The Canadian Canola Growers Association (CCGA) has a new president.

Bernie McClean, a farmer from Glaslyn, Saskatchewan, was named as the organization's new President during its annual general meeting, held in Winnipeg on February 28. Also new to the board are Hubert Beaudry, representing Ontario Canola Growers Association, and Andre Harpe, representing Alberta Canola.

"Our entire board thanks Jack Froese (Winkler) for the leadership and commitment that he has shown CCGA and canola farmers during his two-year term as President," said McClean. "We also thank Craig Reid from Ontario and Dale Uglem from Alberta for their contributions to the CCGA board during their time as directors."

CCGA's 10 board members represent five provincial canola organizations:

President – Bernie McClean (SaskCanola)
Vice-President – Mike Ammeter (Alberta Canola)
Secretary – Clayton Harder (Manitoba Canola Growers Association)
Treasurer – Gerry Hertz (SaskCanola)
Director – Andre Harpe (Alberta Canola)
Director – Denis Guindon (Alberta Canola)
Director – Doyle Wiebe (SaskCanola)
Director – Hubert Beaudry (Ontario Canola Growers Association)
Director – Jack Froese, (Manitoba Canola Growers Association)
Director – Robert Vander Linden (B.C. Grain Producers Association)

CCGA represents more than 43,000 canola farmers.

About 80 people were in attendance at the Manitoba Canola Growers AGM held last week at CropConnect in Winnipeg.

Executive Director Delaney Ross Burtnack says it was a good meeting.

"No resolutions this year but I still have a pretty good list of things to look into on our members' behalf," commented Ross Burtnack. "Conversation about seed prices and how we can manage the increasing seed prices in canola. Questions about seed treatments and some of the challenges going on with the neonicotinoid products and Pest Management Regulatory activities there."

Clubroot and tight canola rotations were also discussed at the meeting.

Ross Burtnack notes there will be no changes to the board in 2019, with Starbuck farmer Chuck Fossay remaining on as President.

The organization is expecting canola acres to remain constant this year, a little bit above the three million acre mark.

Now that clubroot is becoming more of an issue in the province some farmers are looking for other cropping options for this year.

In Saskatchewan, visible symptoms of clubroot have been confirmed in 43 commercial canola fields and the clubroot pathogen was confirmed in soil samples from an additional three fields that did not have visible clubroot symptoms. 

Canola has often been considered a cash crop for producers and as a result, some producers started tightening up or pushing their canola rotation which increases disease potential.

Sherrie Roberts is a Crop Extension Specialist with the Ministry of Agriculture and says farmers need to recognize the importance of crop rotations especially with Canola and sunflower is a viable option.

“The main thing to remember if you’re going to put sunflowers into your rotation is the location of your fields. You really don’t want to put them in an area where you have a lot of small sloughs or areas where your blackbirds might congregate as they are subject to wildlife damage.”

One advantage with sunflowers is that it’s one of the last crops to harvest and can even be harvested in December or January.

While still small in acreage to other crops, we are starting to see sunflowers grown throughout Saskatchewan, with marketing opportunities for the seed within the Province and the U-S.

In the past seed availability and varieties have impacted sunflower production in the province but new options are becoming available.

The Saskatchewan Sunflower Committee is holding its Annual Meeting on Thursday (January 10) at the SCIC Building in Regina.

Producers will have a chance to learn more about the crop, agronomy, research and variety trials that are taking place.