Calgary, Alberta, Canada
December 12, 2012
Nexera canola, introduced in western Canada in 1999 as the first identity preserved canola, was viewed by some as a market anomaly – promoting a canola’s unique “healthier” oil profile was a first. Fourteen years later, through considerable investment in the Dow AgroSciences global canola R&D program, and facility and simultaneous seed and oil market development, Nexera canola is now the market’s envy.
With consumers demanding healthier alternatives, and food manufacturers and restaurants listening, end use demand for heart-healthy Omega-9 Oil, from Nexera canola, is very strong. “Since 2006, restaurants and food manufacturers that have converted to Omega-9 Oil have removed more than one billion pounds of trans fat and saturated fat from the North American diet,” says Dave Dzisiak, Dow AgroSciences Commercial Leader, Oils Business. “We believe that in 2013, over 40 per cent of all canola oil used in the U.S. food industry will be Omega-9 Oil derived from Nexera canola.”
It is in part that end use demand that has driven Canada’s canola crushing industry to expand at a feverish pace. Opened in 2010, Richardson International’s Yorkton, Saskatchewan plant tripled their previous production, and a 25 per cent expansion is already planned. Bunge North America now operates five Canadian locations with significant expansion projects underway. Louis Dreyfus Mitsui (LDM) Foods opened its state-of-the-art canola crushing and processing facility, also in Yorkton, in 2010.
The crush capacity and end use demand for Nexera canola makes it the leader in on-farm profitability. “In 2012 Nexera growers will receive $100 million more in premiums over the value of other canola,” says Mark Woloshyn, Nexera Canola Brand Leader. And grower field trials are proving the Nexera canola hybrids available today offer early season vigor, outstanding yield potential, disease resistance, and ease of harvest comparable to the other leading competitive hybrids.
In recognition of Nexera canola’s impact on the entire value chain, from growers to processors to consumers, Dow AgroSciences gained North American recognition by being named Agri Marketing 2012 Product of the Year. “There were 12 very strong submissions but Nexera canola was the clear choice of the judges,” says Lynn Henderson, Publisher of Agri Marketing Magazine. “Congratulations to Dow AgroSciences, Nexera canola is joining the ranks of legendary products like Herculex, ethanol, and the RoundUp Ready trait.” The award’s judging panel included Dr. Dave Downey of Purdue University and other North American agriculture industry leaders.
Dow AgroSciences Canada Inc. brings innovation to life through people, chemistry and biotechnology in the areas of seed and crop production, and pest management. Dow AgroSciences Canada Inc. is headquartered in Calgary, Alberta, with commercial and research operations across Canada. Key research facilities include corn and soybean breeding in St. Mary's and Blenheim, Ontario, cereals breeding in Nairn, Ontario, and a global canola research center in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.
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