VUA Update

I hope that spring sales are moving briskly. 

Last week during PGDC, distributors and Seeds Canada met to coordinate plans for the VUA. As a group, it was decided that reconciliation needs to be moved up so it can begin August 30 of each season. This means that all VUA Customer Purchase Agreements should be signed, and sales entered into the VUA system, as well as your customer volumes provided to SeCan before August 30, 2025. 

SeCan does not have any new varieties to add to the VUA platform for 2025, but other distributors expect several additions. Please keep your customers in the VUA up-to-date, as going forward the system will flag customers and retailers who have not met their VUA obligations (this may impact access to future VUA products).

 SeCan has contracted Janine Whiting to help complete the reconciliation for 2024 sales. If you have any customers who have not signed the VUA, please have them do so immediately. You have the capability to print off individual pre-populated Agreements from the VUA portal to have customers sign in-person and then upload the signed document into the system. 

Reminders for in-season VUA sales (for SeCan in western Canada this includes Esma, KWS Kellie, RGT Planet, ORe BOOST): 

1. All retail customers who purchase these varieties must have a signed VUA in the system – this is the responsibility of the retailer. Please do this before the seed leaves your yard (it is much easier than chasing them after the seed has moved) 

2. Please ensure that all wholesale customers are in the VUA system. If not, send an email to thyra@secan.com or jwhiting@secan.com (include business name, contact name, address, email and phone number) 

3. Please return the attached reconciliation spreadsheet to seed@secan.com by August 30, 2025 (easiest to do this and submit at the time you are submitting your fees report to SeCan) 

Note: If you are selling ORe BOOST in forage mixtures with ORe BOOST oats making up less than 50% of the mix, these blends are not required to be logged in the VUA system, as the risk of farm saved seed is very low. Please request a tracking form from thyra@secan.com that will be recorded and submitted by August 30, 2025. 

I understand there is extra work involved in explaining and signing up customers, however breeders are seeing the impact and appreciate the additional revenue stream – our collective reward will be access to better varieties long term. 

If you do not want to support the VUA, please do not grow or attempt to sell these products – leave them for the members and customers who are willing to take the extra steps to access and support these varieties. 

Do not hesitate to contact me if you have questions. 

Best wishes for a safe, smooth spring.

Todd Hyra 
Western Business Manager
204-782-8906 
thyra@secan.com