News Seed & Chemical
Bayer opens new canola seed production facility in Cranbrook

Bayer has officially opened a new canola seed production site in Cranbrook, B.C. The site manages all of Bayer’s canola pre-founudation, foundation and experimental plot seed operations for both Canada and Chile.

“With 22 million acres in Canada, canola has established itself as the largest crop in the Canadian prairies, and we need to keep up to the demand,” said Al Driver, country division head, crop science Canada, in a statement. “It’s a critical crop in the global commodity markets… Canola meal is also a staple in the animal feed industry, and there’s an emerging use processing canola oil into low-carbon biofuels.”

Bayer and its predecessors have been producing canola seed in the Kootenay Region for nearly 30 years. The company calls the new facility an “important step” for Bayer to supply growers with quality canola seeds. The new site is known as the “Pizza Farm,” and has historically worked with local schools and community groups to educate children about agriculture. The new Bayer location contains a large garden area to showcase how vegetables are grown, and will allow local schools and community groups to visit and interact with the garden. All food that is produced will be donated to the local Cranbrook Food Bank. Bayer’s field sites in the Kootenays use drip irrigation systems, which aim to save water and increase irrigation efficiency.