The U.S. Canola Association (USCA) and nearly 230 agricultural groups (including the USCA) submitted comments on the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) draft Insecticide Strategy. While it acknowledged the EPA’s efforts to address concerns during previous comment periods, the USCA wrote that the draft strategy “does not provide the flexibility farmers need to make quick decisions regarding their crops and to save potential yields suffering from pests.” It urged the EPA to include guidelines for how new practices and technologies could be accommodated in the regulations, reduce the strategy’s complexity, add greater flexibility for compliance and refine how it determines risks to species. “While we support EPA becoming compliant with the Endangered Species Act … it must do so in a way that does not drastically disrupt U.S. agriculture, other vital users of insecticides, and the consumers who rely on the food, fuel, fiber, and other services we produce,” added signatories on the group letter. They said the complexity of the proposal will make it difficult for producers and applicators to comply with measures. Further clarification is needed on how to implement several measures and there are only a few types of run-off/erosion mitigations available to growers and landowners, several of which are expensive to install and maintain.

On Sept. 25, the White House announced that the House and Senate passed a Continuing Resolution to extend current fiscal year government funding through Dec. 20. Each chamber is adjourning for the run-up to Election Day and scheduled to return for the post-election “lame duck” session in November.

A new farm bill is still possible in 2024 and Congress is considering an agricultural  assistance package, according to staff from the House and Senate Agriculture Committees with whom USCA’s DC staff recently met. The former indicated that discussions are occurring between committee chairs and ranking members in a renewed effort to complete the farm bill this year. Otherwise, an extension of the current farm bill will be needed at the end of 2024. If agriculture committee leaders can reach agreement on the bill’s framework, it will have to bypass “regular order,” such as votes on amendments by the full House and Senate or a formal conference committee. Instead, it will move through an expedited process and likely be attached to a year-end omnibus appropriations package or another Continuing Resolution. The committee leaders are aware of the challenges facing farmers, including low prices and financing, so they might consider some form of immediate ad hoc assistance. They are closely monitoring data from Farm Credit and bankers regarding the status of loans and forecasts for financing operations in 2025. Additionally, they are keeping an eye on weather conditions and other potential disasters. At this time, no concrete plans or framework for emergency assistance have been developed.

On Sept. 21, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) launched on Sept. 21 the Distressed Borrowers Assistance Network and announced improvements to farm loan programs to support financially troubled farmers and ranchers nationwide. The network aims to connect distressed borrowers with personalized assistance through cooperative agreements. USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) established a new Enhancing Program Access and Delivery for Farm Loans rule, which took effect as of Sept. 25, to increase opportunities for borrowers to improve profitability and make strategic investments in their farms. To assist the more than 26,000 producers applying for direct loans annually, the FSA is also streamlining its process with several key enhancements. The USDA encourages producers to contact their local FSA loan staff to fully understand the various loan options available for starting or expanding their agricultural operations.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service reported in its Sept. 12 Crop Report that 2024 canola planted acreage is estimated at a whopping 2,662,500. Harvested acreage is estimated at 2,616,000. Both figures are up by about 300,000 compared to 2023.

Preventing volunteer canola in a following soybean crop requires extra effort to keep non-volunteer canola from escaping the back of a combine the year before, reported Grainews.ca. Research at the University of Manitoba looked at how volunteer canola occurs in soybeans, including combine speed, settings, separator type and canola variety. Ironically, higher yields of modern canola cultivars can contribute more to the volunteer canola seed bank.

North Dakota canola yields are good at 2,200-2,600 pounds across most of the state, reported Northern Canola Growers Association Executive Director Barry Coleman to Red River Farm Network. Some growers in the Bismarck area in Burleigh County even had up to 3,000-pound yields. But he estimates that yields will average 1,900-2,000 pounds statewide as a few areas in the southwest and north-central ran short of moisture.

