This article appeared in the Spring 2016 issue of Pulse Crop News.

Chuck Penner, LeftField Commodity Research

One of the most useful indicators of potential direction in a market is the seasonal price tendency. In a typical year, crop prices (including pulses) tend to follow similar patterns. Even though these movements aren’t always a sure thing, the charts can provide clues about when a price change could occur. Some seasonal patterns, such as “the harvest lows”, are predictable enough to influence marketers’ decisions.

While those lows caused by heavy farmer selling at harvest are well-established, other seasonal patterns are also useful if they point to possible timing of market highs. That’s particularly the case in the 2015/16 market where most pulse prices are extremely high and farmers are trying to maximize prices but avoid holding the crop too long.

The difficulty is that price patterns tend to be most reliable in a “normal” year when supply and demand are relatively well-balanced. Does that mean they’re irrelevant in 2015/16, when many pulse prices are already sky-high? We’ll look at some price tendencies in light of the current hot market environment to see what lessons are possible.

For peas, prices tend to rise steadily once the harvest rush is over and then go sideways in the November to December timeframe. Once the new calendar year starts, bids tend to start climbing again. Those patterns have generally held so far in 2015/16, although the changes have been much more extreme, especially for yellow peas. The chart also shows that these seasonal highs tend to remain in place until early to mid-May, when buyers start to look ahead to the next year’s crop. It’s possible this year’s tight pea supplies could mean more upside than usual and a delayed decline, but it’s also likely that when the drop occurs, it will be much sharper than usual.

Lentils have the same seasonal lows as peas at harvest time but lentil prices follow different tendencies than peas and the two main lentil classes have distinct differences. Green lentil prices tend to recover quickly from the harvest lows and reach their highs in the late fall. Bids then tend to turn slightly lower with a small bump in late spring or early summer. This year, that hasn’t been the case as exceptionally tight supplies have forced buyers to continue raising bids to encourage farmer selling.

The tendency for red lentil bids is to remain relatively flat through the fall months and then rise fairly steadily through the winter and spring. In 2015/16, the strength in red lentil bids began earlier than usual. More recently, market jitters at the extreme highs are causing bids to look a little more vulnerable. That doesn’t necessarily signal the end of strong old-crop prices, but there is certainly more volatility. And when the midsummer decline begins, it will very likely be a sharp drop.

So what are the takeaways? The first is that pricing the 2016 crop should either be done now when new-crop bids are strong, or well after harvest. The problem this year is that those bids for fall delivery have been so attractive, a lot of contracting has been done already and some bids are already declining. Even so, most new-crop bids for peas and lentils are well above other years and are still profitable.

These seasonal tendencies also clearly demonstrate that prices will eventually fall, even in an unusually tight supply situation like the one in 2015/16. Prices won’t keep going higher forever, and the normal patterns suggest when that shift might occur. It’s not a sure thing, but it’s certainly better than strictly guessing.

For the time being, the seasonal charts don’t show any immediate danger of lower prices for either peas or lentils, but this is an unusual year. And when prices are at extreme highs, they tend to come down very quickly. Those who wait too long to market their pulses will likely end up feeling some pain.

This article appeared in the Spring 2016 issue of Pulse Crop News.

The Alberta Pulse Growers (APG) selected esteemed pulse researcher Ken Lopetinsky as the winner of the second annual Alberta Pulse Industry Innovator Award.

“Each year APG recognizes a person whose progressive thinking and tireless efforts helped build Alberta’s pulse industry into the flourishing industry that it is today,” said Rick Mueller, Zone 3 Chair. “I cannot think of a more deserving recipient for the award to be bestowed upon during the International Year of Pulses than Ken Lopetinsky. He is considered one of the fathers of Western Canada’s modern day field pea industry, and influenced many of the researchers who continue to develop improved pulse genetics.”

Lopetinsky was raised on a mixed livestock and grain farm near Star, AB. After earning a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture with distinction in 1973 at the University of Alberta, he joined Alberta Agriculture as a District Agriculturist, and later as Forage and Special Crops Specialist, Pulse and Special Crops Specialist, and Pulse Research Agronomist until his retirement in 2008. In 1976, Lopetinsky received education leave and completed his Master of Agriculture (soil science) in 1977.

