The AgriPost
November 26, 2021
CN Rail Commits to CFA’s Hay West 2021
Farmers Express Their 2022 Concerns and Challenges
Ron Krahn, who farms at Rivers, MB said for him it was supply chain issues for machine parts, chemicals and fertilizer prices and farm supplies. Ron said he “usually does not notice the beautiful sunsets since he sees them every day, bit this one did catch his eye.” Submitted photo by Ron Krahn
By Harry Siemens In a recent survey conducted of farmers and farm suppliers on Twitter they were asked to name the top three challenges going forward. The results were fertilizer costs, government regulation risks, and business risk management program improvements as the top concerns.
This survey at the end of October with dozens of respondents, many more likes and re-tweets focused on a year of frost, drought, rain, topsy-turvy markets, input costs and farmers with concerns of supply chain issues. Ron Krahn, who farms at
Rivers, MB said for him it was supply chain issues for machine parts, chemicals and fertilizer prices and farm supplies. “Government intervention, especially the proposed 30 per cent reduction in fertilizer emissions and use, is very concerning,” said Krahn.
Delaney Peters a Bayer Crop Science licensing specialist said pressure to buy fertilizer and chemicals early due to price increase concerns caused shortages, along with soil moisture levels, and whether commodity prices stay this high. Continued on Page 2...
The Canadian Federation of Agriculture is happy to announce that CN Rail has committed up to $250,000 to CFA’s Hay West campaign to help cover the shipping costs of sending hay to drought-stricken farmers in the Prairie Provinces. CN’s donation comes in twofold, an immediate $125,000 donation, and in an effort to spur monetary donations from other organizations, CN will also provide matching funding for donations from other sources, up to an additional $125,000, for a total commitment of $250,000. CFA hopes that this generous contribution will help to spur further support, as this arrangement will double the effectiveness of any donations from other institutions. We are also happy to announce that CN’s initial cash donation will apply to the “matching donation” previously supplied by Farm Credit Canada, wherein they agreed to match up to $25,000 from any other organization, bringing the total donation from Farm Credit Canada to $50,000. The Hay West initiative helps farmers in the west who are currently suffering from a hay shortage due to devastating drought. Farmers from the East Coast, as well as Ontario and Quebec, have graciously committed and/or donated hay to be sent out west to help feed livestock. All proceeds from donations go directly to paying the shipping costs for moving hay across Canada and the logistical support needed to do so. CFA currently has tens of thousands of bales of hay to be sent to the Prairie Provinces, but the demand for hay is still extremely high and more is needed. “CFA would like to extend its extreme appreciation for this donation from CN, as well as all of the other organizations who have donated to Hay West. We cannot stress how important this initiative is, as these funds go directly to helping farmers who have been struggling to feed their animals,” said Mary Robinson, CFA President. “Through these donations we are helping to save many farmers and their animals from devastation. It is truly incredible to see the amount of support and collaboration that has come together through these unfortunate circumstances, and we are grateful for everyone who has been involved.” CFA is still looking for contributions to cover shipping costs, as well as farmers looking to buy or supply hay. Visit haywest2021.net if you are looking to supply or purchase hay.
November 26, 2021
The AgriPost
Two New Cases of PED Virus in Manitoba
By Harry Siemens
Manitoba Pork Council (MPC) member, Rick Prejet started the recent east of the Red River fall producer Zoom meeting with some bad news, one case of PED was confirmed October 25. The Manitoba Agriculture Animal Health and Welfare website on Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea virus reported the second case of PED October 29 bringing the count to two cases for 2021. “Unfortunately, it’s a sow barn out in the southeastern part of Manitoba, Blumenort area, so there’s a trace back going on now. At this point, there is no information on how the herd broke so in the days to come, we’ll get more information,” said Prejet, a hog producer from Notre Dame de Lourdes, MB. “Maybe get everybody on high alert, especially in that area, or be on high alert for it because PED is present in Manitoba albeit still small.” During the meeting a producer asked a question of Jenelle Hamblin, manager, Swine Health at Manitoba Pork as to what the efforts are to keep the PED case to one. “Believe it or not, that’s a bit of a difficult question because we’re still very early days,” she said. Hamblin explained that the case investigation collects the trace back information to pinpoint the source of infection on the initial farm. “They are investigating linkages and doing follow-ups with that farm to prevent downstream infec-
Biosecurity protocols have been put into place and trace back investigation continues for two cases of Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea virus that initially showed up on a sow barn in the Blumenort area explained Manitoba Pork Council member, Rick Prejet and a hog producer from Notre Dame de Lourdes.
Rick Prejet, Manitoba Pork Council member and a hog producer from Notre Dame de Lourdes. File photo by Harry Siemens
tion of other farms directly related to the current IP [infected premise],” she said. “Anything coming out of that one IP gets followed up or are already practicing biocontainment so that in itself is a huge first step. Direct linkages, direct contacts are easy to track.” He explained that the problems are more when those indirect contacts are moving on and off of the premises. In those situations, the investigation will take more time to follow up. Hamblin said in trying to lock things down quickly, producers are practicing a high level of biosecurity. Biosecurity practices have been enhanced in the southeast area and in and around
Jenelle Hamblin manager, Swine Health at Manitoba Pork during a zoom producer meeting. Jenelle Hamblin is the manager of Swine Health at Manitoba Pork Photos by Harry Siemens
that area of the IP. “If within five, 10 km, pull out your enhanced security protocols or consult with your veterinarian to enhance those biosecurity protocols on your premises, being that we do have an actively shedding farm in the region,” Hamblin cautioned. She said there are no downstream complications as the implicated sow barn is an export facility with the piglets not staying in Manitoba. “That helps maintain a lower case count and a lower viral load. But, ultimately, if those animals were not in a manageable flow, then that is good news in terms of making fewer premises break,” said Hamblin
Even as those contacts and trace backs are investigated there is regular contact with the Chief Veterinarian Office as they look at any other suspect cases and provide new information coming out of the IP. “Our team at MPC keeps looking into some of the requests that come in from CVO as well, in terms of running movements, movement data and manure spread data; what potentially could be happening or have caused the break or potentially could be a risk of other premises in the area,” said Hamblin. “That work is fresh. We received that direction and continue to work on it in between other duties.”
Farmers Express Their 2022 Concerns and Challenges Continued from Page 1...
Michael Harms of Mather, MB spreads expensive nitrogen fertilizer for the 2022 crop as rains were predicted in the forecast Submitted photo by Michael Harms
Jack Siemens at Plum Coulee, MB said his fertilizer bill in the third week of October came to $174 an acre locked in if he paid by October 31, and the price has already gone up. Korey Peters near Steinbach, MB is preparing for next spring with reduced field tillage due to the very dry year and wonders what that will look like next spring. “Fall applied fertilizer with crazy high prices, will it change how we apply fertilizer next spring?” asked Peters. Shortages, government, and will it rain in 2022 is
how another southern Manitoba farmer expressed his frustrations about farm supplies, crop inputs, machinery parts and even delays in equipment purchased by farmers. Michael Harms of Mather, MB said other than his NH3 applied in a one-pass system it is seed and fertilizer ordered or paid for next year that is concerning. “I ordered the cereal crop seed for next spring without a price but I think it won’t be cheap. I can contract the 2022 crop for good prices next year,” said Harms. In the same tweet he added,
“I ran into the issue of finding somewhere to get my semi-truck fixed this week. I had to drive 1,500 km before someone agreed to fix it. Either the parts are not available or couldn’t do it.” He explained most shops told him next week Friday is the earliest, but most likely the week after that, and in part the delay was due to labour shortages. David Zacharias of Winnipeg said rising fertilizer costs, including limited anhydrous ammonia availability, increased fuel prices with no break anytime soon. “Fear of the unknown and what the
elites will come up with after the 17-day climate conference,” said Zacharias. Jason Hildebrand of Boissevain, MB, said it is, “Inflation, inflation, inflation, maybe not very specific but that’s the overall looming dark cloud, resulting in interest rates and every other farm expense going up.” “Taxes, taxes and more coming,” said Ken Foster of Arborg, MB on his concern. Hank Wade of Bellevue, NE said to sum it up, definitely too much government policy enacted by people who do not understand the agriculture industry.
The AgriPost
November 26, 2021
The Protein Plant for the Future
Roquette celebrated the opening of the world’s largest pea protein plant recently in Portage la Prairie, MB to position itself to meet the surging global demand for alternative proteins.
By Harry Siemens Roquette celebrated the opening of the world’s largest pea protein plant recently in Portage la Prairie, MB to meet the surging global demand for alternative proteins. The new facility gives Roquette the largest pea protein plant globally alongside some of the world’s best experts in developing new plant-based foods. Currently they will employ 120 people and already 114 employees have been hired. “We see this as a transformational event in our history and a boost to the global plant-based food sector,” said Pierre Courduroux, CEO of Roquette. “Diets have changed considerably in recent years, and the desire for alternative proteins continues to grow. Our company is proud to bring this amazing new facility online to serve demand in North America and around the world.” Following the gala virtual
opening via Zoom, Adam Dooley hosted a news conference affording interesting questions and answers. The first question was if Roquette had found uses and markets for the rest of the pea other than the protein and starch. Pierre Courduroux, the CEO of Roquette said this kind of business challenge is what Roquette has experience with, by trying to end up with no waste and a for every part of the pea. Starch is an important component and a large portion of the pea with many different applications. Pea starch is unique because of its tremendous film-forming capability. It is not only suitable for food applications it can be used like an adhesives used in cardboard manufacturing. Dominique Baumann, managing director for Roquette in Canada said the current plant uses 60 acres out of the 200 available. “We are already
looking at expanding the plant for future production, and we definitely will use the land.” When asked whether Roquette will work pulses or plant-based protein other than yellow peas, Jeremy Burks, senior vice-president of plant proteins for Roquette said they work with other materials already. The company has a long history of working with wheat and wheat protein. And more recently launched products containing fava protein. “We have expertise on what makes a good protein and if it is suited for this, or other application or this food,” said Burks. “The pea provides a tremendously versatile protein with many different applications and so that’s going to keep us busy in the short term.” Global demand has tremendous growth potential and the demand looks sustainable over a long period. “We know when customers launch; they want to be confident that
if their product takes off with the consumer, there is someone behind them that can help meet that surge in demand,” said Burks. “And that’s our objective here with this new plant.” When asked about any specific varieties of peas that are used; the spokes person said the company works along the value chain. They source a variety of peas grown in many conditions. For example Roquette has a farm where they grow many varieties of peas, and study the crop’s performance under different conditions while working in close collaboration with farmers to give them their experience. “This has to be a good deal for everybody by helping on the production side of our raw material, the growth of the pea; that we can make some progress there for the benefit of the growers and eventually flow through the value chain,” said Burks.”
Three representatives of the Roquette management team held a news conference following the virtual grand opening.
Zoom screenshot.
Submitted photo
The AgriPost
November 26, 2021
Vitamin D
Read the AgriPost Online www.agripost.ca
With daylight saving time behind us, and the shortest day of the year approaching, we are well into our annual retreat from sunshine. While well aware of this yearly trend, a lot of people don’t realize the extent to which this can affect our health. If you’re not already taking vitamin D supplements, you probably should. When we’re exposed to plenty of sunshine, our skin has the ability to make 90% of the vitamin D that we need. But in the northern latitudes, it becomes harder to rely on that in the fall and winter. As the angle of the sun decreases, the days get shorter and we spend more of our time indoors. Even in summer, given the widespread use of sunscreen and the constant advice to cover up to avoid possible harm from full sunlight, some people may not be producing enough vitamin D. As with most things, we ought to strike an important balance. Too much sun can be a problem, but so can too little.
Why is this a big deal? We now know about many ailments associated with vitamin D deficiency, and researchers have found this deficiency to be widespread. Many now argue that it is a pandemic in and of itself. The long list of dangers includes things like cardiovascular disease, auto-immune disorders, inflammation, mood disorders, colorectal cancer and all sorts of infectious diseases, including seasonal flu. Just to name a few. But the big one that’s getting all the attention right now is Covid-19. Because a lot of people go crazy about this subject, it’s important to point out that no one is suggesting that vitamin D is a cure for Covid. But there is an impressive and ever-growing body of evidence suggesting that, if you are deficient in vitamin D, you are going to have a worse time with Covid than you otherwise might. Heather Heying does a deep dive into the subject in her recent Substack piece “Vitamin D Deficiency and Co-
vid-19”. It’s a lengthy, wellresearched article that goes over the peer-reviewed scientific literature in layman’s terms. Links are provided to all the papers referenced for further reading. While these days there’s no end to “official” public health recommendations regarding Covid, conspicuous by its absence is any mention of vitamin D. That’s a bit odd, because, according to Heying, “What I do find are more than 11,000 results when I do a search on Google Scholar, limited to the years 2020 and 2021, for ‘Vitamin D deficiency and Covid. Not all of those papers find evidence that there is a correlation, much less a causal relationship, between vitamin D deficiency and Covid. But it seems that most of them do.” One concern is that people might accidently overdose on vitamin D. While technically this is possible, according to a paper referenced by Heying in her article that would require taking such a massive amount, over such a long period of time as to make it
Penner’s Points
virtually impossible. Another concern, as mentioned before, is By Rolf that people may be- Penner come overconfident in its ability to ward off infection. This is a little bizarre, given that one of the messages we able overlap between the do hear is that we should be co-morbidities commonly thinking about “layers of associated with serious harm protection.” from the virus and vitamin D A quote from one of the pa- deficiency. From old age, to pers cited in Heying’s piece race, obesity, kidney disease sums it up nicely: “Although and diabetes, to depression randomized controlled trial and anxiety disorders and results may be available even institutionalization in eventually, the correlational a nursing or care home – all and causal study evidence of these problems can be supporting a link between improved with a sufficient vitamin D deficiency and amount of vitamin D. COVID-19 risks is already Changes in our diet would so strong that it supports ac- be an option as well. That’s tion…. Widely recommend- how they did it in the good ing 2,000 IU of vitamin D old days. Fish, eggs, organ daily for all populations with meats like liver can be rich in limited ability to manufac- vitamin D but it’s a little more ture vitamin D from the sun difficult to know if you’re has virtually no potential for getting enough. Personally, harm and is reasonably likely I like the new gummy bear to save many lives.” Other version of supplements. papers recommend as high Either way, you should reas 4000-10,000 IU. member what your mother That potential goes beyond used to say, “Take your vitaCovid, as there is consider- mins.”
