Canterra Seeds announced May 1 it has acquired Alliance Seed for an undisclosed amount, and will continue to operate Alliance as “a standalone brand under Canterra Seeds’ umbrella, with key staff transitioning to maintain continuity and customer relationships.”

Alliance, headquartered in Winnipeg, dates back to 2009, when it formed as a joint venture between two privately held Winnipeg grain and agrifood firms (Paterson Grain, Parrish and Heimbecker) and four Saskatchewan grain terminal firms (North West Terminal, Weyburn Inland Terminal, Prairie West Terminal, Great Sandhills Terminal).

Paterson announced in December 2023 it had bought P&H’s share for an undisclosed amount. North West Terminal — the only other company still holding a share of Alliance at that time — later reported it had sold its stake in November 2024 for $8,300.

Alliance’s roster of seed varieties includes five varieties of Canada Western Red Spring wheat, one Canada Western Red Winter wheat, three durums, two Canada Prairie Spring Red wheats, three pea varieties, three barley varieties and two oat varieties.

Canterra, in a release May 1, described the deal as a “strategic acquisition” that supports its goal of “expanding its footprint in the pedigreed seed market by bringing high-performing, proven varieties such as CDC Endure milling oats and AAC Leroy VB CWRS wheat to more farmers across Western Canada.”

Alliance “has built an impressive portfolio and a network supported by committed seed growers,” Canterra CEO Brent Derkatch said in the release. “With our experience, we’re confident we can build on this strong foundation, help the brand grow, and offer even more value to Canadian farmers.”

Shane Paterson, director of trading and transportation for Paterson Grain and the former president of Alliance, said in the same release that as Paterson “looked for the right successor, it was important to find someone who aligned with Alliance Seed’s culture and commitment to personalized service.”

Paterson, he said, “look(s) forward to continuing our support through our retail network.”

Formed in 1996 by a group of Prairie seed growers, Winnipeg-based Canterra’s stakeholders today include about 175 seed growers, ag retailers and other private investors.

Among those are French farmer co-operative Limagrain, which bought its stake when it set up a wheat breeding joint venture with Canterra in 2015, and United Farmers of Alberta (UFA), which bought a 17 per cent share of Canterra from Ceres Global Ag Corp. for $2.5 million in July last year.

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The $2.5 million deal represents a 17 per cent stake in the company’s common shares. UFA purchased the shares from Ceres Global Ag Corp.

“Over the last several years UFA has demonstrated strong results and built a balance sheet that will enable continued investment in western Canadian agriculture that benefits our member-owners,” said UFA president and CEO Scott Bolton in an UFA news release.

Bolton has been appointed to Canterra’s board of directors. Jeff Wildeman, who represented Ceres, has resigned from the board.

In a news release, Canterra said Ceres was looking to “streamline their asset footprint,” and UFA, already a partner of Canterra seeds, jumped at the chance to pick up the shares.

The purchase won’t affect day-to-day operations or the seed varieties available at UFA, the release said.

“Our board of directors understands the unique challenges faced by farmers and ranchers, and this announcement demonstrates our commitment to the long-term vitality of member-owners,” said UFA board chair Kevin Hoppins.

The investment will also allow UFA to increase its focus on research and innovation, said Bolton in the Canterra release.

UFA is an Alberta-based agricultural co-operative that owns farm and ranch supply stores and petroleum locations in Alberta, Saskatchewan and B.C. It has more than 120,000 members.

—Updated July 5. Adds information about purchase from Ceres Global Ag Corp. 

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Hepworth was among 78 appointments announced by governor general Mary Simon in late December.

The London, Ont., resident was recognized for his contributions to agriculture and research “which have propelled the sector to new heights,” according to Simon’s office.

He was a farmer and veterinarian in Saskatchewan before entering provincial politics during premier Grant Devine’s Progressive Conservative governments, where he served in several portfolios until 1991.

After his political career, Hepworth moved to Ontario and began working with the Crop Protection Institute and Canadian Agra Group of Companies. He was instrumental in the formation of CropLife Canada and retired as its chief executive officer and president in 2014 after 17 years. He was appointed to the Canadian Agricultural Hall of Fame that year.

Hepworth has also served as chair of Genome Canada and the Global Institute for Food Security at the University of Saskatchewan. The list of his involvement with other institutions includes the Canadian Council of Academies Expert Panel on Sustainable Management of water in agricultural landscapes, the Scientific Advisory and Governance Committees of the Canadian International Food Security Research Fund, the advisory board of the National Research Council of Canada’s Plant Biotechnology Institute, the Canadian Agri-Food Research Council and the federal pest management and national biotechnology advisory committees.