In 1983, Lopetinsky became involved with the Alberta Pulse Growers Association, which later became the Alberta Pulse Growers Commission. Throughout his career, Lopetinsky worked closely with producers, industry representatives and other researchers on applied research projects including field pea and faba bean variety development, fertilization, herbicides, seeding depth, land rolling, crop rotations, direct seeding, and the value of pulse crops in rotation. He co-authored and co-edited the publication “Pulse Crops in Alberta,” which was awarded a certificate of excellence by the American Society of Agronomy. Lopetinsky mentored numerous agrologists over the course of his career, and many still work in the industry today.

Lopetinsky said that he was honoured to learn that he was chosen as the recipient of the second annual Industry Innovator Award sponsored by ATB Financial.

“I am surprised and humbled to receive this award,” Lopetinsky said. “I have to give a lot of credit to the team over the years because it has been said that ‘you’re only as good as your team’. The pulse industry came through with full support, and that was very, very rewarding.”

Sheri Strydhorst, an Agronomy Research Scientist with Alberta Agriculture and Forestry, considers herself fortunate to have had the opportunity to work with Lopetinsky.

“Ken was one of the founding members of Alberta’s pulse industry,” she said. “He screened pea, faba bean and lupin genetics from around the world to find the best cultivars for Alberta farmers. He knew what struggles farmers faced and conducted meticulous research to find solutions to their pulse production challenges. The best example I can think of is the Ascochyta scoring card (which is still being used today) to help producers make decisions about when fungicide applications are beneficial in pea crops. Ken’s pulse production knowledge, meticulous research, and connection to the farm has formed the foundation of Alberta’s successful pulse industry. I am incredibly fortunate to have been trained by such a knowledgeable and passionate individual. Ken, you truly are a Pulse Industry Innovator. Thank you for your countless contributions to this great industry.”

Lopetinsky recalled the early days of pulse production in Alberta when he accepted the Innovator Award at the Alberta Pulse Growers’ AGM on Jan. 27.

“The Pulse Growers Commission is a very integral part of any success,” he noted. “As I reminisce about my career, I always think of the directors of the commission and all the time volunteered to discuss issues was fantastic.”

Lopetinsky also credited his wife Vivian with being essential to his success.

“Thank you to my wife,” he said, noting that he put in long days at the research plots. “Now we have a cell phone, but back in those days we didn’t even have a computer. A lot of calls came to the house and my wife, Vivian, kept track.”

In retirement, the couple still enjoy growing over 1,000 orchids together, some of which are sold at the Orchid Society of Alberta annual show and sale at the Enjoy Centre in St. Albert on April 1-3, 2016. The hobby started over 30 years ago with Blue Heron Orchids.

“I always loved to grow things and still do, hence the orchids,” Lopetinsky said.

He expressed his delight at having the United Nations designate 2016 as International Year of Pulses.

“I was very happy to hear that and I hope it’s not just a once-in-a-lifetime thing,” he said. “I hope that there are more opportunities for people to talk about pulse crops. Please take full advantage of International Year of Pulses. It’s a great opportunity.”

This article appeared in the Spring 2017 issue of Pulse Crop News.

Lentils were a small acreage crop in Alberta until strong export demand from markets like India helped drive an increase in acres. Until recently, both red and green lentil types were insured based on a large green type, but the increase in red lentil acreage created an opportunity to give them distinct and separate coverage. Starting in 2017, Agriculture Financial Services Corporation (AFSC) will provide lentil growers with insurance coverage that reflects differences for each type.

Recently, the increasingly divergent trends for green and red lentils have caught the eye of various stakeholders in the pulse industry. Red lentils have driven the acreage expansion while greens have only experienced modest increases in the last few years.

Acreage allocated to lentils in the province has grown consistently over the last decade, and the estimate for the total lentil acreage in the province is now over 400,000.

Given the increased production of red lentils in a consistent pattern, AFSC will separate red and green lentils to give red lentils distinct insurance coverage and indemnification. “In reaching this decision, pulse growers helped significantly in understanding the workings of the lentil market,” said Jesse Cole, Research Analyst for Innovation and Product Development at AFSC.

Under the new practice, coverage and indemnification for red and green lentils will be calculated separately and based on the current market prices. Yield history averages for the two products will remain the same for calculation purposes in 2017, but they will begin to diverge in 2018 as yields are experienced.

“Splitting them will be a positive change for red lentil growers because of the accuracy that it will bring in pricing,“ Cole said.

Spring price endorsement (SPE) and variable price benefit calculations will also be separately made for red lentils in 2017.

