Soya beans were first introduced to the Ontario region of Canada in the late 1800s and has now grown to become the largest cultivated crop in the area.

On average, 1.2m hectares are planted each year, upwards of 3.5m tonnnes.

Speaking with Dr Istvan Rajcan of the University of Guelph, he explained how soya beans are well suited to Ontario's climate and are relatively cheap to grow given the fact that they don’t require nitrogen.

GM vs non-GM

Dr Rajcan explained that around 25%-30% of soya bean crops grown in Ontario are non-GM varieties, much of which are food grade and destined for export markets.

Soya beans were developed in the US and before they reached Canada, farmers there had developed markets for their non-GM varieties. Despite GM crops being grown in the Ontario today, the non-GM production is still relatively high as there remains a strong export market.

Farmers can typically gain a premium of up to CAN$4/bushel above the Chicago Board of trade price for their non-GM crops.

Ontario grain production in numbers

How do yields of Ontarian crops stack up?

Listen: commanding a premium for non-GM soya beans in Canada

As part of a week-long visit to Ontario, Canada, Stephen Robb caught up with Dr Istvan Rajcan of the Department of Plant Agriculture, University of Guelph to talk about non-GM soya beans.