Camelina Production in Saskatchewan/Canada

Venkata Vakulabharanam Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture, Canada March 24-25, 2014 – Nizhny Novgorod, Russia

Canada - Saskatchewan

Saskatchewan Agriculture – Overview (2013)

• Total Farm Land Area: 61.53 Million Acres (24.9 M Ha)

• Cultivated Farm Land Area: 44.97 Million Acres (18.2 M Ha)

• Natural Land for Pasture: 11.86 Million Acres (4.8 M Ha)

• Summerfallow area: 3.46 Million Acres (1.4 M Ha)

• Climate Normals: Annual Precipitation: 326 mm to 451 mm rainfall

Frost free period: 95 days to 124 days

• Number of Farms: 36,952 Grain and Oilseed farms: 22,195

• Average Farm Size Total Area: 1668 acres (675 Ha)

Cultivated Area: 1218 acres (493 Ha)

Saskatchewan Crop Overview (2012)

Crop Area (million Ha) Production (M tonnes)

Spring Wheat 3.37 8.06

Durum 1.64 3.90

Barley 0.96 2.35

Oats 0.45 1.24

Canola 4.45 6.14

Flax 0.30 0.38

Mustard 0.10 0.08

Lentils 0.96 1.41

Field Peas 0.91 1.73

Chickpeas 0.07 0.14

Saskatchewan Exports (2012) Crop Value ($ million)

Wheat 2,030.0

Canola seed 2,714.5

Lentils 673.2

Dry peas 626.0

durum 1,230.5

Flax seed 212.8

Oats 234.2

Barley 254.0

Canary seed 78.1

Mustard seed 60.7

Saskatchewan Oilseed Portfolio • Oilseed Crops for food:

o Canola

o Flax

o Mustard

o Sunflower

• Oilseed Crops for Industrial Use: o HEAR o Flax o Camelina o Ethiopian mustard/Carinata

• Soybeans

Oilseed Crop Acres - historical

Year

Canola

(‘000 acres)

Flax

(‘000 acres)

Mustard

(‘000 acres)

SK Canada SK Canada SK Canada

1998 6,200 13,414.8 1,400 2,175 580 689

1999 6,570 13,749.7 1,400 2,022 585 674

2000 5,860 12,007.4 1,000 1,488 465 514

2001 4,700 9,353.4 1,170 1,680 330 390

2002 4,200 8,964.8 1,230 1,730 600 630

2003 5,650 11,587.2 1,400 1,863 675 810

2004 5,600 12,026.6 1,350 1,750 600 751

2005 6,225 12,788.6 1,450 1,903 400 509

2006 5,900 12,943.8 1,545 2,013 268 321

2007 7,500 14,606.0 1,075 1,320 350 435

2008 7,650 16,159.5 1,250 1,560 370 480

2009 7,850 16,199.7 1,360 1,710 405 525

2010 7,800 16,818.4 710 925 370 480

2011 9,850 18,644.5 535 695 265 315

2012 11,400 21,743.8 750 950 240 333

2013 10,100 19,059.6 835 990 230 324

SK Oilseed Crop Acres

• Sunflower: Varies between 5,000 to 10,000 acres

• Camelina: Contracted acreage between 2007 to 2010 – peaked at 25,000 acres in 2009.

• Carinata: Started first contract production in 2012 at about 7,000 acres

• Soybeans: approx. 20,000 acres (2010) to 170,000 acres in (2013)

• High Erucic Acid Rape (HEAR): Contracts only

Saskatchewan – Oilseed Crop Share

• Canola: Canada produces 30% of global production

Saskatchewan produces 50% of Canadian crop

• Flax: Historically, Canada produced 45% of global flax seed

Saskatchewan produces >70% of Canadian crop

• Mustard: Saskatchewan produces >75% of Canadian crop

Major exporter of mustard in the World

Saskatchewan Oilseed Industry

• SK canola growers are very dedicated to the crop to produce a high quality product.

• Canola, flax and mustard growers are organized – collects producer check-off.

• Grower organizations support crop research with their check-off dollars

2012-13 Crop Profitability in SK (Source: Kevin Hursh)

Development of a New Crop

• Needs a Roadmap and a Strategic Plan to achieve outlined

goals

• Need to develop the following for a successful crop

establishment

Best Agronomic Information – for growers

A Breeding Program – for continuous development

Market development – for profitability

Value added processing – to attract companies

Eliminate regulatory burden – to sustain profitable industry

development

Camelina Production

Advantage

The Roadmap

• Ministry’s Ag Research Branch developed a technology Roadmap in 2007,

to identify potential new crops for SK.

• A thorough literature review revealed ‘camelina’ and ‘carinata’ as potential

new industrial crops.

• Both are unique crops with different plant attributes, example:

• Self vs. Cross Pollination

• Short vs. Long maturity

• Ministry of Agriculture is developing both of these crops for SK growers –

are a part of the Ministry’s ‘CROP STRATEGY’

The SK Ministry of Agriculture Funding

• The Ministry has funded various research projects for

the development of camelina industry, including, crop

agronomy, processing and market development.

• The Ministry has provided a total of $2.05M funding

for camelina through its ADF, ADOPT and SAVI

programs during 2007 to 2012.