But the change focusing on red lentils will not affect other small acre crops, with “other” lentils, such as French Greens and Spanish Browns, still receiving the same coverage as green lentils.

Unharvested acres pose a challenge for farmers and AFSC

Due to the excessive moisture and early snowfall in October and November last year, many farmers were unable to get their crop off the ground. By mid-February, producers had reported 967,569 acres as unharvested. As a result, AFSC has been processing an unusually high number of claims over the last few months. While the numbers are high, established claim inspection standards are strictly upheld by AFSC’s team of qualified and experienced inspectors.

And it is that commitment to a high inspection standard that explains why the claims processing is not proceeding faster. As each and every on-farm inspector employed by AFSC is trained and equipped with a special skillset that qualifies them for their position, employing temporary inspectors for a job that requires expertise and specialization is not considered by the Corporation to be a proper solution to speed up claim processing.

However, extra measures are being taken to address the extraordinarily high number of claims. Among these steps are allocating available resources to high demand areas and plans to combine inspections of wildlife damage with those of unharvested crop in the fields.

Despite the above average number of claims, as of February 24, a total of 1,531 claims, covering more than 75 per cent of eligible unharvested acreage have been processed with $27.2 million paid in benefits. “We estimate processing unharvested acreage benefits will be completed mid-March,” said Daniel Graham, Manager, Financial Analysis, Analysis Solutions at AFSC.

Contact a Branch Office if wildlife damage discovered

The number of wildlife damage claims is expected to rise as snow melts away and farmers determine the state of their crop still on the ground. Producers should apply to the Wildlife Damage Compensation Program (WDCP) if they identify wildlife damage on their unharvested crops. If a producer has plans to put their crops to another use, they should contact their local AFSC Branch Office and indicate their requests for both pre-harvest and wildlife damage inspection, as those inspections can occur simultaneously.

The WDCP is in place to bring relief to farmers whose crops are affected by wildlife. There is no requirement for farmers to have an insurance policy with AFSC to be eligible for support under WDCP. Inspection requests must be submitted, and AFSC will need to inspect the damage before the crop can be harvested or put to another use. Information about the number of processed and pending claims is updated weekly on the AFSC website.

Producers who wish to apply to or receive more information about the Wildlife Damage Compensation Program are advised to contact their local AFSC Branch Office, call the AFSC Client Contact Centre at 1-877-899-2372 or visit www.afsc.ca.

This article appeared in the Spring 2017 issue of Pulse Crop News.

Nevin Rosaasen, APG Policy & Program Specialist

When it comes to minimizing agricultural impact on the climate, and specifically carbon dioxide levels, the Alberta cropping sector has exemplified climate change leadership.

Yes. That’s correct. Alberta broad-acre cropping systems have evolved over time to be one of the greatest allies in the global quest to decarbonize our economy. Imagine your fields as massive solar collectors for energy and calories, but also an atmospheric carbon filtration and sequestration biological super machine like no other on Earth.

The management practices producers have adopted are numerous, and include aspects of continuous cropping, soil conservation from minimum tillage, adoption of GPS and precision guidance, sectional control in sprayers and planters, and adopting new genetics that have higher water use efficiency, nutrient use efficiency as well as soil sampling.

All of these practices reduce the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere. Many producers haven’t realized that they are leaders in taking action on climate change. In the early 2000s, scientists already recognized that the Canadian cropping sector was a net negative contributor to greenhouse gases due to changes in practices and the ability to sequester carbon.

So why aren’t Alberta producers being recognized for their actions? Why are they paying a carbon tax?

Alberta has been leading the way in conservation cropping offset protocol development, and the use of carbon offsets combined with taxing large final emitters in the creation of a quasi-market-based system combining tax and trade, in order to meet climate goals.

These offsets and protocols continue to be developed, recalculated and scrutinized in order to ensure the objectives of government are met. The current government objective is to decarbonize the Alberta economy by taxing the externality (C02), which is a by-product of combustion of fossil fuels and whose concentrations continue to climb in the atmosphere. So why aren’t producers getting paid if they are sequestering more carbon than they emit?

The answer is, it’s complicated. Many protocols are developed before the science is settled and they often need to be tweaked in order to capture the three elements of a proven offset, protocol or ecosystem service being provided. The three factors determining quality offsets include permanence, baseline and additionality. The tests are: Is the carbon sequestered permanent in nature, is the baseline for comparison appropriate and is the practice change additional to business as usual?

