University of Manitoba brassica breeder Rob Duncan is one breeder who knows the benefits that come from private sector investment in the breeding sphere. “There is probably nothing more motivating or exciting than going out and seeing a variety that you played a role in or you had a hand in developing, on thousands of acres. That’s really what motivates me, developing those cultivars that can hopefully benefit farmers.” Another unfolding development in Canada’s seed industry is regulatory change around grain that farmers divert from their operation to use as seed the next season — commonly referred to as farm-saved seed — in order to promote more investment. Parker says his organization is “very much interested” in models that result in a better rate of return for breeders. “We’re exploring that right now,” he says, “and are in consultation with the value chain as a whole.” Parker adds the seed industry is also being impacted by a strong desire by the current federal government to boost output of Canadian farms. “Our government has a real priority to increase the productivity of our ag sector,” he notes. “We see plenty of opportunities of growth through trade in the next few years, so it’s a very ambitious agenda to drive up our pro- portion of GDP that’s in agriculture to over two per cent over the next 10 years. Frankly, there is no better way to do that than investments in plant breeding, because it’s those innovations that amplify and magnify up through the value chain. So, producers benefit, there’s higher levels of productivity and yield, you can export more product, you can have more end-use characteristics that are in demand by the market. It really is an important way to grow our agriculture sector.” Specific Plan of Action To manage this and more of the industry change ahead, Nyborg says CSGA must create “a detailed roadmap” with which to move forward. “I think CSGA is well positioned to do that,” he reports. “We have a very informed board, a newly-revitalized board, with five vibrant seed grow- ers and five provincial advisers as well. We have clear strategic direction from our strategic plan and it seems our membership wants to be involved with that. And that what it’s going to take.” JANUARY 2019 GERMINATION.CA 9 ANTHONY PARKER is commissioner for Canada's Plant Breeders' Rights Office, his mandate being to advance legislative changes to Canada`s PBR Act. Prior to working for the CFIA, he worked for many years at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada`s corn breeding program. JONATHAN NYBORG is president of the Canadian Seed Growers' Association and a New Brunswick-based seed grower. He is general manager of Nyborg Farms and as CSGA president represents an organization that advances the interests of 3,500 seed growers. KELLY CHAMBERS is executive director for the Alberta Seed Growers. She came to ASG from a position as market development and research coordinator at Alberta Barley. She spent several years as a soil technician at AAFC's Swift Current research station. ROB DUNCAN leads the Brassica breeding program at the University of Manitoba. His breeding team concentrates on breeding for improvements in seed quality, disease resistance and several agronomic traits. TOM GREAVES is president of Manitoba's Pitura Seeds, which recently broke ground on the largest family-owned pedigreed seed processing operation in Western Canada. The cleaning facility will process 800 to 1,000 bushels per hour, and will focus on cereals and soybeans.