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By Alice McFarlane

Growing soybeans in northern climates

The untapped potential of northern soybeans in Canada

Dec 22, 2023 | 11:57 AM

There is plenty of opportunity for growth of soybean production in Canada.

That was the primary topic at the second Northern Soybean Summit.The virtual event brought together representatives across the soybean value chain to share the latest insights on soybeans from the northern Canadian growing regions of Manitoba, northern Ontario, northern Quebec and Saskatchewan.

Soy Canada Executive Director Brian Innes said better adapted genetics and warmer growing seasons are expanding where soybeans are grown in Canada.

“More potential for soybean production brings more opportunities for the value chain, from growers right through to end users. Together, we’re working to better understand the value of these soybeans and how they can best serve our customers,” Innes said.

Attendees heard the latest research, the growth of northern soybean production, learn how the value of northern-grown soybeans can be enhanced and what’s needed to support continued growth.

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Dr. James House, Professor and Manitoba Strategic Research Chair in Sustainable Protein at the University of Manitoba provided an overview of the latest research on protein quality of Manitoba soybeans, sharing that as protein content declines the amount of critical amino acids important for livestock nutrition goes up. He is working to develop and evaluate a Near Infrared (NIR) Reflectance Technique for measuring the protein and amino acid content of Manitoba-grown soybeans.

Jeff Bond, Manager of Nutrition and Business Development at PMT, provided insights on enhancing the value of northern soybean meal. One of the areas Bond focused on was the metabolizable energy value of Manitoba expeller soybean meal in livestock rations, identifying areas for more research to better indicate expected performance to feed formulators. He also presented an assessment of Manitoba soybean meal, livestock nutrient needs and industry feed requirements along with considerations and opportunities for growers and processors.

A grower panel discussion included Ernie Sirski of Dauphin, Man., Winston van Staveren of Creelman, Sask., and Melvin Rattai of Beausejour, Man. They discussed the advantages of growing soybeans on their farms, why they chose to add soybeans into their crop rotations and the differences between soybean production and other crop options they have.

Each producer noted the reduced inputs soybeans require, especially nitrogen fertilizer, the advantages soybeans offer within a crop rotation to break disease cycles and control weeds, and the returns soybeans provide to their operations.

The industry panel featured a processor and exporters discussing how international demand for western-grown soybeans is evolving, customer perceptions of western Canadian soybeans and trends in local marketing options for farmers.

Panelists commented on the fit for western Canadian soybeans as a cost-effective supply for large crush plants, noting that despite being discounted relative to other origins there is a fit for in the international market for all that Western Canada can produce.

Nicole Mackellar, Manager of Market Development said Soy Canada will lead efforts to develop a more comprehensive understanding of northern soybeans that will include their amino acid profile so that their intrinsic value is reflected in their market value.

“Over the next 24 months we’ll be ramping up our market development activities to help our customers understand the value northern soybeans offer,” Mackellar said. “We see an opportunity to enhance the market position of northern soybeans in feed rations, and we’re excited about how strengthened connections with our customers can improve understanding.”

Soy Canada is a national value-chain organization including seed companies, Canada’s 30,000 growers, exporters and processors.

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alice.mcfarlane@pattisonmedia.com

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