As the government finds its way through current policy pertaining to taxing carbon and rewarding those companies, corporations and producers such as yourselves who are reducing their climatic impact, it is important that producer commissions communicate what advances the cropping sector has made in this area. New technologies already exist, and their commercialization and adoption tomorrow and into the future will continue to advance the way agriculture is done in Alberta.

Be proud of the climate leadership you have exemplified – You are already doing it! The trick lies in communicating to urban cousins and neighbours, as well as politicians, as to how we are producing food in the most economical, efficient and cost effective way possible – a method that not only make economic cents, but climate sense all at the same time.

This article appeared in the Spring 2017 issue of Pulse Crop News.

Pulse Canada is aiming high to accelerate growth and generate significant new demand for pulses and pulse ingredients. The Pulse Canada Board of Directors recently set the “25 by 2025” target as part of the organization’s strategic planning process. The association’s focus will now include uniting the industry around the bold new goal.

The 25 by 2025 goal will aim to create demand in new use categories for 25 per cent of the Canadian pulse industry’s productive capacity by 2025. Snack foods, tortillas and breakfast cereals are just a few product categories that represent growth potential for pulse ingredients, which offer food manufacturers protein, fibre, slowly digestible starch and an unparalleled environmental sustainability story.

The demand target comes as Pulse Canada considers its sustainable growth strategy. The Canadian pulse industry continued to expand production in 2016 to meet strong demand with a 28 per cent increase in lentil production and a 51 per cent increase in pea production over the last year.

“Our traditional markets will always be a top priority for us and we’ll continue to invest into improving service and product quality for Canada’s long standing customers,” said Lee Moats, Chair of Pulse Canada and member of the Saskatchewan Pulse Growers Board of Directors. “Pulse ingredients are also attracting a lot of attention from non-traditional markets, and we need to ensure that we sharpen our focus on that new demand in order to diversify our options and deliver the value we know that pulse ingredients can add to a wide range of new food products.”

Pulse Canada’s demand target, announced on Global Pulse Day (Jan. 18), proved timely as European ingredient company Roquette also revealed its plans to build a pea processing facility in Canada that day. Global Pulse Day was recognized across the globe during over 200 events in 63 countries, which generated over 36 million social media impressions.

“Global Pulse Day and the 2016 International Year of Pulses have been incredibly successful platforms that have helped create awareness for pulses and the contribution they make to human health and environmental sustainability,” Moats said. “We believe we can continue to build momentum and turn that awareness into increased demand and higher consumption.”

In 2016, the number of food products containing pulses launched in North America grew by approximately 30 per cent with the fastest growth coming from the snack foods category.

“Roquette’s announcement, along with other investments into value-added processing that have been made by Canadian companies and other foreign investors to date, is a strong signal that the industry is well positioned to serve an expanding food and ingredient market,” said Greg Cherewyk, COO of Pulse Canada.

Reformulating food products to include pulse ingredients can significantly increase their nutritional quality while lowering their environmental footprint. For example, a reformulation of traditional durum pasta to include 25 per cent lentil flour can increase fibre content by 100 per cent and protein content by 25 per cent while lowering its carbon footprint by up to 26 per cent.

“As we look ahead, the definition of food quality will include social indicators like health outcomes, environmental indicators like greenhouse gas emissions and economic indicators such as affordability,” Moats said. “Our journey to 25 by 2025 aligns well with the future of food and we’re looking forward to working with our partners at home and around the world to meet the needs of customers of today and customers of tomorrow.”

This article appeared in the Spring 2017 issue of Pulse Crop News.

AGT Foods is banking on the continued popularity of pulses with Alberta farmers by opening new pulse facilities in Gibbons and near Calgary.

“The next big frontier in the world for pulses is either Alberta or Montana,” AGT Foods President and CEO Murad Al-Katib told a packed room during FarmTech 2017.

AGT’s new and improved Gibbons plant opened up in 2016, and the plant 14 km south of Calgary is under construction with opening scheduled for fall 2017.

The company entered into binding agreements to acquire all of the assets of Finora Inc., including the Gibbons plant (approximately 40 km north of  Edmonton) and three others in Saskatchewan, in 2009.

“Southern Alberta is one of the only all-pulses regions in the world,” Al-Katib said. “This year, Alberta exceeded Australia for the first time. Alberta’s growth is beneficial to the pulse sector in Canada because we need balance in the organization.”

