Protein Industries Canada, Corteva Agriscience Canada and their industry partners making a key announcement for the Canola sector. 

The first commercial plant breeding project from Protein Industries Canada will focus specifically on improving protein quality in canola hybrids.

More than $27 million is being invested in the project; $13.6 million coming from Protein Industries Canada which is part of the federal government's SuperCluster program.

The CEO of Protein Industries Canada Bill Gruehl says the project has the opportunity to fundamentally change the Canola sector in Canada.

“It's the first commercial breeding project, specifically focused on protein quality improvement. Higher protein canola meal will result in new diversified value markets, creating economic benefits across the value chain.”

He says by investing in breeding to improve protein and reduce fibre, we will increase the value of Canadian canola – especially the meal used in livestock feed – resulting in higher prices for the meal, which is traditionally sold at a discount.

Three private companies are also involved in the project and will supply the rest of the funding just over $14 million.

Bryce Eger is President of Corteva AgriScience Canada and says they’ll handle the crop breeding.

“Through this significant investment we intend to improve the canola crop by developing canola seed that is high in protein and also lower in fibre. This, in turn, will create new opportunities for canola meal which is typically the byproduct of the canola we see harvested today.”

Bunge will look after the processing and new end-use markets, while Botaneco will work on new uses for the canola protein.

Botaneco’s Chief Operating Officer Dave Dzisiak says one of those opportunities could be as an ingredient in salmon feed.

“We just got the trial results back from a canola protein concentrate 75% protein. We put it into a salmon diet, it worked fantastic. So, we could be a major protein, going into a salmon ration.”

Ryan Law, the North America Canola Commercial Manager at Bunge, says the industry should be able to generate more value from high protein canola meal.

"Ultimately, creating new opportunities for growers as the high protein/reduced fibre meal will allow us to sell into local feed markets where we currently struggle to compete."

As well as finding uses in the livestock feed market there's also the possibility that canola protein could potentially find its way into human food products.

President of the Canola Council of Canada Jim Everson says continued innovation in Canadian canola by enhancing the protein in the seed will help us create more sustainable growth and opportunity for the canola value chain.

The announcement on the first commercial canola breeding project was delivered at Corteva's research and development facility in Saskatoon.