Camelina meal has been approved for the first time in Canada for use in broiler chicken feed.
Smart Earth Seeds is the leading global Camelina enterprise and has been working to develop Camelina as a valuable new oilseed rotation crop in Western Canada.
Thanks to the efforts of the University of Saskatchewan, Department of Animal and Poultry Science and Feeds Innovation Institute with support of the Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture (ADF), The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has given approval for feeding cold-pressed non-solvent extracted camelina meal to broiler chickens at up to 12 percent inclusion. This work is continuing as the university is initiating a second application for approval for laying hens.
"This is a major step forward for Camelina in Canada," said Jack Grushcow founder and CEO of Smart Earth Seeds. "We are now able to develop local markets for our high quality Camelina meal, making the production economics even more attractive. Due to its high concentration of Omega-3 oils the meal has been shown to produce Omega meat in broiler chickens – making it a great source of high quality feed.
"We are especially excited about the opportunities available to develop regional crushing and processing for Camelina," Grushcow said. "This would decrease our reliance on the rail system and allow our growers to turn their crops into cash that much faster."
Camelina is a drought tolerant oilseed crop that can be grown with low inputs on marginal land while providing valuable crop rotation benefits. It is also rich in protein and Omega-3 fatty acids and its inclusion in broiler feed will help produce healthier poultry products for Canadians, according to Smart Earth Seeds.