‘Tis the Season to Be Jolly ‘Tis the season to be jolly came to my mind as I thought of an opening for this month’s Siemens Says column. I’m not always sure where the pen and mind will take me, but I often marvel at the ride when I finish. For the AgriPost it is our Christmas Holiday edition and it prompted me to focus on what this year became and where we are going. No, I don’t want to list all the do’s and don’ts and make a chronological list of what happened but focus on where we stand as a person and a farming industry. In 2019, the Harvest from Hades had people thinking long and hard about how will this shake out. Never did we
imagine that a drought would hit much of the three prairie provinces. While some parts faired better than others, the crop was down pretty much everywhere. Some farmers forward sold too early, too much, and were left holding the bag, so to speak. Forward-contracting issues caught Gilbert Sabourin of St. Jean off guard; it became a little tense by having forward-priced way too much crop, way too early and more than usual. Recently hauling 13 loads of canola to Bunge in Altona, the price varied from $12 a bushel to $21 a bushel, with the average more at the lower end than the higher end of that range. It left quite a bit of money on the table. “But if I look through the average of the last 30 years, forward pricing has worked well. But this year was very costly, but at least I’ve had enough bushels to cover
my contracts. I know some people have to write quite big cheques to buy out their contracts,” he explained. I like Gilbert and how he farms and treats people, especially how he speaks his mind and has his facts straight. Gilbert is active on Twitter, Facebook, and in a group called Canadian Agriculture on WhatsApp. It’s farmers like him that help make the career I chose back in 1971, at my father’s prompting, a season to be jolly all year round. So that is the topic I’d hope to pursue in this column because the Christmas music is playing, the Christmas trees and decorations are up, and this is the second year after my wife Judith passed on into glory that I can enjoy those signs of the season. When I look back and revisit the various happening and occurrences in 2021, including my battle with
Covid-19 and vertigo resulting from my fall almost a year ago, it often sparked thoughts of mortality and hopelessness, but the reason for the season, the Baby in the Manager got me back up. Things have changed so much in various forms of technology, but the farmer, being the eternal optimist, keeps going. Wow - what a fantastic industry we serve. As my mentor, colleague and friend, Orion Samuelson says, “Harry, ‘Serving agriculture, the basic industry,’ is such a privilege and honour,” and he retired after 50 years behind the same microphone on Dec 31. Had I not embraced technology early on and bought my first computer in 1982, I may not be still in it today. My late wife Judy taught me over and over again to live for the moment and agreed with President Ron-
ald Reagan, “You can do almost anything if you don’t care who gets the credit.” He also said you have not failed at anything until you blame someone else. As I’ve said many times, I’m proud to identify as a farmer. However, I must share one other thing: I dealt directly with cattle producers who did not have the feed to sustain their cattle even for a day. I began to lose my season to be jolly because I kept identifying with them and realized for me to help I couldn’t get too depressed. So I backed off and detached somewhat and carried on the torch. Yes, looking back my heart aches for so many but at the same time it is the season to be jolly; let us not forget to celebrate Christmas and move forward to next year. Some we left behind; others are making the journey with us.
The AgriPost
Another One on the Books Another calendar is flipping to the last page and at least in this corner of the world there is not nearly as many “good riddance” comments as there were when 2020 was moving to the history books. It seems humans are an adaptable lot and as Mr. Darwin pointed out it is not the strongest or the smartest of a species that survive but rather those most willing to change. He made his observations after spending some time on an island in the Pacific but
they apply equally to the human race and especially during a pandemic. Some of those who chose to ignore or deny the existence of Covid are no longer with us, and I offer my sincere condolence to their families. Some refuse to receive the prescribed vaccination and will spend some time, in hospitals or maybe not, and some won’t be here for next Christmas, that is the way the selection process works. The majority of people in my acquaintance have chosen to take as many safety precautions as possible and received the vaccinations and wear the annoying masks as required and carry on a life with restricted travel. Remember when the US
border was first closed, I for one said it would not last long and after a year and half without a trip to the US have adjusted to life just fine. I don’t know when I will need to go to that country, and I used to count on two trips a week. We adapt and the new becomes the normal. Agriculture is an industry of change, always has been since the first gatherer collected seeds and then started looking for ones that tasted better and yielded more they were seldom the same, or at least plant breeders would have you believe that. So we move on, we make choices and we live with them, others make choices for us and we live with them, but the fact is life carries on.
The year that is quickly slipping into history is going to be one of those. As we went through it we remarked at this being new or a once in a life time thing, in a few years we might remember and we might not. That is the way humans are. As we bid good bye to a year that brought joys and sorrows we look to a new year, and apart from an new date that magically appears on your phone, not much else changes. I do wish you the best of the Season in whichever form you choose to celebrate. For us it is Christmas and I wish you a Merry Christmas, a new year will arrive and I wish you the attitude to take the changes that come with it, because they will come.
BC Flooding Impacts Manitoba Farmers By Elmer Heinrichs Catastrophic flooding in BC has severed crucial road and rail routes, meaning Manitoba and other Prairie farmers are likely to be hurt by delays in getting their grain to market. Manitoba’s largest farm group, Keystone Agricultural Producers (KAP), said it is monitoring the potential effect on both the grain and livestock sectors, which have also suffered from summer drought. “There are supply-chain concerns here across the board for farmers,” said KAP spokesman Graham Schellenberg. Presumably, if the Port of Vancouver is unable to operate, that could create
additional stresses on other ports in Canada.” Barry Prentice, a University of Manitoba professor in supply chain management, notes this is peak shipping season and BC is the biggest export corridor for Prairie producers. He fears the problem could extend into the new year. The week’s flooding and landslides washed away the main routes used by CP Rail and CN Rail to connect the Port of Vancouver to the rest of Canada as well as to major highways used to transport goods. BC has declared a province-wide state of emergency. “This is peak shipping season for farmers whose
grain normally travels by rail through the Fraser Valley in BC to the port of Vancouver,” said Prentice. The Western Grain Elevator Association said a backlog can create a snowball effect, where shipping costs rise based on how long demand is pent up. “It has a cascading effect further on into the supply chain,” said industry spokesman Wade Sobkowich, noting that there are about 100,000 tonnes of grain sitting in rail cars that cannot move. The grain transportation system is vulnerable because there are not many passes through the mountains in BC, and both the Canadian National and Canadian Pa-
cific railways have been cut off due to the flooding. The railways are analyzing the damage and have provided no estimates for how long repairs will take, though some external analysts have suggested repairs might take upwards of two weeks. The Port of Vancouver usually ships more grain than the other three major ports combined, Thunder Bay, ON, Prince Rupert, BC, and Churchill MB, in northern Manitoba. Prentice suggests Canadian supply chains should brace for even more disruptive weather events made worse by climate change, while governments try to reverse global warming.
Agri-food Exporters Excited by Trade Negotiations with ASEAN Dear Editor, Agri-food exporters are very excited by the launch of comprehensive talks with ASEAN. We have long believed this should be Canada’s top trade negotiating priority in Southeast Asia and [the] announcement is welcome news. As a market of over 640 million people with a GDP of $3.6 trillion, Canadian agri-food exporters see huge potential in the fast growing and dynamic ASEAN countries.
Several agriculture and agri-food segments stand to benefit from an ambitious Canada-ASEAN pact including canola, beef, pork, pulses, cereals, oilseeds, sugar, malt and processed foods. Removal of tariff and non-tariff barriers may also provide long term opportunity for sugar-containing products and processed food products. We will be urging Canada’s negotiators to secure an ambitious agreement which includes tariff liberalization
that creates meaningful market access, forward-looking rules of origin provisions that support Canada’s agri-food supply chains and addressing non-tariff barriers that create a more transparent and predictable trading system. We call on the federal government to ensure all Parliamentary process requirements are expedited so the first negotiating round can take place in early 2022. Throughout the pandemic, our members have made clear that agri-food trade can
play a major role in building back better. Today’s announcement is a giant step in the right direction to ensure our sector helps drive Canada’s economic recovery forward. Canada’s agri-food sector looks forward to working closely with the federal government to ensure Canada’s export interests are secured in these negotiations. Dan Darling President of the Canadian Agri-Food Trade Alliance (CAFTA)
November 26, 2021
Financial Support Offered to Drought-Stricken Farmers By Elmer Heinrichs Southern Ontario farmers are sending shipments of hay to their agricultural peers in Saskatchewan to help them feed livestock following a summer drought that severely affected crop production. The Canadian Federation of Agriculture (CFA) has announced that CN Rail has committed up to $250,000 to CFA’s Hay West campaign to help cover the shipping costs of sending hay to drought-stricken farmers in the Prairie Provinces. The Hay West initiative comes nine years after Saskatchewan sent hay to drought-stricken producers in Ontario through MDS Canada. Farmers from the east Coast, as well as Ontario and Quebec, have committed and/or donated hay to be sent out west to help feed livestock. CN’s donation comes in twofold, an immediate $125,000 donation, and in an effort to spur monetary donations from other organizations, CN will also provide matching funding for donations from other sources, up to an additional $125,000, for a total commitment of $250,000. It was also announced that CN’s initial cash donation will apply to the “matching donation” previously supplied by Farm Credit Canada, wherein they agreed to match up to $25,000 from any other organization, bringing the total donation from Farm Credit Canada to $50,000. Initially the hope was that up to 50 truckloads of donated hay would be sent to Saskatchewan. One truckload of hay is about 36 square bales weighing about 40,000 pounds/18,143 kilograms. The first shipments of hay from Ontario and the Maritimes, where farmers had a surplus, began arriving at Sask. farms in September. All proceeds from donations go directly to paying the shipping costs for moving hay across Canada and the logistical support needed to do so. CFA currently has tens of thousands of bales of hay to be sent to the Prairie Provinces, but the demand for hay is still extremely high and more is needed. “CFA would like to extend its extreme appreciation for this donation from CN, as well as all of the other organizations who have donated to Hay West. We cannot stress how important this initiative is, as these funds go directly to helping farmers who have been struggling to feed their animals,” said CFA president Mary Robinson. “Through these donations we are helping to save many farmers and their animals from devastation. It is truly incredible to see the amount of support and collaboration that has come together through these unfortunate circumstances.” CFA is still looking for contributions to cover shipping costs, as well as farmers looking to buy or supply hay.
November 26, 2021
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Hadfield Hosts Grand Opening Better than Expected of Roquette’s Pea Protein Plant Crops at St. Jean By Les Kletke
Chris Hadfield thinks pea protein is the real McCoy! Hatfield hosted the grand Opening of Roquette’s new multimillion dollar pea protein plant in Portage la Prairie and opened the event with a song and his guitar. The song was a parody of the one he performed from space and sang the praises of the new protein source. Canada’s most famous astronaut called on his experience growing up on a farm as an example of how things have changed. “The space station is an example of human innovation
Dominique Baumann is the Managing Director of the Portage facility and says Manitoba is ready to become the Silicon Valley of Plant Protein.
and what is possible,” said Hadfield. “But this plant is another example and is the type of innovation we will need moving into the future. We need to be concerned with how we will feed the earth’s population as it grows to nearly 10 billion and this is the kind of innovation we need.” The grand opening which fittingly for a facility being billed as the ‘Plant of the Future’ was done virtually and allowed Hadfield to call on speakers like a chef from the Maritimes, the French Ambassador to Canada and a member the Roquette family from France. With opening of the plant the company becomes the first to have protein facilities on both sides of the Atlantic. The 200,000 sq ft facility is the largest pea protein processing plant in the world. It is situated on a 67-acre site just outside of Portage la Prairie. The size of the plant is amazing in itself but that the plant was completed in just over two years during a pandemic makes it even more amazing. Announcement of
the plant came in January 2017 with strong support from the government of Manitoba. Total cost of the facility is pegged at $600 million. The plant which began processing the 2020 crop produces pea protein powder and texture pea protein and is capable of processing 125,000 tonnes of yellow peas annually. Dominique Baumann the Managing Director of Roquette Canada said, “Manitoba is set to become the Silicon Valley of plant protein.” His view might seem optimistic but the company has seen an increasing demand for its product and several industry representatives see the current demand for plant protein as the tip of the ice-berg. All three Prairie Provinces’ producers are ready to meet the demand for the crop although crop production has seen a shift westward from Manitoba in recent years. Demand from the Manitoba plant could bring that back.
Trac and grain cart at work. Gilbert Sabourin said he has not been affected by supply chain delays that Submitted photos some other farmers speak of.
By Harry Siemens Gilbert Sabourin, who farms in the St. Jean-Baptiste area, said the 2021 crop was better than expected and better than 2018 and 2019 when a small seven-mile-by-sevenmile area south of Winnipeg was dryer than 2021. Those earlier years produced only half a crop. Forward-contracting issues caught Sabourin off guard and became a little tense when he forward-priced too much of his crop too early. He said that recently hauling 13 loads of canola to Bunge in Altona the price had varied between $12 to $21 a bushel with the average at the lower end. It left quite a bit of money on the table. “But if I look through the average of the last 30 years, forward pricing has worked well. But this year was very costly, but at least I’ve had
enough bushels to cover my contracts,” said Sabourin. “I know some people have to write quite big checks to buy out their contracts.” While some farmers tried to get out of contracts earlier, some grain companies suggested waiting until the harvest when the crop insurance had already written them off. Sabourin said the sooner farmers could buyback, the cheaper it would be because prices kept going up and up. “A neighbour bought out his oats contract; probably cost him a buck a bushel early in the spring because it froze,” said Sabourin. “But now, to buy out that same contract would cost you six, seven bucks a bushel.” Sabourin learned a valuable lesson in forward contracting and will observe the drought conditions because there are
Gilbert Sabourin said that on August 6 this year they could drive with a quad or walk across the Red River and that along the Red River and the Plum River they did not have to spend days picking up flood debris because of the dry conditions.
still some very dry conditions that have created good pricing opportunities. The federal government’s proposed fertilizer emissions cutback does concern Sabourin. “If the Feds force us to cut back fertilizer usage by 30 per cent, how much will that affect our yields; 30 or 40 per cent?” He questioned. “That would be very disastrous income-wise. I hope that doesn’t go through because it’d be the end to many farms.” Sabourin said he has not been affected by supply chain delays that some other farmers speak of. “Luckily we didn’t have any major breakdowns this year and we’re not looking at changing any equipment, either,” he said. “Hoping to finish paying off the equipment we have, we’re not looking at buying anything new, that’s for sure. It’s just priced way out of my range.” The increased carbon tax on energy also baffles him. He said five years ago, he paid big money to bring natural gas to the farm to make things more efficient for grain drying. Now, it seems natural gas is not the efficient method anymore he noted. “Once we get set up for wood pellets, then they’re going to talk about mass deforestation. Then they’ll want us to change to something else,” he said. “It’s like the green ball never stops rolling.” Sabourin added fall rye for the first time in his rotation by adjusting his field sizes. “We’ll grow what we know, I guess,” he said. One noted change for his operation is that this year was the first time in a while where they did not have to pick up flood debris on land along the Red River. “Along the Red River and the Plum River, sometimes we spend many hours and days just picking up flood debris” explained Sabourin. “This year nothing because it was so dry and the Mighty Red so low.” On August 6, he said they could drive across with a quad and walk across the river.
