GFO Newsletter for March 2016
GET THE LATEST NEWS FROM GRAIN FARMERS OF ONTARIO
NEW DATABASE FOR PBR
The Canadian Seed Trade Association has created a new database for Plant Breeder Rights (PBR). The intent of the website is to assist stakeholders along the value chain to easily identify PBR protection on crop varieties registered for sale in Canada. Farmers are encouraged to use the database to understand what varieties currently fall under the new regulations associated with UPOV 91.
The database can be found at the following URL: http://cdnseed.org/library/crop-kinds-database/
For more information on UPOV 91 please visit www.PBRfacts.ca.
APPEAL HEARING ON MARCH 9, 2016
Grain Farmers of Ontario is appealing the dismissal of our case surrounding the Ontario government’s new seed treatment regulations. On Jan. 11, we received notice that our appeal will be heard on Wednesday, March 9, 2016. We also hope to have our request for a stay on the regulations and interpretation of the regulations heard at this time. •
PMRA REPORT CONFIRMS VALUE OF NEONICOTINOIDS
A new report, released January 6, 2016, by Canada’s Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA), confirms the value of neonicotinoid seed treatments used on corn and soybeans in Ontario.
The report expresses that the potential economic benefits at the farm level can be “critical to crop production in cases where pest pressures would require the producer to replant the entire crop, or when several pests are present in a given field, or when the pest affects end product marketability”.
In the same PMRA report, it is stated: “identifying pest pressure poses considerable challenges for growers” and “the value of these seed treatments could be substantial for affected growers”.
Grain Farmers of Ontario agrees with these key statements and continues to struggle with the Ontario government’s seed treatment regulations, which include impractical methods and timelines for pest identification. It is evident, and now confirmed by the PMRA, that there is significant and sometimes critical need for neonicotinoid seed treatments on corn and soybeans in Ontario.
The report is available online at: gfo.ca/Protecting Pollinators.
MARKET COMMENTARY
by Philip Shaw
The January United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) report often serves as a lightening rod for market action. The 2015 crop size had grown bigger throughout successive USDA reports in 2015. The January 12, 2016 USDA report went the opposite way, actually cutting 2015, which was a mild surprise to the market. The USDA reduced the U.S. corn crop to 13.6 billion bushels. The national yield was reduced to 168.4 bu/acre, from 169.3 in their December estimate. The USDA set the U.S. soybean crop at 3.93 billion bushels with a national yield reduced to 48 bu/acre.
The Canadian dollar remains the story for Ontario grain prices at .7210 US as of February 7. It has gained 4 cents from a low of 68 cents U.S. on January 20. This three-week appreciation has narrowed basis values. •
