AgriPost February 28 2014

The Agri Post

February 28, 2014

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The Agri Post

February 28, 2014

Grain in the Bin May be a Liability this Spring

By Harry Siemens The grain and special crops industry has challenges of its own with not only getting the grain to market, but also selling it at a good price.

There’s much about the railroads not doing their jobs, vessels waiting in Vancouver and the huge crops in 2013 and in 2012. The crop sailed to market pretty well at record and near record prices, and everyone thought this would continue.

Agricultural Minister Gerry Ritz and industry are studying the problem and grain companies seem to be happy knowing full well that in the end the farmers will pay for the poor system that some think will orphan some of the last year’s crop.

Now the other shoe is about to drop, that of getting fertilizer to the farmers’ fields in

Port of Churchill Offers Farmers a Solution for Grain Surplus The Port of Churchill announced recently that it is busy developing its program for the 2014 shipping season and has capacity to ship increased volumes of grain in the coming year.

While the Port saw record levels of grain moving through the Port of Churchill last year, it has still greater capacity for farmers’ surplus product. In recent months, grain farmers have reported significant product backlog, attributed to a shortage of transportation resources.

“2013 was a very successful year for us, as far as grain shipments are concerned,” said Merv Tweed, President of OmniTRAX Canada, the company that owns the Port.

“We were very busy in the latter half of our traditional shipping season, in October and early November, but from the start of our season in midJuly through the end of September, we had the capacity to move more product. As the Port of Churchill starts booking for the 2014 shipping season, we want farmers to know that we have the resources they need to transport their product out through Hudson’s Bay.” The Port of Churchill is Canada’s only deep water Arctic seaport and its location on the western coast of Hudson’s Bay provides easy access to shipping routes.

The port provides Canadian farmers with a convenient alternate path to move their product to more global markets.

time for application during the busy, hectic spring season.

Doug Chorney, President of KAP, said farmers who haven’t secured their fertilizer requirements, in many cases signed, sealed and delivered should check and do so sooner than later and see what the status of their requirements are.

David Asbridge, President at NPK Fertilizer Advisory Service, Inc. in the United States is also familiar with the situation in western Canada and said this issue is a common problem this year. “More farmers wanted to hold onto their crops to see if they could get a higher price,” said Asbridge. “This lead to some cash flow issues as many farmers typically sell in the fall

and then order fertilizer before the New Year to get the tax break. In addition, the Canadians produced a record wheat crop that overwhelmed your rail system.”

He said dealers typically don’t buy any more until the farmer commits so they have not ordered.

“Many waited to order, also because the prices were falling and you typically don’t buy in a falling market. This expanded the problem. In the U.S., however, the dealers seem to have quite a bit of P & K in storage already. The sudden jump in pricing right now seems to be more traderrelated than dealer related,” added Asbridge.

John De Pape, of Winnipeg a CWB Monitor and Risk

Management Specialist, agrees. Rail service level means more grain left on farm.

“It means some farms still have full bins, bins that would be used to store fertilizer,” said De Pape. “It means some who would have bought and taken delivery of fertilizer by now haven’t. Not selling enough grain also means they may not have cash flow.”

He said dealers could store only so much.

“I’m told the system is set up to push product forward early, hence the discounts for early delivery,” said De Pape.

“Without that taking place, pressure will build on the system in the spring.”

He noted that some people are saying there will be more demand for fertilizer deliver-

Government Monitors Grain Logistics Challenges Following meetings recently with representatives from the grain supply chain, Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz announced that the Government is taking further action on early recommendations presented by members of the Crop Logistics Working Group (CLWG) to improve the competitiveness of the supply chain.

Immediate actions include pursuing enhancements to the Grain Monitoring Program to improve the frequency of reporting and providing an ongoing forum for representatives across the industry to discuss improvement throughout the supply chain.

The proposed expanded range of metrics and reporting frequency include weekly railway order fulfilment reports on car orders placed by all grain companies. These orders include acceptance by railways, orders actually placed by railways, cancellations of orders and loads on wheels by carrier.

There will be a weekly review of covered hopper car fleet size in grain service for both mainline carriers by class of service including bad orders, terminal unload performance by railways by port, along with expanded detail on arrival, constructive placement dwell and unloading time at terminals.

In addition, destinations will be monitored for western Canada railway grain traffic for volumes, loaded transit times, cycle times to eastern Canada, United States, Mexico and incoming U.S. grain traffic to Western Canadian destinations. Western Canadian grain traffic shipped to port in containers is also under review.

The Government has taken a long-term focus to address logistical challenges with a five-year $1.5 million announcement to Pulse Canada on January 21 to lead a multisector collaboration project of the pulse, oilseeds and grains industries that will be used to improve supply chain efficiency and reliability.

Province Says Specialists in Place to Help Producers with Grain Transportation Backlog Farmers affected by transportation delays and other backlogs in the grain transportation system are encouraged to connect with their local farm business management specialist to get personalized advice and resources on how to deal with this challenging situation says Agriculture, Food and Rural Development Minister Ron Kostyshyn.

“Many Manitoba farmers had high-yield, good-quality crops last year but poor rail service and transportation delays mean most of it is still in the bin,” said Kostyshyn. “I know that grain sitting in the bin is money out of farmers’ pockets and not good for Manitoba’s economy. The federal government and rail companies must get together and get to work finding solutions to support farmers.”

“Many farmers haven’t been able to move the grain they worked so hard to produce and we must work together to ease this transportation bottleneck,” said Doug Chorney, President of Keystone Agricultural Producers.

Farmers affected by the backlog can seek out advice from Manitoba’s farm management specialists located in GO Offices across the province at no cost for financial management and production economics, marketing plan development and risk management.

The minister noted that today’s grain transportation challenges are outside the control of producers but have a significant impact on their cash flow and profitability and is regularly communicating with leaders in Manitoba’s agriculture industry on this issue.

ies than the dealers are capable of delivering in short order during seeding. Expectation is that will lead to higher prices.

Other comments from people in the industry say that because of poor rail service, fertilizer wholesalers can’t get enough into position either.

Another grains industry leader said his company would need to move some ridiculous number of b-trains

of fertilizer before spring. And there was no doubt in his opinion that it wasn’t going to happen.

Fortunes can change quickly in a highly volatile market place. Technology keeps adding to the equation and farmers may find that an overfull hopper on the combine, or $30,000 grain storage bins still full of grain instead of fertilizer for spring seeding could become a bit of a liability instead of profit.

Replace Oil on TTrains rains with Grain In a presentation recently to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food the Western Canadian Wheat Growers Association (WCWGA) proposed four recommendations to fix the structural problems that have led to this year’s severe backlog in grain shipments.

“There is no silver bullet here,” said Levi Wood, President of the Wheat Growers. “Fixing the problems in the supply chain is going to require action on several fronts.”

The Wheat Grower recommendations target increasing rail shipping capacity for grain, strengthening competition in the rail sector and improving system logistics.

The proposed measures include an introduction of an incentivebased adjustment to the revenue cap, expansion of the inter switching distances under which shippers can access a competing railway, strengthening the Canada Transportation Act to ensure shippers can negotiate contractual service agreements with the railways that includes effective performance provisions and wants steps taken to ship oil by pipeline rather than by rail.

The WCWGA does recognize that these measures represent medium to long-term solutions and do not specifically address the current backlog of rail shipments. They are looking to the federal government to take whatever steps are necessary that encourage or compel the railways in immediately increase grain-shipping capacity.

“We need immediate action to clear up the existing backlog of grain shipments,” said Wood. “Parliament must also tackle the structural problems that are limiting our industry’s ability to meet the needs of farmers and our customers.”

End of CWB Monopoly is Not the Cause of Grain Transportation Woes The National Farmers Union (NFU) has falsely suggested that the end of the Canadian Wheat Board (CWB) monopoly has caused this year’s grain shipping problems, said the Western Canadian Wheat Growers Association.

“It’s preposterous to suggest that the move to marketing freedom is the cause of this year’s shipping problems,” said Levi Wood, President of the Wheat Growers. “In the first year of an open market, our wheat and barley moved to market without a hitch. The problems being experienced in this second year are instead related to the failure of the railways to provide adequate shipping capacity to move this year’s crop.”