The AgriPost
November 26, 2021
“We’ve Got to Stop Treating Our Soil Like Dirt” By Brenda Hunter This very compelling statement is one of the driving forces behind the growing number of farmers adopting regenerative agricultural practices across the country. Recently, the term “regenerative agriculture” has been gaining traction as an alternative to conventional farming practices. It focuses primarily on regenerating soil health; strengthening organic matter in the topsoil, increasing biodiversity, improving the water cycle, increasing resilience to climate change, and enhancing the ecosystem. This method is championing an approach to primary food production that dramatically reduces the requirement for synthetic fertilizer, pesticides, fungicides and herbicides, making it more cost effective for the producer, healthier (and tastier) for the consumer and the biggest win: better for the environment. In a nutshell, regenerative agriculture is the adoption of practices to repair and build a healthy, resilient soil ecosystem.
A cover crop /polycrop planted near Rossburn MB that has many species of plants, and will be used as a feed source. Oats, canola, buckwheat, phacelia, clovers and alfalfa and timothy plus a bunch of other native pollinator species are sown together all playing a different role in building diversity, scavenging for nutrients and will become a perennial hay/graze field over the next season.
Six way cover crop blend.
“Regen ag focuses on ecological principles and addressing how ecosystems are meant to function,” said Ryan Canart of Miniota, General Manager of Assiniboine West Watershed District. “We’ve broken the mineral cycle, added Michael Thiele, Shoal Lake area resident and manager of Manitoba Grazing Club. “We’re not deficient in minerals at all; we just aren’t utilizing them properly.” He goes on to explain that in agriculture, we’ve been ignoring the rules of nature, and for the most part, turning a blind eye to the red flags along the way: such as soil degradation, loss of pollinators, decrease in the quality of our food and climate change. Thiele, who studied Plant Science at the University of Manitoba, has had a 30-plusyear journey understanding agriculture and the importance of soil, water, sunlight, plants and animals and the realization that all the parts are interconnected. He is now part of a consulting company, UnderstandingAg.com and specializes in regenerative agriculture. They work with clients affecting change over 20 million acres across Canada and the US. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, by sustaining the rate of soil degradation that current conventional farming results in, that in only 60 years, we will have no topsoil left. In the world. Let that sink in. Considering that 95 percent of the food we eat comes from the Earth’s soil, this should be of concern to everyone. From 1972 to 2011 (39 years), Canada lost 3.9 million hectares of farm land according to The Soil Con-
Cows grazing a seven species, full season cover crop.
Pigs on pasture.
servation Council of Canada. By implementing regenerative farming practices, the goal is to reverse this trend by rehabilitating and conserving the soil by replenishing the ecosystem. For Zack Koscielny, a young farmer from the Strathclair area who is in his fifth year of regenerative management, the decision to go with regenerative farming practices on their family farm just made sense. “During the final year of my Agroecology degree, I did a lot of research on regenerative agriculture,” he explained. “Before I graduated, I had decided that was how I wanted to farm. Part of [the reason for] adopting regenerative management was acknowledging that our agricultural soils, on the Canadian Prairies or elsewhere, is severely degraded.” Canart agreed. “100 years ago, the soils around SW Manitoba had over twice the soil carbon in it that they do now. That’s degradation!” Thiele also added that the amount of organic matter has severely decreased. “We used to be at 12 to 14 percent organic matter in our Newdale soil,” he said. “Now we’re at two to four percent.” By implementing regenera-
tive practices, that number is expected to be restored. “I think that regenerative agriculture is better than sustainable; it’s actually rebuilding and rejuvenating degraded soils, while improving the bottom line for farmers,” said Koscielny. “The fact that regenerative agriculture can be good for the land and good for my bottom line at the same time is why I chose to farm regeneratively.” Koscielny has definitely seen the benefits of farming regeneratively over the past several years. “On our own farm, we have seen big improvements in pasture production and the length of our grazing season,” he said. “Part of the increase in grazing days for us has been from full season cover crops on our cultivated acres, as well as growing cover crops on the shoulder ends of the growing season.” He continued. “To me, the big ‘money maker’ in regenerative agriculture is that a healthy soil doesn’t need synthetic fertilizer or pest control. We certainly have observed that grazing livestock on our cropland and polycropping as much as possible has led to reduced input costs.” Canart added, “Farms will
Cows grazing perennial pasture in December.
Picture shows what kind of residue or soil armour we try to leave beSubmitted photos hind after grazing
see financial rewards from a more resilient system: less impact from climatic stress, less disease and pest pressure, less cost per acre and eventually more profit per acre.” And in light of the recent COP26 Climate Summit, it seems timely that some of the answers might lie right in our own Back 40. “Governments of the day continue to reach and search for some technologically advanced and expensive solution to address climate change such as massive investments in carbon capture and storage, but regen ag has the ability to address several issues facing society; clean
abundant water and healthier water cycle, increased carbon storage in arable farm land and pasture systems, increased nutritional density of food; one of the pillars of a healthy human population. Instead of being trapped in the same old paradigm of big money investments to big corporations, we could support farms and reinvigorate rural communities,” said Canart. “If farmers could be recognized for the carbon storage potential in their soils, I would think it could accelerate the adoption of this farming practice, which would be to everyone’s benefit,” said Canart.
November 26, 2021
The AgriPost
Argyle Farmer New Parrish & Heimbecker Dugald Grain Terminal Now Open Makes Changes
The new site include 25,000 tonnes of grain storage, a loop track for continuous grain loading and movement as well as crop input facilities including a fertilizer plant, chemical warehouse and seed treatment facility to serve customers in surrounding areas. The facility is also home to a team of agronomic experts who will leverage a full suite of seed, crop protection and crop nutrition products as well as an on-site seed treatment plant to provide area producers with crop input solutions that fit their farm. The 6,000 tonne dry fertilizer plant will deliver custom fertilizer blends, including micronutrient additions, with industry-leading accuracy and consistency to provide producers with balanced plant nutrition to support their continual pursuit for higher yields. Photo by Myriam Dyck
Contest Gives Growers a Chance to Win for Community Lallemand Plant Care has announced the Hometown Roots Family Contest in Manitoba, Alberta and Saskatchewan. The Hometown Roots Family Contest is a chance for growers across the prairies to support their community by winning a $5,000 contribution from Lallemand. “Lallemand is a familyowned company, much like
the farms we serve,” said Scott Gray, Commercial Manager, Canada at Lallemand Plant Care. “[We] recognize the importance of communities, big or small; they can provide countless opportunities for growth and experience. The Lallemand Hometown Roots Family Contest is a way for us to give back to growers and their communities.”
Growers can enter the Lallemand Hometown Roots Family Contest in two ways, with a purchase of a minimum of 160 acres worth of Lallemand inoculants including Lalfix Spherical Granule for pulses and soybeans or Lalfix Proyield Liquid Soybean during the contest period or submit a hand-written essay detailing what farming means to
them and how they would leverage these funds to support their community. The Hometown Roots Family Contest runs until May 31, 2022. One winner from each province will be selected in early June 2022. For more information and full contest rules, visit lallemandhometownroots.com.
By Harry Siemens After Ian Smith’s parents at Argyle, MB bought the quarter section farm in 1953 with some dairy cattle, in the late 60s they switched to hogs, keeping some cattle, a mixture of Black Angus, Charolais and eventually Limousine. When son Ian took over the farm, he added the Shorthorn breed to keep his herd docile and calm. The severe drought of 2021 has caused Smith to make further changes. “I’m cutting back on pigs and keeping more cattle because $9, $10 a bushel for barley, soy meal and corn is expensive, making input cost in raising hogs outrageous,” said Smith. “Also, maintenance on the barns; just getting too much.” He said what does not sell through the custom slaughter business goes through Hams Marketing Services to Maple Leaf in Brandon. Although he does get about $100 a pig more selling privately which prompted a cutback on pigs to reduce the need for overflow. “I’m probably wise with fewer pigs, less input cost and at 300 pounds live weight I get $195 through Hams and $300 a pig selling on my own and it hasn’t changed,” said Smith. At $1.45 a pound for a 200pound dressed weight pig which is $290 less feed and other input costs, compared to $195 through Hams for the same weight pigs the $100 makes a difference. According to Smith, another reason for cutting back on pigs is that people will cut back on their food before cutting back on their entertainment. He said stores have pork chops sales and that allows people to stock up but the only advantages are loyal customers, pork quality and the home delivery. Smith explained that the drought cut barley yield to 37 bushels an acre and was so thin that opening up the field with his swather did not even cover his Border Collie dogs following behind. The crop was too short for his swather, combine and baler leaving grain on the ground. He said that the Hutterite colony straight combined their crop and never lost anything. “It came out to about 37 bushels to the acre, good quality 50-pound barley that’s less than half of what he needs,” he said. His canola yielded 17 bushels to the acre and went straight to the elevator clean at $20.31 a bushel. Com-
pared to last year’s crop at 37 bushels an acre and less than $11 a bushel, his return was a little higher this year. “But mind you, the input cost this year was higher than last year. Including higher fertilizer and chemical prices,” said Smith. A neighbour who rents one field from Smith grew peas at 58 bushels in 2020 and 25 bushels per acre this year. “But, unfortunately, the straw from the 55 acres of peas yielded 450 little square bales, not good,” he said. Smith said that by cutting in his pig numbers there is enough feed through to April or May of 2022. “I’ll hold back, and yeah, I’ll have to buy barley next spring or whatever, but I’m not going to buy any barley right now because I don’t want to overbuy and have carryover. So, I’ll buy as I need, I feel,” said Smith. He said that one cow went to market while five heifers stayed back. The cow sold at the beginning of November to B J Packers, on the rail and not to the stockyards fetching $1.70 a pound, $810 dressed weight for a total yield $1,371. That compared to a neighbour selling a cow the week before to the stockyard, same weight at 61 cents a pound live weight netting $1,000. He gained $371 more by going on the rail at 1,600 pounds live weight. For 2022 Smith said canola is out of the picture, at least for now. Instead he will replace it with oats and alfalfa hay reducing input cost on that field. While hayseed is more money, it will be around for five or six years at the recommended time but many go longer he said. “Having more cattle and I buy all my hay, that’s affected me higher this year, I feel maybe I should have my hayfield. I got the good haying equipment so, grow hay,” said Smith. Smith will also grow some oats and barley but thinks the hay could be as good of a cash crop as canola can be. Although, if it turns out to be another dry year he could cut it for green feed too. There are more options with oats than there are with any other crop he noted. Alfalfa and Timothy will help out too. “We’ve never grown hay or oats on this place, but yeah, you got to change, and don’t follow what other people do,” said Smith. “You got to do what works for yourself, and that’s how I look at things.”
The AgriPost
November 26, 2021
New Pork Chair Looks at Creating Jobs to Help Communities By Harry Siemens Rick Prejet, a hog producer from Notre Dame de Lourdes, MB, is the new chair of the Manitoba Pork Council (MPC). He worked as a delegate for quite a few years and always felt it was necessary for producer involvement on the MPC. “It’s essential to get out there, know what’s going on, and give one’s views on what’s best for the industry going forward,” said Prejet. In 1994 a group of producers from Notre Dame invested in the current farm with 5,000 sows marketing about 110-120 thousand hogs to HyLife Foods at Neepawa. Prejet had about 150 to 200 sows at the time. In addition to the sows, the farm includes nurseries, finishing barns, a feed mill and their truck wash with at least 40 employees to help with the work. The farm employs some locals and workers from the Philippines and South America who stay year-round working fulltime. Most if not all, live in town, own houses and contribute to the local economy. The hog business consists of two companies; Porcherie Lac du Onze (PLDO) is the original company that
owns the sow and nursery barns. Porcherie Notre Dame (PND) was formed later and owns the finisher barns and truck wash. “In ‘94, some local people who wanted to create jobs and help the economy invested in this hog farm operation. For a smaller community like Notre Dame de Lourdes, it is significant,” said Prejet. When Johnny, Prejet’s son took over the management several years ago, it created more time to attend council business he said. As one of the longest-standing members on the council and due to George Matheson stepping down it became his turn. “If I’m ever going to do this, now’s the time,” he explained. “I’m semiretired and I should take this on.” While focusing on biosecurity and animal diseases there is more Prejet wants to accomplish, especially for independent producers and local communities. “I’ve told a lot of people, maybe it’’ just pie in the sky, but is there a way of sparking interest in agriculture in Manitoba and have more independent producers,” said Prejet. “Maybe we can add this to part of our farm and make something else more viable and do what
happened here, a viable farm unit, create some jobs, add to the economy and community.” He said there is a great marriage between hog production, manure and grain farming and he is not knocking the big processors such as Maple Leaf and HyLife because they play a massive role in Manitoba and the hog industry. He said he is looking at if there is a way for independents to start playing a more prominent role once again. “My goal is to see some success stories in both Manitoba and different communities where people create something that works,” said Prejet. He explained for that to happen the business needs profitability and that can be a challenge. He said that uncertainty scares people away and drove many out of the hog industry. The lack of profits and return on investment for hog producers combined with negatives such as neighbours expressing negative views in the community and at council meetings turned some people off. “That drove many people sour on the industry, and just didn’t want to get caught up in this,” said Prejet on the
Porcherie Lac du Onze and Porcherie Notre Dame’s truck wash (inset) and aerial view of the farm.
Notre Dame de Lourdes hog producer and chair of Manitoba Pork Council Rick Prejet (left) and son Jonny (right). Rick Prejet of Notre Dame de Lourdes, a hog producer and chair of Manitoba Pork Council explained that hog producers are price takers, not price setters and that needs to change. Photos supplied by Rick Prejet
vital communication that the Pork Council staff needs to conduct with municipal councils. “That’s a big part of what Manitoba Pork needs to set the stage for people to expand or to build the barn or what have you,” he said. “So, a bit of a slow process, but just laying the groundwork.” He said that many good things are happening in the Manitoba hog industry, but
producers must have the infrastructure and framework to compete. “We’re price takers, not price setters when it comes to the price of pigs,” said Prejet. “We must keep pushing to have competitive pricing, change some of the formulas and some of that’s happened. Producers must do everything possible to keep the cost of production down.” Prejet said pricing and costs
alongside good business risk management programs is essential when things go wrong that are out of the producer’s control even as the government is there to backstop the producer. “Whether it be that the US puts tariffs or country of origin labelling back in, or China and Russia or anybody else does things that affect markets and the like,” said Prejet.
