SeCan's 50th anniversary · 1976–2026
What can 50 years of partnership grow?
A new variety doesn't make it from a research plot to a grower's field on its own.
Behind it are breeders doing years of research, seed growers bringing it into production, and independent businesses investing in the people, equipment, and expertise needed to make it available locally.
For 50 years, SeCan has helped bring those pieces together, connecting promising genetics with the people who put them to work across Canada.
50 years in numbers
The impact goes well beyond the field.
Behind these figures are years of research, seed production, and investment in businesses and communities across Canada.
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$180M
Returned to plant breeding through royalties and research funding
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10M+
Tonnes of pedigreed seed sold in Canada
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$20M+
Estimated annual support for local communities
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$1.7B
Invested in seed infrastructure
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70
Breeding programs from which SeCan has sourced genetics
From research to the field
Good genetics are only the beginning.
Developing a promising variety takes years of research. Getting that variety into farmers' hands requires a different set of skills, investments, and relationships. That's where the SeCan network comes in.
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1
Research and development
SeCan works with public and private breeding programs to identify promising genetics, support variety development, and help bring new varieties into commercial production.
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2
Independent seed businesses
Our members produce, process, and market Certified seed, invest in their businesses, and bring local knowledge to the growers they serve.
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3
Reinvestment in future varieties
Royalties and research funding flow back to plant breeding programs, helping support the next generation of varieties for Canadian conditions.
It's a model built on the understanding that no single organization can do it all.
50 years. One shared
story.
Since 1976, breeders, seed growers, independent seed businesses, farmers, and industry partners have each played a part in bringing new varieties to Canadian fields.
Our short anniversary video celebrates those relationships and the people whose work, knowledge, and commitment have made this possible.
Built for what comes next
The work doesn't stop at 50.
Growing conditions change. New diseases emerge. Markets shift. And growers continue to look for varieties that can help them meet those challenges.
That makes ongoing plant breeding, strong independent seed businesses, and local expertise just as important today as they were 50 years ago.
SeCan's role is to help keep those connections strong, supporting research, creating opportunities for our members, and helping ensure new genetics have a path into Canadian fields.
1976 – 2026 – And beyond
Strong research. Independent businesses.
Better choices for farmers.
For 50 years, that partnership has helped bring new varieties to Canadian agriculture and supported the research behind what comes next.
There's more work to do, and we're looking forward to doing it together.