| | Overview:
For the second year in a row, Canadian exports of grass and legume seed increased. 2012-13 export data (crop year ending June 30, 2012), shows exports up by over 17.5 million lbs. This total export number of 103.8 million lbs of seed is up by over 20% from 2010-11. The increase in Canadian exports is led by creeping red fescue seed, with exports up by 7 million lbs. The other major turf grass seed crop grown in Canada, perennial ryegrass, shows
| exports up by 6 million lbs. (to 27.24 million lbs.) Alfalfa seed saw exports increase from 15 million lbs. (2010-11) to 16.4 million lbs this past crop year. Another crop showing major improvement from the previous years’ exports is smooth brome grass, which saw exports increase by over 56%, resulting in an additional 470,000 lbs. exports in 2011-12 |  |
Table 1: Canadian Grass and Legume Seed Exports by Species (Crop year - July to June, lbs.)
Value of Canadian Grass and Legume Seed Exports:
This increase in grass and legume seed exports resulted in an additional $33 million in value to the industry. Overall, $110 million of grass and legume seed was exported out of Canada. Alfalfa continues to be the most valuable crop, with $33.67 million worth of seed exported. The two turf grass seed crops grown, those being perennial ryegrass seed and creeping red fescue seed, showed their export values to be $18.66 and $18.35 million respectively. The three western provinces continue to dominate theCanadian grass and legume seed production scene, with Manitoba and Alberta leading the way. Of Canada’s total exports of 103.8 million lbs, 48.5 million lbs. of it came out of Manitoba, with another 35.5 million lbs. coming out of Alberta.
| Saskatchewan closes out the role of major Canadian player by exporting 10.7 million lbs. of seed. Manitoba production is focused on perennial ryegrass and alfalfa seed, while Alberta’s seed production continues to be focused on the Peace River region’s creeping red fescue crop, and the Brook’s area’s alfalfa seed crops |  |
Destination of Canadian Seed
| The USA continues to be the major destination for Canadian grass and legume seed. However, her share of the Canadian export market continues to fall. In 2010-11, Canadian exports to the USA amounted for 72% of Canada’s total exports. However, this past crop year, 2011-12, exports fell to 61.5%, even though the USA imported more Canadian seed than the previous year (2010-11 = 60.0 million lbs, 2011-12 = 63.9 million lbs.). |  |
Canada exported over 1 million lbs of seed to 10 countries, including the USA. Although Russia and Poland increased their grass and legume seed imports from Canada by over 300%, it is China, the Netherlands and Germany, that had the greatest impact. 2011-12 saw Chinese imports from Canada double, with imports increasing by over 5 million lbs compared to the previous crop year. The Netherlands increased her imports by 4 million lbs, while Germany imported an additional 3.3 million lbs of seed. In total, China, the Netherlands and Germany imported 10.0 million lbs., 9.7 million lbs., and 6.0 million lbs. respectively. Russia, who imported less than 100,000 lbs in 2010-11, increased her imports from Canada to over 1 million lbs. in 2011-12. The other countries importing over 1 million lbs of Canadian grass and legume seed were Italy, Poland, the UK, France and Argentina.
Table 2: Canadian Grass and Legume Seed Exports by Destination (Crop year - July to June, lbs.)
Prepared by David Wong, Market Specialist, Ag-Info Centre, Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development 310-3276 |
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