• Buckwheat Production

    SMI using its own seed or seed it has purchased, to supply contract buckwheat for growers. Growers produce food grade or bird seed buckwheat that is sold into markets in Canada, US and Japan. SMI must contract, process and storage of buckwheat until there is a market call and then the product ships as needed.

    SMI has traditionally contracted buckwheat acres in Manitoba and Saskatchewan, due to the high price of other commodities it is very difficult to obtain buckwheat acres in Manitoba. SMI is presently in negotiations with processors in Alberta and Western Saskatchewan in order to obtain the acres needed to fill contracts.

    SMI is currently in production for a US International company to supply seed for their plans to contract buckwheat for the Japanese and domestic market. In this agreement SMI would like to be included in part of the production, but that still has to be negotiated.

    Future Varities

    SMI president Lorne Kyle has a interest in Mancan Genetics Ltd., Morden, MB, who has a new selection that has been finalized as a new variety by CFIA (Canadian Food Inspection Agency). MGL is working on new selections that will be licensed in the future and has signed a letter of intent and confidentiality with St. Boniface Research Foundation to produce buckwheat selections that lower blood sugar. From this relationship with MGL, SMI will be able to produce new varieties for the future.

    Varieties for Contract

    Below is a list of the varieties that SMI is currently contracting, will contract in the future and has contracted in the past. Contracting varieties is based on the market year and what varieties are requested by the end users, the varieties are listed below.

    • AC Springfield – Large seed variety, yielding ability intermediate to Mancan and Manor, higher percentage of large whole groat after dehulling.
    • Mancan – Oldest Large seed variety that is still used extensively in the US production.
    • Koma – Higher yielding than Mancan check variety, and has good test weight
    • Horizon – Large seed variety that is the high yielding as well as having a good test weight as compared to check buckwheat varieties.
    • Koto – Koto has a larger seed size and higher test weight that Mancan and Manor

    There has been no buckwheat trialed in the MCVET trials for the past number of years, the previous data does not include the latest varieties that have been licensed. All SMI contracts with growers are closed looped contracts. Please contact SMI for contract details.