Eastern Canada Oilseed Development Alliance

December 7, 2018, Belle River, Prince Edward Island – Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

The Eastern Canada Oilseed Development Alliance (ECODA) received $3,702,171 in funding under Canadian Agricultural Partnership’s AgriScience Program.  The program aims to accelerate the pace of innovation by providing funding and support for pre-commercial science activities and cutting-edge research that benefits the agriculture and agri-food sector. Industry will contribute $2,663,829 towards the research activities for a total of $6,366,000.  

ECODA benefits oilseed growers, processors and exporters in Eastern Canada by establishing oilseed crop options that match regional factors as well as local and export market needs. Its mandate is to facilitate innovation in the oilseed supply chain, and partnerships that capture economic value for Eastern Canada’s agri-food sector.

Over the next five years, ECODA research activities will focus on:

• Developing better varieties and new oilseed crops for eastern Canada, including soybeans, camelina, brown mustard, pulses, canola, and hemp;
• Product innovation to boost market opportunities for oilseeds and value-added products;
• Improving land use and increasing profitable crop rotation options; and
• Improving pest resistance and soil preservation.

The research and commercialization program includes some 15 Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC), university, and private sector research organizations, and 12 grower and industry partners from eastern Canada, including collaborators from Europe, Japan, and the United States.

Priority for the Sector and Region

One of the fastest growing opportunities for agriculture in the Eastern Region is in oilseeds, in particular soybean and canola production. Eastern Canada’s soybean production has seen an increase of 7 per cent, with farm cash receipts of $2.3 billion in 2016 (an increase of 9.8 per cent since 2012), mostly due to exports to Japan and other parts of Asia. Canola has the highest cash value per acre of all crops produced in Canada, however production in Eastern Canada has been a little slow due to the lack of agronomic knowledge and practices. This project will address this knowledge gap with research that will help establish oilseeds as a viable export crop for Eastern Canada.  

Prince Edward Island

On Prince Edward Island, the value of the soybean crop in 2017 was worth more than $18 million.  Pulse production continues to expand on Prince Edward Island, with an estimated $3 million in sales in 2018. 

Of the 21 research projects being funded under the AgriScience Program, 10 of them will be taking place on Prince Edward Island, including at AAFC research farm in Harrington.  These 10 projects will be backed by a total federal investment of over $733,000.

These projects include:

• Developing canola varieties that are resistant to clubroot;
• Developing better soybean varieties adapted to PEI soil conditions and climate;
• Exploring canola in potato rotations;
• Evaluating hemp varieties;
• Using brown mustard in potato rotations;
• Improving soil health with pulses;
• Exploring camelina as a rotational crop; and
• Using non-GMO oilseeds as salmon feed.

Benefits to Canadian agriculture

Although the research activities on the latest techniques and technologies for growing oilseeds is primarily focused on the Eastern region, the results will be transferrable to the rest of the country. Expanding the communication plans of all aspects of oilseeds production and marketing will benefit other provinces involved in oilseeds production.

Related product

• The Government of Canada invests in innovation to support oilseed development in Eastern Canada