Farmers who plant alternative oilseeds are slated to get some support from the government, well, in the Senate version of the 2007 Farm Bill at least. The version of the bill passed by the U.S. Senate yesterday includes the Commodity Quality Incentive Program, or CQIP.
CQIP, introduced by Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA), is a provision providing special support to farmers who choose to plant alternative oilseeds. Many experts believe that CQIP will aid in getting healthy oils to food manufacturers in a timelier manner, resulting in healthier food choices for consumers.
According to QUALISOY(TM) — a soybean industry initiative charged with introducing improved soybean traits to the marketplace — ramping up production of new oilseeds can take three years or more and is a costly and risky business for farmers. QUALISOY developed the CQIP concept as the soy industry attempted to provide soy-based trans fat solutions, but found it challenging to convince farmers to grow new varieties.
“For the first few years, new oilseed varieties may not yield comparably to existing oilseed varieties. So the farmer, who is paid on the amount of soybeans per acre, cannot run the risk of growing the healthier oilseed. Quite simply, he cannot ‘bet the farm’ on growing these new seeds,” said John Becherer, QUALISOY CEO.
CQIP protects the farmer from undue risk and encourages trial of these new oilseeds by providing payments directly to farmers who grow the new varieties. The payments expire after four years, the usual time required for production to achieve commercially viable levels.
Qualisoy points out how the need for alternative oilseeds continues to rise as the food industry reformulates products to cater to consumers increasingly aware of the overall health profile of the foods they’re purchasing.