The Wheat Growers note the lack of shipping capacity is affecting the delivery of all crops, not just those crops such as wheat and barley that the CWB was responsible for marketing. This year, oat shipments to the United States, feed grain shipments to the Fraser Valley and wheat, canola and pulse shipments to Vancouver are all being affected by the decision of the railways to dedicate too few resources to shipping grain.

The Wheat Growers note the NFU is claiming rail cars are being used as storage due to the “disorganization at the port.” This statement is utterly false. The Grain Monitor (Quorum Corporation) has confirmed rail cars are being unloaded at port on a timely basis and that port terminals have plenty of capacity to ship more grain. In fact, grain inventories at west coast terminals are lower than normal.

“The terminal capacity is certainly in place to export substantially more grain,” said Wood. “The problem is not at the port; the problem is that not enough grain is being shipped to meet market demand.”

The Agri Post

No New PEDv Cases Confirmed

By Harry Siemens While Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea virus (PEDv) cases continue to explode in the United States, so far, knock on wood, the first case confirmed February 13 on a farm in southeast Manitoba, continues to be the only one.

The Office of Chief Veterinary Officer (CVO) says there are no new confirmed cases of PEDv in Manitoba since then.

“We are following a response plan we had in place in collaboration with the CVO. The site has been contained and neighbours in the area are being contacted by veterinarians,” said Manitoba Pork Council chair Karl Kynoch. “I commend the producer for cooperating with the CVO and the attending veterinarian. We’re taking all steps to contain the virus on the farm and an investigation is underway.”

During the second PEDv teleconference Town Hall meeting, hosted by Manitoba Pork Council on February 19, about 140 industry stakeholders and producers dialled in.

This event gave producers opportunity to hear an update on the Manitoba and Ontario PEDv situation. Twenty-three farm premises have tested positive for PEDv across Canada, including the Manitoba site.

Ben Keeble, from Sunterra Farms based in the U.S., spoke about how to stay negative in a positive zone. Sunterra Farms has managed to keep the spread of PEDv down to 14 percent in their barns despite being situated in heavily infected areas.

“This proves that good biosecurity can keep this disease out of your barn,” said Keeble.

Dr. Glen Duizer, of the CVO, said they asked all contacts with the infected Manitoba site to submit samples and so far all contact sites have come back with negative results. “Biocontainment is in effect at the infected site and the affected producer remains fully cooperative throughout this process,” said Duizer.

Kynoch said Manitoba Pork continues to work very hard with the CVO, packers, trucking companies and others to try to contain the disease to the one infected site, to eliminate it there and to keep more of the virus from entering Manitoba.

MPC General Manager Andrew Dickson said the Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA) recently started enforcing their existing provision of ensuring that pig trucks coming back from the U.S. be washed and disinfected.

“If a pig truck arrives at the border without proof of having been properly cleaned first, the CBSA will either not allow the truck in, or the CBSA will seal the trailer with a numbered tag which cannot be broken except at an accredited truck wash in Manitoba,” said Dickson. “Adhering to strict washing protocols is essential.”

Before trucks come back they are washed and disinfected in the United States and must meet the standards expected by the inspector at the border. “Or plan B, if they just do a scrape and get most of the material off in the United States, not washed and disinfected and then come to the border, they will be sealed,” said Dickson. “And they will go to a designated washing station where they will be washed and disinfected following the standards laid out by the Canadian Swine Health Board.”

Dickson added that the inspector will seal the trailers with a plastic tag with a unique number, then unsealed and a record kept at the wash station. A Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) inspector will check the wash stations, collect the tags and match the numbers with the trucks and trailers that arrived at the border point.

On the other hand, for trucks and trailers that deliver pigs to processing plants in the United States all they have to do when they come back is scrape but, hopefully those truck tractors and trailers will be washed and disinfected like the other trailers.

“Although Manitoba has one case, we can contain this disease if we are vigorous in how we proceed with maintaining very high levels of biosecurity at the border, at packing plants, assembly yards, and in particular on the farm,” he stressed.

Dr. Duizer said that to support ongoing surveillance efforts the Government of Manitoba has added PEDv to its list of reportable diseases.

“Producers and veterinarians must report suspected cases of PEDv to the CVO, allowing for a faster response,” he said. “This will also allow the CVO to use additional measures to monitor farms linked to positive premises.”

Kynoch urged all producers to continue with the necessary biosecurity protocols to prevent the spread of PEDv and report suspected cases to their veterinarian as soon as possible.

February 28, 2014

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OSHA Confident They ’ve Stopped Main Source of PEDv in Ontario

By Harry Siemens A huge scare rumbled through the feed and swine industries in late February when the news broke that 18 of the 20 confirmed PED virus cases in Ontario occurred through infected feed.

However, Dr. Doug MacDougald, chair of the Ontario Swine Health Advisory Board, is confident they’ve stopped the main source of PED virus in Ontario.

Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea is on 20 farms in Ontario.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency indicated bioassay testing determined a U.S. origin porcine plasma product contains enough virus to cause disease in pigs.

Dr. MacDougald said there is a direct link to that product and those cases so they have a pretty clear picture of how those 18 confirmed cases happened.

“There was a feed recall earlier in February, thus we believe the primary source of the virus for the majority of these cases has been stopped,” he said. “The good news thus far is that there’s only a small number of cases that look like biosecurity or biosecurity gaps as the cause. We expect some more to follow. Obviously with the number of cases we have but our conclusion is that our surveillance and biosecurity measures thus far with PEDv appears to be holding up very well, maybe even surprisingly well, given the cold weather and the ability of this virus to live and move around easily in the winter time.”

Dr. MacDougald said the goal in Ontario is to eliminate the virus from the known sites and he’s confident they can do this.

“From there the primary focus is on containment so we can get into the spring and early summer when the virus will not be nearly as easily transmitted, with as few positive cases and positive sites as possible and continue with surveillance to aid in effective early detection,” he said.

“At this point the enemy is the PED virus and we need to keep the pedal to metal to contain it and to eliminate it site by site and keep on improving our biosecurity,” he said.

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February 28, 2014

The Agri Post

You Don’t Know What You’ve Got Till It’s Gone

Science-Based Decisions – In Whose Interest?

The closing of the tree nursery at Indian Head Saskatchewan and the demise of the Prairie Shelterbelt Program has happened without a lot

By Richard Warkentin of attention from the prairie agricultural community. For over 110 years the tree nursery supplied shelterbelt trees for the Prairie Provinces. Since 1935, in the height of the dirty thirties, it was taken over by PFRA, which was in the forefront of reshaping the rural landscape, with programs like the Prairie Shelterbelt Program.

Some would refer to PFRA as ‘the organization that saved Western Canada’ and contributed to the value of shelterbelts for rural communities.

When Gerry Ritz announced the decision to close the tree nursery in April 2012 there was an element of protest and even disbelief that it would actually happen.

It seemed like there could be an easy transition for the nursery to be managed by a coalition of western municipalities. December 31, 2013 came and went and there was no arrangement made to take over the nursery.

Many farmers were somewhat ambivalent to the demise of the Prairie Shelterbelt Program. There was the question if shelterbelts were still relevant due to the adoption of reduced tillage and low disturbance seeding practices.

Farmers are using larger equipment and the shelterbelts get in the way. Older shelterbelts are perceived to be too gangly and encroach onto valuable farmland.

There is, however, still a high erosion risk after low residue crops such as beans and potatoes. There is still a need for perennial soil conservation practices to work in cooperation with crop management systems. According to historical records in western Canada, there is a pattern of increased shelterbelt planting after periods of dry weather. For the past 20 years, we have been in a wet weather cycle. What will happen when a dry weather cycle occurs?

Ironically, the same time that the Federal Government announced the closing of the tree nursery, there was a research study in the Rural Municipality of Stanley on the benefits of shelterbelts to the rural community. This study was a master’s thesis research project conducted by Louise Bellet, who was raised on a farm in France and studied community-based natural resource management. The thesis project researched the complementary relationships between trees and soil organisms to sustain soil fertility. Another aspect of the project was a social study that considered the rural community values that influence the management of agro-ecosystems.