Al-Katib added that Alberta was the second largest producer of lentils in the world in 2016. Saskatchewan was the largest producer. He said that the Alberta advantage also includes the proximity to ports, a typically earlier harvest, and room to grow the acreage.

He took the opportunity to praise the Alberta Pulse Growers for efforts to grow the industry as well.

“The leadership of the Alberta Pulse Growers has really impressed us,” Al-Katib said. “Your Directors get that it’s about protein.”

AGT Foods began in 2002 and showed Saskatchewan producers that lentils were something that they should be growing for many reasons. Al-Katib had seen how the red lentils that were grown in Canada were shipped to Turkey and other countries to be split, and wondered why the splitting couldn’t be done in Canada.

“I said I’m going to start an agricultural company and make a lot of money,” he recalled. “I have made a lot of money, but producers have made a lot of money too.”

The Regina-based company buys lentils and other pulses from producers and sells them around the world. It began production in 2003, went public  in 2007 and eventually grew into one of the world’s largest lentil companies, handling about a quarter of the global supply.

“We were able to take that pulse opportunity and we were able to monetize it,” Al-Katib explained. “About 24 per cent of the world’s lentils go through our facilities today. From producer to the world was my vision, and as a $2 billion company today, that is still our vision.”

This article appeared in the Spring 2017 issue of Pulse Crop News.

Much of Canada’s grain hopper car fleet is “duct-taped together and on its last legs,” a transportation policy expert told a packed room during FarmTech in January.

Advancements in railcar technology mean that fewer new rail cars will be needed to replace retiring older ones, but it still isn’t clear who will bankroll a fleet that is nearing the end of its life expectancy, said Steve Pratte, Policy Manager with the Canadian Canola Growers Association.

“This whole system has rested on the hopper cars we’ve had since the 1970s,” he said. “Underpinning that is the hopper car fleet is a mixed bag of ownership, and age and stage of the hopper car.”

Pratte said that advances in hopper car design since the 1970s include capacity increasing from 4,550 ft3 to 5,150 ft3 and 5,400 ft3 . The maximum gross weight also swelled from 120 tonnes to 130 tonnes. He also pointed to structural design improvements and lighter tare weights.

In early 2016, there were 22,400 publicly-supplied hopper cars in circulation but how many are online at once varies by month depending on fleet, storage and back order, Pratte noted. There are a lot of players in the Western Canadian grain supply chain, he said, and the average crop production of 60 million tonnes was moved for each of the last five years.

The Canadian Transportation Act (CTA) Review Report devoted a page to the issue of aging grain hopper cars, Pratte said.

The report states that: “Between 1972 and 1994, the federal government purchased 13,500 rail hopper cars to carry Canadian grain from the Prairies to Western Canadian ports for export. The expected service life of these hopper cars was about 40 years. Under past and current operating agreements, these hopper cars are provided at no cost to CN and CP for grain transport, although the federal government collects annual revenues in the range of $10 to 15 million for alternate uses of the cars. Due to losses from accidents and aging, the federal fleet was estimated at about 8,410 hopper cars in 2014. The Governments of Alberta and Saskatchewan respectively acquired 1,000 hopper cars in 1980-81 of which about 900 currently remain in service. The Canadian Wheat Board (now G3 Global Grain Group) bought about 2,000 hopper cars in 1979-80 and purchased 1,663 leased rail cars in 2005-06; about 3,380 hopper cars remain in their fleet. The total number of Canadian grain hopper cars is estimated at about 23,000.”

Pratte noted over the last few decades, public policy gradually shifted toward deregulation and 900 Alberta cars are now approaching 50 years of age.

“The major issue from the farmer’s perspective is: As this publicly-provided policy is phased out, how is that reflected in the price of your grain,” Pratte asked the room filled with producers at FarmTech in Edmonton. “Is this going to be one more of those costs downloaded to you eventually?”

APG Past-Chair Allison Ammeter, who farms near Sylvan Lake, agreed that it’s a problem that is top of mind for producers.

“As a farmer, dependable grain movement is a critical part of our business,” she said.  “However, the concern is that yet another cost will be added to our bottom line if we leave car replacement to the railways. An additional concern is that replacement will not be done in a timely manner.  This is the time to address these concerns to ensure that the railways, grain companies, and governments do not simply wait for someone to make the first move.”

