Good morning.
My name is Jim Gowland. I've been chairman of the Canadian Soybean Council these past five years. I'm a cash-crop farmer from Bruce County, near Walkerton, Ontario, and I farm 2,300 acres of soybeans, wheat, corn, and white beans in partnership with my wife Judy.
Our farm incorporates the benefits gained through biotechnology while taking advantage of the opportunities to add value to our farm operation by growing non-GM soybeans for world markets. Similar to other Canadian soybean growers, our farm maintains a sustainable crop rotation that maximizes yield, quality, attributes, equipment, and capital utilization, which ultimately results in business profitability.
Our operation incorporates corn varieties developed through biotechnology to address agronomic issues that complement our non-GM soybean production, our edible bean production, and wheat production. We address specific weed control and pest issues with the use of these GM corn varieties to allow us to maximize the profitability in our conventionally grown crops.
With proper management and segregation practices, the added value generated in our operation for 900 acres of non-GM soybeans is approximately $50,000 to $75,000 of increased returns annually. Although difficult to track, this kind of bottom-line farm income could easily translate into an industry aggregate of at least $50 million for Canadian growers annually. In addition, with high demand for Canadian high-quality soybeans by export markets and a strong demand for soybeans for crushing into meal and oil domestically, strong basis levels are also improved, which benefits Canadian soybean growers as well.
Crop improvements in soybeans, as a result of advancements in biotechnology, have given Canadian soybean growers the ability to select varieties that meet the agronomic needs while providing traits with direct consumer benefits, which provides growers with another avenue to add value to their operations.
In the future, the Canadian soybean industry, with its proven ability to segregate, will be able to produce and supply soybeans with traits developed through biotechnology, resulting in direct consumer benefits such as new industrial or food uses.
We need proper identity preserved protocols in place and the support of the Canadian government in developing low-level presence policies. Canadian soybean growers will then be able to take advantage of future opportunities derived from biotechnology while meeting the ever-changing requirements of the global marketplace for specialty non-GM soybeans.
Thank you so much.