The soil biological study revealed that shelterbelts act as a reservoir of belowground bio-diversity. Fields adjacent to shelterbelts were observed to have significantly higher biomass and organic matter. The social study revealed that almost 70 percent of community survey respondents rated shelterbelts as important to the R.M. of Stanley community. Shelterbelts were seen to provide a greater value to the community as a whole, than to actual agricultural productivity. The conclusion of the study stated that field shelterbelts have a value as a cultural practice and provide an important function as part of a sustainable farm system.

We will only realize the full impact of the loss of the Indian Head Tree Nursery after the reality hits that it is no longer there. There will be no annual ritual of ‘picking up the PFRA trees’ this spring. As the song goes, “You don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone.”

Many farmers grew to take the free trees available from Indian Head for granted and the loss of the nursery will be a big gap to fill. There may be opportunity for other wholesale tree nurseries to provide shelterbelt trees at a reasonable cost, but the Federal Government has made a huge statement on their support of rural communities by shutting down the tree nursery.

Richard Warkentin is a Technician with Stanley Soil Management Association.

Governments and farm organizations tell us repeatedly that decisions made on our farms and by government regulatory agencies must be ‘science-based’. Entwined with this adherence to ‘science-based’ decision making is a demand that we accept that science is absolute and unbiased. That it never changes and is never influenced by the

By Ann Slater interests of funders of the research.

Our understanding of our world and of our own farms, however, is ever changing. Yesterday’s knowledge leads us to new discoveries today, which will lead to new understandings tomorrow. Scientific knowledge can never be absolute if we are open to learning. It constantly leads us to new discoveries and to new knowledge. As evidence we need only look at seed; from the time farmers started collecting and replanting seeds to grow food and feed we have been actively adding to our collective and our ever-changing knowledge of science and plant breeding.

No scientific investigation can ever be truly unbiased. When we set out to discover something new or to deepen our understanding of how best to grow crops and/or raise livestock, we bring our knowledge and experience along with our personal values.

Take the case of neonicotinoid insecticides and whether or not they should continue to be used.

Some farm organizations, as well as lobby groups for chemical companies, say that any new regulations or restrictions on the use of neonicotinoid insecticides must be ‘science-based’. They point to research studies showing that the use of neonicotinoid seed treatments increases yields of crops like corn and soybeans. That research, however, is funded by companies that produce and sell the insecticides. It serves their interests to show farmers the benefits of using their products.

At the same time, other farm organizations and environmental groups point to studies that show neonicotinoids are responsible for the deaths of honeybees and other invertebrates. They view the loss of invertebrates, including bees, native pollinators and other beneficial insects as having a long-term economic impact on farms as well as on our natural ecosystems.

As a society that makes ‘science-based’ decisions, we should have access to a variety of scientific studies when we make regulatory decisions. These studies should come from and receive funding from different sources, not just from the private sector, which can afford to fund research.

Publicly funded scientists have provided that diversity for generations. In the interests of the public, they have researched the effects of scientific discoveries, such as insecticides on our water, our farms, our air and our terrestrial ecosystems.

On a daily basis our federal government touts the need to make ‘science-based’ decisions, while at the same time, it is quickly dismantling Canada’s public research infrastructure and undermining the ability of our globally respected public scientists to do their research. World-renowned public libraries, like the Freshwater Institute library in Winnipeg, have been closed, with much of the invaluable materials carted off to dumpsters, according to scientists who observed the closures.

The destruction of this critical environmental and cultural baseline data, which was gathered in the public interest with public funding, represents a tremendous loss of knowledge. This ‘lost’ information could potentially have helped us better understand how our climate is changing, how agricultural practices are affecting our water and our natural ecosystems and whether various industrial and agricultural chemicals are accumulating in our ecosystems.

Today, any public funds that are available for scientific research are being handed over to private industry to support commercialization of those discoveries. In the May 7, 2013 issue of the Globe and Mail, which covered the change in mandate of the National Research Council, stated, “The National Research Council, which gave the country canola and the atomic clock, will now be taking its scientific cues from Canadian industry as part of a makeover of the country’s flagship research labs.” Where is the public interest when the government proclaims it is making ‘science-based’ decisions?

In December 2013, the federal government introduced Bill C-18, ‘The Agricultural Growth Act’, an omnibus bill with amendments to several agricultural acts. If the Bill is passed it will continue the government’s trend of refusing to acknowledge the scientific base of plant-breeding knowledge built by farmers through millennia of selecting and saving seed. Bill C-18 will accelerate the government’s trend of using science supplied by multinational chemical and seed companies when making ‘science-based’ decisions. This continues the trend of dismantling and undermining public research by opening more gates for private plant breeding with the resulting profits accruing to multinational seed companies while closing the gates to farm saved seed and public breeding in the public interest.

Our environment, our farms and our food sovereignty are all under threat if we continue to give multinational agribusiness corporations control over the science used to make ‘science-based’ decisions on our farms and in regulations pertaining to health, agriculture and our environment.

Ann Slater farms near St. Mary’s, Ontario and is Vice President (Policy) of the National Farmers Union. She can be reached at 519-349-2448 or aslater@quadro.net.

Interim Executive Director Announced by MPGA Manitoba Pulse Growers Association Inc. (MPGA) has named Francois Labelle as Interim Executive Director.

MPGA represents producers in Manitoba who grow soybeans, edible beans, peas, lentils, chickpeas and faba beans, provides these producers with production knowledge, market development support and focussed research results. Recently, Manitoba has seen a tremendous expansion of soybean acres in the province and a goal of MPGA is to lead soybean research and development in western Canada.

MPGA would like to see edible bean and pea acres increase as well.

Labelle has significant experience in the grain industry having been involved in various aspects of production, marketing and processing of pulse crops for 35 years. Throughout his career, he has been active on various boards including Prairie Fruit Growers Association, Canadian Special Crops Association, Pulse Canada and was a founding Director of the Manitoba Pulse Growers Association in 1984.

With his experience and knowledge in agriculture, this makes him well suited as Interim Executive Director of MPGA. Francois Labelle can be reached at 204-745-6488 or francois@manitobapulse.ca.

The Agri Post

Why Are They Experts?

It seems that in the battle of genetically modified seed the winner will be declared by who yells the loudest and the most. It looks like the agricultural community is going to be the loser again.

I am not a supporter or employee of Monsanto, I don’t even have any clothing with their logo embroidered on it.

I will admit having owned a pair of gloves or two with their name on it and I did covet those red and black ski jackets they had, but that was about 20 years ago. So I come to this fray from neutral ground, but this past week it was made obvious how bizarre the question is getting.

It was during an interview for a possible writing contract when the possible employer asked me whether I was for or against Monsanto and GMOs. I felt that had little impact on the contract we were talking about since it dealt with writing a book for him about financial institutions and the impending doom due to the over-extension of said institutions.

“Neither,” I replied, “I have written pieces in favour and opposing.” I could not see the relevance of his questioning but judging from the items that come to my electronic mailbox and the drivel that people post on face book, the issue of GMOs is going to boil down to who spreads the most propaganda. The issue of science and proof are clearly not the deciding factors in this one, and the opposition does not want it to be. They have already decided what the outcome should be and now it is just a matter of enforcing their views on the rest of the world and people who make a living growing their food.

That does not mean I am in favour of all regulations and resorting to the buyer beware approach taken by some nations regarding food or any other kind of production.

There has not been any science put forward that says GMO seed will cause us to grow extra limbs or whatever these people profess. Their approach to the Frankenfood thing seems just a bit much to me.

On the other side, who is going to battle for the industry that uses these products? Monsanto defending the science has somewhat of a hollow ring to it. They may be correct but there is, what will obviously be called, a conflict of interest. This, like so many other battles, will be decided by the loudest yeller or who can deliver the most votes to the politicians who write the rules.

It has become more clear in the political arena of late that politicians’ concerns are about getting elected and re-elected so at least we are no longer fooled by thinking they have our good at heart. They are going to agree with who delivers more votes and it would appear that the GMO battle is sliding down a slippery slope.

February 28, 2014

The Serious Scope of PED Manitoba’s pork producers, battered and bruised by high costs and low prices, had just started to think things were getting back to something close to normal, only to face another kick in the shins.

It comes in the form of a new virus called PEDv, short for Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea virus.

Once in a barn, it can have devastating results for the herd.

Thankfully there is no direct or indirect risk to humans from this virus.

