SaskFlax becomes newest organization to join Grain Growers of Canada

Nov 06, 2017

Saskatchewan produces the most flax in Canada

By Diego Flammini
News Reporter
Farms.com

A Saskatchewan-based farm organization has become the 13^th member of Grain Growers of Canada (GGC).

The Saskatchewan Flax Development Commission (SaskFlax), which represents the province’s flax farmers, joins 12 other GGC members, including Alberta Pulse Growers and Manitoba Corn Growers Association.

Becoming a member of GGC allows flax farmers to have a voice in Ottawa, according to Wayne Thompson, executive director of SaskFlax.

“We want to be part of the national discussions on agriculture,” he told Farms.com today. “Grain Growers of Canada provides one of those avenues to have discussions with the federal government.”

Saskatchewan flax production is estimated to be down this year compared to last year, according to Stats Canada.

The province’s flax farmers are expected to produce about 404,000 metric tons of flax in 2017, which is down from 473,000 metric tons the year before.

But despite the lower production, Saskatchewan still produces about 81 per cent of Canada’s flax. The crop is mostly exported to China, according to Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada.

SaskFlax believes its GGC membership can help expand crop trade and development, Thompson said.

“We are a commodity that exports a significant amount of its production, so we always need to look at trade issues,” he said. “We need to do more agronomy research and market development research as well. GGC can help us deliver those messages to the federal government.”

And GGC is happy to have SaskFlax as its newest member because the organization helps represent the range of Canada’s grain operations.

“We are excited to add this important voice around our table and further represent the true diversity of the grain industry in Ottawa,” Jeff Nielsen, president of GGC, said in a statement today.

Video: How farmers are protecting the soil and our food security | DW Documentary

For a long time, soil was all but ignored. But for years, the valuable humus layer has been thinning. Farmers in Brandenburg are clearly feeling the effects of this on their sandy fields. Many are now taking steps to prepare their farms for the future.

Years of drought, record rainfall and failed harvests: we are becoming increasingly aware of how sensitively our environment reacts to extreme weather conditions. Farmers' livelihoods are at stake. So is the ability of consumers to afford food.

For a few years now, agriculture that focuses solely on maximum yields has been regarded with increasing skepticism. It is becoming more and more clear just how dependent we are on healthy soils.

Brandenburg is the federal state with the worst soil quality in Germany. The already thin, fertile humus layer has been shrinking for decades. Researchers and farmers who are keen to experiment are combating these developments and looking for solutions. Priority is being given to building up the humus layer, which consists of microorganisms and fungi, as well as springtails, small worms and centipedes.

For Lena and Philipp Adler, two young vegetable farmers, the tiny soil creatures are invaluable helpers. On their three-hectare organic farm, they rely on simple, mechanical weed control, fallow areas where the soil can recover, and diversity. Conventional farmer Mark Dümichen also does everything he can to protect soil life on his land. For years, he has not tilled the soil after the harvest and sows directly into the field. His yields have stabilized since he began to work this way.

Isabella Krause from Regionalwert AG Berlin-Brandenburg is convinced after the experiences of the last hot summers that new crops will thrive on Brandenburg's fields in the long term. She has founded a network of farmers who are promoting the cultivation of chickpeas with support from the scientific community.