Camelina - Other Canadian Funding/Investment

Program Funding amount (approximate)

Agricultural Bioproducts Innovation Program

$3.1 M (Industrial Oilseed Network)

Government of Sask. + WED $3.5 M (Prairie Gold Project)

Agricultural Innovation Program $3.5 M

Atlantic Innovation Fund $6.1 M (Genome Atlantic)

CAAP/IRAP $0.4 M

Industry Investment $80-$100M / Year for Industrial oilseed crops

Camelina - Factors for success

• An excellent Industrial Platform Crop

• Proven to fit our climate and agriculture systems

• New crop option for Saskatchewan Producers

• Low input cost ($60-$70/acre), non-shattering pods (no

swather), heat and drought resistant (West Central in 2009)

• Fall Seeding possible (unique for an oilseed crop)

• Blackleg and flea beetles are not a concern

• We can grow it well.

Camelina – low input

No Fertilizer 50 lbs/ac of N

Camelina – early maturing

Compared to Volunteer Canola

Camelina

Production in SK

(2007-2011)

Camelina – Ministry Achievements

• Agronomy Package developed.

• Grower meeting held – First in Canada (Nov 2009).

• ADOPT trials conducted across the Province (2009-11)

• Agronomics Factsheet published for growers (2011)

• Developed Crop Insurance package – first in North America (2010)

• Assure II and Roundup WeatherMaxx registered through Minor Use program (2010-11)

• Submitted camelina meal use application to the CFIA (2013)

Camelina – Where to now? • Set Backs:

Both companies from the U.S. no longer operate in Canada.

• Opportunities:

Support Processing camelina in Canada

Assist Canadian Companies to establish contract production

Linnaeus collaborated with Smart Earth Corporation and commercially launched a bio-lubricant

Linnaeus Plant Sciences started contract production of camelina in 2013

Camelina – Keys to contract production success • Production:

High yielding Canadian varieties are now available.

Growers have all the resources to successfully grow the crop.

Can be grown anywhere in Saskatchewan

• Market Price:

Peak acres occurred in 2009 at a price of 18-22 cents/lb ($9-$11/bu)

Profitability at farm gate is the key

Profitability = more acres

Camelina – Breeding Efforts

• Previous commercial variety ‘calena’ was introduced to Canada.

• Plant Breeding efforts primarily located in Saskatoon, SK.

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada – Saskatoon Research Centre (Dr.

Kevin Falk).

Linnaeus Plant Sciences (Dr. Christina Eynck)

Metabolix Oilseeds Inc. (smaller program)

Plant Gene Resources of Canada – holds camelina germplasm

• Linnaeus Plant Sciences registered first Canadian camelina

variety ‘Midas’ in 2013.

Linnaeus – Camelina Breeding Efforts

• Largest camelina breeding program in North America.

• Plant Breeding efforts primarily located in Saskatoon, SK.

Objective include:

High seed yield, high oil and protein content

Increasing seed size

Disease resistance – downy mildew, aster yellows, sclerotinia stem

rot

Herbicide tolerance

MIDAS™ - Yields and Oil content in 2011

• Combination of high yield, high oil content and quantitative resistance to downy mildew

• Average yield in central/south western Canada during 2011-13 was >35 bushels/acre

• Average oil content was about 41-42%

MIDAS™ - Yields and Oil content in 2011

Swift Current Taber Neapolis Saskatoon

2011 Yield (bu/ac)

Oil (%)

Yield (bu/ac)

Oil (%)

Yield (bu/ac)

Oil (%)

Yield (bu/ac)

Oil (%)

MIDASTM 18.7 46.3 36.1 41.0 41.7 42.3 49.0 40.3

Calena 16.3 44.6 40.5 39.9 35.3 41.4 48.9 39.1

MIDAS™ - Yields and Oil content in 2012 & 2013 Swift Current Vanguard

2012 Yield (bu/ac)

Oil (%)

Yield (bu/ac)

Oil (%)

MIDASTM 30.6 42.4 39.7 36.0

Calena 22.9 43.0 29.8 37.1

Saskatoon (2013)

Yield (bu/ac) Oil (%)

MIDASTM 54.9 40.9

Calena 54.6 39.9

Government of Saskatchewan • Provides service to Industry through a vast network of Crop

Specialists and Agriculture Knowledge Centre.

• Proactive in solving potential issues.

• Provides funding for crop development – usually not funded by private industry.

• Supports sustainable growth of the industry through fostering Innovation and competitiveness, reduced regulatory/bureaucratic burden, help resolve trade issues.

• Strong commitment to value-added processing.

Sask. Ministry of Agriculture • Funding opportunities:

Provides funding for Agriculture.

Provides funding for both public and private research.

Maintains research capacity through funding research organizations

Project funding through several programs:

• Agriculture Development Fund (ADF)

• Saskatchewan Agri-Value Initiative (SAVI)

• Agricultural Demonstration of Practices and Technology (ADOPT)

In Saskatchewan,

We are Innovative

We show leadership

We Value our Customers

We take concerns Seriously

We welcome International Investments

So…we are only a click or call away

venkata.vakulabharanam@gov.sk.ca

Telephone: (306) 787 – 8733