But if it’s in your barn you will know very quickly as widespread diarrhea can hit in as little as three days from the initial infection. Nursing piglets are most at risk, with mortality levels having the potential to reach 100 percent. All other pigs are at risk as well. Older pigs may not die but will take a major productivity hit from the virus. At this time no effective vaccine is available.

PEDv is probably the most contagious disease hog producers have ever had to deal with. Researchers took a sample from the inside of an infected pig intestine; they diluted it 100 million times and then fed it to a 10-day-old pig. That animal quickly showed a level of disease only diluted 1,000 times. A

sample was taken from this pig and fed to another one. The virus reproduced so quickly that they found the same amount as they would in a real case of PEDv on a farm.

A veterinarian in the United States looked into how he could potentially spread PEDv. He exposed himself to the virus and then, after thoroughly showering and cleaning himself, took samples from his nose, ear canal, feet and mouth. PEDv was found in all locations. Three days later he repeated the tests and found no virus.

So little virus is needed to infect a pig that the most sensitive tests available today, which are extremely sensitive already, may not be picking up the virus at the level needed. The PED virus is widespread over Europe and Asia and is known to have been active in China since 2010. Reports of its presence in the United States started last spring.

It is now estimated that PED will kill in the neighbourhood of 2-4 million pigs in the U.S. in 2014.

On average a 1,500-sow site can expect to see 2,532 piglets lost, the value of which can be around $200,000. A 3,000head sow site on average has been losing about

5,064 piglets, putting Points the economic hit closer to $400,000.

by Rolf The average number Penner of weeks with 100 rolfpenner@agripost.ca percent death loss has been four, with an expected return time to more normal production Finishing barns may feel of about six weeks. That that they can get by with does not include other a lower standard. They costs not worked into the can’t. They play a key above figures, such as the role in spreading the slow growth of the pigs virus. Because no one that do survive, abortions wants this, any infected in sows and overall lost finishing barn is going to productivity. have a tough time In short, this is serious. carrying on business as Other than bringing usual. Trucks are not infected animals into your going to want to go on barn, the main risk comes your yard if you have from tracking PEDv in PEDv. from the outside on boots Time will tell the degree or equipment. Prevention to which this new threat measures via tight biocan be contained and security are the key to controlled in Manitoba. protecting one’s operaUnfortunately, farmers in tions. We must strive to other parts of the world eliminate any possibility have had to learn to live of cross-contamination. with it. If we do our With feed trucks, dead proper due diligence on stock pickup and the our own individual coming and going of operations, hopefully we livestock trailers, a liberal won’t have to as well. use of disinfectant and common sense when it comes to footwear and clothes can go a long way towards keeping one’s operation clean. Even the cleanest truck entering your yard has the potential to be a carrier. It may be a bit of a pain to follow proper procedures and protocols, but doing so has the potential to pay off big if you can keep PEDv out of your barn.

Do You Have An Ag Opinion?

Feel Free to submit it to

editor@agripost.ca

Equipment Breakdown Option Farm and Commercial policies cover the electrical, mechanical and other equipment used in most operations against fire, theft, collision and other events. But, most property policies specifically exclude losses arising from a very common problem, equipment breakdown, which includes electrical injury, mechanical breakdown, pressure explosion, rupture and cracking.

So, any business operation that uses pressure, mechanical, electrical and electronic equipment (and all businesses use these) is at risk of serious financial loss unless you purchase equipment breakdown insurance.

The kinds of equipment you might need to insure against breakdown include electronic equipment, boilers (heating and processing), telephone systems, cash registers, electrical panels, electric motors, hot-water storage tanks, transformers, air-conditioning units and refrigeration units.

Equipment breakdown insurance protects your business against sudden and accidental breakdown of machinery and equipment due to causes such as electrical arcing, short circuits, operator error, overload or burnout. Mechanical, electrical, electronic and/or equipment under pressure can

Penners

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all be insured to protect your business from losses caused by breakdown.

This form of coverage complements your property coverage, providing that extra protection you need in case of breakdowns but not duplicating coverage for losses caused by other events.

As options, coverage can be extended to provide the protection you need for income loss and extra expenses incurred due to a breakdown. You can choose the business interruption and extra expense coverage, including service interruption you need. Losses due to change in temperature causing spoilage can also be covered.

Equipment breakdown insurance can be added to all insurance programs.

Be sure to seek advice and purchase insurance from those who understand your business!

Andy Anderson is an Associate Insurance Broker specializing in General, Life and Group Benefits for Farm, Commercial/Agri-business T: 204-746-5589, F: 866 765 3351 andya@rempelinsurance.com / rempelinsurance.com / valleyfinancial.ca.

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The Agri Post

February 28, 2014

Farm Real Estate Markets Dependent on Dollar

By Les Kletke When Dolf Feddes was asked about the farm real estate market and he had a ready answer.

“Changing,” he said. “The market is always changing, there is always farm land selling but the buyers vary according to the time.” Feddes and two partners operate Canadian Farm Realty and were a part of the activity at Crop Connection in Winnipeg in late February. For producers who found the choices of inputs and crops selection overwhelming they list their farm with the company and take advantage of current prices.

Feddes said that for the past four years the market has been strong with domestic buys and the wave of immigration from Europe has ebbed somewhat, but he thinks that might change. He has, himself chosen to be a Canadian, emigrating from Holland and sees interest from that country.

“Land prices in Holland have gone from 40,000 to 60,000 Euros in the last two years,” he said. “That is a 50 percent increase in the price that farmers can get for their land and that

makes it attractive for them to look to Canada again.” He added that the increase in price coupled with the current exchange rate makes a great time for them to buy.

“The Euro has gone from $1.27 to $1.50 CAD over the same time so that adds to the purchasing power.”

Feddes said that there is always a dream to come to Canada for Dutch farmers, “It is always something they think about. Not all are willing to make the move but many talk about it and some are willing to start anew in another country.” He said Eastern Europe did not hold the same attraction and few Dutch farmers made the move to the former Soviet Union when land became available there.

Feddes said that European buyers prefer to purchase grain farms rather than supply managed commodity operations.

“They have the desire to buy land,” he said. “The attraction is not as great to pay for a paper asset. They like the idea of owning their own land and working a larger operation.

They come from very small farms in Holland and while the price per hectare is high, most do not have a lot of hectares to sell.”

He said there was a time not long ago when he spent his summers showing European farmers around southern Manitoba, “But that ended and the market was stronger with Canadian buyers. Now we might see a little strengthening of the market from European buyers. It is fluid and always changing.”

Factors to Consider Before Growing Soybeans

By Elmer Heinrichs The area seeded to soybeans is expected to decrease marginally in 2014-15 and production likewise is expected to fall. Producers need to look at the best ways and locations for producing this crop for which there’s a very ready market.

Since soybeans generally require a warmer, longer growing season to reach maturity, temperature tends to be the major limiting factor with more suitable areas in Manitoba considered the south-central area of the province.

However, variety trials and new research are showing some success in non-traditional soybean growing areas in Manitoba. By 2009 and 2010, they started seeing some of the different cultivars, particularly the early maturing ones, doing quite well in places they weren’t expecting.

Soybean variety trials conducted across Manitoba for

the past 10 years, managed by Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives (MAFRI), are located at sites with contrasting climates across the range of growing areas in Manitoba.

For 2014-15, the area seeded in Canada, according to Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada is expected to decrease marginally while the markets for export and home crush remain robust. Manitoba grew a record one million plus acres in 2013.

A three-year study, currently in Year 3, has noted that the climate on the prairies is often quite different from southern Ontario. Here the climate is often drier with bigger differences between nighttime and daytime conditions and differences in day lengths from south to north.

The message from crop advisors and extension specialists continues to caution growers thinking of growing soybeans to really do their own research on varieties ask where the trials were done and find out if they actually matured and produced in their local area.

In 2012 Morden was the only site that had sufficient heat units required for all three varieties. All the varieties did fairly well and the average yield across all three at all eight sites was the highest at Morden. However, at Roblin, which had the lowest heat units of any site, the results were quite unexpected.

The Roblin site had the highest yield for the short-season variety and the second highest average yields across all of the varieties at all of the sites.

