Canary Seed is a Spring Sown, Annual, Combinable Crop

This Spring we require additional area of Canary Seed. Low production levels in Canada mean markets are set to remain high in 2023.

We are currently offering our VERY HIGH contract prices for next year.

Canary Seed (Phalaris canariensis) is an annual grass and should not be confused with Reed Canary Grass (Phalaris arundinacea) which is perennial and very invasive.

Canary Seed produces a small buff coloured seed and is used in birdseed mixtures.  Currently, most of the Canary seed used in the UK is imported from North America.

Things have changed a bit since childhood, when feeding the birds meant cutting up stale bread and scraps and putting them onto the bird table.

In 2009 the wild bird food industry in the UK was worth £365 m of which £120 m is thought to be in "seeds", many of which are or could be UK sourced.

Although Canary Seed had been grown on a small scale in the UK for many years, it was not until the CAP Mid Term Review removed crop-specific support that the opportunity for UK farmers to grow significant areas of Canary Seed took off.

The crop is straightforward to grow and harvest and has proved to be very profitable relative to other Spring sown options.