Canada-China Relations Remain A Concern In 2020 For The Canola Industry

Dec 23, 2020

Market access to China for canola seed, from two of our largest exporters, Viterra and Richardson's, remained an issue for 2020.

The Vice President of Public Affairs for the Canola Council of Canada, Brian Innes says despite the challenges they've been able to adapt and pick up other markets.

"We've seen a lot more Canola go to Europe in the last year or two, and we've also seen more Canola go to places like the United Arab Emirates, as well as Pakistan and Bangladesh. So, in general we've seen the market adapt, and we've seen producers also adapt by planting less Canola as prices have been lower."

Innes notes when it comes to the situation with China, Viterra and Richardson still do not have a license in place to export canola seed into that country again, but he's hopeful that will change soon.

"We know that Canola was targeted because of the situation with Madam Meng in Vancouver. We're seeing now some optimism that a change in the U-S administration may lead to better Canada/China relations which may also then help us regain full access for our canola seed to China.

He notes some canola seed is moving to China but overall our exports are down about 50 to 70 per cent compared to normal.

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Video: Root Exudates, Soil Biology, and How Plants Recruit Microbes | Field Talk Friday

Field Talk Friday | Dr. John Murphy | Root Exudates, Soil Biology, and How Plants Recruit Microbes

Most of us spend our time managing what we can see above ground—plant height, leaf color, stand counts, and yield potential. But the deeper you dig into agronomy, the more you realize that some of the most important processes driving crop performance are happening just millimeters below the surface.

In this episode of Field Talk Friday, Dr. John Murphy continues the soil biology series by diving into one of the most fascinating topics in modern agronomy: root exudates and the role they play in shaping the microbial world around plant roots.

Roots are not passive structures simply pulling nutrients out of the soil. They are active participants in the underground ecosystem. Plants constantly release compounds into the soil—sugars, amino acids, organic acids, and other molecules—that act as both energy sources and signals for soil microbes.