Researchers are wondering if this was the case because Roblin has more precipitation or if it’s perhaps related to total day length or perhaps to how fast the days shorten during the growing season.

In considering whether to grow the crop, it may be well to consider crop insurance. In 2013, on a trial basis, crop insurance was expanded across Manitoba for soybeans.

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February 28, 2014

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Best Seller Could Go Long Ways to Improving Farm Management

By Les Kletke “Dad always said do the $100 an hour jobs yourself and find someone else to do the $5 an hour jobs,” was the way Brian Hefty explained his father’s approach to management on the farm. “And you can

guess who he had doing the $5 an hour jobs. My brother and I were never short of work.”

Hefty was a keynote speaker at Crop Connect and provided a copy of his book for those attending.

The 115-page volume titled ‘$100 an Hour Jobs: Les-

sons from Dad’ may be a bit light on pages but not on lessons that apply to farm management and everyday economics.

The 48 chapters go through life lessons that Hefty gained from his father beginning with the cost of a bottle of soda and

A Simple Message with Big Results

By Les Kletke Brian Hefty was billed as the Ag PhD at the first version of Crop Connect in Winnipeg in late February, and his session drew a standing room only crowd. He did not disappoint. Those that attended his sessions went home with a few simple steps that could have a dramatic impact on their bottom line and if they carried through his recommendations would change their approach to business.

In his opening remarks, Hefty clearly showed the difference between the steps that everyone else would take to increase yield and the steps individual producers should take on their farms. He counts items like better seed genetics, new fertility and better equipment as a given.

“It is the steps that you can take that make the difference,” said Hefty. He then went on to outline the steps that people, like world champion corn and soybean producer Kip Cullers’ takes to provide the absolute highest yield possible.

“The first thing is to believe you can achieve very high yields,” said Hefty. “Then you have to make an absolute commitment to achieving high yields and increasing profits.”

Heft recommends breaking down a soil test recommendation into much more detail than the pounds of nutrient required per acre. He went on to explain the value of organic matter in the soil and its impact on all aspects of crop production.

“It allows the soil to warm more quickly and helps hold the soil in place along with reducing compaction and increasing the oxygen level in the soil,” said Hefty. “For every 1 percent of organic matter increase the average soil can hold 4 percent more water and increase the nitrogen content by 20-30 percent.”

Hefty stressed the importance of micronutrients but did not give a blanket recommendation. He also said that farmers sometime mistakenly believe their crop is suffering from drought when the problem is a lack of nutrients.

“A crop that has ample nutrients will use less water, but if it is short on even one nutrient it will become a waster of water,” said Hefty. “Today’s hybrids are much better at producing a great crop under dry conditions versus the corn we had 25 years ago.”

He advocates tile drainage and the impact it has on lowering the water table as well as the added bonus of reducing run off.

“If the ground is saturated and untilled when water runs off, it carries soil, chemicals and fertilizer with it,” he said. “When it is tiled the land can absorb it better, reducing erosion and improving downstream water quality.”

He also provided a copy of his book, ‘$100 an Hour Jobs: Lessons from Dad’, for those attending his sessions.

Plant Pathogen Surveillance Initiative Launched Manitoba Canola Growers Association (MCGA) announced the launch of the Pathogen Surveillance Initiative during the MCGA Annual Meeting in Winnipeg. A grower lead effort, the first project of the Initiative will focus on technologies for the detection of low concentrations of clubroot in Manitoba.

“We have seen the real impact clubroot infections (CR) have on Brassica crops including canola in other areas of western Canada and want to be proactive to protect the income of Manitoba’s 9,000 canola growers from this devastating soil borne plant pest,” said Ed Rempel, President of the MCGA. “2013 was the first time Manitoba has experienced CRpositive plant samples and so the time to act is now.”

Rempel indicated the initiative will establish a specialized ‘molecular’ laboratory to collect, process and analyze soil samples for presence of CR at very low levels and before plant symptoms are present. Lab results will allow affected growers to adopt the management practices needed to minimize spread of the disease and protect their canola yields.

“It is growers who suffer the impact of income robbing pests and so it is fitting that growers take the lead in building the tools we need to make the best management decisions we can,” Rempel concluded.

how the 25 cents that he might spend as a 7-year-old could become $64.

Chapter 23 is only two pages long and it deals with the senior Hefty’s approach to gaining knowledge.

Hefty recounted, “Dad would often work 80 to 100 hours a week during planting or harvest season but he still made time to read, not just for pleasure but to get ahead in his profession. Many people think success just comes easy for some people, but behind the scenes, you’ll often find years of dedication led to their achievement. I believe that was the case with my Dad.” The book contains a good deal of basic economics with a solid dose of Hefty’s observations included. Chapter titles like The Size of Your Mistakes Determines Failure or Success do not even require a chapter, they are simply titles in the book and selfexplanatory.

He does offer more explanation in the chapter that

Brian Hefty, keynote speaker at Crop Connect in Winnipeg, provides the audience with copies of his book which shares lessons on farm management that he had gained from his father.

Photo by Les Kletke

deals with most people who go broke because of doing many small things wrong rather that making major wrong decisions.

Hefty spent a chapter recounting a day he spent as a rebellious teenager and not working on the family business but rather spending time with his high school friends at a video outlet.

“I spent a lot of money that day and I was trying to save for college so I knew how important saving money was,” he said.

“When you’re working, you’re not spending money and that saves you a lot of money.”

Life lessons from the Hefty household will go a long way towards better farm management.

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The Agri Post

February 28, 2014

Canola Plant Just South of Border Pleased with Canadian Response

By Les Kletke Jay Bjerke is a great fan of exchange, exchange in many forms and right now the exchange rate between the U.S. and Canadian dollar is one of his favourites.

“The exchange rate is working out quite well,” said Bjerke who is the Agronomic Services Manager with Northstar Agri Industries in Hallock, North Dakota. He is based in Fargo but the company’s crush facility is in Hallick, Minnesota.

The lack of grain movement in western Canada has also favoured movement to the Minnesota plant.

“Farmers want to move some crop and they can do that via truck,” said Bjerke. “And, the exchange rate gives them a better price than when they are quoted in Canadian dollars.”

The Minnesota plant relies on Canada for about half of its seed.

Bjerke said things have gone well for the new plant since it began operation in 2012.

“We have been able to run smoothly since the opening commissioning of the plant and we have been able to source enough seed to keep the plant running,” he said. The company is planning to add another facility to its operation that is under construction in Enid, Oklahoma. The Oklahoma plant will have twice the capacity of the Minnesota facility, which has a maximum crush of 11-12 tons a day.

“That plant will rely on the winter canola, which is really expanding in acreage,” said Bierce. For now, he is concerned about keeping growers in North Dakota up to speed on advancements in the crop.

“We have some programs which target our top producers and encourage them to grow the top oil content varieties,” he said. The varieties do not have a yield drag despite their higher oil content.

When asked why they would pay a premium for a variety that is a higher yielder Bierce replied, “It is a part of our share the wealth program and we want to reward growers and keep them growing the newest and best varieties that have higher oil content.” The company keeps a database of its growers and offers the new varieties to its top 10 percent.

He suggested that Northstar Agri Industries might be ready to contract with Canadian growers. “We have several options available,” he said with a smile. “We could do that or growers can grow the crop and offer the crop in fall. We are ready to talk to them about the options and the conditions that they would like to see.”

Jay Bjerke of Northstar Agri Industries says the Minnesota plant sources half of its needs from Canada.

Photo by Les Kletke

Wheat Growers Wrap up Successful Convention The Western Canadian Wheat Growers Association held its 44th annual convention in Ottawa recently with over 120 in attendance including several Members of Parliament and industry guests.

A highlight of the convention was a bear pit session with Gerry Ritz, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, who answered several questions from delegates.

While most questions focussed on the grain transportation problems, other issues raised included plant breeders legislation, variety registration, trade and reform of the Canadian Grain Commission.

Also presenting was Ed Fast, Minister of International Trade, who empha-

sized the importance of trade agreements and Canada’s efforts to gain increased market access for Canadian grain and livestock producers through CETA, TPP and bilateral trade deals.

Malcolm Allen, NDP Agriculture Critic spoke about the failure of the railways to provide adequate grain shipping capacity this year and how government intervention is necessary when there is insufficient competition in the marketplace.