Unfortunately, the CTA report didn’t make any specific recommendations on that front, Pratte said.

The report states: “The existing grain hopper car fleet in Canada is nearing the end of its useful life and must be expanded and renewed. The federal government can play a role in the development of a long-term strategic plan on how best this can be achieved and under what timelines. It also has a role to ensure a favorable regulatory regime exists that does not generate barriers to investment. Modifications to the MRE (Maximum Revenue Entitlement) methodology (or elimination of the MRE, outright) could reduce “free-riders” and investment disincentives. Other options include, an accelerated capital cost allowance of railway cars (e.g. to levels comparable to those in the United States, 30 percent for railway cars), and the exploration of the appropriateness of an investment tax credit are initiatives that foster a positive investment climate.”

In a speech on Nov. 3, Minister of Transport Marc Garneau promised legislation to be tabled in the spring to “advance a long-term agenda for a more transparent, balanced, and efficient rail system that reliably moves our goods to global markets.”

Pratte added that there is some interest from private companies to make the investment but government still has a part in the process.

“The role of government potentially is as broker – who’s going to do what and who is going to move first,” Pratte said. “The motivation for shipping companies to maintain their own cars versus the railways is the legal promise of service. If you put in so many units, we guarantee you so many lines of service per week. You obtain it and we’ll give you better service.”

This article appeared in the Spring 2017 issue of Pulse Crop News.

John Kowalchuk, APG Director-at-Large (Non-bean), Chair of Extension Committee

Ever since I started growing yellow peas 16 years ago, I entertained the thought of getting involved in the Alberta Pulse Growers in some way.

I enjoyed growing new crops like peas and soybeans with such potential to change the way we farm by adding another plant type to the rotation. I really wanted to share my experiences with other Alberta farmers and help promote this great “tool” in our fight to help with short rotations.

I had stopped by the Alberta Pulse Growers booth in the past but felt I didn’t have the time or knowledge to be involved with an ag commission. I think many farmers feel the same way and this is what holds them back.

The fact of the matter is you do have to commit a certain amount of time, but it’s basically your decision how much. The more you give, the more you’ll get out of it stands very true for any ag group but there is no pressure. As far as not having the knowledge to contribute, if you’re willing to listen, discuss and share your opinion, you will do well on a board. Your life experiences are some of your most useful knowledge, not what you learned in school or post-secondary.

Then, at the farm show in Red Deer in November 2015, I made a point of stopping by the Pulse booth because I knew Sarah Hoffmann from my area had stepped down and the position of Director-at-Large (Non-Bean) was opening up. It just so happened that Allison Ammeter was helping out at the booth that day, and I was able to talk to her about APG and what it’s like to be on the board. After this discussion and taking some time to think about it, I knew I wanted to put my name forward for election at the AGM during FarmTech.

In January 2016 in Edmonton during FarmTech, I attended the Alberta Pulse AGM and got in front of a crowd of pulse growers to explain to them why I wanted to be a Director. I told my story of growing peas, and also talked about growing soybeans for the first time. I was very nervous having never spoken in front of that many people before, so it was a bit of a blur. I was happy to find out afterwards that I had been elected as a Director and was really looking forward to the year ahead.

The next year consisted of four board meetings where representatives from all five pulse zones in Alberta and the APG staff get together. Also, I volunteered for the Research Committee, as well as the Extension Committee. These are things I had a real interest in, and have been able to be in some very informative meetings.

I am starting to feel more confident in contributing to discussions. Alberta Pulse Growers uses a significant portion of levy dollars investing in research and also leverages those dollars with other funding dollars. Things like root rot and pea leaf weevil are issues we as pea producers face in Alberta, and are being researched through your levy dollars. Also, the other pulse crops have many new and ongoing research programs to help producers such as white mold research in dry beans and chocolate spot in faba beans.

The Directors on the board are all very hard-working, interesting people. I’ve had great one-on-one conversations with many of them and learned about pulse farming across our province.

Getting an opportunity to work with the staff at APG has been an eye-opener as well. These men and women bring a wealth of industry and producer knowledge to the table, and having the chance to learn from them about pulses has been invaluable. They do an amazing job of representing the Alberta Pulse Growers on a provincial and national stage and in helping to promote pulses. I have seen firsthand how committed they are to the success of all the projects that APG has taken on in the last year. They represent us well, and we are lucky to have every one of them.

