Farmscape for January 28, 2008  (Episode 2729)

The Western Feed Grain Development Co-op hopes to have new high yielding high starch lines of wheat available for distribution to its members by 2009.

Formed in 2005, the focus of the Western Feed Grain Development Co-op is to breed high yielding starchy wheats suitable specifically for the ethanol and livestock industries.

Under the co-op model members are able to distribute seed among themselves that might not otherwise be available.

Co-op Chairman David Rourke notes, under the current regulatory system, it's often difficult to get novel starchy high yielding wheats registered.

Clip-David Rourke-Western Feed Grain Development Co-op 

As a private farmer I can certainly breed a variety for myself, grow it on my farm and feed it to my hogs.

The co-op is essentially an extension of that model where we each own equal membership of the germ plasm, we all pay for it as we develop it so we can, as farmers, have the ability to develop it and grow it on our farms.

It is illegal to sell unlicensed varieties of grain in western Canada.

We know that a number of people have brought U.S. varieties up over the years and I don't think that's really caused any harm to the industry cause people tend to be fairly responsible even with those.

Certainly with our membership they have to sign a declaration saying they will not put any of these grains into any export class of grains.

I think the industry is moving very quickly to make sure that farmers are accountable.

Even in the last few years when any farmer takes a load of grain into the elevator they always keep a sample and make sure it's essentially what he says it is.

I think that, based on contractual law and good moral judgment, farmers won't contaminate the system and things should go pretty smoothly I think.

Rourke says the co-op is multiplying and testing  four lines.

He expects commercial volumes of seed to be available for distribution among members by 2009.

For Farmscape.Ca, I'm Bruce Cochrane.

-David Rourke addressed the 2008 Banff Pork Seminar earlier this month

       *Farmscape is a presentation of Sask Pork and Manitoba Pork Council