Mark Eyking, the Liberal Agriculture Critic also used the occasion to announce his request for an emergency debate on grain transportation in the House of Commons, a request that was granted later that day

by the Speaker of the House.

Other speakers spoke about the gluten-free craze, global grain demand, biotechnology and the need to use social media to counter unfounded attacks on modern agriculture.

During the convention the Wheat Growers held its annual general meeting and elected two new directors, Margaret Hansen of Langbank, Saskatchewan and Graeme Manness of Domain, Manitoba.

The Wheat Growers thanked outgoing Director Rolf Penner for his contributions over the past six years, including the strong role he played in gaining marketing freedom for western Canadian farmers.

Poultry Research Gets a Boost The Canadian Poultry Research Council (CPRC) will receive $4 million from the Federal Government to strengthen the poultry industry’s role within the Canadian agri-food sector.

The research will focus on helping the poultry processing industry remain competitive, while addressing consumer concerns about poultry welfare and environmental preservation. This will include developing new vaccines, reducing the environmental footprint of poultry farms and

providing poultry farmers access to high-calibre training opportunities.

“Canada’s poultry industry has made embracing innovation part of the industry’s vision in recognition of the need to be dynamic and to foster efficiency for farmers and our industry partners,” said Roelef Meijer Chair of the Canadian Poultry Research Council. “This announcement of funding for a second Poultry Science Cluster is a substantial contribution to the sector’s future. It

will enable researchers to find more immediate answers to industry issues and to provide important information to farmers, stakeholders and consumers.”

While industry leadership and investment are important to the success of this cluster, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s (AAFC) researchers will collaborate in priority areas, including developing viable alternatives to the use of dietary antibiotics in chicken production.

The Agri Post

Canadian Team Defends Interest in COOL Dispute in Geneva The Canadian Pork Council (CPC) and the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association (CCA) congratulate the Canadian team defending their interests in the U.S. Country of Origin Labelling (COOL) dispute at the World Trade Organization (WTO) in Geneva.

CPC Chair Jean Guy Vincent reporting from Geneva said, “This is a very complicated process and the Canadian team performed very well in making our case and answering many complex questions.” He added, “This matter is very important to Canadian hog producers. It has been very frustrating trying to eliminate WTO illegalities in COOL. We have now been to Geneva four times to fight these unfair U.S. labelling regulations. We won nearly two years ago and the U.S. introduced a new system which is even worse for Canadian livestock exports.”

CCA officials in Geneva have indicated that a particularly noteworthy development in the hearing was the U.S. concession that the amended COOL measure has not eliminated the detrimental impact on Canadian and Mexican livestock. “This means that the U.S. position is as long as consumer information is a legitimate objective, they can discriminate against their trading partners,” said CCA President Martin Unrau.

“The blatant protectionism of the U.S. position was clear throughout the hearings.”

“The blatant protectionism of the U.S. position was clear throughout the hearings,” Vincent explained. “It was very satisfying to hear the Chairman of the Panel tell the U.S. lawyers that big countries and small countries in the WTO have the same obligations. It is taking much longer than we believe it should but we are confident that we will prevail,” he said.

Vincent and Unrau added that the Government of Canada has been very helpful and has issued multiple warnings that U.S. failure to make changes to be WTO consistent could result in retaliation against U.S. exports to Canada. “We hope that it does not come to this; we want our U.S. market back,” said Mr. Vincent CPC and the CCA have been coordinating with the Government of Canada to remove the inequities of the U.S. COOL regime.

The CPC serves as a national voice in Canada with a federation of nine provincial pork industry associations with the sole purpose of playing a leadership role in achieving and maintaining a dynamic and prosperous Canadian pork sector.

The CCA is the national voice for 68,500 beef farms and feedlots and was founded by producers and led by a producer-elected board of directors. The association works to address issues that concern Canada’s beef producers.

February 28, 2014

KAP Sets Course to Lobby Governments on a Wide Ranging of Issues Keystone Agricultural Producers (KAP) wrapped up its 30th annual meeting recently after having passed 24 resolutions that reflect the views of farmers across the province.

“This meeting is a forum for discussing any issues our members bring forward related to farming and to living in rural Manitoba,” said KAP President Chorney. “It is also a call to action, where we develop policy and positions for affecting change which our organization acts upon in the coming year.”

One of the resolutions calls for pressing the federal government to raise the cap on the amount available to farmers through Advance Payment Programs. With virtually no grain moving in Manitoba, farmers need to access more money through the program to purchase seed and crop inputs for the spring.

Other resolution topics included a provincial lab that can perform Lyme disease tests, designating specific spending amounts for rural infrastructure, Manitoba Hydro expansion of electrical and natural gas service in rural areas for future needs, UPOV ’91, impose monetary penalties on the railways for lack of service and make it payable to grain companies affected by non-performance, grazing of cattle on Crown lands, expanding the list of PST-exempt assets for farmers, creation of a federal tax exemption for the transfer of farm ownership between family members, removal of out-of-province ownership restrictions and the $5,000 cap on the Farmland School Tax Rebate Program, the continuance of funding for Best Management Practice (BMP) incentive programs related to the Environmental Farm Plan program and the cost share of fuel storage under the Environmental Farm Plan Program.

Chorney had some good news for delegates, telling them there is a 22 per cent increase in KAP membership.

“We are trying harder to get our message out to non-member farmers about the good work we are doing on their behalf, and it’s obviously paying off,” he said.

Delegates were updated and challenged by a variety of speakers, including columnist and author Diane Frances who spoke about the advantages of Canada merging with the U.S., motivational speaker Doug Brown, a columnist and former CFL player, and Manitoba’s CBC Climatologist John Sauder.

During the meeting, Chorney was acclaimed President for his fourth and final term.

Under KAP by-laws, a President can hold office for a maximum of four terms. Also acclaimed for second and third terms respectively were Curtis McCrae and Dan Mazier.

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The Agri Post

Prevent Left Displaced Abomasum in Fresh Dairy Cows One or two cases of Left Displaced Abomasum or LDAs in a milking herd of 100 cows are not a significant problem. It’s natural incidence in well-managed dairy herds and is shy of an annual national average of 5 percent.

However, a string of LDAs in a group of fresh dairy cows should be investigated. It is a visible sign that something is wrong in the close-up dry cow pen. Fortunately, setting up a proper transition-feeding program that dovetails into the first month of lactation can easily prevent the occurrence of many potential and costly LDAs. With a good transition diet being fed about three weeks before calving, an LDA after calving in dairy cows should be rare. That’s because the abomasum (the “true” stomach) of the dairy cow normally sits underneath the large rumen (fermentation vat), which holds it in place. As long as the fresh cow has a decent appetite for bulky transition feed and thus is filling its rumen, the abomasum does not move under the massive rumen.

In contrast, an LDA is likely to occur when the rumen is smaller than usual and the abomasum can roll out from underneath it and becomes trapped along the left body wall.

It is often filled with fermentation gases, which helps the abomasum, float upwards.

Afflicted dairy cows may also suffer from other contributing LDA-factors such as fullblown or sub-acute milk fever. The low-calcium body status leads to reduced smooth muscle mobility of the cow’s guts that makes a LDA, even more likely.

In addition, fat dry cows with too much body condition (BCS of 5 = obese to 1 = emaciated) are also at greater risk for getting LDAs after calving. They tend to have depressed dry matter intakes coupled with slower rates of intake recovery after calving.

Although not directly associated with their LDA condition, over-conditioned cows are also candidates for damaging ketosis and fatty liver syndrome.

Whether LDA cows are fat or in optimum body condition, the general treatments for veterinarian-confirmed cases of LDAs are similar.

Some cows are simply rolled or toggled onto their backs and the abomasum moves back into place. However, due to a 50 percent chance of an LDA re-occurrence by this method, more effective surgery of various techniques are performed by large-animal veterinarians.

They cut into the cow’s body cavity, move the abomasum back and suture it to the body wall. It has become the preferred LDA treatment, since research surveys have proven that 90 percent of LDA-surgically recovered dairy cows remain in the lactation herd and complete their current milk cycle.