The GCIRC (Global Council for Innovation in Rapeseed and Canola) is calling for abstracts for presentations at its technical meeting 8-10 April 2025 in Cambridge, UK. The theme of the meeting will be climate change and presentations will be grouped into three sessions with several sub-topics:

• Adapting agronomy (nitrogen and use efficiency; breeding and managing for drought, waterlogging, extreme weather; in-crop diversification)
• Managing pests and diseases: blackleg, verticillium, turnip yellows, cabbage stem flea beetle, winter stem weevil, pollen beetle (understanding pest and disease lifecycles; changes in migration or adaption to climate changes; development and implementation of IPM systems; neonics and impacts on beneficial insects; eploying genetic solutions)
• Greenhouse gas emission reduction (carbon foot-printing and bench-marking; breeding and production for niche markets; development of fossil fuel substitutes)

Abstracts can be submitted until Nov. 30, 2024. Additionally, there will be an open workshop to discuss current global issues and opportunities for future research and collaboration, such as the potential role and barriers to the adoption of gene editing/CRISPR for oilseeds. This workshop will help shape an agenda for the next congress in France. Registration for the conference will open in Oct. The meeting will be held at Jesus College Cambridge, where accommodation will be available. The program will also include a visit to a farm that grows canola and mustard.

Seed oils, including canola, contribute to a healthy diet, noted Dr. Christopher Gardner, professor at Stanford University School of Medicine in California and nutrition scientist at Stanford Prevention Research Center, in American Heart Association News. The misleading charge is that seed oils high in the omega-6 fatty acid linoleic acid (canola oil is a moderate source) break down in cooking, causing inflammation and contributing to chronic illnesses. “That argument is flawed in numerous ways, Gardner said. “Omega-6 is a polyunsaturated fat the body needs but cannot produce itself, so it must get it from foods. Polyunsaturated fats help the body reduce bad cholesterol, lowering the risk for heart disease and stroke. The American Heart Association supports the inclusion of omega-6 fatty acids as part of a healthy diet … And studies show swapping out saturated fats and replacing them with unsaturated fats lowers the risk for heart disease.”

Further addressing social media confusion about seed oils, “Beneficial effects of linoleic acid on cardiometabolic health: an update” was published online Sept. 12 in the peer-reviewed scientific journal Lipids in Health and Disease by esteemed nutrition scientists Kristina H. Jackson, William S. Harris, Martha A. Belury, Penny M. Kris-Etherton and Philip C. Calder. Linoleic acid (LA) is the omega-6 fatty acid contained in vegetable oils in varying amounts (canola oil has 19%). The paper concluded that “recent publications using large datasets report that higher blood levels of LA are asso­ciated with lower risk of [coronary heart disease], stroke and [Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus] com­pared with lower levels, confirming that across the range of normal dietary intakes, higher LA is beneficial to health … In sum­mary, there is now good evidence that LA has cardiomet­abolic health-related benefits, and individuals with lower intakes of LA would be expected to benefit from increas­ing LA intake.”

A trade war between Canada and China has escalated with canola in the middle of it, reported Canada’s National Observer. China has launched an anti-dumping investigation of Canadian canola seed imports in response to Canada announcing new border taxes on Chinese-made electric vehicles, steel and aluminium. Canada and other western countries allege that Chinese companies are taking advantage of subsidies and other government help to allow for “dumping” (selling products below cost, making competition difficult). In response, China has threatened to levy tariffs on Canadian canola seed and file a complaint with the World Trade Organization over the electric vehicle tariffs. “Canada’s canola trade with China is aligned with and supports rules-based trade, fair market access and competitiveness of Canadian canola in this important market,” said the Canola Council of Canada. Canadian canola exports to China account for roughly a quarter of all farm crop receipts.

Workers at the six main grain terminals in the port of #Vancouver went on strike Sept. 24, which could disrupt exports of #canola and other crops, reported Reuters. Talks between the Grain Workers Union and Vancouver Terminal Elevators’ Association stalled due a deadlock over benefits, but recently resumed. Meanwhile, exports are threatened for the world’s number 1 #canola and number 3 #wheat exporter during harvest time.

Winter canola in South Africa is an agricultural success story, growing from 17K hectares in 1998-99 to an estimated 165K hectares in 2024-25, reported Wandile Sihlobo, chief economist of the Agricultural Business Chamber of South Africa. Winter canola is displacing winter wheat and barley in some areas, primarily the Western Cape, due to price competitiveness. This is being driven by a rise in domestic demand for oil and meal. South Africa is now a net canola exporter, shipping to countries such as Germany and Belgium.

