A WIMMERA farmer who has not grown canola for several years expressed shock at the rise in seed costs in recent seasons.
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Wayne Warrick, Gerang Gerung, west of Dimboola, said he had decided to get back into growing some canola this season, because it offered potentially better returns than cereals, but was astounded to see prices as high as they were, especially for open pollinated varieties.
“You see open pollinated varieties at around $12/kg – that works out to $12,000 a tonne, when we are getting paid $400/t for it - I call that being ripped off,” Mr Warrick said.
He also said that, although there were production costs involved, hybrid and Roundup Ready costs of over $20/kg were also close to prohibitive.
“There seems to be no limit to what the seed companies want to charge.
“Obviously, poor seasons have had their mark, but the high seed prices may also be a factor in the lower canola plants through this area over the past few years.”
Better Oilseeds project co-ordinator Felicity Pritchard acknowledged seed costs were rising, but said this expense had been offset by a move to lower sowing rates.
“Open pollinated varieties are around $9/kg and hybrids up around $23/kg, while with Roundup Ready there are also additional costs, seed technology fees of $3/kg, followed by end point royalties of $13.20/t, so there’s no doubt it is dearer than it was and it can be expensive," she said.
“However, the good news is that canola can now be sown at rates as low as 2kg/ha, compared to the 5-6kg/ha that used to be accepted practice, which has been a cost saving, with press wheels on sowing equipment a real assistance in getting sowing rates down.”
She said that in spite of the costs, farmers needed to think carefully about using their own seed, even for open pollinated lines.
“Obviously, you should never retain hybrid seed, as it won’t grow, but you also need to be careful with open pollinated seed.
“You can store open pollinated seed for one year if the quality is good enough, but it needs to be tested for germination and vigour, and also cleaned properly.
“Growers should also check updated blackleg resistance ratings for their particular variety.”
