NOVEMBER 2026 SEEDWORLD.COM/CANADA 11 ers can invest several seasons increasing a variety only to discover that demand little advantage in another. Seed grow ers can invest several seasons increasing a variety only to discover that demand does not justify the certified-seed pre mium. That experience is one reason SSGA leaders believe seed growers need a stronger voice in decisions affecting breeding, variety testing, registration and research infrastructure. From Opposing a Closure to Proposing a Future The announced closure of the Indian Head and Scott research farms brought that role into public view. In July, the federal and Saskatchewan governments signed a memorandum of understanding to explore interim arrangements that could keep agricul tural activity underway while Ottawa proceeds with the disposal process. The agreement did not guarantee a con tinuing research mandate, but it created room for Saskatchewan agriculture to help shape what comes next. For SSGA President Nick Petruic, the episode demonstrated that pedigreed seed growers are not isolated from the concerns of the wider farm community. “We are still all farmers in baseline agriculture. We’re just a specialized branch,” he says. “We’re right in the trenches with everybody else trying to move this big wheel forward.” It also showed Petruic that an association does not need to wait until every answer is known before enter ing an important conversation. As he approaches the end of his two-year presidency, the 41-year-old Avonlea-area seed grower says one of his biggest lessons is that influence does not come from a title alone. Putting a Price on Older Genetics Protecting the research pipeline is only part of the challenge. The association also wants more of the genetics already moving through that pipeline to reach farmers sooner. Unlike machinery, a variety does not physically wear out. Unless lodging, disease or another agronomic weakness becomes severe enough to force a change, farmers may see little reason to move away from something familiar. “If you have a desirable result with your seed, maybe it can be perceived as risky to change that up,” Petruic says. “But ultimately, I think we’ve all seen that there is enough really good value in some of these genetics, whether it be new traits or new yield stability, that farmers should really be looking at them.” SSGA is working with University of Saskatchewan researchers to quantify that value. The association-supported project is examining the financial cost of slow variety adoption and the yield potential farmers may be leaving on the table by planting varieties that are 10 or 20 years old. Preliminary findings presented at the association’s January 2026 annual meeting suggested that the annual cost of slow adoption in spring wheat, durum, red lentils and yellow peas could run into the hundreds of millions of dollars. The researchers are also examining the barri ers preventing farmers from trying newer varieties and possible ways to reduce that risk. A New Generation Steps Up That progressive spirit will carry into the association’s next leadership chapter. Vice-President Alica Chalmers, 34, has farmed since she was 16 and is part of Seed Source, a family-operated pedigreed seed, food-production and agronomy business near Archerwill in northeast ern Saskatchewan. She also works with summer students from the University of Saskatchewan and Lakeland College, giving her a close view of the people preparing to enter the industry. Chalmers says the association’s rela tionship with government has changed noticeably since she joined its board. “It’s a totally different vibe, which is good. I think it’s great that we’re having those meetings and having these discus sions. It’s time.” As she prepares for a possible move into the president’s role, Chalmers has had the benefit of watching Petruic guide the association through the Indian Head debate and its growing involvement in agricultural policy. “I’ve entered this at a very good time, where I’m able to observe before I get into that role,” she says. “Nick has done such great work that it’s good to be able to sit back, listen and give my two cents when it’s needed.” Alica Chalmers, incoming president of the Saskatchewan Seed Growers’ Association, says the association’s relationship with government has changed noticeably since she joined its board. Nick Petruic is the current president of the SSGA.
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