One should keep in mind that LDA treatment is still a costly and time-consuming exercise with the odd-treated LDA cow being culled. Therefore, prevention of LDAs by establishing a good transition dry cow-feeding program is universally viewed as the best LDA medicine. That means a good transition dry cow program should encompass the main period about 3 weeks pre-calving that ultimately dovetails into the early lactationfeeding period of 2-3 weeks post-calving. A time-line that parallels the major LDA risk period for early lactation cows.

LDA-prevention feeding diets should follow five sound pre-partum parameters, namely (1) Account for a natural 30 percent decline in dry matter intake of the freshening cow about five days before calving, (2) Shift the rumen microbe population from fibre fermenters to starch (grain) digesters, (3) Promote the growth of rumen papillae (long finger-like projections along the rumen wall that absorb essential nutrients), (4) Maintain a healthy calcium balance in the body that prevents milk fever and (5) Promote a working immune system.

An LDA prevention/transition diet for close-up cows that incorporates these five principles has a nutrient profile that should look something like this: Energy level = 0.62-0.67 Mcal/lb, 14-15 percent crude protein, 32-33 percent effective forage fibre level, 32-33 percent non-fibre carbohydrates, balanced with 1.2 percent (anionic)/0.4 percent (other) calcium - 0.4 percent phosphorus level, sound trace mineral package with Vitamin A (150,000 iu/hd), Vitamin D (10,000 iu/hd) and Vitamin E (1000 iu/hd).

Some special feed additives can also be added such as monensin sodium to promote positive post-calving energy balance; while other transition feed, additives such as rumen protected-choline enhance liver function and healthy fat metabolism.

These sound transition diets should be fed at a rate of 1.7-2.0 percent (dm, basis), which satisfies the respective dietary National Research Council (NRC) requirements of a pre-calving cow of a body condition score of 3.25-3.75 as well as maintain this optimum BCS by the time that she calves.

First lactation cows and those cows in a thin condition can be fed this diet, but it should be introduced into their transition pen at 4-5 weeks before calving. Cows that are over-conditioned can be treated to a similar diet usually fed to a regular group of precalving cows, but with an energy density set much lower than the standard transition cow diet.

Regardless of its final nutrient profile, the foundation of most transition diets should be based upon palatable and high quality forages that are high digestible fibre, modest in energy and a consistent quality. It is a re-emphasis upon the critical importance of effective forage fibre in order to maintain the large size of the rumen as well as to keep a population of active microbes within its walls. Once proper transition forages are secured, they can be supplemented with different grains and other feedstuffs (including a complementary mineral - vitamin pack) to meet all of the nutrient needs of the pre-calving transition cow.

These well-balanced transition dairy cow diets range from those that are relatively easy to put together such as a simple all forage-based faraway dry cow diet supplemented with a little early lactation TMR to complex lead-feeding rations that contain a specific formula. The concrete success of both types of transition diets means that pre-calving cows eat them with satisfaction, how well they prevent fresh cow LDAs and associated post-partum metabolic disorders such as milk fever, retained placentas and ketosis.

Without these obstructions, trouble-free high producing cows can produce lots of milk and thus revenue.

Beef PProducers roducers Appoint New GM In a recent announcement, Manitoba Beef Producers (MBP) has appointed Melinda German to the position of General Manager starting March 3.

German comes to MBP after serving as the Director of the Livestock Knowledge Centre for Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Development. She holds a Master of Science from the University of Saskatchewan, specializing in Beef Animal Nutrition/ Grazing and Pasture Management.

“We are very pleased to welcome Ms. German as General Manager,” said Heinz Reimer, MBP President. “Her passion for the beef industry and the producers who make production possible combined with her industry knowledge, experience and skills, makes her ideally suited to lead our organization.”

German brings over 15 years of experience in research, extension and management to MBP. “The board is confident that Ms. German will meet the challenge of her new position with great success and we trust that she will build on the success of MBP and its predecessors,” said Reimer.

“I appreciate the opportunity to take on this position at such a pivotal time for the industry and I look forward to working with the team at MBP, beef producers and industry stakeholders,” said Melinda German. “Beef production is a key economic driver in Manitoba and I will work to continue to build on the momentum MBP has created to promote the interests of producers.”

The role of General Manager at MBP is a key position that reports directly to the Board of Directors. The core function is to provide leadership and to be responsible for implementing the strategic direction and initiatives set by the board.

The Board of Directors extended its sincere thanks to Cam Dahl for his leadership as General Manager over the past three years.

Dahl accepted a position as President of Cereals Canada.

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The Agri Post

Greenhouse Producers Seek Light During Darkest Days

Zilmax Has its Own Hooves Trimmed Without Explanation

By Peter Vitti

Photo Courtesy of philips.com/horti

Now that Canada is in the midst of the shortest and coldest days of the year, light and heat management are the top priority for many producers who operate greenhouses.

Light-emitting diodes (LEDs) have the potential to replace high-energy consuming systems, such as HPS lamps and are already used in commercial greenhouses in some European countries, as well as experimentally in the United States and in Canada. This new technology may result in earlier flowering; faster root growth, more economical use of space and increased yields.

If LED light is one day commercialized for greenhouses in Canada, we may see it used as a complement to HPS light and growth in a hybrid lighting system.

Last summer Tyson Foods announced that it would no longer accept Zilmax-fed feedlot cattle at their slaughter facilities due to a small number of animals showing up with sloughedoff hooves during a particular stretch of hot weather. Cargill Inc. plants followed suit and it wasn’t long before Merck Animal Health, the manufacturer of Zilmax (Zilpaterol hydrochloride) pulled this popular beef feed additive off the market. A couple of months into 2014 have passed and there is no significant explanation or any effective solution to the whole affair.

Of the 30 million cattle slaughtered each year in the United States, about 100 Zilmax-fed cattle were cited to have lost their hooves, since FDA approved Zilmax in 2006/2007. That is 0.0003 percent affected animals of those nationally slaughtered. Of the approximate 3.7 million-feedlot cattle slaughter annually in Canada, no reports of Zilmax-fed lameness were reported. Such Zilmax ‘revealed’ lameness pales in comparison to conducted US national surveys that report an average incidence of about 3 percent general/specific lameness among feedlot cattle.

Consequently, a definite significant scientific link between Zilmax and severe lameness in feedlot cattle has yet to be proven. However, one plausible theory around suggests that Zilmax-fed finishing cattle are put on a heightened plane of weight gain and feed efficiency performance that makes them significantly more susceptible to common feedlot ailments such as rumen acidosis-related hoof laminitis. Last summer’s mitigating factors, such as heat-stress, only elevated this respective vulnerability and suffering.

The performance part of such a hypothesis has arguably some credibility in Canada, because the active ingredient of Zilmax, namely Zilpaterol Hydrochloride, has been effectively tested by Merck and approved by strict Canadian government approval, “for increased carcass leanness, increased dressing percent, improved rate of body weight gain and improved feed efficiency in beef cattle,” (re: claim #1 of the medication ingredient brochure #83, Canadian Feeds Act). To date (2014), Zilmax is still a government-approved feed additive for feeding feedlot cattle in Canada and in the U.S. The Canadian Federal Inspection Agency dictates that Zilpaterol is to be fed at the rate of 8.3 mg/kg of the total diet (forage and grain, dmi basis) to finishing cattle greater than 450 kg bodyweight in the last 20 to 40 days on feed. Merck claims that Zilmax fed to cattle gain an extra 10-15 kg on high grain diets compared to similarly fed control groups. Its nearest competitor, Optiflexx from Elanco (active ingredient - Ractopamine hydrochloride), reports about 5-9 kg of respective weight gain, accordingly.

To achieve such weight gains and increased feed efficiencies, the mechanism for Zilpaterol Hydrochloride (as well as Ractopamine) is found within its origins of a new class of beef finishing growth promotants called Beta-Agonists.

Beta-Agonists are a group of non-hormone feed additives that have been developed in the last couple of decades. They work by taking dietary energy found predominantly in high-grain diets fed to finishing cattle and divert it into lean muscle tissue rather than fat deposition. As a result, they help feedlot animals produce more marketable meat. Critics of beta-agonists point out that no additional marbling is produced and thus produce a lower quality meat of less tenderness and flavour. Some recent university research supports these anti-Zilmax beliefs.