He was on the board of Input Capital Corp. and a director and chair of Canterra Farmland Holdings LP.

He received the Saskatchewan Order of Merit in 2020.

—Karen Briere is a reporter for the Western Producer. She writes from Saskatchewan.

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“The basic fact is no Canadian breeder has given permission for their genetics to go to Kazakhstan,” Lorne Hadley, executive director of the Canadian Plant Technology Agency, said in an interview Thursday. “And they’re (breeders) the ones in control. So no Canadian breeder wants their varieties to go there.

“At this point it’s up to the retailers and producers of seed and even commercial farmers not to sell these products to these Kazakh agents that are trying to buy our seed. It’s awkward, but they have to respectively say ‘No, I can’t sell to you.’ They will try all kinds of commercial stories, or offers to get people to sell (to) Kazakhstan.”

The Kazakhs are looking for all types of crop seed, from cereals to pulses and flax and even canola.

“I can almost guarantee you they are going to be looking for anything that looks like it’s new, leading-edge — that’s what they are after,” Hadley said.

The Kazakhs appear to be monitoring social media, he said. When they see a farmer or seed grower posting about a variety they like, the Kazakhs, or their agents, contact that farmer or grower, he said.

Why it matters: Plant breeders’ rights regulations were established so plant breeders are compensated for the varieties they develop. Since Canadian plant breeders have no agreements with Kazakhstan, Canadian seed shouldn’t be shipped there.

In the spring Hadley sounded the alarm about Kazakhs trying to buy seed in Western Canada. “Last spring taught us these people are very aggressive…” he said.

Seed growers, retailers and farmers need to keep their guard up when contacted by potential seed buyers they don’t know, Hadley said. The Kazakhs have engaged third parties, including a Canadian trucking firm and food brokers, to buy seed for them, he said.

“There are times you need to be suspicious as a (seed) seller,” Hadley said. “If they offer you cash, or certified cheque or bank draft at the loading of the truck, and the truck is not going to a farm but to some other facility to be re-bagged — most of the seed appears to be going out of the country in mini-bulks.

“If they are very evasive about where it’s going but they want details about germination and purity, these are all signs that it’s likely going overseas to Kazakhstan and we just don’t want these sales to take place.”

Seed growers or farmers who are approached to sell seed should contact the seed distribution company responsible for the seed, such as Canterra, SeCan, FP Genetics and so on, he said. They can also contact Hadley via email.

SeCan has notified its seed grower members to be wary, Todd Hyra, SeCan’s business manager for Western Canada, said in an interview Thursday.

“But I think it’s important for the general farm community to be aware, whether they be grain handlers, brokers and farmers themselves… and if something doesn’t feel right phone around and ask some questions,” he said.

Most seed growers are familiar with breeders’ rights, but some farmers might not be. Under breeders’ rights in most cases farmers can save seed to grow on their farm, unless they have agreed not to, but cannot sell seed even to a neighbour never mind for export.

“When farmers get these calls it’s really tempting,” Canterra CEO David Hansen said in an interview Thursday. “They’ve got to be cautious.”

Kazakhstan is a major wheat exporter, but its lower-quality wheat usually sells to less quality-conscious buyers. Some farmers have expressed concerns on social media about the former Soviet country using Canadian wheat varieties to steal traditional Canadian markets.

“I wouldn’t be overly concerned about it,” Hansen said.

The Kazakhs are in a hurry to improve their agricultural production, Hadley said.

“This is not about a concentrated effort to steal our quality of grain,” he said. “This is about stealing the performance of our varieties.

“This is about the fact that we as seed industry and commercial producers have to respect that plant breeders get paid for their genetics. Frankly, given the range of products in my mind it’s not about quality at all.”

There is a legal way for Kazakhstan to buy Canadian crop genetics, he added.

“Our encouragement to Kazakhstan is get your seed system and your intellectual property laws up to date and then I’m sure some of the breeders will be happy to deal with you, but not under these circumstances,” Hadley said.

“If you can’t buy it at the front door, don’t go to the back alley and try to pick it up. They are essentially in the alley trying to pick it up without people knowing.”

Hyra agrees. “These (Canadian wheat) varieties have been in the works for 15 years with millions of dollars invested in them and to come over and just take them is wrong.”

— Allan Dawson is a reporter for the Manitoba Co-operator at Miami, Man.