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The AgriPost
November 26, 2021
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A Perfect Fit for Nuffield Canada’s New Director By Les Kletke The new Executive Director of Nuffield Canada describes it “As her dream job”. Theresa Whalen took over the administrative duties of the organization in October but things became official at the AGM in Winnipeg in late November. Whalen took over from Leona Watson who resigned the position to spend more time with a growing family. “Leona has been excellent in helping me settle in to the new position,” said Whalen. “I was familiar with Nuffield Canada because of scholars in our area.” Whalen was a partner in a dairy and cash crop farm in the Ottawa area as well as operating a horse boarding facility. “Nuffield is a good fit because it addresses the three things that have been close to my heart, agriculture, education and leadership,” she said. “Nuffield brings together all three concepts in a unique way and I look forward to working with scholars to help them deliver that message.” She said she did consider
applying for a Nuffield Scholarship, “But at that time 10 weeks away from the farm was just not in the cards.” Previously the program required scholars to spend 10 weeks on the formal part of the course traveling with scholars from other countries. That portion has been reduced and the program is more flexible that it was in early years. Whalen has the credentials to support her words, a lifelong learner; she has 2 degrees, 2 diplomas and 4 certificates from recognized institutions and is an alumnus of the Advanced Ag Leadership Program to go with her hands on experience. She not only had the responsibility to organize the Annual Meeting held in Winnipeg in November but was also put through the new scholar orientation program to get a look at things from the inside. She said the part time position is a good fit in what she calls semi-retirement and already has some plans from what she can bring to the program.
Teresa Whelan took over as Executive Director of Nuffield Canada in October and says the job is a perfect fit.
“My focus will be fundraising,” she said. “I want to see the organization grow and have more Canadian scholars in any given year, and to provide them with the resources to carry out their studies in a meaningful way that that does not put stresses on their personal farm,” she said. Whalen said that one of the issues she sees in agriculture is the growth of farms. “We see the homesteader type of farms and the mega farms,” said Whalen. “I wonder what will happen to the medium size of farm. Where will the 100 horsepower tractor fit?”
First Manitoba Farm Women’s Webinar Jam Packed with Information By Joan Airey Kim Moffat recently presented the first Manitoba Farm Women’s webinar, “Personal Wellness” that was jammed packed with information. She explained to participates that there is good and bad stress. Good stress is Eustress which can motivate us and increase productivity while bad stress is distress that can be uncomfortable and leave us overwhelmed. Moffat explained what stress looks like. She said that physical symptoms can be muscle tension and pain, chest pain, fatigue, upset stomach, headaches, frequent illness and sleep problems. Another sign is that feelings are overwhelming; there is irritability, anger, sadness or depression. The other sign is what happens to behaviors as a people may turn to drugs, alcohol, smoking more or social withdrawal, angry outbursts and over or under eating. Finally if anxiety and stress is interfering with daily
tasks and there is prolonged depression one should call a doctor. “The Manitoba Farmer Wellness Program is a new initiative that will assist Farmers and their families cope with the ongoing pressures they experience on and off the farm,” said Moffat on the new program. “Gerry Friesen and I are both long time mental health advocates working in the agriculture industry, have seen the gaps that exist for farmers who are in need of additional support. The new counselling program will be facilitated by professional counsellors with farming backgrounds and will be free for farmers and their immediate families.” She explained that, “It will offer in-person, on-line or over the phone counselling. The program aims to launch next spring and the Board of Directors will be reaching out to organizations and businesses to raise money for the project in coming weeks.”
She shared other resources available to help with stress, that include the Anxiety Disorders Association of Manitoba, adam. mb.ca; Mood Disorders Association of Manitoba, mooddisordersmanitoba.ca; Manitoba Farm, Rural and Northern Support Services 1-866-367-3276 or at supportline.ca; Manitoba 211, mb.211.ca; Manitoba Suicide Prevention and Support Line at 1-877-435-7170; Do More Ag, domore.ag or the Community Mental Health Services, gov.mb.ca/health. Kim Moffat, after counselling farm families for twenty years at Manitoba Farm, Rural and Northern Support Line, has recently gone into private practice. Her home office is located in Strathclair but also sees clients online and over the phone. Her website is located at kmoffat. com. I will be keeping in touch with Kim Moffat so I can let readers know when this program is available.
Cereals Canada Supports Canada-ASEAN Free Trade Agreement Negotiations Cereals Canada applauds the announcement of free trade agreement negotiations between Canada and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and calls for expedited Parliamentary processes to enable the start of negotiations in early 2022. The announcement came on November 16 when Canada and ASEAN agreed to proceed with free trade agreement (FTA) negotiations. “The commercial relationship between Canada and ASEAN has significant potential for growth. Proceeding with negotiations on a comprehensive free trade agreement with ASEAN provides an important opportunity to secure enhanced market access for Canadian business to supply chains in the Indo-Pacific region, create new opportunities for our businesses in this rapidly growing market, and drive long-term job creation and sustainable, inclusive
growth for generations to come,” said Mary Ng, Minister of International Trade, Export Promotion, Small Business and Economic Development. “This is a significant milestone in the renewal and deepening of Canada’s economic partnerships and commercial engagement across the IndoPacific.” The 10 ASEAN member states comprise Canada’s sixth-largest trading partner and bilateral trade between Canada and ASEAN reached $26.7 billion in 2020 with an opportunity for growth. ASEAN members are Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. Canada has long-standing relationships with many ASEAN members that are critical markets for Canadian agricultural products and for Canadian cereals. Over the past five years, ASEAN members have bought almost 3 million tonnes of Canadian wheat and durum per year, worth almost 1 billion dollars annually.
“With this agreement, we expect to strengthen our ties with customers in Southeast Asia while meeting the rising demand for staple food products in this dynamic fast-growing region,” said Dean Dias, Chief Executive Officer of Cereals Canada. Canadian agriculture relies on open and rules-based access to international customers. Increased trade with new markets is critical for Canadian agriculture. An ambitious free-trade agreement between Canada and ASEAN members is an important step to securing and increasing market access which is beneficial to Canadian farmers and exporters. “In parallel to ASEAN negotiations, Cereals Canada also encourages the Government of Canada to ensure that existing free trade agreements are fully implemented and enforced. This outcome is needed to realize the benefits of negotiated agreements while boosting diversification and growth in-line with Canada’s agri-food export goals,” concluded Dias.
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November 26, 2021
Peters Farm Family Continues Thanksgiving Potato Giveaway By Joan Airey
People line up during the Potato Giveaway in Portage la Prairie.
The shed that Mark built that Yanara named her business for.
Mark and Yanara Peters, owners of Spruce Drive Farm northwest of Portage la Prairie, were the second ones to do a webinar presentation as part of this year’s Manitoba Farm Women’s Online Conference. Mark grows a hundred acres of seed potatoes and a hundred of alfalfa. In 2016 a thirty-acre field of potatoes wasn’t viable for seed but were great eating potatoes. After looking for a market for them in a fall when potato crops were plentiful he decided it was easier to give them away to consumers. “We made arrangements to use an empty lot in Portage on Thanksgiving Saturday to let consumers in need of potatoes pick them up. We didn’t know if this idea would work but by 8:30 am there was a line-up for potatoes,” said Mark. “Because of the need for potatoes for some we plant three or four acres to continue The Great Potato Giveaway every year. Every year we give away at least 50,000 lbs. Things have evolved since the start. Others wanted to help keep the giveaway going. Shur-
gro donates the fertilizer for those acres now, Jonair Ltd. donates the chemicals required and a potato farm at Winkler donates the seed while we donate the land to grow them on, the equipment to do so and the labour.” The giving did not stop there. A Sunday school class grew other vegetables and gave them away at the Great Potato Giveaway. Left over potatoes are auctioned off and donated to Food Banks and a friend of the Peters pays the freight to send them to reserves that need them he explained. “We enjoy seeing the different cultures that turn out, the rich and the poor and talking with everyone that takes part,” said Mark. Yanara Peters operates a business on their farm called “Stone Shed Gardens”. “I decided I didn’t want as big a vegetable garden and wanted a large flower garden but wanted a way to recoup some of the cost of the garden,” said Yanara. “I decided I would provide a place where people could experience nature. Now we offer weekly flower subscriptions, custom bouquets, U-Pick evenings,
Astounding flowers are grown in the Peters’ garden.
Private U-Picks, a workshop to make flower crowns and a photographer on hand to take photographs, and as well as many more events. I also sell gift certificates people can give as Christmas or birthday gifts.” Yanara shared the fact that flowers like other crops have to be rotated too so disease doesn’t affect them and to destroy any diseased plants so birds don’t spread disease. “People are asking about our Stone Shed and how it came about. We are third generation farmers and our home, outbuildings and yard have seen a lot of changes, but we needed a storage shed. My husband had the idea to make a shed that looked original to the farm, one that was not only old looking but one that had a lot of character and charm,” recalled Yanara. “We had recently walked through a local old yard site which had an old brokendown stone cellar built into the ground, acting as a cold room we guessed. We loved the idea so much we decided to incorporate the idea into our storage shed.” “My husband found a lo-
cal mason to work with him on this project. The mason incorporated a massive heart shape stone in the work with our initials on” said Yanara on the design. “The following winter my husband built the upper half of the shed with local wood milled only a few communities away. He knew how much I loved cupolas and he built one to top it off. The windows were from our old bar, the shutters and window box from a neighbour’s old granary, hinges from a neighbour’s building, knob and tube wiring installed by my father-inlaw and old shelves from a local hunting lodge.” “So much love for restoration and repurposing local history and we are super excited to be installing a real floor. All the wood is reclaimed from a massive local barn that we have seen slowly deteriorate over the years” said Yanara. “We feel so honoured to have the opportunity to give that wood a second home with all of its lovely nicks, grooves and age.” Check out Yanara’s Facebook if you want to see beautiful photographs of flowers and her garden.
Submitted photos
The AgriPost
November 26, 2021
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Chinese Pork Imports Returning to Pre-ASF Numbers By Harry Siemens Dr. Arkin Wu, the director of nutrition and tech services with Pipestone Nutrition, said Chinese pork imports could return to pre-African Swine Fever (ASF) levels by the end of this year due to a faster than expected restoration of China’s swine numbers. This Chinese pig production information came in a session on “What’s happening in the Chinese pig industry” at the recent Saskatchewan pork industry symposium 2021. Wu said ASF hit in 2018 and reduced China’s sow herd by 30 to 40 percent and the finishing pig inventory by about half. However, by the end of 2020, the sow herd recovered and by the second quarter of this year 2021 finishing pigs flooded the market. Before ASF China typically imported about one million metric tons of pork products and another one million metric tons of edible offals. Together, it only consisted of about two to three percent of the total pig supply in China, a relatively small portion. During ASF in 2019 and 2020, imports quickly ramped up to about four million metric tons per year, primarily from South America, Europe and some from US-Canada. In 2020 those imports consisted of about 14 percent of the total pig supply. “In 2021, based on the numbers in the first eight months, the import volumes are similar to 2020, but I would anticipate in the last quarter of this year the import volume would decrease because of an oversupply of domestic pigs here in China.” Dr. Wu said the goal of the Chinese government is to stabilize domestic production and achieve over 95
percent self-sufficiency over the next five to ten years. Since graduation in 2019, Arkin joined Pipestone as a nutritionist for 300,000 sows and provides technical service to over 80 farms in the US and China. He recently transitioned to an international position in China in charge of nutrition and tech services for Pipestone’s Chinese operation. In an effort to stress the supply change, he said that often, people in the hog industry in Canada and the US treat the information from China’s hog industry with skepticism. He offered some background on the company that he worked for first in the US and now in China. Located in southwestern, Minnesota founded in 1942 as a swine veterinarian clinic, a couple of veterinarians got together and worked for independent swine farmers. “Today we provide the veterinarian clinic and the farrow-to-finish farm management plus nutrition, marketing and packing business.” The same in South America and China, but in 2015 more into the production side of the Chinese swine industry forming a jointly owned production company called Riverstone. Located in eastern China along the coast with four sow farms farrowto-finish, 26,000 sows are all PSE genetics. The facilities have space to finish about 50 per cent of their wean pig production close to 150,000 finishing spaces. In China for about ten years, Pipestone manages sows for approximately 17 client sow farms a total of 100,000 sows primarily located in southwestern China and along the coast, which are traditional provinces that raise a lot of pigs. “We have learned much
Before ASF China typically imported about one million metric tons of pork products and another one million metric tons of edible offals. Together, it only consisted of about two to three percent of the total pig supply in China, a relatively small portion.
and have a fantastic team in China and are in a much better position now,” said Wu. Dr. Wu told the pork symposium virtual audience that it does not appear that a vaccine will be the cure for ASF. “Right now, at least it doesn’t appear to be plus it has turned very controversial,” he said. “The ASF vaccines that we hear about did decrease mortality in a growth finish barn, but if the vaccine strain of ASF gets into the sow farm it turns into a disaster.” He offered an explanation. “Because the vaccine strain circulating in an animal body at a reasonably low level didn’t kill the pigs, it dropped the sow fertility to very low in the sow herd. So those sows may produce two to three pigs per litter, and those pigs will suffer for downstream nurseries and
Dr. Arkin Wu, the director of nutrition and tech services with Pipestone Nutrition, said Chinese pork imports could return to pre-African Swine Fever levels by the end of this year due to a faster than expected restoration of China’s swine numbers. Zoom screenshot photos
finishers,” said Wu. “And it’s also really hard to do the tooth extraction or precision
culling on the vaccine strain because with the standard testing method it’s hard to
detect the virus unless you make a whole blood connection for each animal.”
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November 26, 2021
Efficient Ventilation Improves Safety, Comfort and Reduces Costs By Harry Siemens Dr. Brett Ramirez, an Assistant Professor with Iowa State University said by ensuring effective and efficient ventilation in the barn; pork producers can maximize comfort and safety while reducing costs. He discussed barn ventilation at the recent Saskatchewan pork industry symposium 2021 making the point ventilation affects everything in the barn including air temperature, moisture level, condensation on surfaces and uniformity of that air temperature throughout the room. In the summer it affects the airspeed across the animals, odour, gas concentrations, dust, disease, organism levels and combustion fumes inside the room. “We bring fresh air in, we mix it, pick up all the things we don’t want and use our exhaust fans to then pull it out of the room,” said Ramirez. The fundamental function of ventilation is, as the outdoor temperature increases it speeds up the ventilation rate he explained. In winter or colder weather, the minimum ventilation is for moisture control which keeps noxious gas concentration reasonable. When it warms up outside it eventually switches over to remove the heat produced by the pigs inside the barn. Dr. Ramirez said it is interesting where the balance temperature intersects ventilation for temperature and moisture control. Many people have little intuition of when this occurs and how often it spends much time in that state. “Generally minimum ventilation, we’re trying to keep that humidity no more than 65 per cent inside the room, 70 maybe if we’re stretching it, but for the most part, we’re trying to remove all the moisture produced by the pigs,” said Ramirez. “So when it warms up we remove the heat.” When the outdoor temperature is less than 36 degrees Fahrenheit or 2 degrees Celsius the system removes moisture he said. When temperatures are above 36 degrees, heat is removed. “I will give you something to think about, and so when you get back to the barn, you will have an understanding and maybe somewhere to start making things better,” said Ramirez.
At the recent Saskatchewan pork industry symposium, Dr. Brett Ramirez, Iowa State University said understanding heat generation by a hog helps producers realize the effects of heat stress; a single 200-lb. hog at 61 degrees F produces about 876 BTU/hr.
