MOUNT VERNON -There’s growing interest in raising canola seeds for the biodiesel industry, but not in Skagit County.
Seed growers would like the state Department of Agriculture to create a canola-free zone. It would cover all of Skagit County, along with parts of Island, Whatcom, Snohomish and Clallam counties.
The growers worry that canola could cross-pollinate with certain vegetable seeds, particularly cabbage, and hurt the area’s $20 million seed industry.
Most canola seed has been genetically modified, and if it cross-pollinates with another crop, that would be considered genetically modified as well.
Senate Bill 5749 would allow for the formation of seed production districts and isolation rules within the districts.
”We need to have some controls,” said Sen. Margaret Haugen, D-Camano Island, who is co-sponsoring the Senate bill. ”This is one good way to begin dealing with it.”
Natural Selection Farms, of Sunnyside, recently announced it would produce and sell 1 million gallons of canola oil to Imperium Renewables for refining into biodiesel in Seattle and Grays Harbor.
Canola growing is more likely to happen in Eastern Washington, where more acreage is available. Before farmers west of the Cascades consider canola for crop rotations and cattle feed, Sen. Mark Schoesler, R-Ritzville, said he would like to have more rules in place.
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