Back in early June, it was confirmed that Canary seed will soon be designated as an official grain under the Canada Grain Act. This recent ruling comes following many calls for change and consultations among stakeholders across the country. Chief Commissioner of the Canadian Grain Commission Doug Chorney spoke on the decision that will come into effect this upcoming August 1st.

“After successive licensee failures where canary seed growers were left empty handed, it was clear we needed to extend regulatory safeguards to the sector. We’re very pleased to be able to offer canary seed growers the rights and services provided by the Canada Grain Act and help ensure they are fairly compensated for their deliveries.”

Canary producers will soon benefit from the same rights, services and protections on their canary seed crop as they do on other regulated grains, and it is something that hits close to home for a man with ties to the west central area in Elbow resident Bob Nunweiler.

“My father brought Canary seed to Canada and with 2 partners from Eston and Kindersley and contracted the sale of it with area farmers. I started farming myself in 1975 with my brother Ed and father Reinhold,” shared Nunweiler in an email, “We planted about 2500 acres of Canary Seed that year and the rest is history.”

Nunweiler shared his family’s story with West Central Online shortly after the official news that the largest volume grain not protected under the Canada Grain Act would soon become a regulated seed in the country. What he also shared was a news piece by B.C Business Magazine on the Allstate Grain Company founded back in 1969, detailing the companies upstart between three men in Ron Butterly, Bill Stevenson, and the sources connection in Reinhold Nunweiler.

grade at harvest, Canary producers will now benefit from payment protection with the soon to be introduced ruling. A grade determinant table along with a moisture chart will be added to the Grain Commission website in July, as the work has been done to officially bring Canary seed under the Canadian Grain Act starting in August.