Growing opportunities

The main crops grown in Canada read like KWS’ portfolio: wheat, oilseed rape, barley, oats, corn, soybean, peas, rye, potatoes, sugarbeet. Kenny Piecharka, Country Manager at KWS Seeds Canada, views Canada as an increasingly important market for a variety of crops: “We have vast areas for growing them, sufficient water sources and a politically stable market. Climate change will shift cultivation further north.”

After KWS started hybrid rye trials in Canada in 2012 and commercialized 12 hybrid rye varieties as well as conventional wheat and barley in a license business model between 2014 and 2022, KWS Seeds Canada was founded in 2022 with a direct to retail business model. “The varieties are bred in Europe, then selected for trialing based on suitability to the Canadian environment,” says Kenny.

As KWS Seeds Canada grows, “we remain committed to supporting farmers with superior products and comprehensive support,” says Kenny. “Our team has expanded to eight members, located from Ontario to Alberta, focusing on product development, seed production, animal nutrition, end-use markets, sales, and marketing.”

Challenges rooted in tradition exist in Canada: Farmers are accustomed to using their own seed from the previous harvest for sowing their next crop. “We show them the multiple advantages of hybrid seed, especially a 30-40% yield increase over traditionally bred rye.” A related task is to enforce variety protection, achieved through contract law requiring all farmers of KWS hybrid rye to sign a single-use agreement (SUA).

Good arguments in favor of hybrid rye

Rye plays a minor role on Canada’s fields, with less than one percent of land used to cultivate it, but there is huge growth potential. 40 years ago, the cereal was commonly found on Canadian fields, with more than 1 million hectares cultivated annually. “Ergot is a much bigger problem here than in Europe. Our PollenPLUS^® technology is a key argument, it can significantly reduce the ergot risk.” Rye can also cope with adverse conditions, and Kenny’s team wants to persuade farmers to grow crops in the winter: “More time and more variety untangle the workload.”

To ensure KWS seed reaches farms in time, KWS Seeds Canada relies on cooperation with agricultural retailers. “And the dealers trust our portfolio,” says Kenny.

To further the end-use flexibility of rye grain, KWS Seeds Canada and KWS Cereals USA jointly launched KWS COVER+^TM, a soil protection program. It allows the legal sale of second-generation common rye seed as cover crop, opening the door to a 20 million acre market. This North American collaboration marks the start of a fully integrated effort to boost hybrid rye sales annually.

Another goal is to make the KWS brand better known. “A national marketing campaign launched in 2024 with two key objectives,” explains Kenny. “We want to increase awareness of KWS hybrid rye and its benefits, and educate the industry on who KWS is and why our presence should excite Canadian farmers and industry alike.”