Canadian Forage and Grassland Association s Strategy for the Future

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1 Canadian Forage and Grassland Association s Strategy for the Future The Canadian Forage and Grassland Association is a national, non-profit association supported by stakeholders in the forage and grassland industry. Our mission is to promote the growth of the forage and grassland sector by advocating a sustainable and environmentally friendly industry which includes research and development, market development and innovation thereby enhancing the industry s ability to profitably produce and supply forage and grassland products that offer superior value to producers and consumers in Canada and internationally. The CFGA is a national organization with membership from the broad cross section of the forage and grassland industry including provincial forage organizations, livestock user groups (beef, dairy, sheep, equine, bison and others), as well as the hay marketing and forage processing sector. Our Vision To facilitate the Canadian forage industry to become a global leader in all aspects of forage production and utilization, promoting the environmental benefits and incorporating research results into a successful, sustainable forage and grassland industry. Canada s Forage Industry Canada s forage resources include native rangelands, tame grass and legumes, pasture and hay lands, and some annual crops. In terms of acreage of cultivated forages for pasture, feed and seed production, they accounted for 33.8 million acres or 39% of the land in Canada devoted to crop production. In comparison the next largest crop, wheat accounted for 20.4 million acres or 23% of crop land. In addition, over 36 million acres of land were devoted to native rangeland and unimproved pastures (National Forage Assessment 2011). The livestock sector is the largest user of forages in Canada, with consumption in the form of grazing or preserved forage. In addition to a large domestic market for hay there are international opportunities for hay exports in established markets such as the US and Japan and also newly emerging markets such as China and the Middle east. Going forward, research will play a critical role in the advancement of the Canadian forage, livestock and export hay industries and as such, has been identified as a priority by the Canadian Forage and Grassland Association. Approximately 80% of Canada s beef production depends on forages as the main feed source whereas forages represent 60% of a dairy cow diet. Across Canada, the common practice for cow/calf producers P a g e 1 May 9, 2014

2 is to utilize pasture and grazed forage during the growing season and then feed livestock preserved forages during the winter months whereas the dairy industry relies mostly on preserved forages for the whole year. It is estimated that two-thirds of the feed protein in Canada comes from hay, grazing or forages and fodder corn production. Keeping all of Canada s beef cows and replacement heifers on pasture for one more day every fall would save the cow/calf sector an estimated $3.5 million annually in winter feeding costs as indicated by the Beef Cattle Research Council. Extending the grazing season is a major opportunity to reduce feeding costs since winter feed and bedding is the largest cost for cow/calf operations. The Canadian dairy industry relies on forages as the main ration component for dairy replacement heifers, dry cows and to a large extent for milking cows. Forages represent 50% of the feeding costs of dairy cows with large variations across farms. In Québec the cost of production of forages has been shown to vary between 150 and 310 $/tonne of DM. In addition, forage production and grazing is also the back bone of the Canadian, horse, sheep, goat, bison and domestic deer industry. Hay and silage production is an important part of the Canadian forage industry; being the primary feed source for the beef and dairy cow herd and high roughage backgrounding rations for feedlot animals. Producers use seeded forages to produce hay or silage and forages for export market. Forages are produced in all the agricultural regions of Canada. In total, almost 40% of Canada s total farm area is used for grazing and growing forage crops. The forage industry is a unique agricultural sector in that it is comprised of several distinct sectors based on the end use of the forage crops. Grazing, and stored feed for ruminant livestock, represents 80-85% of the total forage produced. Forage seed production, and ecological goods and services including soil conservation, erosion control and buffers for clean water are additional uses for forages. Currently, over 70 million acres are used for livestock grazing on the native rangelands and pastures, forage seed production and the growing of forage crops. Forage crops are grown for pasture, harvested as green-feed, stored as baled hay or silage, processed into pellets or cubes, or compressed for export markets. The production of forage for feed, and seed have great economic value to the Canadian economy. In addition there is the value of forage and grassland from an environmental and biodiversity point of view. Farm cash receipts, according to Statistics Canada, for all forage production including hay and seed reached $ million in 2010 compared with $ 357 million the previous year. However, farm cash receipts do not capture the value of forage used on farms so this value greatly underestimates the true value of forages in the agricultural industry. The National Forage Assessment completed by the P a g e 2 May 9, 2014

3 CFGA in 2012 determined the total value of the industry at $5 billion when the on farm feed value for beef, dairy, sheep and equine is included. The Canadian forage industry is a significant player in the international forage and forage seed markets. In 2011, the export value of timothy hay and alfalfa products was $ 100 m and the value of exported forage seed was another $99.6 M. The USA and Japan are currently the largest purchasers of Canadian forage export products with other countries such as China and the Middle East as emerging markets. OVERVIEW of RESEARCH PRIORITIES The objective of CFGA is to increase research program capacity across Canada in the areas of 1) the development of annual and perennial forage varieties with improved establishment, increased yield, improved adaptation to stressors such as drought, flooding and saline soils, improved ensilability and nutritional value, and 2) the improvement of grass/rangeland/hay land management and utilization to increase productivity, longevity and sustainability. Canada has historically supported research programs for the development of management technologies and improved germplasm for the production of forage with superior productivity and nutritional attributes. In addition the livestock industry has encouraged research in native range and pasture productivity and finding alternative methods of reducing the incidence of bloat when livestock graze alfalfa and clover based pastures. However in the last two decades, there has been a significant decline across Canada in investment and expertise dedicated to research and extension, education and technology transfer in forage production and grazing management. In addition, the difficulty to recruit certified growers to produce seeds of improved varieties of forage and fierce competition for prime agricultural lands when grain prices are high, affect the capacity of beef and dairy producers to reap the benefits from new management technologies and emerging forage varieties. FORAGE AND GRASSLAND RESEARCH OVER THE PAST FIVE YEARS ( ) Forages are an integral part of a number of areas as represented by the participation of CFGA in three National Round Tables: Beef Value Chain Round Table, Special Crops Value Chain Round Table and the Seed Sector Value Chain Round Table. In developing this strategy CFGA pieces have been taken from other sources, in particular the National Beef Research Strategy which includes a forage section which members of CFGA participated in the development of. The remainder of this document is taken from or closely parallels the Forage and Grassland Productivity section of the National Beef Research Strategy. P a g e 3 May 9, 2014

