Pickseed Canada welcomed an interesting Chinese delegation from the western Chinese province of Xinjiang. This province borders onto the former Soviet states of Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, as well as a narrow connector to Afghanistan.

The visitors included officials of the Bureau of Land, of the Farm 142 as well as specialists in pasture management.

The group was led by Dr. Kit Shum, a specialist in the export of Canadian animal genetics to China. Dr. Shum had recently completed a sale to this group of a significant number of high quality, purebred Holstein heifers;- bred to calf after arrival.

The delegation expressed a great degree of interest in developing a forage production technology to produce high quality forage on a reliable basis to feed these high performance animals.

Pickseed alfalfa varieties have been chosen that will meet their needs of high yield, excellent winter survival and improved levels of protein and Relative Feeding Value (RFV).

Dave Lockman, B.Sc. an agronomist and wholesale seed specialist with Pickseed led a highly informative discussion, a discussion which was especially impressive in identifying the very high level of sophistication that exists in this emerging forage production area. It is curiously coincidental too, that these highly improved varieties of alfalfa are returning to Asia Minor, the cradle of origin of alfalfa.

The pedigree seed involved will all be of Canadian production, varieties high in resistance to Verticillium wilt; a disease recently identified as a potential concern in China.

China / Canada agricultural ties continue to grow rapidly and Pickseed is pleased to be a part of that development.

Pickseed Canada is part of the Pickseed Companies Group- North American leaders in forage and turf grass development, production and distribution.