crop rotation.

The recent Census of Agriculture indicates there were 15,800 acres of sunflower grown in Saskatchewan in 2006, and McVicar feels the crop has a lot of potential.

“It has been a crop that has regularly provided a good economic return, and it is a broad leaf crop that could fit well into rotations with cereal crops,” he stated.

McVicar says building local markets for sunflowers would help boost the acreage.

“We have a few good sunflower processors and buyers in the province, but we need additional markets and uses. Much of the product has to be shipped out of province, so freight costs are a factor holding back the crop,” he noted.

That is one of the issues the information session will get into, with discussion about new uses and new varieties to drive the future of the sunflower industry in Saskatchewan.

“There will be a presentation on potential new uses for sunflower, such as livestock feed, bio-diesel and other possible applications. Then we will also have a chance to look at the variety trials and the research plots that are going on at the Agriculture Canada Research Station at Saskatoon,” McVicar said.

The free session is hosted by the Saskatchewan Sunflower Committee and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, and sponsored by NuFarm Canada.

It runs from 10:45 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and also includes a tour of the University of Saskatchewan’s College of Engineering Laboratory to look at processing research.

Anyone interested in attending should pre-register by June 22 by contacting Ray McVicar by phone at (306) 787-4665 or e-mail at rmcvicar@agr.gov.sk.ca.

For information, contact:

Ray McVicar P.Ag
Provincial Specialist – Specialized Crops
Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food
Phone: (306) 787-4665
E-mail: rmcvicar@agr.gov.sk.ca