4 Forage research includes research directed towards improvements in breeding (quality and yield), production (planting, fertilization, harvesting, storage), and the utilization of forages in feeding and grazing strategies across tame, annual, and native species. Over the past five years, 68 per cent of all national funding for forage research has been allocated to research focused on tame forages, 21 per cent to research focused on annual forages, and 11 per cent to research focused on native rangelands. Annual forage research was split evenly between breeding and utilization (approximately 40 per cent each); less funding was allocated towards production research. Only two projects were conducted around native forage species, with an emphasis on breeding and some focus on production work to identify pasture rejuvenation strategies and improve weed and pest control. Research around tame forages was split between breeding and production, with less focus on utilization. Breeding work was primarily focused on alfalfa, sainfoin and red clover. Some work was quantifying the environmental benefits of forages in grass/range/hay land in the context of soil health, carbon sequestration, water use efficiency, and human or societal uses. WHAT S NEEDED TO IMPROVE FORAGE AND GRASSLAND PRODUCTIVITY Forage and grassland productivity research capacity at the national level has significantly declined over the past few decades and future investment will be necessary to ensure the forage industry remains competitive and for Canada to be a leader in environmental management and sustainability. Forage and grassland productivity indicators show that hay and overall grazing yields have been declining over time and a larger number of acres are now required to produce enough forage for the beef and dairy industries. All across Canada, forage acres are being replaced by canola, corn, soybean and other higher priced grain crops. Thus increasing forage yield must come from the remaining forage, hay and grazing lands in order for the forage and grazing industry to remain both nationally and internationally competitive. There have been a number of new varieties developed over the years but the increased yields do not appear to have fully compensated for the move of forages to increasingly marginal land. Variety development cannot only focus on drought resistance or stand longevity but must also improve yield and nutritive value. Public investment into forage varieties is necessary as the ability of commercial companies to recoup their initial investment is low. During the consultation for the development of the National Beef Research Strategy in March of 2012, stakeholders strongly identified the need for continued and reinvigorated forage and grassland research capacity to ensure that Canada fully capitalizes on our natural advantages for forage and beef P a g e 4 May 9, 2014

5 production. These improvements would also be of benefit to dairy, sheep, bison production and other forage dependent livestock species. Stakeholders identified improvements in yields and nutritional quality through improved pasture, forage and grazing management and plant breeding as the highest priority research outcome, with the recognition that research capacity must be reinvigorated in order to deliver. FORAGE AND GRASSLAND RESEARCH OUTCOMES Considerable regional variability exists among soil types and climate across Canada. As a result, grass, legume and annual forage varieties along with forage management practices that thrive in one region of the country may not be optimal for another region. This means that it is necessary to maintain a basic core regional element in forage breeding and management research. Ensuring that new varieties and management practices developed at core locations are evaluated in a broader range of environments will help to match new varieties and crop management practices with the environments to which they are best suited. Outcome 1: Research and Training Capacity Short Term a. To establish forage industry research chairs focused on tame grass and legume breeding, forage management and utilization to serve Central and Eastern Canada, the Prairies and B.C. Long Term a. Reinvigorate and enhance long-term breeding, forage management and utilization research programs, while capturing near-term opportunities that are currently under development. Outcome 2: Improvement in Yields and Nutritional Quality of tame, native and annual species through improved pasture, forage/hay and grazing management and plant breeding. Short Term a. Improved grazing and management strategies that optimize hay or silage yields and livestock production from native range and tame pastures. b. Optimize the nutritional quality of perennial and annual forage species throughout the grazing season through the development of new management technologies and grazing systems (e.g. extended, stockpiled or swath grazing) and germplasm improvement or new species utilization. c. Increase the capacity of perennial and annual forage species to maintain nutritional quality throughout the ensiling process. P a g e 5 May 9, 2014

6 Medium Long Term a. New annual and perennial grass and legume varieties with improved stand longevity for perennial species, quality, yield, and adaptability (e.g. flood and drought resistance, winter tolerance) through traditional and/or advanced plant breeding techniques. Outcome 3: Environmental Sustainability Short Term To quantify the environmental benefits of Canada s forage/hay/fiber/seed production and grassland for carbon sequestration, plant and animal biodiversity, species at risk, soil erosion, and watershed protection, and the socio-economic (environmental goods and services) impact of the forage-livestock grazing sector in Canada, including the effects of optimal environmental production practices (e.g. stocking rates, riparian area protection). Outcome 4: Extension, Outreach and Policy a. Enhance producer adoption of improved forage management opportunities through provincial and national technology transfer and extension education programs. Such as : Grazing Mentorship Program and formal producer extension programs used to encourage pasture and hay land rejuvenation, improved grazing and pasture management strategies and the adoption of grazing-tolerant, drought resistant and bloat-safe legumes into pasture mixtures. b. Enhanced public education regarding the impact of Canada s forage and grazing industry on Canada s environment and economy. c. Enhance uptake of new and alternative annual and perennial forage varieties that show significant benefits for livestock production. d. Enhance the development of On-farm decision making tools improving the return-on-investment. From improved management on pasture and hay and bio-fibre land, through weed control, fertilization and other best management practices. P a g e 6 May 9, 2014