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Many large agricultural companies, including Archer Daniels Midland, Cargill and France’s Roquette have invested in plant proteins in search of higher profit margins that have helped them cushion the impact of sluggish commodity prices and trade war woes.

The global meat substitutes market generated revenue of $4.8 billion in 2018, and is expected to be worth US$6.6 billion by 2024, as more consumers convert to veganism or cut down on red meat consumption, a report by Research and Markets has said.

Limagrain, a co-operative of more than 1,500 farmers in central France and majority shareholder of seed maker Vilmorin, said it could develop its legumes business through partnerships with start-ups or mid-range actors in the sector.

“If we want to go up to the end-product will need at some point to take over a business, create a new one or launch a transformation unit,” Limagrain CEO Damien Bourgarel told a news conference.

“But it is far too early to tell, we are just beginning,” he added, stressing that it was a long-term project.

The group based in central France will start with nearly 1,000 hectares of land and a wide range of plants including peas, beans and chickpeas, it said.

“Depending on the outlet we will then see the best species and those that need to be developed,” Limagrain chairman Pascal Viguier said.

Two people are working with top chefs to invent new plant-based food products for Limagrain.

“A lot of people are looking at this sector. We have to find our singularity,” Bourgarel said.

Limagrain had sales of 1.9 billion euros (C$2.76 billion) in the year to June 30, up four per cent on the year, with a net profit of 80 million euros, versus 75 million the previous year, it said.

Apart from its Vilmorin vegetable seed business, Limagrain’s presence in Canada includes a stake in Canterra Seeds and joint-venture stakes in corn seed firm AgReliant Genetics — the owner of Pride Seeds — and cereal breeding firm Limagrain Cereals Research Canada.

— Reporting for Reuters by Sybille de La Hamaide in Paris.

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AAFC, Canterra Seeds and the Alberta Wheat Commission (AWC) on Wednesday announced they would jointly contribute $3.4 million over five years to Dr. Harpinder Randhawa’s CPSR breeding program at AAFC’s Lethbridge Research Centre.

The funding model, described as a public/private/producer partnership (4-P), is expected to “streamline the development and commercialization” of new CPSRs from Lethbridge.

Set up in 1985, the Canada Prairie Spring class of wheats was meant as a “lower-protein alternative” to Canada Western Red Spring (CWRS).

The CPSR subclass offers low to medium protein content, medium-hard kernels and medium to strong dough strength properties, and is used by itself or in blends to make products such as noodles, flat breads and crackers.

Specific financial terms weren’t released, but for its part, AWC is to get a share of royalties on new varieties coming from the program, to be re-invested in future CPSR research and development.

Canterra’s contribution to the 4-P is to include “significant” additional technical and field-testing capacity for CPSR breeding material from Lethbridge, plus “increased funding and support for the program as a whole.”

Canterra “will also provide links to the entire value chain, a deeper understanding of end-user requirements and broad experience in seed production and commercialization.”

In return, Canterra is to get first right of refusal on a stream of future CPSR varieties from the program, “a class of wheat with an unrealized potential in evolving food markets — particularly in Asia.”

“Each of these partners bring their own skills and resources to drive competitive new (CPSR) wheat varieties for producers across the Prairies,” federal Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz said in a release.

Canterra already works with a “wide range” of AAFC-bred varieties, including CPSR varieties AC Conquer VB and AAC Crusader.

“In our evolving marketplace, we often hear talk of the need for true partnerships between public breeders, private companies and farmers,” Canterra CEO David Hansen said in the same release.

In this case, the partners said Wednesday, the breeding and development work “will also factor in input from Alberta’s wheat producers.”

Cam Dahl, president of Cereals Canada, said in a separate release Wednesday the 4-P deal “serves as a model for new ways of bringing forward innovation in Canada.”

The 4-P, he said, “takes advantage of the strengths of all three organizations. The result is additional investment in innovation and variety development in Canada and more choice for Canadian producers.”

As was the case in Canterra’s wheat breeding and commercialization deal last week with French firm Limagrain, the 4-P partners noted their deal “builds on the passing of the Agricultural Growth Act (Bill C-18) which enables an environment more conducive to investment in plant breeding.” –– AGCanada.com Network

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Canterra Seeds and French farmer co-operative Limagrain on Thursday announced they would further tie up their wheat variety commercialization work through a new joint seed breeding and development business.

The two companies said their new cereal breeding and development partnership, to be named Limagrain Cereals Research Canada, will be based in Saskatoon.

