The Rural Voice, 1977-12, Page 21Buckwheat as `natural'
food gains popularity
The current interest in "natural" foods
has brought renewed interest in buck-
wheat.
The plant, generally regarded as a cereal
crop, is really a broadleafed annual related
to the rhubarb. It contains protein that is
high in lysine, the amino acid which is
defficient in cereals, which makes it very
valuable for nutritional purposes. Thus,
though most Canadians know it only as an
ingredient in pancake mixes, it's becoming
popular with the healthfood set.
In addition to pancakes, buckwheat can
be used as stuffing for poultry, in bread,
and mixed with other ingredients as a
'natural' breakfast food. It can also be used
as a replacement for rice or potatoes.
"Despite its many possible food used in
Canada, it's not here that Canadian
growers look for their major market," says
Nelson Longmuir, an Agriculture Canada
economist in Ottawa. "The Japanese
consumed about two-thirds of last year's
Canadian buckwheat crop."
The Japanese make the buckwheat into
noodles, called 'sobs', that are cooked like
spaghetti. They also use the buckwheat
hulls to stuff pillows."
Japanese millers are particularly inter-
ested in Mancan, a variety developed at
Agriculture Canada's Morden, Man.,
Research Station.
Buckwheat is a very versatile crop. The
grain and straw can be used for livestock
feed but care must be taken because the
seen contains a substance that can be
harmful to animals in large amounts.
It can also be used as a smother crop, to
kill off dense growths of weeds, or as a
green manure crop. Because buckwheat
can be planted in late June, it can be used
as a catch crop when other crops fail due to
wet weather early in the season.
Over the past ten years, Manitoba has
produced about 50 per cent of Canada's
buckwheat crop with Quebec and Ontario
responsible for most of the rest.
Buckwheat production in Canada has
fluctuated considerably since 1970 when
more than 2.8 million bushels were
produced. In 1976, production was only
about 900.000 bushels. However, produc-
tion was up this year and is estimated at
1.87 million bushels.
Buckwheat is often cultivated on
marginal lands. The low soil fertility affects
the yield. The use of buckwheat as a catch
or smother crop with little care taken to
increase productivity also lowers the yield
and makes production variable from year to
year," Mr. Longmuir says.
Buckwheat is a cross-pollinated crop.
The buckwheat plants do not set seed with
their own pollen. The pollination must
occur between plants. For this reason, little
work has been done on the crop in the past.
The program at Morden has proven that
PG.20. THE RURAL VOICE/DECEMBER1977.
large advances can be made in yield, seed
size and lodging resistance," says Dr.
Clayton Campbell, a buckwheat breeder at
the Morden Research Station.
Plant breeding has resulted in the
development of varieties, such as Mancan,
that have higher yields and good quality.
Other work has shown that moderate
additions of nitrogen and phosphorous
fertilizers can increase both yield and
quality.
"We need to stabilize the export market.
The interest in Mancan shown by the
Japanese could provide the necessary
incentive," Dr. Campbell says. "Farmers
who can rely on a steady market will grow
buckwheat as a major crop and put new
emphasis on increasing productivity."
Beef grading system
helpq, consumers
Canada has a beef grading system that
ensures consumers get the quality of meat
they want. Commercial buyers and
producers also benefit from the effective.
uniformly applied grading system.
After meat inspectors examine beef
carcasses in the packing houses to certify
that the meat is wholesome, Agriculture
Canada meat graders assess them on a
grading system that is uniform across
Canada.
"The carcasses are divided into groups
based on three factors -- maturity. quality
and meat yield," says Wally Jennings,
chief of Agriculture Canada's grading
section.
The age of the animal affects the quality
of the beef. The older the animal is, the
less likely that the carcass will produce
tender cuts.
Three quality factors are taken into
account in grading --color, texture and
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