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APRIL 4, 2013 | WWW.PRODUCER.COM | THE WESTERN PRODUCER
Farmers plan protest Lucy Sharratt, co-ordinator with CBAN, said the day of protest is a response to the lack of formal input Canadian farmers have into registration and approval of GM alfalfa. “In the absence of a formal mechanism to discuss farmers concerns, the farming community is having to make up some kind of response to Roundup Ready alfalfa,” she said. “At the moment, seed companies are saying they will restrict release to Eastern Canada, and one or more of the seed companies will ask for registration. We just don’t know which seed company or when.” Sharratt said lack of transparency is one reason the Ottawa protest will take place outside the Canadian Food Inspection Agency’s variety registration office. Karl Slomp, president of the Alfalfa
Seed Commission (Alberta), said although the group is not part of the April 9 protest, it opposes the release of Roundup Ready alfalfa primarily because of export concerns. “We produce a lot of seed for the U.S. market and there’s a lot of U.S. companies up here too, and they are also looking for places to produce seed for sensitive markets,” he said. “As long as we can stay (free of GM alfalfa), it does allow us to have that niche of producing seed for areas of the world that don’t want GMO seed.” FGI has a plant in Brooks, Alta., where Slomp said it intends to process seed for its markets that are sensitive to GM presence. “They are on record as saying that they would like us to stay GE free as long as possible too, so that it makes it work for their production,” said Slomp.
BY DAN YATES SASKATOON NEWSROOM
Patrons of community pastures in Saskatchewan will be able to use fixed assets on the land at no cost when the provincial government takes control of the pastures. “It was something that myself, I hadn’t thought would happen, and it’s a great thing for the patrons,” said Larry Grant of the Saskatchewan Cattlemen’s Association. “It gives them a lot of options going forward.” Patrons will be responsible for maintaining the assets, which include fences, dugouts and cattle handling facilities. “A lot of people didn’t think that they would lease the assets out because it’s very tough to determine the condition of the asset at this point and what is the condition of the asset in 10 years or 15 years,” said Grant. “Now the ball is in the patrons’ court. The offer has been made and now they have to step up to the plate and say, ‘yes, we’ll take it and we’ll go forward with it and we will keep things in as good a condition as they are today.’ “
The provincial government, which is set to assume control of 10 federal community pastures in 2014, made the announcement March 28. The assets will be transferred to the province at no cost. “I think that it gives the patrons some flexibility. Going forward, they don’t necessarily have to come up with all of the cash right up front,” said Grant. Harold Martens, president of the Saskatchewan Stock Growers Association, also applauded the announcement. “The start up costs, (patron groups) have to carry that, and they’re going to have to get used to a lot of different things,” he said. “It’s going to take one problem out of their basket of issues that they have to deal with. I think it’s going to be a good thing and they can focus their attention on organizing themselves and making the pasture operate the way it can and should.” Newly formed patron groups will be able to lease or buy their pasture. Groups buying the land will be able to buy the land improvements at zero percent interest. Leases will be offered on a 15-year term.
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Arctic farming: Global warming is changing the face of agriculture in Greenland. See page 42. | REUTERS PHOTO
NEWS
» FEEDLOT WOES: Expensive
» SHOOTING SPREE: Three
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feed is partly to blame for Western Canada’s ailing feedlot sector. 4 DROUGHT TREATY: Canada withdraws from a United Nations convention on desertification. 5 RAIL SERVICE: The federal rail service bill is approved at committee without shipper amendments. 16 FIGHTING SALINITY: Irrigation is a major cause of salinity problems in prairie soil. 17
» »
cattle are wounded in a rare shooting spree in rural Alberta. 18 PRION SPREAD: Prion diseases may be able to spread more widely than researchers once thought. 32 VARIETY REGISTRATION: A farm group proposes a way to speed up development of new wheat varieties. 33 MISSION IMPULSEIBLE: A chickpea pizza dough wins this year’s student pulse food competition. 38
» CORN STOCKS: Larger than expected U.S. corn stocks drive down prices.
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» CANOLA TO INDIA: India is a tough market
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to crack for Canada’s canola oil sector.
FARM LIVING 21
» ICY PLUNGE: An Alberta farmer escapes a
fall in the river with a spectacular story. 22
» THE PERFECT MURDER: A dead crow decoy
is designed to keep the live ones away. 24
PRODUCTION 92
» CORN TIPS: First-time corn growers are told there is no room for short cuts.
» CORN ADJUSTMENT: Proper planter
92 93
adjustments are key to growing corn.
LIVESTOCK 96
» DATE OF BIRTH: Age verification remains
96
important but has its detractors.
» POTASSIUM: High levels of potassium may AGFINANCE 100
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The bison bull pictured on page 112 of the March 21 issue was not that of the winning bull at the Wild Rose bison show and sale. An article on page 96 of the March 28 edition said Ducks Unlimited and other organizations held a water workshop in Brandon March 20. The Manitoba Eco-Network organized and paid for the workshop.
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