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The tiniest part of Ag Expo packs a big economic punch

Feb 28, 2017 | 4:54 PM

LETHBRIDGE –  When you hear the words Ag Expo, the first thing that comes to mind is probably those long rows of shiny, new monster tractors.

The Ag Expo and North American Seed Fair gets underway at Exhibition park Wednesday.  One of the exhibitors will be Mercer Seeds Ltd.

Ryan Mercer, Manager of Mercer Seeds, is also Board Chairman of the North American Seed Fair, and is instrumental in organizing the event. It’s his first year in the position and has found out the job includes everything from filling seed trays to organizing judges and working with the Exhibition Board.

The Seed Fair has a longevity at the Exhibition, as it was established in 1897.  While seed is the building block of agriculture, Ryan says it is often doesn’t get the recognition it deserves.

“It all starts with the seed, in terms of crop production, and there’s a lot of focus on other areas of agriculture and I think seed often gets forgotten but, it’s a great way for the not only the farming community but, the urban community, when they go to Ag Expo, to see the different seed crops that are produced and what the differences are between them.”

Mercer says seeds are judged on different quality aspects, within each seed group. He finds it interesting that some of the largest plants, such as mustard and hemp, produce some of the smallest seeds.

“When folks out there (at the seed fair) looking at the different seeds, it’s interesting to think about the plant that’s going to come out of those seeds and, ironically, some of the biggest plants have some of the smallest seeds to start with”.

According to Mercer, there is constant upgrading in the production of seed, with more hybrid crops coming online and he says seed cleaning has really come a long way in the last 20 or 30 years, with new technology that includes optical sorters that are sorting on true color and shape, along with new infrared technology.

As far as seed hybridization, Mercer says there’s a lot of plant breeding that is done right here in Lethbridge, as well as in Swift Current, Saskatoon and Lacombe.  However, seed production goes far beyond the prairies.

“I’m part of an organization called “SeedNet” and we have an agreement with a seed company out of Germany, to bring some of their technology out of Germany into Canada  – particularly with rye, a hybrid rye we’re working on and it looks like there’s going to be some increased acreage in an old crop and we’re kind of excited about it.”

SeedNet is a group of 13 seed growers in Southern Alberta, who are familiar with the latest varieties and how they perform in this region.  They are a source for up-to-date information on certified seed.

Mercer says his own company focusses on special crops, in particular special oil seed crops, like the three different kinds of mustard (yellow, oriental and brown), yellow and brown flax and different varieties of hemp, as well as pulse crops like peas and lentils. 

Statistics Canada refers to agricultural seed as ‘the critical first link in the agri-food value chain” and has the numbers to prove it.

The estimated total economic impact of the Canadian seed industry in this country in 2014 was $5.61 Billion.  Pedigreed seed production came in at $2.58 Billion, while seed processing, marketing and distribution was an estimated $3.82 Billion.

The same Stats-Can figures show there was $450-Million is seed exports in 2012 and research and development expenditure in 2017 is expected to reach $101.5 Million.

Mercer explains that it all starts with seed, and the public should pay some attention becausee it is important to not only agriculture but, also, the cattle feeding industry.  He says he’s always excited when he gets some new seed from one of the universities or the government research stations, to start multiplying those few kilograms to the point, over three or four years, where he can start retailing those to other farmers, to try in their fields.