Canada’s specialty soybean market expands with new seed options

The specialty soybean market is growing, particularly in regions like Asia, where they are used in products like soya milk and tofu.

Over the past several years, Canadian farmers have faced increasing challenges in maintaining their share of this premium export market. With fewer commercial investments in non-GMO varieties, farmers have fewer seed options, especially outside traditional growing zones.

A $4.3 million initiative, led by NRGene Canada, Pulse Genetics, Hensall Co-op, and Yumasoy Foods Ltd., with support by Protein Industries Canada, will strengthen Canada’s identity-preserved (IP) non-GMO soybean market.

A new breeding program will be launched to develop early-maturing, high-protein, non-GMO soybean varieties suited to Canada’s northern climates, including Manitoba and northern Ontario.

These new varieties will be specifically bred for improved yield, resistance to soybean cyst nematode (SCN), and better adaptation to a range of environmental conditions, helping producers reduce the yield gap between GMO and non-GMO crops.

Protein Industries Canada CEO Robert Hunter said Canadian farmers have a proud history of producing high-quality, identity-preserved soybeans that meet the most demanding international food standards.