PED Biosecurity Protocols Ramp Up
By Harry Siemens
Dr. Brett Ramirez, an Assistant Professor with Iowa State University said by ensuring effective and efficient ventilation in the barn pork producers can maximize comfort and safety while reducing costs.
Slide on functions and basics of hog barn ventilation.
He explained that when troubleshooting, the important thing is to know when something is not right. While not the easiest, it is good to build that intuition for figuring out and diagnosing problems early. This can be done by taking a look at the pens and the pigs which is more evident than other conditions. “Being able to say I know this is wrong confidently and then having the right tools to measure or repair. Simply having a phone is a good tool if you need to contact somebody. Hey, look, I see something broke all my cones,” said Ramirez. “Stuff
like that where you can make a big difference.” For maintenance, do the routine things like grease, dust, clean, power wash, make sure everything gets cleaned between turns he said. Have a checklist so certain things not seen or on the barn’s exterior get as much maintenance as they deserve, especially if it’s wintertime. “So having a checklist, at least knowing then that we know what we need to do and maintain,” said Ramirez. For operational management, the big-ticket is to reduce leakage infiltration, watch the pigs, and check figure sensors. “It’s essen-
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tial to make sure those temp sensors are clean and in the right location because that will have all the feedback for when the heater runs,” he said. Dr. Ramirez said while convenient and easy, remember the controller does not have all the answers nor is it the solution to all the problems. “I don’t care how much you measure,” he said. “Measuring anything won’t fix it either. A lot of this comes down to having intuition, knowing when something’s wrong, and then making sure it gets done.”
The PED cases amongst at some Manitoba hog farms continue according to the latest Manitoba Pork Council Chop Talk with one new case of PED confirmed for 2021 as of November 19 bringing the total number of cases for 2021 to twelve. The latest is a finisher operation in southeast Manitoba. Case investigations are underway to determine the suspected cause of infection and potential linkages in each outbreak. Manitoba Pork Council (MPC) is working closely with the Manitoba Chief Veterinary Office to assist in the investigation. Positive premises go under biocontainment at the onset of clinical signs. Producers and stakeholders in all regions of the province have been asked to review their biosecurity measures with employees and implement enhanced biosecurity protocols on their premises and when visiting high-traffic facilities. In a release, MPC stated, “Manitoba Pork keeps the industry informed on any developments. Visit Manitoba Pork’s biosecurity webpage and PED webpage for ideas on where producers can improve to protect your operations. Always review any changes with your herd veterinarian to ensure your best protection against PED and other harmful pathogens.” High-traffic facilities such as federal and provincial abattoirs and assembly yards have regular contact with many different premises, putting them at a higher risk for contamination. The result is that disease contamination of vehicles returning from these high-traffic sites in Canada or the US can occur. MPC states that by practicing careful biosecurity when visiting these high-traffic facilities as well as when returning home is critical. Biosecurity protocols include wearing disposable boot covers before exiting a truck cab; wearing trailer specific boots, gloves and coveralls before entering the trailer and removing them upon exiting the trailer; do not enter through or exit out back of the trailer, unless trailer has no side access door. A side door access is strongly recommended though. Protocols state that drivers will handle pigs on the trailer but never walk onto the unloading dock or into the barn and facility staff should not enter the trailer. If they must proper biosecurity protocols are to be followed. Avoid entering the office or any other area not necessary for the delivery of pigs. Also take the same precautions at scrape out as at unloading, keep hand sanitizer, disinfectant spray and garbage bags in the truck cab for use whenever reentering the cab and ensure all livestock trailers have been cleaned, disinfected, and thoroughly dried before arriving on the farm. Baking of trailers is strongly recommended.
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November 26, 2021
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November 26, 2021
Guelph Statement Identifies Important Ag Priorities
The Magic Versatility of Pea Protein
Chef Michael Smith of PEI said the Food Revolution is upon us and pea protein is a great source of protein in the diet.
By Les Kletke Chef Michael Smith stopped short of calling it a magic powder in the kitchen, but not by much. The maritime chef was part of the Roquette protein plant’s grand opening in Portage la Prairie and was called on to join the event from his test kitchen on the east coast. The event was hosted by Canadian astronaut Chris Hatfield and fittingly titled “The Plant of the Future”. “The food revolution is upon is,” said Smith. “Our attitude toward food is changing. Climate change is real and we have to change the way that we do things.”
Ethan Brown, president of Beyond Meat was a part of the proceedings as well and said that processing plants like the one in Portage la Prairie allow for production of protein with a 93% reduction in acreage from animal based proteins. He went on to say he was not developing a product that would replace meat entirely but would provide the protein requirements for a growing world population at a lower cost than today’s meat. Chef Smith echoed those comments saying that while he had been supplied with various forms of the plant protein he was not under any instructions
to develop a meat replacement nor did he want animal protein removed from his diet. Smith who was in his test kitchen in PEI for the segment of the virtual grand opening provided examples of dishes he had prepared using the protein powder as an additive. “It is a great product and it can add protein to so many things without changing the flavour,” he said. “I use it in smoothies for my kids, I simply add it to the mix and I know that they are getting increased protein without even knowing it.” He moved up the usage ladder to show a desert he had made using the pea protein powder
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used as a topping. “It worked well for the topping and provided a nice brown crust to the top of the crumble. It is a great product to work with,” said Smith. He also used it as a breading for fish. He showed two more adventurous examples, as a ground powder in a Tai Curry sauce and as an additive in cubes of spinach that were frozen and could be added to soup or dried and added as croutons to salad. He added that he planned on increasing its use in his kitchen and cited the versatility of pea protein and its great advantages.
Agricultural industry leaders highlighted several options to increase both the environmental and financial sustainability of Canadian agriculture in their meeting with Federal, Provincial and Territorial (FPT) agriculture ministers earlier in November. The Canadian Federation of Agriculture (CFA) was joined by other agricultural stakeholder groups such as the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association, Canadian Pork Council, Grain Growers of Canada, Canola Council of Canada and the Canadian Canola Growers Association. Each group presented their key themes and priorities to the FPT Ministers. CFA found that there was a large amount of consensus from the farm organizations noted above on what was needed for the Canadian agriculture sector. All groups stressed the importance of ecological goods and service programming, collaboration and science in support of environmental targets, triple bottom-line sustainability and the need for strong risk management programming to support the sector. During the meeting, the FPT Ministers spoke about the need to strengthen the partnerships between the agricultural departments and industry. They also stressed that due to the extremely close relationship agriculture has with the environment, that further engagement was needed between the environment and agriculture departments of the government. “We were very happy with the FPT meeting, and we truly felt that the Ministers were engaged and looking to have productive and constructive conversations. We all agreed that a robust and competitive agriculture sector is important, and also that being proactive in addressing climate change will be a key aspect of that,” said CFA President, Mary Robinson. Following their meetings, the FPT Ministers released the Guelph Statement, which emphasizes the importance of tackling climate change and environmental protection, innovation, sector growth and sustainability, and enhanced resilience, amongst a host of other priorities. CFA welcomes the statement’s explicit link between sector’s continued competitiveness and the sustainability of the agriculture and agri-food sector. In light of CFA’s presentation to FPT Ministers earlier this week, CFA was particularly pleased to see support for environmentally Beneficial Management Practices, accelerated technological adoption, and enhanced data collection highlighted as clear priorities. The recognition of market development and trade, Business Risk Management, and value-added agriculture also reflects the continued relevance of the priorities identified under the Canadian Agricultural Partnership. Meanwhile, new priorities relating to mental health, labour attraction and retention, extension, and support for market diversification and science-based trade rules highlight the proliferation of critical challenges confronting Canadian agriculture. “We are happy to see Ministers identify and prioritize both the continued and emergent priorities for the sector. While we look forward to engaging with government and members on the concepts highlighted in today’s statements, I am struck by the breadth of priorities this statement quite rightly reflects. The diverse challenges and opportunities confronting our sector demonstrate the importance of increased investment in the Next Agricultural Policy Framework and the need to engage with farmers on how we can address these urgent priorities together,” said Robinson. CFA looks forward to working with members and the federal government on policies and programs that reflect these priorities under the Next Policy Framework and ensure they continue to meet the needs of Canadian producers through 2028.
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Cystic Ovaries in Dairy Cows are a Crime Against Good Reproduction
Pilot Project Launched to Enhance Forage Sustainability The governments of Canada and Manitoba are investing up to $1 million in the new Agricultural Crown Lands Forage Productivity Pilot Program aimed at improving productivity and sustainability of Agricultural Crown Land forage leases. “Canada’s hardworking farmers and food processors have a solid track record of sound management practices,” said Federal Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Marie-Claude Bibeau. “This new pilot project will encourage Manitoba Agricultural Crown Land lease holders to adopt further beneficial management practices in their operations, helping them improve productivity while further protecting the environment.” The Agricultural Crown Lands Forage Productivity Pilot Program will provide targeted financial assistance to Agricultural Crown Land forage leaseholders to adopt best management practices to sustainably increase the productivity on their Agricultural Crown Land forage leases. “This pilot project aligns directly with our Manitoba Protein Advantage Strategy of increasing forage productivity on our Agricultural Crown Lands, and supports the mandate of the Agricultural Crown Lands program to optimize forage capacity,” said Manitoba Agriculture and Resource Development Minister Ralph Eichler. “Cost-shared programs such as this can help offset costs for leaseholders and reduce barriers to making improvements on Agricultural Crown Lands.” Eligible recipients must have an active Agricultural Crown Land lease that is in good standing and must complete an Environmental Farm Plan. Eligible items under the Agricultural Crown Lands Forage Productivity Pilot Program include grazing management plans, water source development and watering systems, cross-fencing for pasture management, and forage rejuvenation such as forage establishment and brush management. Improvements must be completed within the one-year pilot project. Farmers can begin submitting applications on November 8, 2021. “In managing tens of thousands of acres of Agricultural Crown land the lease holders provide considerable ecological goods and services that benefit all Manitobans, including carbon sequestration and providing habitat for a variety of plant and animal species,” said Tyler Fulton, president, Manitoba Beef Producers. “Implementing beneficial management practices helps contribute to improved soil and pasture and forage health on these lands, and we believe the pilot program should prove to be valuable in this regard.” “This is a good first step in the right direction to help producers improve forage and pasture quality in the pilot project area,” said Larry Wegner, chair, Manitoba Forage and Grassland Association. “As a pilot project, it also means the project has potential to help producers as required in those key program areas right away, with the potential for possible design and delivery in other key forage-producing areas across the province.” The Ag Action Manitoba Program Assurance: Environment Beneficial Management Practices (BMP) is now accepting applications. The program provides targeted incentives to farmers to advance the adoption of beneficial management practices. These practices reduce identified environmental risks, improve agro-ecosystem resilience, build public trust and improve environmental sustainability of farm operations in Manitoba.
Cystic ovaries are much like this case of an unsolvable bank robbery, because its clues have been extensively studied, but there are no direct causes to a 10 - 25% incidence in lactating dairy cows. As a dairy nutritionist, I suspect that there are a number of animal and dietary abnormalities, which if corrected might put the cow in good reproductive standing, which may help prevent many cystic ovaries in the first place. To start my own cystic ovary investigation, I like to review in the natural cycle of ovulation in fertile dairy cows. This means that every 21 days, the non-pregnant cow has follicles; blister-like structures, which start to appear on her ovaries. A normal dominant follicle begins to grow on one of her two ovaries at about five days before the cow comes into heat. When the cow is “in heat”, she allows the other cows to mount her and this dominant follicle ruptures, which sheds the ovum (egg) into the oviduct. Hormones such as Gonadotropin Releasing Hormone (GnRH) is released by the follicular rupture, which in turn stimulates the release of Luteinizing Hormone (LH). Then, the capsule of the ruptured follicle develops into the corpus luteum (CL), which develops over the next couple of weeks of the estrus cycle. It produces progesterone, which prevents any new follicle development and prepares the uterus for a new pregnancy. If the cow fails to conceive the CL regresses and the cycle starts over again. Consequently, dairy cows with cystic ovaries cannot
get pregnant. In about 70% of these cases, a follicular cyst develops in which the follicle continues to grow, but does not rupture. As a result, no ovum is released for conception. In the remaining 30% of cystic cows, these are luteal cysts in which the corpus lutem fails to naturally regress, yet produces progesterone that blocks new dominant follicles. Between the two types of cysts, there is a lot of diagnostic overlap, because some research suggest that luteal cysts might originate from follicular cysts in later stages of development. Although I know of several dairy producers that have complete reliance upon periodic hormone treatments, I suggest that they shouldn’t give up on good nutrition that could help reduce ovarian cystic dairy cows. My dietary suggestions encompass: - Take a periodic BCS herd inventory - Existing research demonstrates that over-conditioned cows (1 = emaciated to 5 = obese) are 2.5 time more likely to develop ovarian cysts during the first 60 days, post-partum compared to lactating cows with an optimum BCS of 3.0 – 3.5 BCS. Despite a direct link to
Faraway dry cows.
cystic ovaries has not been established, thin lactating dairy cows of less than 2.5 BCS have been shown to have a high incidence of silent heats and lower conception rates. - Implement a good dry cow feeding program – Cystic ovaries have been associated with post-partum diseases such as ketosis, metritis, and retained placentas. So, to correct this as well as achieve an optimum BCS (as mentioned above); my ideal faraway dry cow diet is made up of bulky good-quality forage by which the cow consumes 1.8 – 2.2% of her bodyweight (dm, basis). It should be followed by a close-up dry cow diet, which contains moderate-energy forage such as mixed grass hay (limiting alfalfa), and is complimented with 5 or 6 lbs. of a specific grainbased close-up pellet; both of which should be mixed with limited amounts of barley or corn silage. - Feed adequate levels of trace minerals and vitamins – Deficient levels of copper, manganese and zinc are known to cause anestrus in otherwise fertile cattle. For example, Ohio State Univer-
sity animal scientists reported that cystic ovaries were diagnosed in 19% of a split group of dairy cows injected with selenium compared to a 47% incidence of cystic ovaries in untreated cows. Surprisingly in this latter study, supplemental vitamin E (known as the “fertility vitamin”) had little effect upon the reducing incidence of cystic ovaries. Years ago, it used to be frequently recommended in the dairy industry that one injection of selenium-vitamin E given three weeks before a dairy cow calved prevented most post-partum cystic ovaries. In contrast, with higher levels of performance in today’s lactating dairy cows, it’s probably not the most effective recommendation, unless it is coupled with the other above suggestions. Even if the incidence of a few cows could be prevented, it would avoid adding weeks to these cows’ calving interval. In this way, the solution would solve the crime.
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KAP Meeting to be Held in One Room for Everyone to Join By Les Kletke It is unlikely anyone would go as far as saying the current pandemic is a good thing, but it has brought about some interesting developments that are proving beneficial. Technology that was developing before the pandemic has been fast tracked and is providing some benefits for organizations that are looking to cut costs. One example of the benefits is how Keystone Agricultural Producers (KAP) will be holding its district meeting December 7. The process that normally took several weeks and countless miles traveling to the district meetings is now possible in one evening.
