(Twitter/@Cereals_Canada)

By Alice McFarlane

Seed Royalty Proposals

Farmers reject seed royalty proposals

Oct 23, 2019 | 11:25 AM

Farmers have been asked for their opinions on two seed royalties proposals and they don’t like either.

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) started consulting farmers last fall on trailing and end-point royalties where producers of wheat, barley, oats, flax and pulse crops would pay a fee when they use any farm-saved seed. Concerns were raised about a farmers ability to save seed at no cost, a lack of control of how the royalties would be used and the impact on publicly-funded plant breeding.

The prairie farm groups were unhappy with the lack of producer input in the consultation process and decided to survey producers themselves.

The Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan (APAS), Alberta Federation of Agriculture (AFA), and the Keystone Agricultural Producers of Manitoba have been surveying producers online on the proposed changes since July. More than 1,000 producers submitted comments.

APAS President Todd Lewis said farmers were clear on their feelings about the suggested changes.

Responsive measures

Some Sask. farmers to get winter elk hunting permits next year to protect land

Mar 12, 2026

Buy Now, Pay Later!

Spring 2026 Early Buy Program

Mar 09, 2026

SARM Convention

Sask RMs gather to address come concerns

Mar 06, 2026

“What we heard from producers is that they are not in a position to absorb extra costs,” Lewis said in a news release. “As price-takers, farmers have little room in their margins for added expenditures. So there is little support for yet another expense to add our bottom lines.”

Alberta Federation of Agriculture (AFA) President Lynn Jacobson agreed with Lewis.

“Producers are telling us loud and clear that they are not happy with either of the proposed models,” Jacobson said. “Our outreach confirms that they don’t feel they’ve been sufficiently engaged in consultations to date. It’s our hope that AAFC will work to rectify this before any further decisions are made.”

Keystone Agricultural Producers represent farmers in Manitoba. President Bill Campbell said they will continue to discuss the matter.

“We look forward to working with the federal government now that the election is complete to ensure that any new seed royalty structure is ultimately fair for farmers and producers as it would ultimately impact their bottom line the most. Plant breeding needs to be funded in a manner that is fair and driven by the interests of farmers,” Campbell said.

The groups have said the survey will be presented to the new federal agriculture minister.

The survey results are available here.

–

alice.mcfarlane@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @AliceMcF