FILE - Canola grows in an Oregon field in this undated file photo.
Oregon Department of Agriculture
Restrictions on canola farming in the Willamette Valley are set to expire this June. Now, a contentious state bill would make them permanent.
A small number of farmers in Oregon grow canola. But the plant can cross-pollinate with mustard and other relatives, damaging the yields of specialty seed growers.
Currently, a protected district stretches from Multnomah to Lane County. There, canola farming is capped at 500 acres, and it must be at least three miles away from any vulnerable crops. Advocates want to keep these restrictions.
Alice Morrison is with Friends of Family Farmers. At a hearing on Senate Bill 789 this month, she said that growers rely on specialty seeds as an efficient source of revenue.
“It’s time to make the protected district permanent and give Oregon growers peace of mind,” she testified.
Opponents of the bill point to an Oregon State University study from 2017, which found that the local canola industry could safely expand beyond its current limits.
Rep. Anna Scharf, R-Amity, is among those in opposition to the bill. She said it gives special treatment to powerful seed companies.
A vote has not yet been scheduled. If the bill is posted for for a work session by the end of this week, it will be dead. However, legislative concepts can be resurrected in various ways, even after deadlines.