PARTNER CONTENT
VUAs: A Critical Piece of 
Canada’s Ag Future
W
hether we’re looking one year out or 20, the 
strength of our industry depends on the quality 
of the genetics we have access to. They drive yield, 
resilience, and ultimately the long-term profitability of 
the farms we support. That’s exactly why CANTERRA 
SEEDS stands behind Variety Use Agreements (VUAs) 
becoming an important part of the conversation about 
where Canadian agriculture goes next.
Today, much of Canada’s wheat is still built on genet­
ics developed many years ago. Some of our most widely 
grown varieties were bred more than a decade ago and 
continue to make up a significant share of acres. At the 
same time, investment in breeding is trending down­
ward, Certified Seed use remains modest, and the future 
of public breeding continues to be under pressure with 
the recent announcements out of AAFC. 
While Canada has seen success with its current 
breeding system, other countries are moving ahead. 
Global breeding leaders are investing in sustainable and 
transparent systems that support reinvestment and com­
petition. Without change, Canada risks falling behind 
and missing out on improved genetics developed for our 
growing conditions. Our overall productivity and global 
competitiveness need to remain a priority. 
This is where VUAs come in.
Yes, VUAs require a royalty when farmers save and 
reuse seed from certain Certified varieties. I understand 
why this is a sensitive issue. No one wants added costs, 
and many believe innovation should be funded entirely 
by seed companies or public institutions.
By: Brent 
Derkatch, 
President & 
CEO, CANTERRA 
SEEDS
But without VUAs, breeders can only reinvest through 
the royalties earned on Certified Seed sales. With CWRS 
Certified Seed use around 29 per cent, that model does 
not provide enough funding for the investment required 
to drive meaningful progress. A breeding program must 
invest for more than 10 years before it has an opportu­
nity to generate any revenue, and what farmers pay in 
VUA’s today reflects the cumulative investment made by 
breeders over many years.
As VUA royalties flow back into breeding programs, 
they support the continued development of higher yield­
ing, more resilient varieties with improved disease and 
stress tolerance. VUAs also help create a more competi­
tive environment that attracts investment from breeding 
programs of all sizes, both public and private, to deliver 
varieties farmers want to use.
Some say the current system isn’t broken, and current 
yields may give that impression. But relying on aging 
genetics and declining investment is a growing risk. If 
things don’t change, Canadian farmers will remain at a 
competitive disadvantage, with fewer options than farm­
ers in other countries. As the Canadian Wheat Research 
Coalition noted in its recent report, “status quo is not an 
option” if Canada is to remain competitive in the years 
ahead.
Wheat breeding is a long-term process, and the 
choices made today will shape Canadian agriculture for 
decades. That’s why I see this as a both a challenge and, 
as importantly, an opportunity: for all of us together to 
strengthen the system, support innovation, and ensure 
Canadian farmers remain competitive on a global stage. 
It starts with leadership from people like you.
JULY 2026  SEEDWORLD.COM/CANADA   21

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