Canola Week 2024 will be Dec. 3-5 at the Holiday Inn Saskatoon Downtown. It will open with a recap of the growing season and state of the industry, followed by nutrient management priorities to optimize canola production and canola innovations. Canola Week merges three meetings into one.

The 2025 Canadian Crops Convention, hosted by the Canola Council of Canada and Canada Grains Council, will be March 4-6 at the JW Marriott in Edmonton, Alberta.

Scoular held a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Sept. 18 in honor of the opening of its new oilseed crushing facility in Goodland, Kansas, which aims to grow markets for renewable fuels and animal feed. The former sunflower crushing facility was retrofitted to process 11 million bushels of canola and soybeans annually or 1,000 metric tons per day. It sits on nearly 150 acres and has created more than 30 local jobs. “We plan to be in Goodland for decades to come,’’ said Sandra Hulm, Scoular’s senior vice president of renewables & oilseeds, at the event. She was one of several speakers, including Kansas Secretary of Agriculture Mike Beam, Senator Rick Billinger and Kansas Lt. Gov. and Secretary of Commerce David Toland. “Long known for its robust agriculture sector, Kansas also is at the forefront of innovative technologies that are turning cash crops into renewable energy and sustainable aviation fuels,” said Toland. “Scoular is a perfect example of the kind of company Kansas is relying on to continue growing our high-tech agriculture ecosystem.” Scoular received its first truckloads of winter canola in June at the new facility. Its Canola MVP™ producer program helped increase the crop in the area by 30,000 acres this year, with continued growth expected in the years to come.

GREATER MSP, the Minneapolis Saint Paul Regional Economic Development Partnership, announced on Sept. 10 major developments toward operating with several stakeholders the first large-scale, end-to-end sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) value chain in the United States. A primary development is that Flint Hills Resources, in collaboration with Delta Air Lines, is developing a facility to blend up to 30 million gallons of neat SAF at its Pine Bend refinery in Rosemount, Minn. The facility, expected to open at the end of 2025, will likely be the first between the coasts that can blend neat SAF with conventional jet fuel. SAF can reduce lifecycle carbon emissions by more than 80%. Neat SAF is produced using renewable feedstocks like used cooking oil as a drop-in replacement for regular jet fuel. Current certification standards allow up to 50% neat SAF to be blended with the latter. “However, as a nascent industry, there is not enough SAF being produced today to fuel the world’s airlines for a single week,” noted GREATER MSP.

Jordan Barry was promoted to the newly created role of general manager of Scoular’s Renewables & Oilseeds division. He will lead the oilseed crush and sunflower, flax and bird food businesses while continuing to oversee a portion of the international feed business. He joined Scoular in July 2023 as product group manager. Prior to that, he was with ADM for more than 15 years, where he held commercial leadership and trading oversight roles. Barry will represent Scoular on the USCA board of directors.

Field to Market: The Alliance for Sustainable Agriculture^®, to which the USCA belongs, will host its 2024 Sustainable Agriculture Summit Nov. 20-21 in Minneapolis. Entitled “A Decade of Progress and a Vision for the Future,” the summit will celebrate 10 years of collaboration on sustainable agriculture. Registration is open. Any USCA members interested in representing the organization at the summit, please contact Tom Hance at thance@gordley.com. Field to Market also recently announced the annual update to its Climate Commitments Hub, which highlights targeted and aspirational commitments made by its members as well as progress recorded towards reaching them.

Ray Albrecht will retire in early October as senior merchant at Cargill Agricultural Supply Chain – North America as well as from the USCA board after many years of service. He worked for Cargill for 22 years as an agronomist/barley buyer and later as a territory manager and seed merchant, including canola, with a stint as agriculturist at the American Crystal Sugar Company in between. Albrecht is a graduate of North Dakota State University’s agronomy and crop science program. The USCA thanks him very much for his contributions and wishes him all the best!

The autumn USCA board meeting will be in San Diego, Calif., Mon.-Wed., Nov. 11-13. The spring 2025 board and membership meeting will be in Washington, D.C., Mon.-Wed., March 17-19.

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