The meeting will be held virtually from 6:30 to 8:30 pm beginning with reports from President Bill Campbell and General Manager Brenna Mahoney, as well as greetings from Minister of Agriculture Ralph Eichler. Attendees will then be able to move to breakout rooms for their individual meetings. All members are welcome to attend and can register at kap.ca. KAP has welcomed the consistency of government representative as both National and Provincial cabinets have under gone changes but Ag Ministers have stayed the same. “KAP congratulates Marie-Claude Bibeau on her
reappointment to cabinet as Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food. We look forward to continuing our work with her to grow Manitoba’s agriculture and agri-food industry,” said President Campbell in the release announcing the District meetings. Closer to home Ralph Eichler has remained Minster of Agriculture through the rapid progression of 3 premiers in Manitoba. The change to virtual meetings at the District level will allow for more efficient use of resources in the cost and how much time is spent travelling to meet with most members. Even with virtual meeting there is still value
with the face-to-face contact achieved at onsite meetings. It is hoped that the virtual meeting will attract more attendance by grass roots members as they can schedule the two hour time frame from their home and have no travel time to the meeting. This is maybe the first year where weather does not come into play during the district meeting schedule. The move to virtual meeting has been accelerated by the pandemic and most agree that if or when the pandemic is under control this will be the way business is conducted though most hope for some type of hybrid process where some face-to-face contact still occurs.
Trade Report Shows Strong Agriculture and Food Exports Despite a global contraction in agriculture exports, 2020 was a relatively good year for Canadian agriculture and food exporters, according to Farm Credit Canada’s (FCC) latest trade report. “Canada’s agriculture and food industry has shown resilience during these challenging times and has the potential to emerge from this pandemic even stronger, as our producers, agriculture manufacturers and food processors begin to recover from the disruption caused by the pandemic,” said J.P. Gervais, FCC chief economist, in releasing this year’s trade report. “That’s not to say there aren’t challenges on the road ahead,” he said. “The value of the Canadian dollar is always a big factor in determining our trade competitiveness and access to markets can sometimes be rocked by geopolitical tensions or supply chain disruptions, such as we’ve seen with the pandemic.” The report shows Canada had the highest year-overyear increase for agriculture commodity exports at 13.8 per cent, while all agriculture exporting countries combined saw commodity exports contract by nine per cent, largely due to the impact of pandemic throughout most of 2020. With 5.5 per cent of the world’s total com-
modity exports, Canada was the world’s fifth-largest exporter, a position it has held since 2012. The U.S. continued as the world’s largest supplier of commodities, followed by Netherlands, China and Brazil. Canada has not yet cracked the top 10 exporters of processed food products, but gained ground since 2011, moving from sixteenth to the eleventh largest food exporter. The United States has maintained its leading role since 2012, followed by Germany, Netherlands, France, Brazil, Italy, China, Belgium, Spain and Indonesia. Compared to the significant global contraction in commodity exports, total food exports weren’t as badly hit by pandemic disruptions, declining only by 3.7 per cent. Nonetheless, growth in total food exports over the past 10 years has been much slower, with average annual growth of less than one per cent. Meat is the largest category of Canadian food exports, accounting for an average of 13.4 per cent of total food exports and one of the highest average annual growth rates across all sectors at 1.3 per cent between 2011 and 2020. Beverages was the second-largest category, totaling 12.2 per cent of food exports over the same period at an average annual growth rate of 1.1 per cent.
Canada was able to grow its year-over-year share in global pork markets in 2020, thanks in part to a favourable exchange rate environment relative to our major competitors. For agriculture commodities, Canada’s exporting success in 2020 came from oilseeds at 32.2 per cent of total Canadian ag exports, while cereals comprised 28 per cent. Of all cereals, wheat was Canada’s largest export, accounting for 80.9 per cent of total cereal exports last year. Canada has counted among the top three wheat exporters in the world over the last 10 years. This year’s FCC trade report focuses on the extent to which a simple comparison of the loonie relative to the US dollar is an accurate assessment of our global trade competitiveness. The Canadian dollar gained 1.4 per cent against the US dollar since the start of 2021, which is the best performance among G10 currencies, helped by higher commodity prices. “Currency values are an important determinant of Canada’s overall trade performance,” Gervais said. “But we can’t look at the value of the Canadian dollar in isolation since buyers look at the basket of exporters’ currencies in making import decisions. For example, beef
and wheat Canadian exporters have seen a gain in the value of the loonie relative to other main exporting countries’ currency in the last two years, making Canadian exports less competitive, everything else being equal.” Due to higher energy prices, the report projects the value of the Canadian dollar to stay slightly above its current value of US$0.80 for the remainder of 2021 and early 2022. Rising energy prices in Europe could also lead to a decline in the value of the Euro relative to the loonie in the next few months. Gervais notes there are many factors at play that will determine Canada’s future export success, such as market access, economic health of key importers, weather disruptions or other challenges in global logistics or transportation. “Beyond currency values, world population growth, higher purchasing power in emerging markets and new trade agreements are also key factors in potentially creating more opportunities for Canada to increase exports,” he said. “By tapping into our competitive advantages in natural resources, innovation and a stellar food safety reputation, Canada has an opportunity to fortify and strengthen its position as a major agriculture and food exporter.”
November 26, 2021
Winter Wheat a Boon for Farmers, Birds Too By Elmer Heinrichs A new Habitat-Friendly Winter Wheat Ecolabel program launched recently at Fort Whyte Alive will help consumers identify environmentally friendly products that provide critical habitat for ducks, birds and other wildlife. The program is a partnership between Cereals Canada, Ducks Unlimited Canada, Prairie Winter Wheat growers, and end-users including millers and food processors who reflects a “shared value strategy” across the entire supply chain. The initiative is designed to help food makers differentiate themselves in a competitive market space by highlighting how birds and other wildlife benefit from a farmer’s decision to grow winter wheat. Winter wheat is sown in late summer, early enough that it can germinate and develop a root baser before being pushed into dormancy during the winter. It bursts out of the ground as soon as things start to warm up in spring, often getting the jump on weeds and taking full advantage of any residual moisture left by the melting snow. It matures well before spring sown crops, often thwarting the disease and insect pests that are adapted to the spring crop growing cycles. It also supports healthier populations of critters both above and below the soil’s surface. That’s why Ducks Unlimited is a big supporter of winter wheat. It eliminates the need for spring seeding or cultivation, which destroy waterfowl nests. The rapidly growing crop also provides shelter from predators. Research has shown that ducks nesting in winter wheat are 24 times more successful than those nesting in spring-sown cereals. And there’s also growing body of research that shows soils that contain healthier populations of micro-organisms build soil fertility; and help reduce farmers’ reliance on manufactured fertilizers. “To meet growing consumer demand for sustainable products, food processors can become certified to showcase their use of western Canadian winter wheat and resulting contributions to prairie wildlife habitat. By working together to highlight this sustainability story, we’re unlocking new marketing opportunities for businesses and farmers, while ultimately supporting a positive impact on our environment,” said Daniel Ramage, director of market access and trade policy at Cereals Canada. One of the first processors to develop certified flours in the program is Les Moulins de Soulanges, a specialty flour mill established in Quebec’s Montérégie region in 2007, and now selling to specialty bakers across North America. Another certified Ecolabel partner is Beam Suntory. While winter wheat provides critical habitat for wildlife, Canadian farmers will also benefit from increased consumer demand for Canadian winter wheat which delivers a variety of on-farm benefits, including improved soil health and diversified cropping options. As a farmer, “Winter wheat is a key part of my rotation because it offers a wide variety of on-farm benefits that support the soil and my harvest outcomes,” said Doug Martin, who farms near East Selkirk.
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Double Class for the Hall of Fame By Les Kletke Those attending the Canadian Agriculture Hall of Fame banquet in Winnipeg on November 28 got a rare treat with the induction of two years of inductees. The 2020 Ceremony was canceled because of the COVID19 pandemic. There were two Manitoba’s in the 2021 crop, they included Gord Bacon of Pulse Canada who transformed the pulse industry and Johanne Ross of Minnedosa for her work with Ag in the Classroom. Also inducted into the Hall were Dr. Don Buckingham who is recognized as the father of agricultural law in Canada, Stan Eby an Ontario beef farmer who headed the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association during the BSE crisis and Phil Williams a pioneering cereal chemist who developed “on-the-spot” testing for wheat protein at grain terminals and spent 40 years with the Canadian Grain Commission. Ross who is best known for her time as the head of Ag in the Classroom Manitoba and now fills a similar role with the national organization from her home in Minnedosa has dedicated her career to bringing agricultural education to classrooms. She has spent her efforts with government and industry ensuring students and educators across Canada have relevant, credible and engaging information on agriculture. She has spent more than two decades as an advocate for agriculture and youth. Bacon who was nominated for the honour by Pulse Canada lives in Winnipeg and started with a new organization Pulse Canada in 1997 when pulse acres were expanding. He is recognized for his leadership in making Canada a leader in the world as an exporter of pulses. He played a significant role in merging Pulse Canada with the Canadian Special Crops Associations bringing farmers, processor and exporters together to strength their place in the market. Bacon was influential in having the United Nations declare 2016 as the International Year of Pulses. The 2020 inductees who were recognized for their contribution to the agriculture industry at this year’s banquet in Winnipeg were Jay Bradshaw who spent 36 years in agribusiness as a lifelong advocate for the advancement of modern farming technology. Others were James Halford a conservation champion who pioneered zero tillage farming and developed the ConservePak seeder, Bryan Harvey a plant breeder who is credited with developing more than 60 varieties of barley and making significant contribution to the Canadian malt industry and Douglas Hedley a foremost expert in the area of Ag Policy involved in every major policy decision the federal government made in the agri-food sector from the late 1980s until his retirement. Nominations are open for next year’s inductees and are available from the Canadian Agriculture Hall of Fame at cahfa.com. Gord Bacon has been with Pulse Canada since its beginnings.
Johanne Ross heads Ag in the Classroom’s national organization from Minnedosa.
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Manitoba Crop Alliance Sponsors Prairie Innovation Centre The Manitoba Crop Alliance (MCA) has committed $100,000 to the Collaboration Zone within Assiniboine Community College’s Prairie Innovation Centre for Sustainable Agriculture. The Collaboration Zone is an integral piece of the Centre, where education and industry connection will meet. MCA is an important organization in Manitoba’s agricultural landscape, representing five key commodities in the province: spring and winter wheat, sunflowers, corn, barley and flax. “The birth of MCA unified multiple organizations; a great example of evolving with industry needs, much like the college is looking to do with the Prairie Innovation Centre,” said Tim Hore, Dean, School of Agriculture and Environment. “The Prairie Innovation Centre is an important piece of tomorrow’s Ag landscape and we are grateful for support from partners like MCA, who are crucial to the success of the Centre.”
The Prairie Innovation Centre is the college’s next step as a national leader in agricultural training, and will aim to meet the growing labour demands in this important sector. Submitted photo
Assiniboine has a long and successful history of delivering agricultural programming that is responsive to the need for highly trained workers across the province. The Prairie Innovation Centre is the college’s next step as a national leader in agricultural training, and will aim to meet the growing labour demands in this important sector. “Students are the future
of agriculture,” said Fred Greig, Chair of MCA. “MCA is proud to support the Prairie Innovation Centre Collaboration Zone at Assiniboine Community College as it will enable students to form strong connections within the agriculture industry. The new facility will greatly expand the College’s programming capabilities to educate more students, and will provide new opportu-
nities to learn, connect and collaborate with each other and with industry professionals.” The Centre will combine indoor and outdoor learning spaces for seamless handson learning experiences. It will be a hub for agricultural innovation and collaboration, and stand as the academic heart of agricultural and environmental education in Manitoba.
People Working with Pigs Encouraged to Get the Flu Shot By Harry Siemens Dr. Susan Detmer, a veterinary pathologist with the Western College of Veterinary Medicine encouraged the public, especially those who work with pigs, to get the annual flu shot. Restrictions imposed in 2020 to slow the spread of COVID-19 also slowed the transmission of influenza. “We saw much less of the pandemic strain of H1N1 which circulated among humans in pigs, but lifting restrictions resumed people transmitting the infection to pigs,” said Detmer. “So I’m hoping that everyone eligible will go out and get their vaccine, whether or not they work with pigs.” She said it is crucial for people working with pigs to get the flu vaccine to keep the H1N1 virus from going back and forth between pigs. Detmer noted that because there is a low level of circulation of flu in humans, it is quite possible to have another very low season of influenza but all of that can change. With the Covid-19 Delta variant circulating, prompting more restrictions and
less movement of people, this means less circulation of influenza as well. All of that plays into potential modelling for an increase in influenza over the next year, said Detmer. “We expect more circulation of influenza in people this year because people move around more but it will depend on how much people interact in social situations and at work,” she said. Dr. Detmer said circulating in Canada and the US last year was a third influenza B virus. “Influenza B viruses we don’t see in pigs, we can detect antibodies occasionally in pigs for influenza B, but this is not a pig virus in the direct sense. The influenza A viruses which we do see in pigs has split almost half H3N2 at the pandemic H1N1 virus.” And thanks to the limited spread of these viruses last year, it limited the genetic variation of these viruses. She sees that most of those are holdovers are from the pre-COVID pandemic period. Each year, the World Health Organization (WHO) has a
group of influenza experts that normally meet in February to pick out viruses based on what is circulating, including the data collected on the antigenic responses that would help detect the best vaccine viruses among what is circulating in humans, she explained. The WHO picked an H3N2, a pandemic H1N1, and two different influenza B viruses as the strains to watch for. The CDC in the US also does an analysis participating in the WHO group. They found a slightly different H3N2 that was dominant in North America, as well as a somewhat different pandemic H1N1. They also picked two other viruses and they have the same influenza B strains that the WHO picked. She reiterated that in 2020 it was not a typical human influenza year. It meant a year of not a normal spread of viruses in pigs with almost as many virus detections in pigs. The normal pattern in western Canada is a third of the strains are H1N1, a third H3N2, and a third of the alpha H1N2 viruses. In 2020, H1N2 dominated.
“The concern is two detections of those in humans, this last flu season. And so far, this flu season, we see mostly the alpha H1N2 and H3N2 viruses in pigs,” said Detmer. “It will all depend on how much human to pig transmission we start to see, whether we go back to our normal third, a third, and a third split in the pig population.” Dr. Detmer said the flu shot would protect people from serious infections and helps break the cycle of human to pig to human transmission of the pandemic H1N1 strain.
