b'NAVIGATING COUNTER-SEASON PRODUCTION IN A PANDEMICWe explore how the Canadian seed industry is stick-handling COVID in its South American business activities this winter, and what lies ahead.Treena HeinEVERY YEAR, seed companies from Canada, the U.S. andshe is concerned about getting back to Canada from Chile Europe run counter-season trials and production in Chile.should another major global lockdown be declared. Well As we all know, 2020 hasnt been like other years. Despitebook our flight ahead of time and hope for the best, she the challenges of COVID-19, business activities are pro- says. In the spring [of 2020], it took five flights and 52 ceeding as closely to normal as possible.hours to get back to Canada and it was pretty stressful. It was back in 2008 that Nisku, Alta.-based 20/20 Seed Labs first established a lab in Chile. President Sarah FosterSmooth Sailingmoved it to various locations but has now settled into aDe la Sotta sent a report to Germination in late 2020. permanent location at Curimapu Export in Chillan. Here,Everything at that point was proceeding normally. The Foster and several staff members conduct tests each yearseed import is almost finished, most of the fields are for purity, germination, moisture, green seed and 1,000- planted, and everything was done properly, he said. kernel weight, but for other tests, seed must be shippedHe explained that even with the border open, those to Nisku. Expedited shipments (and the faster results theywho need to come to Chile for business will have to provide) are important to 20/20 clients, and Foster hasapply for special permission ahead of time, providing used an excellent Chilean shipping company for years.reason for the visit and a set date of entry. Staff at Chilean She will rely on it again this season, when she and twocompanies and ANPROS (the Chilean Seed Association) employees will hopefully be able to travel as usual toare available to help. Chile.De la Sotta adds that because the Chilean government As of press time, the Chilean border was open forhas declared agricultural companies to be of strategic travel, but entry, exit and transit restrictions and require- importance, even when a city has been put in lockdown, ments are subject to change. all those involved in related activities such as seed pro-Canadians are usually permitted to get the requiredduction can move within and in/out of a city with their visa at the airport, but weve got people in the governmentpermission and identification.making sure we will be able to get visas or some kind ofTo faciliate business as the pandemic goes on, permit to be able to stay and do testing. We really are aCurimapu is providing field updates through a new online critical service there. We also have to see the local policeplatform that it began to develop last March. for a permit to move from town to town, Foster said.Customers can log in and check on pictures and Eduardo de la Sotta, general manager at Curimapuvideos of each field taken at the ground level and with a Export, is helping us and we have the Ministry ofdrone.Agriculture also assisting with our papers. Kimiko Epp,Besides this, we also send a weekly report of each Cristina Alucena Santiago and staff at HyTech Productionfield with all the information and pictures, explains de la here in Canada are also a huge help. Its a group effortSotta. Last season, we had started a pilot project and this for sure. season we are also running all of our fields with a satel-While Foster believes everything will likely go well,lite monitoring platform. In this way our farmers, field 22GERMINATION.CAJANUARY 2021'