Soybean gene firm bringing some variety to Manitoba

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This article was published 03/02/2022 (1401 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

An Ontario company that develops soybean genetics and exports the commodity around the world is looking to capitalize on the growing demand for soy by introducing new varieties onto Manitoba farms.

With processing facilities just south of Ottawa and west of Toronto, Sevita International has been around for 25 years and is well established in Ontario, Quebec and Atlantic Canada.

Since 2019 it has had growing success in Manitoba with its non-GMO soy varieties that it sells mostly into the Asian market.

While it is not shipping millions of tonnes of the commodity, it is one of the largest Canadian exporters of soy to Japan.

Sandy Hart, Sevita’s business manager, said they are super happy with results in Manitoba.

“We’ve not had any soy beans rejected due to protein content in Manitoba since we started there in 2019, which is a really big thing,” he said.

Around the world, there is a surging demand for soy. According to a recent market research report the global soy food market reached a value of US$42 billion in 2020 and is expected to grow by 5.2 per cent between 2021-2026.

Hart said there is still unmet demand and his company intends to aggressively increase its Manitoba acreage, which he said is still not in the tens of thousands of acres range.

“We have been diligent in testing varieties making sure they will perform for the growers,” he said. “The ones that have purchased seed to date have had good luck getting the quality we have required for the contacts.”

Scott Perkin, a producer who operates a farm in southwest Manitoba, produced his first crop of Sevita’s IP (identity preserved) soy last year.

“We’re happy to grow this variety and play our role in the specific link in the food chain,” Perkin said. “We receive a premium for growing this product for Sevita where the end user knows exactly where it came from.”

The Sevita genetics are not yet very well known in Manitoba, but Hart said the company is looking to change that with increasing success in contracting with producers who are guaranteed a price for their crop.

In 2020 Sevita partnered with Ceres Global Seeds, an established seed dealer network with regional soybean expertise.

End users process Sevita’s food-grade soybeans into various kinds of soy food products like tofu, soymilk, natto, miso, soy sauce, soy cream, soy based meats, yoghurt and cheese.

martin.cash@freepress.mb.ca