Dr. Susan Detmer, a veterinary pathologist with the Western College of Veterinary Medicine encouraged the public, especially those who work with pigs, to get the annual flu shot. Submitted photo
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Using Agricultural Waste to Remove Heavy Metals from Drinking Water By Les Kletke A Saskatchewan research team has found a way to use agricultural waste to remove arsenic from water. Khaled Zoroufchi Benis is part of the team at the University of Saskatchewan working with wheat and canola stubble to develop a filter that will remove heavy metals from water and make it safe for drinking. “We are working with arsenic right now but the same system can be applied to remove other heavy metals,” said Benis. “The World Health Organization has listed 80 countries where arsenic is a problem in drinking water.” Arsenic has been identified as a carcinogen and has been traced to increased cases of bladder cancer when consumed in small amounts, in larger amounts the element is a poison itself. “It was known as the poison of kings in ancient times,” he said. “It does not leave the body and is additive over years.” He said the system being developed in Saskatchewan could also be used to remove Selenium
Khaled Zoroufchi Benis, a researcher at the University of Saskatchewan, has found a way to remove heavy metals using canola and wheat straw. Submitted photo
from water. “We have had great interest from the mining industry in the system because of the amount of water used by the industry and the heavy metals that contaminate it,” said Benis. He said the use of straw as a water filter is just a sample of things to come. “We will see many more products developed from what is now being thought of as agricultural waste, there is work going on to use the straw as fuel in different industries and there is interest in using it in paper manufacturing as
well,” said Benis. He is aware of the value of straw being incorporated into the soil for nutrients and increased organic matter but said there is more than enough to go around. The use of agricultural waste to purify water will not use a significant amount of the straw produced on the prairies but it could be a significant economic factor and it will be a larger factor for contribution it makes to cleaning up the world’s water. When asked how close the process to commercializa-
tion is, he said, “We are working with the mining industry who has accepted it as a research project, as well as Canadian Light Source, but at this time it is too early to say when the process might be commercialized.” The system relies on both physical and chemical reactions to remove the arsenic and is still in development. There was no word on if the process might be a revenue source for farmers who are giving up their straw for the filters.
Ministers of Agriculture Set Direction for the Next Agricultural Framework Canada’s federal, provincial, and territorial (FPT) Ministers of Agriculture recently wrapped up their annual conference by issuing the “Guelph Statement”. Their shared vision for the next agricultural policy framework will position our agri-food producers, processors and others in the sector for continued success as world leaders in sustainable agriculture, and will enable a globally competitive sector. Ministers also acknowledged and recognized the hard work of everyone involved in maintaining the strong food supply chain for Canadians during COVID-19. The Guelph Statement reflects the large amount of input received so far through stakeholder consultations over the past year. Consultations are continuing, to gather input from a wide range of stakeholders. “We all want to ensure that our agriculture is sustainable and that our farmers and agrifood entrepreneurs succeed,”
said Marie-Claude Bibeau, federal Minister of Agriculture and Agri Food. “They must be incredibly resilient and innovative in the face of many challenges, including climate change, fluctuations in international trade, and labour shortages.” “Together, we will invest wisely to grow the sector while protecting our environment, reducing our emissions and safeguarding the well-being of those who ensure our food security,” continued Bibeau. Ministers agreed on the sustainable agriculture approach needed to help shape the next policy framework, which includes environmental, social and economic considerations in all priority areas. They agreed on the following five priority areas for the next framework: (1) climate change and the environment; (2) science, research and innovation; (3) market development and trade; (4) building sector capacity and growth; and (5) resiliency
and public trust. The vision agreed upon for the next agricultural policy framework charts an ambitious path for the sector. It states that “Canada is recognized as a world leader in sustainable agriculture and agri-food production and drives forward to 2028 from a solid foundation of regional strengths and diversity, as well as the strong leadership of the Provinces and Territories, in order to rise to the climate change challenge, to expand new markets and trade while meeting the expectations of consumers, and to feed Canadians and a growing global population.” The Ministers also agreed to continue to improve the suite of business risk management (BRM) programs to make them timely, equitable, and easy to understand, while supporting the competitiveness and sustainability of the sector. During the conference, there was progress made on other key action areas that
will help position the sector for economic recovery and sustainable growth, including labour, African swine fever, Animal Health Canada, trade and market access, regulatory priorities including interprovincial trade and the Canadian Plant Health Council, retail fees, and mental health. Despite many challenges over the past year, including the COVID-19 pandemic and extreme weather events, the Canadian agrifood sector remains resilient and poised for continued growth. Exports of agriculture and agri-food products continue to grow, worth nearly $74 billion in 2020, compared to $67 billion in 2019. The agriculture and agrifood value chain continues to be an economic engine driving Canada’s economy, contributing nearly $140 billion, or 7.4% of national GDP, and responsible for more than 2 million jobs in Canada.
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Navigating Pork Producers Need to Catch the Ride Liability Claims Whether it is Santa getting injured while coming down your chimney, one of the reindeer spraining an ankle slipping on a poorly cleared sidewalk or a case of wide-spread food poisoning to your neighbors due to some Christmas baking gone wrong, liability risks are all around us. Let me be the first to fill your holiday season with joy this year! In the insurance industry, the likelihood of insurance claims is categorized by two main categories – frequency and severity. Frequent claims, like stone chips or windshield replacement, are expected and predictable and insurers rely heavily on actuarial data to insure them. Severity claims or large and complex liability claims or lawsuits, against individuals or businesses, are less frequent in Canada than in other parts of the world, which leaves most people unsure how to navigate these situations. In the spirit of giving this holiday season, let us give you a few suggestions on how to navigate a liability situation should one occur: First of all, if the situation is a fluent situation where further damage or injury could occur, you need to do everything that you can to stop the situation from getting worse. Second, do not, under any circumstances, admit liability or accept responsibility for the situation. In doing so, you may jeopardize your insurance coverage. Insurers could deny coverage based on your admission. Liability insurance covers negligence; negligence indicates lack of intent or awareness; but it may still cause harm and your liability policy is there to protect both you and the third party as a result of unintentional negligence. Third, report the situation immediately to your broker and insurer. This will start the process of getting your insurer in contact with you and direct you on what to say and how to proceed with the situation. Fourth, document all of the details that you can, include photos and diagrams of the situation, and obtain a written statement and contact information from people that may have witnessed the situation. Keeping thorough documentation of the situation will help you to recollect the details. Finally, cooperation with your insurer is the best way to ensure that your situation will be resolved in the cleanest way possible. Depending on the details of your situation, some complex liability claims drag on for years, but following these five points will give you the best chance to navigate the situation as efficiently as possible. Now that we’ve filled your heart with cheer, we also want to remind you of our annual giveaway. We love to give back to the communities we serve, and are doing so again this year. Visit our website at rempelinsurance.com for details on our Season of Giving draw. On behalf of the team at Rempel Insurance Brokers, we wish you a Merry Christmas and hope you make great memories with people you love this season. Be sure to seek advice and purchase insurance from those who understand your business! David Schmidt is an Account Executive and Rempel Insurance Brokers in Morris, MB, specializing in insuring farms and businesses across Manitoba and Saskatchewan. Office 204-746-2320, Text 204-712-6618, email davids@rempelinsurance.com or visit rempelinsurance.com.
Rick Bergman, president of Canadian Pork Council, at a virtual meeting said he believes the industry and pork producers need to be successful and find a happy medium otherwise the risk factors make a lot of people uncomfortable. Zoom screenshot
By Harry Siemens When pork producers and provincial senior staff from across Canada virtually met recently as part of the Canadian Pork Council’s (CPC) fall members’ meeting they re-elected Rick Bergmann, a producer from Manitoba as chairman. The next day Bergman addressed the fall producer meetings of the Manitoba Pork Council. “I believe we need to be successful, but where is that happy medium, and without that, that’s a risk factor that makes a lot of people uncomfortable,” said Bergman on the continuous improvements that the industry makes to support the $5 billion worth of pork exported every year. Bergman said the CPC rep-
resents 7,000 Canadian pork producers at the national level who contribute $25 billion annually, making it a vital contributor to the country’s economy. Pre-COVID the Canadian industry represented in Tokyo to 350 different buyers on Canadian pork he noted. “I mean, they were all ears and all eyes. They loved the story the country and the pork. So that’s something that we have to build on,” said Bergman. His rhetorical question to Manitoba producers was on how to supply the market while getting on the ride economically. He said the focus has to be fair trade and looking at establishing a Canadian pricing policy. “For sure, not an easy task but dis-
cussions continue with many different processors across the country,” he said. As new barns are built the level of required capital and farm income has to match he noted. “I want to let you folks know that the Canadian Pork Council perspective is that there’s a continual drive, continual discussions and no it’s not easy,” said Bergman. “However, the industry must continue with these producer forums even in a Zoom forum because they’re super.” “If you have ideas and thoughts of how to make the sector better, those need to get put in the hopper at Manitoba Pork Council because the staff there and the directors are very engaged,” he said. On a daily WhatsApp hog
industry forum, Bergman expressed how important the recent establishment of the Canadian Pork Promotion and Research Agency (CPPRA) is. He said, the CPPRA will be an essential vehicle for producers. It will help facilitate even greater collaboration across the value chain through increased research and promotion activities. In the long run, it will improve the long-term growth and competitiveness of the sector. “This is big for Canadian pork producers using the funds for research and pork promotion!” said Bergman. “This is not a cost to producers; a 100 per cent win,” explaining how the small fee comes off pork imported into Canada from other countries.
Rick Bergman said the CPC represents 7,000 Canadian pork producers at the national level who contribute $25 billion annually, making it a vital contributor to the country’s economy. File photo by Harry Siemens
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November 26, 2021
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Seaweed Could Reduce Livestock Methane Emissions As Cop26 continued to debate methane, with the US and EU having pledged to reduce agricultural methane outputs from ruminant livestock by upwards of 30% by 2030, scientists at the Institute for Global Food Security (IGFS) at Queen’s University Belfast are to feed seaweed to farm animals in a bid to slash methane by at least 30%. Seaweed has long been hailed a ‘superfood’ for humans but adding it to animal feed to reduce methane gas released into the atmosphere by ruminants’ burping and flatulence is a relatively new idea. Early laboratory research at IGFS has shown promising results using native Irish and UK seaweeds. Previous research in Australia and the US generated headline results, up to 80% reductions in methane emissions from cattle given supplements from a red seaweed variety. These red seaweeds grow abundantly in warmer climates; however, they also contain high levels of bromoform, known to be damaging to the ozone layer. Seaweed indigenous to the UK and Ireland tends to be brown or green and does not contain bromoform. UK and Irish seaweeds are also rich in active compounds called phlorotannins, found in red wine and berries, which are anti-bacterial and improve immunity so could have additional health benefits for animals. Now the IGFS science is moving into the field, with trials on UK farms about to begin, using seaweed sourced from the Irish and
Canadian Crops Eyed for Meat Alternatives
By Elmer Heinrichs Harvesting seaweed research samples at Queen’s University Marine Lab. Photo by Queen’s University Belfast
North Seas as a feed supplement for cattle. One 3-year project is in partnership with the UK supermarket Morrisons and its network of British beef farmers who will facilitate farm trials. The project also includes the Agrifood and Biosciences Institute (AFBI), in Northern Ireland, as a partner. A second project sees IGFS and AFBI join a €2million, international project, led by Irish agency An Teagasc to monitor the effects of seaweed in the diet of pasturebased livestock. Seaweed will be added to grass-based silage on farm trials involving dairy cows in NI from early 2022. As well as assessing methane emissions of the beef and dairy cattle, these projects will assess the nutritional value of a variety of homegrown seaweeds, their effects on animal productivity and meat quality. IGFS lead Sharon Huws, Professor of Animal Science and Microbiology within
the School of Biological Sciences, said she expected the combined research to evidence a reduction in GHG emissions of at least 30%. She said, “The science is there. It’s simply a matter of providing the necessary data and then implementing it. Using seaweed is a natural, sustainable way of reducing emissions and has great potential to be scaled up. There is no reason why we can’t be farming seaweed; this would also protect the biodiversity of our shorelines.” “If UK farmers are to meet a zero-carbon model, we really need to start putting this kind of research into practice,” said Huws. “I hope IGFS and AFBI research can soon provide the necessary data and reassurance for governments to take forward.” Agriculture accounts for around 10% of all UK GHG emissions. Within this, beef farming is the most carbonintensive, with methane, which cows produce as they digest; a major component.
At a NI level, methane accounts for almost a quarter of GHG emissions, with 80% of that from agriculture. The above projects form part of the Queen’s-AFBI Alliance, a strategic partnership between Queen’s University and AFBI to maximize science and innovation capacity in NI to meet global challenges, such as carbonneutral farming. Morrisons supermarket plans to be completely supplied by net-zero-carbon British farms by 2030. Sophie Throup, Head of Agriculture at Morrisons said: “As British farming’s biggest customer, we’re very mindful of our role in supporting and inspiring the farmers we work with to help them achieve goals in sustainable farming. “By supporting this research at Queen’s and AFBI, we are trialling this natural approach to reducing environmental emissions and improving the quality of beef products.”
Protein Industries Canada recently announced a coinvestment that will use Canadian crops in a project that will develop and distribute plant-based, non-soy alternatives to pork and beef. Protein Industries is an industry-led, not for profit organization created to position Canada as a global source of high-quality protein and plant-based coproducts. Partners in the project include Wamame Foods, Merit Functional Foods, Wismettac Asian Foods and Winecrush Technology. Through the utilization of innovative plant protein ingredients and processing technologies, the beef alternatives will match the highquality Wagyu line in both texture and taste. The new meat alternatives will be sold under three lines of products. Thanks to the work of the Protein Industries Supercluster, we are developing new uses for Canadian crops by leveraging existing expertise and connecting global partners to create premium, healthy and sustainable food products said Francois-Philippe Champagne, minister of innovation, science and industry. Canadian farmers grow some of the world’s highest quality crops and this new initiative will further Canada’s reputation as a world leader in plant-based food innovations, said Champagne. Merit Functional Foods and Winecrush Technology will develop the ingredients for the new products using Canadian-grown crops, including non-GMO peas and canola, which will then be used in research and development activities to perfect the new beef and pork alternatives. The new products will be sold under Wamame Foods’ Waygu brand in addition to their per-existing soy-based Waygu product, as well as a co-branded private label under Wismettac Asian Foods’ line of products. “Consumer demand for high-quality, delicious and nutritious plant-based meat alternatives is growing, and meeting it in a sustainable manner will require new ingredient and product innovation,” said Protein Industries Canada CEO Bill Greuel. “Their diversification of the plant-based meat alternative market is an important step toward Canada’s goal of becoming a global leader in the supply of plant-based foods and ingredients.” The new lines of meat alternatives will be sold throughout Europe, Asia and North America. “As first to market with food-grade non-GMO canola protein, we are committed to providing the industry with highly functional plant proteins that improve taste and texture in plant-based food products, including meat alternatives that satisfy the specific texture and flavour preferences of regional cuisine,” said Jeff Casper, director of research and applications at Merit Functional Foods.” A total of $7.6 million is being invested in the project, with Protein Industries Canada investing $3.8 million.