I was re-elected in January at the AGM since Director-at-Large terms are only one year. The last few months have been a great opportunity to meet many interesting people from our ag community, and I have enjoyed the chance to learn from all them.

All of us in agriculture have many battles ahead and these grower groups will be there working alongside us to help with all the agronomic and social issues. My hope for all farmers out there is that you take the time to get involved in one of the grower groups. They do great work on our behalf and, once you get an inside look, you will better understand how much goes on behind the scenes to help farmers.

So, get involved if you have the chance, you’ll be amazed at how much you can contribute and the friendships and knowledge you gain in return.

A version of this story first appeared as a blog post at johnkowalchuk.blogspot.ca.

This article appeared in the Spring 2017 issue of Pulse Crop News.

The Alberta Pulse Growers (APG) selected Blair Roth, who has been instrumental in building Alberta’s pulse industry, as the winner of the third annual Alberta Pulse Industry Innovator Award.

“Each year APG recognizes a person or organization whose progressive thinking and tireless efforts helped build Alberta’s pulse industry into the flourishing industry that it is today,” said APG Past-Chair Allison Ammeter. “Blair Roth has dedicated his career to the advancement of the pulse industry and truly deserves to receive the Alberta Pulse Industry Innovator Award for his many contributions.”

Roth said that he was honoured to learn that he was chosen as the recipient of the third annual Industry Innovator Award. He was nominated by Zone 1.

“This means a lot to me and I truly appreciate the honour,” Roth said. “I am humbled to be put in the same category as previous recipients. To me, these type of awards are a team game. I hope I have played some small part, and I don’t expect the momentum of this industry to slow as the next generation takes on the challenges of the future.”

Roth discovered his life-long passion for pulses when he worked in applied research at Alberta Agriculture in the 1980s and ran field scale demonstrations for many crops, including early soybean, lupin, faba bean, chickpea, bean, pea and lentil crops. He worked very closely with producers to establish the Alberta Pulse Growers Association, which he then helped transition to the Alberta Pulse Growers Commission in 1989. Roth saw the potential for pulses in Alberta and the need for a strong provincial organization that could continue to improve production and marketing research. In 1990, Roth started working in special crops with Alberta Pool, and then Agricore. He has continued to support the growth in the pulse industry over the last nine years as the Director-Special Crops for Viterra, overseeing the North American procurement, processing and marketing of pulses for Viterra.

Roth accepted the award presented by Ammeter and Zone 1 Chair Richard Pepneck during APG’s Annual General Meeting in January at FarmTech.

Roth thanked the zone for nominating him, as well as all the people who helped him in his career during the last 40 years.

“Thanks to my family for coming along for the ride and being willing to prepare, promote and eat beans or lentils or peas even when they weren’t convinced – I think they are now,” he said from the podium at the Edmonton Expo Centre where his son Nathan watched his father accept the honour. “Thank you to the many farmers that I have learned from, worked with, done business with and befriended over the past 40 years. Life is a continual path of learning and my association with the farming community has been a real blessing for my career.”

He also expressed gratitude to the many staff members, business associates, customers and researchers he worked with and learned from over the years.

While Roth became involved in the pulse industry in 1979, he told the crowd of about 200 people at the AGM, that the closest year he could find acreage numbers for Western Canada was 1981 with 500,000 acres. He said that the acreage in Western Canada had grown to well over 10 million acres in 2016.

“What a sweet ride,” he remarked. “There have been lots of challenges, and there will be more! But there has also been lots of excitement and rewarding times observing and being part of the success that the pulse industry has achieved over the past 30-odd years.”

He added: “I think back to all the dedication and time invested by all who have toiled to make this industry what it is today. I recall the early days when we formed the Alberta Pulse Growers Association in 1979 and worried how we could ever get enough funding to direct research into the most needed areas. I think of all the on-farm research that growers willingly took on to better the industry. Let’s not forget all the hard work and risk taking of those early pioneers of our industry!”

Tim VanderHoek, APG’s Bean Director-at-Large who farms in Zone 1, had high praise for Roth’s contributions to building the pulse industry.

“Blair Roth not only helped create markets for pulses,” VanderHoek explained, “but also assisted the farmers who created this body, the Alberta Pulse Growers, that is very successful today and has grown tremendously throughout his career. He was instrumental at the start of the association, and his opinion continues to be respected at the zone and provincial level.”