The Farmer Business Network has been ramping up its seed line and is building a direct-sale business that challenges traditional industry players. The company’s latest moves target canola and other seed innovations, with a start in Canada.

FBN Canada, a wholly owned unit of FBN, has acquired Haplotech Inc., a Winnipeg-based provider of research, technical and consulting services in seed breeding. The division is also purchasing the Canadian canola breeding program and pipeline of San Diego-based Cibus. As part of that agreement, Cibus is providing FBN with a license to sell its canola Pod Shatter Reduction trait upon commercialization.

These acquisitions ramp up FBN’s competitive approach to the seed industry and open the door to collaboration with other seed developers. According to the company, the acquisitions will support independent developers with promising traits that have had no clear path to market until now.

Breen Neeser, country manager, FBN Canada, notes, “Bringing more competition and choice to the seed market, extending an invitation to the rest of the industry to collaborate on development, and providing a straight path to market is the latest way FBN is working to help farmers maximize their profits and improve ROI.”

Neeser notes the move also shows FBN’s commitment to Canada and its farmers. These acquisitions position FBN Canada to eventually commercialize canola seed, the second-biggest crop in Canada and a crop growing in importance in the United States. The corporate announcement focuses on work in Canada with talk of how the acquisition impacts the market.

Haplotech and FBN

The Haplotech team will become FBN Canada employees. In addition to its Winnipeg headquarters, Haplotech also has field capacity in western Canada and in Chile.

Rale Gjuric, founder and president of Haplotech, will lead FBN Canada’s seed research and development team. He previously served as director of the Plant Breeding Academy at the University of California, Davis.

Adds Gjuric: “For too long, canola farmers have been subject to industry consolidation, leaving them with fewer choices. We’re excited to join FBN Canada and provide a path to commercialize canola seed, and bring Canadian farmers true market competition for their businesses.”

It’s not clear how this move in Canada will affect the North American canola market, but it bears watching.

Source: FBN, which is solely responsible for the information provided and is wholly owned by the source. Informa Business Media and all its subsidiaries are not responsible for any of the content contained in this information asset.