Read The AgriPost Online at UK and Irish seaweeds may significantly reduce GHG agricultural emissions and provide extra health benefits when used as a supplement for farm animals. Photo by Wolfgang Hasselmann
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It’s Time to Change Your Winter Beef Cow Mineral Program By Peter Vitti Mineral (and vitamin) feeding programs for overwintering beef cows have remained pretty much the same year after year on the prairies.
Such convention is likely to change this winter with better mineral (and vitamin) choices to be fed in the wake of last summer’s severe drought, which compromised good mineral/vi-
tamin status of brood cows, lowered forage quality and literally changed the nature of overwintering diets. Therefore, I believe these new winter beef cow mineral-feeding programs are coming out at the right time to meet these challenges head-on by meeting the mineral and vitamin requirements of the gestating cowherd until the calving season. Consequently, the accompanying table (Chart 1 - on left) illustrates a guaranteed analysis from a new overwintering cow mineral that I recently designed. It is currently being fed to a 300-cow/calf operation, which was severely impacted by the dried-out pastures and high-saline dugout water during this past grazing season. In developing their 22:7 beef cow premix, I matched it closely to the cows’ diet made up of mainly lowquality forages, which was heavily supplemented with corn dried distillers’ grains (DDGS). Specifically, their overwinter diet consists on a per cow basis: 10 lbs grass hay, 10 lbs barley- straw, 7 lbs of DDGS and 0.2 lbs of a 22:7 beef cow premix = total of 29.2 lbs. By ignoring the macromineral portion of this pre-
mix for the moment, I actually focused upon building the trace-mineral status in these beef cows that would fit into a well-balanced mineral (premix) package to be fed at 50 - 100 grams, daily. For example, I knew that I could help build up the cowherd’s copper status by simply formulating the premix with 3,000 ppm copper into it by using copper sulphate or more bio-available chelated-copper. I also did similar supplementations to supply adequate levels of zinc, manganese, iodine, cobalt and selenium as well as adding elevated levels of vitamins A, D and E. Yet, it was not as easy as when I wanted to help satisfy their macro-mineral requirements. That’s because I had to account for the present macro-mineral content in overwintering forages, since their beef cow forages supplied a significant portion of these required nutrients, which really limited me to a complimentary role of my overwinter cow mineral In other words, this means by feeding these forages and mineral, together; we should be able supply to the cows’ 25 grams of calcium and 18 grams of
phosphorus requirements per day. Despite this exercise of matching forage/mineral, life of a beef nutritionist is a little easier in years of adequate rainfall. Because, legumes such as alfalfa hay contains high levels of calcium and nominal amounts of phosphorus, while cereal silage, grass-hay or greenfeed tends to be in adequate in calcium and high in phosphorus. So, any beef minerals that I would recommend would balances legume forages with a modest level of calcium, and slightly elevated phosphorus levels, while another beef mineral would match the second case of grass and cereal forages, because it would contain considerable levels of calcium and modest levels of phosphorus. Unfortunately, this rule of thumb doesn’t always work with drought forages. Their macro-mineral profiles tend to be highly variable and frequently differ from forage crops grown even on the same fields during “normal” years. For example, I discovered in analyzed samples of drought hayfields regardless of whether they were legumes or grasses are often phosphorus defi-
cient (< 0.20%), while they may contain adequate levels of calcium. As a result, it makes sense that the best beef mineral to fit these cases might address a possible dietary phosphorus deficiency. What throws a monkey wrench even into this good advice is that I must also take into account the mineral profiles of other feeds added to the cowherd diets. That’s because in a drought year, new feedstuffs are often fed that can change the mineral profile of the entire diet. For instance, dried distillers’ grains are fed to many droughtstressed cowherds in order to supplement essential energy and protein, but they also contain a high level of available phosphorus (1.2%). This could make it unnecessary to elevate dietary phosphorus in a recommended cow mineral as just mentioned above. In the end, these are just nutritional detours that must be taken to develop a new winter beef mineral for drought-stressed beef cows. Its success will be finally measured by meeting their gestation requirements for essential minerals and vitamins that will help bring them through a successful calving season.
Chart 1
Nutritional detours must be taken now to develop a new winter beef mineral for drought-stressed beef cows. Its success will be finally measured by meeting their gestation requirements for essential minerals and vitamins that will help bring them through a successful calving season. Submitted photo
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Cassava is a Key Food Security Crop Around the World
Cassava is the third most important source of calories in the world, behind rice and corn. As many as 800 million people use it as a food source and it is considered an essential crop. “Cassava is a root crop that is high in starch. It is predominantly found in tropical or heated climates. Its growth cycle varies from eight to 23 months, depending on variety. It’s also a perennial crop,” explained Dr. Sally Mallowa, Assistant Professor of Biology at Augustana University in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Dr. Mallowa is an advocate for sustainability. Adding in its long growth and harvest cycle, cassava is a key food security crop in war torn countries. It is a crop of choice to fight poverty in Africa. This makes the crop popular in countries that cannot produce rice or wheat. The Congo Basin, Latin America, and Southeast Asia are all geographic areas in which the crop is grown she explained. The plant is mostly starch, and there are a wide variety of products made from cassava including baking flour, juice, tapioca, and syrup.
Cassava cuttings 4 - 10 inches long in Southeast Asia. Cassava can be harvested as a group or piecemeal. The latter allows smallholder farmers to cut and use as needed. Photo courtesy of J. Legg
Cassava is a perennial, tree-like plant, which can be harvested all at once, or by cutting off roots as needed. Photo courtesy of Dr. Sally Mallowa
Chickpea Research Aims to Help Countries with “Zero Hunger” University of Saskatchewan (USask) researchers are part of a global team that used DNA to track the genetic evolution and migration of the chickpea, offering insights that could lead to more nutritious and adaptable varieties. Improvements in this important crop for the majority of the world could help achieve
“zero hunger” on earth. Dr. Bunyamin Tar’an (PhD) and Dr. Amit Deokar (PhD) of the USask College of Agriculture and Bioresources were involved in the overall research, sequencing the genetics of 200 Canadian chickpea plants, as well as performing associated data analyses. “Chickpeas are one of
the main protein sources for hundreds of millions of people, especially in South Asia, Africa and other parts of the world,” said Tar’an. “The research provides an avenue to support global efforts to develop chickpeas with even better nutritional value as well as more climate-resilient varieties.” “By employing whole ge-
USask researcher Bunyamin Tar’an inspects a chickpea field near Limerick, Saskatchewan in summer of 2020. He is part of an international team whose research was published in Nature recently. Photo by Bunyamin Tar’an
nome sequencing, we have been able to affirm the history of chickpea’s origin in the Fertile Crescent (a crescent-shaped region in the Middle East, known to be home to some of the earth’s earliest civilizations) and identify two paths of diffusion or migration of chickpea to the rest of the world. One path indicates diffusion to South Asia and East Africa, and the other suggests diffusion to the Mediterranean region (probably through Turkey) as well as to the Black Sea and Central Asia (up to Afghanistan),” said Prof. Rajeev Varshney, a research program director at International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics and leader of the study. “More importantly, this research provides a complete picture of genetic variation within chickpea and a validated roadmap for using the knowledge and genomic resources to improve the crop.”
November 26, 2021
Digital Partnership to Bring Science Solutions Across Value Chains Bayer has announced a strategic partnership with Microsoft to build a new cloud-based set of digital tools and data science solutions for use in agriculture and adjacent industries, bringing new infrastructure and foundational capabilities to accelerate innovation, boost efficiency and support sustainability across value chains. Agriculture and agribusinesses today benefit from a wide range of digital tools and data-powered insights through platforms. Still, there is work to do to optimize the entire food, feed, fuel and fiber value chain and its use of the precious natural resources required to power the planet while ensuring broader efforts to combat climate change. Under the agreement, Bayer will work with Microsoft to co-develop new solutions that address critical industry scenarios such as farming operations, sustainable sourcing, manufacturing and supply chain improvement, and ESG monitoring and measurement. The companies will do this by developing the goforward infrastructure for digital farming solutions and data science capabilities. These new solutions and capabilities will be available to businesses, from start-ups to global enterprises in agriculture and adjacent industries for use in their own offerings. Bayer will also migrate its digital farming core capabilities to the new infrastructure for its own customer-facing solutions. The partnership builds upon a longstanding relationship between Bayer and Microsoft, and a shared commitment to data privacy, cyber security and customer trust. “This partnership comes at a unique point in time where increased innovation is sorely needed across the food and fiber value chain,” said Liam Condon, Member of the Board of Management of Bayer and President of Bayer Crop Science. “As we cope with an ongoing global pandemic, fragile supply chains and the continuing climate catastrophe, status quo will not suffice. We need collaboration, shared vision and action. For those reasons, Bayer and Microsoft are taking action to make a positive impact, both through our own collaboration as well as by offering off-the-shelf infrastructure and digital capabilities for other companies to address the enormous challenges facing our society.” “As agriculture and technology entrepreneurs and organizations work to advance the security and sustainability of the value chain, supporting farmers at its foundation; collaboration is required,” said Jeremy Williams, Head of The Climate Corporation and Bayer Digital Farming Solutions. “Bayer is pioneering digital innovation within agriculture. Microsoft is setting the standard in trusted, global cloud solutions. Together, we can innovate and implement as a team to deliver the food, feed, fiber and fuel needed to power our planet.” “Like every industry, farming and the food sector are undergoing rapid digital transformation, from autonomous tractors, to AI-based digital advisories, and scalable precision agriculture,” said Ravi Krishnaswamy, Corporate Vice President, Azure Global Industry at Microsoft. “We’re excited to partner with Bayer to accelerate this transformation and unlock even greater agricultural innovation by bringing together data-driven insights with Bayer’s agronomic expertise and the power of Microsoft Azure.”
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November 26, 2021
Garden Ramblings
By Joan Airey
By Joan Airey
Cucumber and peppers growing under lights just about ready to transplant into bigger pots.
Photos by Joan Airey
If you are looking for a unique gift The Prairie Garden 2022 is ready for the gardeners Christmas stockings. It’s available on line and in numerous garden centres. This year’s edition has an article on gardening in Churchill at Lazy Bear Expeditions which I wrote. Wally and his family grow everything in greenhouses from apples to rhubarb. I toured their greenhouses when we were in Churchill a few years ago, since than they have expanded to three greenhouses and more varieties of fruit and vegetables. Wally was kind enough to lend me photographs of recent fruit and vegetables they grow to go with the article. The book is all compiled by volunteers. Because of Covid the book was launched virtually at McNally Robinson in Winnipeg. It worked great but I had hoped to meet fellow writers and gardeners in person who I’ve only met online and via phone or hadn’t seen for two years. Rita Campbell, one of my fellow writers during a phone conversation told me she keeps some gold fish in her rain barrels to keep mosquitoes from hatching in them and it helps fertilizer her garden. My plan is to try that next year. Are you growing salad makings under lights? So far I have green onions, beans, cucumbers, peppers, spinach and radishes growing under lights. I was able to use green onions today in a salmon salad sandwich. Guess I need some new lettuce seed as the lettuce I planted hasn’t germinated. That’s a first. Sage Greenhouse in Winnipeg carries a variety of seeds that produce indoors under lights. Guess it’s time I organized my emails better too. I just spent quite a bit of time searching for a gardening newsletter I receive which contained information on a Canadian printed Gardeners Journal and source book Toronto & Golden Horseshoe Gardener’s Journal. It is available at gardenjournals.ca, but it’s not cheap. I thought I’d like one and the one I used to buy is no longer available. Last gardening season tried using a binder with a journal I printed up on line but it wasn’t convenient. It’s far from gardening weather outdoors in Manitoba today with high winds and snow but many of you will be tending house plants indoors or growing some salad making, herbs or starting some sprouts. This snow is much needed to fill dugouts, lakes, and rivers and moisture for next year’s crops Merry Christmas and the very Best Wishes for 2022!
The Prairie Gardner is a unique gift for Gardeners.
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November 26, 2021
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Getting a Solid Soil Response to Biosolids Application Many people do not know that human waste can be recycled to benefit the environment. After intense treatment, it can be applied to fields in the form of biosolids. While scientists know that this can benefit the soil, they are still learning about the best ways to measure this. In addition, it can be hard to determine how much it helps the soil over a long period. That’s where Yocelyn Villa from the University of California, Merced comes in. She and her collaborators studied fields in California where biosolids have been applied for 20 years. “Our goal was to assess how stocks of soil carbon have changed over time at each of these sites,” she said. “We did this by measuring how much carbon is present compared to adjacent areas without biosolids application. Specifically, we wanted to account for not only shallow soil depths, but also deep soil carbon, down to 100 cm depths.” The three sites they stud-
ied had different biosolids application frequencies, management practices, and soil texture. The researchers focused on measuring microbial biomass carbon and nitrogen, soil organic carbon, and total nitrogen. These are all soil qualities known to benefit from the application of biosolids. They predicted that the more biosolids that are applied, the more carbon and nitrogen there would be in those soils. Most of their results were what they expected. However, they were surprised that the site that had the highest application of biosolids did not show the most change. In addition, one of the sites did not show a benefit from the biosolids application until they performed tests on the deeper soil. “If we had only taken the top 30 cm into account, we would have not detected a change in soil carbon at the Merced site,” Villa said. “This is the biggest and most important finding.” She added that this shows
how the organic matter in biosolids does not simply sit in the soil and accumulate. Instead, it is impacted by dynamic properties that also influence soil organic matter. This told the researchers that it’s important to measure deep soil carbon and consider other management practices at a site when studying the impact of biosolids. These local controls can be soil texture, irrigation practices, and tillage. “Many studies have shown the benefits of biosolids application for plant production and nutrient cycling,” Villa explained. “This conjointly provides benefits to soil carbon. Farmers and ranchers have seen differences in vegetation for livestock and other soil health benefits. I would recommend monitoring these benefits through time.” Another reason scientists are interested in soil carbon is because of its potential to mitigate climate change. Soils that can sequester carbon can keep it out of
Biosolids are applied using a spreader in agricultural soils. All biosolids applied in the study had similar Photo by Rebecca Ryals nutrient composition.
the atmosphere. So, Villa’s findings highlight the importance of taking deep soil carbon into account to better predict a soil’s ability to mitigate climate change. “This research is interesting to me personally because I have always been interested in climate change,” she said. “The more I learned about the environment, the more I
realized that soils may be the key to mitigate climate change.” The next steps in Villa’s work are to determine how exactly the soils stabilize carbon and keep it in the soil. She is also assessing where the carbon is in the soil, which will provide insight on how accessible the carbon is for microbes to use. Overall, she is excited
to see others beginning to appreciate soil’s potential. “I think people don’t realize that human waste can be recycled like this, and that soil is a potential solution to climate change,” she said. “It’s always a treat to see how people’s faces light up with intrigue. Hopefully I have convinced them that we need to stop treating soil like dirt!”
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