Limagrain — which has already worked with Canterra since 2012, through an exclusive license deal for commercialization of wheat varieties — also said Thursday it will buy a minority stake in Canterra, including rights to name representatives to Canterra’s board of directors.

Both deals are expected to be completed by the end of September, subject to conditions such as the usual due diligence — and a requirement “that there be no changes to Bill C-18,” Canada’s federal Agricultural Growth Act.

“There is no understating the importance of this deal to Canadian agriculture,” Canterra CEO David Hansen said in a release.

Passed in February, C-18 — which, among other things, tightened up Canada’s Plant Breeders’ Rights (PBR) legislation — “has opened up a whole new world of wheat,” he said.

“Our farmers can now buy and grow varieties that they couldn’t access before. For us as seed marketers, this is obviously an opportunity, but the opportunities are much greater for our customers, the producers.”

The Limagrain Cereals j.v. is expected to bring “significant added value” to the Prairie grain sector through development of new varieties of cereals, with a specific focus on wheat and use of “the most advanced technologies currently available.”

Passage of C-18 earlier this year, and Ottawa’s recent related move to ratify UPOV 91 (the 1991 International Convention for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants), puts Canada “finally on a level playing field with the rest of the international plant breeding community,” Hansen said in a separate federal government release.

France’s Limagrain already bills itself as the fourth largest seed company in the world and a top player in wheat and other cereals.

“Western Canada’s expertise in cereal breeding is globally recognized,” Bruno Carette, Limagrain Field Seeds’ CEO, said in the two companies’ release Thursday.

“We are proud to bring our cereal breeding expertise to Saskatoon — a hub for cereal development in Canada — and work collaboratively to breed advanced wheat genetics for farmers in Western Canada.”

“Today’s partnership announcement is a great example of how the Agricultural Growth Act is delivering for Canadian producers,” federal Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz said at the j.v. announcement Thursday.

“Bringing Canada’s seed regulations up-to-date has created opportunities for new investment in crop breeding in Canada,” Rosetown, Sask. farmer Jim Wickett, chair of the Western Canadian Wheat Growers, said in a separate release Thursday.

The planned Canterra/Limagrain venture “demonstrates the value of creating a policy environment that encourages investment,” he said. “Prairie wheat growers will be the main beneficiaries.” — AGCanada.com Network

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Farmers in the region have until mid- to late June to plant ahead of insurance deadlines, but the later they sow canola, the higher the risk of damage later from heat or frost. Canada is the biggest producer and exporter of canola, used to produce vegetable oil.

The Prairies are prone to crop-damaging weather, from floods to drought, but severe frost last week arrived unusually late in spring.

“We’ve never seen an event like this,” said Rob Schultz, vice-president of sales and commercial operations for Bayer CropScience Canada, whose InVigor brand makes up about half of Western Canada’s canola seed sales. “We’re trying to go as fast as we can to manage the demand.”

Since last week’s frost, government crop insurance corporations in Manitoba and Saskatchewan have registered 1,500 and 900 crop insurance claims respectively, mostly for canola.

For the year, Manitoba has received 2,550 claims for re-seeding covering 800,000 acres, mostly since last week, said claims manager David Van Deynze at Manitoba Agricultural Services Corp.

David Hansen, CEO for Winnipeg-based Canterra Seeds, estimated farmers are re-sowing one million acres of canola across the Prairies.

Both Bayer and rival Monsanto said they moved quickly to transfer seed inventories to short areas such as southwestern Manitoba and eastern Saskatchewan, as well as treat additional seed.

“The supply isn’t really the issue, it’s more around getting it in the right place at the right time,” Schultz said.

Kyle Holman usually buys seed near his Crystal City, Man. farm. But this week he drove 90 minutes for most of the seed he will need to replant 560 canola acres.

He planted those acres during the first week of May, earlier than usual. That canola survived flea beetles and a cold blast around mid-May before frost destroyed it last weekend.

“It’s very frustrating and disappointing to lose it this late,” Holman said.

Others have it worse. Some of Holman’s neighbours are seeding canola for the third time this spring.

Typically, about 0.4 per cent of the canola seed Monsanto sells for spring seeding is re-seeded, but this year that percentage may be three per cent, said Neil Arbuckle, Monsanto Canada’s national sales and strategy lead.

“We’ve done our best to get product into the hands of farmers, who are quite antsy to get product into the ground,” he said.

— Rod Nickel is a Reuters correspondent covering the agriculture and mining sectors from Winnipeg.

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