Enid, Oklahoma
July 19, 2007
Monsanto’s DEKALB Genetics
and John Deere are supporting
the formation of a new grower group for customers in the Great
Plains area. The Great Plains Canola Growers Association (GPCGA)
will provide representation, education, promotion and leadership
support to canola producers primarily in the states of Oklahoma
and Kansas.
“As a wheat farmer for many years, and now as a canola farmer,
I’m pleased to work with DEKALB and John Deere to get this
association off the ground,” says John Haas, newly named board
director for GPCGA from Larned, KS. “Having a network of fellow
farmers and industry representatives is important as we begin
exploring the opportunities for canola production in our area.”
Other board members include Jeff Scott, Pond Creek, OK; Michael
Marlow, Enid, OK; and Bob Schrock, Kiowa, KS.
According to Kenlon Johannes, acting executive director for the
GPCGA, the association will provide a voice for Great Plains
canola to promote and lobby for policies that help meet market
demands for canola end-products, including food oil and
biodiesel. “We are excited to be working closely with DEKALB and
John Deere to form this new group and look forward to their
continued collaborative efforts to provide additional enabling
technologies, tools and support to growers and the industry at
large”, said Johannes.
Canola production is new to the Great Plains, where wheat has
been traditionally grown year after year in a continuous
rotation. More growers are now considering canola which is
showing great promise as a rotational crop to wheat.
“Winter Canola offers winter wheat growers one of the best crop
rotation solutions to come along in years,” Jeff Koscelny,
DEKALB Canola brand manger. It is estimated that nearly 20,000
acres of DEKALB Roundup Ready winter canola were grown in the
2006-2007 cropping season. “However, as we provide this
technology it will be critical to give our farmer customers the
resources they need to establish best practices and build and
maintain markets. This grower association will be fundamental in
lending that kind of support and leadership”, said Koscelny.
Winter canola provides a solution to many issues faced by the
Great Plains wheat farmer. By rotating winter canola and wheat,
farmers can decrease their economic risk from income tied
exclusively to the wheat market, break up the disease, weed and
pest cycles that result from a single crop rotation and improve
wheat quality.
“Monsanto and John Deere both aspire to provide tools that
support the success of U.S. farmers and we are proud partners of
this association that supports winter Canola,” says Don Borgman,
John Deere’s Director of Industry Relations. Borgman thinks the
increase in canola production will also provide a boost to area
economies. “In addition to feed and food uses, Canola is a
potential biodiesel feedstock. It provides an opportunity for
Great Plains farmers to enter the rapidly emerging biofuels
market,” says Borgman. “There are numerous links between
renewable energy and rural development. We believe the
opportunities for increased prosperity exist not only for the
canola farmer but for the surrounding communities as well.”
The Great Plaines Canola Growers Association (GPCGA) will
represent canola growers in the Great Plains states. The
association will reside in Topeka, Kansas.
Monsanto Company is a leading global provider of
technology-based solutions and agricultural products that
improve farm productivity and food quality. For more
information, please visit http://www.monsanto.com.
John Deere (Deere & Company - NYSE: DE) is the world’s leading
provider of advanced products and services for agriculture and
forestry and a major provider of advanced products and services
for construction, lawn and turf care, landscaping and
irrigation. John Deere also provides financial services
worldwide and manufactures and markets engines used in heavy
equipment. Since it was founded in 1837, the company has
extended its heritage of integrity, quality, commitment and
innovation around the globe.
DEKALB is a registered
trademark of DEKALB Genetics Corporation.
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