Regardless as to one’s tastes, no information is presented that Zilmax-fed animals are more predisposed to common feedlot nutritional disorders such as rumen acidosis, which can lead to lameness in days prior to shipment to a packing plant. It is quite conceivable that Zilmax-fed feedlot animals can suffer from rumen acidosis at the same rate as non-Zilmaxfed cattle given the right feedlot conditions.

Acidosis is a common nutritional rumen disorder amongst finishing feedlot cattle that are fed high grain diets in a short period.

Under normal rumen conditions, large amounts of starch found in grains such as corn or barley are fermented and metabolized as a source of energy, which drives vital functions and growth performance in feedlot cattle. During this process, lactic acid is also produced but is normally buffered by bicarbonates found in the cattle saliva. Unfortunately, if too much lactic acid is produced, the buffering capacity of the animal is often overwhelmed and as a result, the pH of rumen fluid drops below a healthy threshold of 5.6. This leads to a higher incidence of unhealthy internal disorders such as rumenitis, internal gastro-intestinal sloughing, liver abscesses and lameness.

Lameness, or laminitis, is a generic term that refers to inflammation of tissues located in the cattle hoof. Acute laminitis is the visible and most severe form of lameness frequently seen as feedlot cattle limping to the feed bunk. One of the primary causes of laminitis is feeding finishing high grain rations without enough effective fibre to combat the effects of rumen acidosis.

Under such rumen acidotic conditions, toxins are also absorbed into the bloodstream, which causes small blood clots to form. These particles disrupt peripheral blood flow in the hooves. This circulatory disturbance causes destruction of this tissue that leads to abnormal hoof horn growth and, if severe enough, will cause the hard part of the hoof to be sloughed. Because this area is also rich in nerves and nerve endings, pressure from inflammation and dying tissue makes acute laminitis a particularly painful problem for finishing beef cattle.

Everybody should agree that severely lame and suffering Zilmax-fed cattle that entered a Tyson Foods packing facility were justifiably euthanized last summer. However, six months have passed and whether the incident was directly related to feeding Zilmax, a severe bout of heat-stress fuelled rumen acidosis, or a combination of both is really still anybody’s guess. Subsequently, on its own recognisance, Merck continues to suspend its public sale of Zilmax until more of these questions about the animal safety of Zilmax in cattle are explained with good answers.

The Agri Post

CFIA Rules Cost Farmers $657 Million a Year For the first time, the cost of complying with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency’s (CFIA) regulations has been calculated, totalling $657 million each year for Canada’s farmers and agriculture industry. As part of Red Tape Awareness WeekTM, the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) presents these findings in its second CFIA Report Card.

The report is based on a survey of CFIB agri-business members and provides a comprehensive review of how the CFIA interacts with farmers, as well as its impact on the agriculture sector. Agriculture is an important part of the Canadian economy employing two million people and contributing 8.1 percent of Canada’s GDP. “Farmers support rules necessary to ensure safe food and are tired of getting the run-around from the CFIA,” said Marilyn Braun-Pollon, CFIB’s Vice-President, Agribusiness. “Spending thousands of dollars and countless hours navigating through confusing forms and contradictory information leaves farmers feeling completely frustrated. And this does nothing to promote food safety.”

Key findings on the CFIA Survey: - Since 2006, the annual average cost of complying with the agency’s rules and paperwork has increased from $19,000 to $20,396 per agri-business owner.

- Only one-in-five agri-business owners believe the CFIA provides good ‘overall service’, the same as previous findings in 2006, indicating there is no improvement in overall service.

- 60 % of agri-business owners say CFIA regulations add significant stress to their lives.

- 46 % report that the agency’s regulations significantly reduce productivity in their business, up from previous findings (40 %) in 2006.

While the report shows improvements to accessibility and to the attitude of agency staff, CFIA clearly still has a lot more work to do when it comes to communications and overall service.

“As CFIA modernizes Canada’s food regulatory system through the Safe Food for Canadians Action Plan, we hope they make concrete and practical changes to address farmers’ concerns, as things really do need to change,” concluded Braun-Pollon.

Canadians are encouraged to show their support for CFIB’s Red Tape Revolution by signing the on-line petition at cfib.ca/rtaw to be delivered to governments.

To arrange an interview with Marilyn Braun-Pollon, call 204-982-0817 or 1-888-2342232 or email msman@cfib.ca. To read a copy of the second CFIA Report Card, visit cfib.ca.

CFIB is Canada’s largest association of small and medium-sized businesses with 109,000 members across every sector and region with 7,200 independently owned and operated agri-businesses in the country, the majority of which are primary producers.

February 28, 2014

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Understanding the Basics Is Key to Finding Best Return

By Les Kletke Understanding the basics of grain pricing and its movement can go a long way to selling your grain at a profit.

Brenda Tjaden Lepp, of FarmLink Marketing, was one of the keynote speakers at Crop Connections and she said that understanding the basics is the first step to making the right decisions about when to market your grain.

“Understanding the basics is the first step and most producers know that it is the difference between a cash price and a futures price, but understanding why it changes is the next step to choosing the right time to sell,” said Tjaden Lepp.

She likens it to calculus and computing the rate of change, an image that may not bring comfort to most people who prefer not to go back to the world of functions and derivatives.

“That is exactly why they are called derivatives. Just like in calculus they are the rate of change,” she said.

“When you understand that and how they are moving, you are in a better place

to make decisions.”

Tjaden Lepp said that one of her prime roles in working with clients is to take the emotion out of grain marketing and help producers make choices on when to sell, based on the likelihood of the market moving higher or lower rather than some emotional feeling about the market reaching a certain point.

She attracted a roomful for her morning session on the opening day of Crop Connections, which is a new concept in bringing together commodities groups for a two-day event at one location and holding their annual meetings in close proximity. The AGM was a combined meeting place for the corn, pulse and sunflower growers where they held simultaneous AGMs but it did not meet everyone’s approval and will be under review for next year.

Tjaden Lepp, who has established herself as one of the most respected market analysts in the grain industry, was a keynote presenter at Ag Days a month earlier and she still drew a good crowd at Crop Connections. Tjaden Lepp ex-

plained that she could not provide growers with when the markets would take an upturn.

“There are a lot of things affecting this market and the futures market,” she said. “The transportation system, the crush plants and the surplus carryover all come into play and it is important to watch the market signals that give you the best time to market your grain.”

She said her role is to provide the information to her clients. “It is not my grain and I am not emotionally attached so I use the analytical tools that I have developed over the last 20 years to provide the information and the farmer has to decide when to sell.”

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February 28, 2014

The Cattle Industry Sees Supply Shortages

The Agri Post

Agriculture Sector Remains Strong for Coming Years

By Harry Siemens Both the hog and livestock sectors in the U.S. and Canada find themselves in mostly uncharted waters.

The hog industry is looking up if the PED virus does not overwhelm the hog farmer while the beef business is facing a shortage in supply and rising prices for the retail consumer.

Normally Jim Long, a hog commentator, sticks with the hog business, but when the two became so intertwined, meaning the shortage of one affects the other, Long waded into the cattle business, too.

“Will the cattle herd recover?” asked Long, after the USDA released the latest January 1 cattle inventory report last Friday.

All cattle and calves in the United States as of January 1 totalled 87.7 million head, 2 percent below the 89.3 million on January 1, 2013 down 2.4 million head.

“This is the lowest January 1 inventory of cattle since the 82.1 million on hand in 1951, 63 years ago,” he said. “To put it into context, the US population in 1951 was 154 million, 2013 - 317 million; twice as many people.”

The USDA number for all cows and heifers that have calved so far, is at 38.3 million, down 1 percent from 38.5 million on January 1, 2013.

“This is the lowest January 1 inventory of all cows and heifers that have calved since the 36.8 head in 1941, 74 years ago,” Long noted. “The U.S. population in 1941 was 133 million people.”

He added that it does not take a rocket scientist or ageconomist to see the trend-line. “Less cattle, less beef, less per capita consumption, more expensive beef,” he said.

“What’s the option for red meat, pork?” questioned Long.

“We need as an industry to continue to improve red meat pork with better marbling, taste, flavour, darker colour, etc.

It’s our chance to gain demand. Demand enhances profitability.”

To take this one-step further in the United States the National Beef announced Friday it would close its Brawley, California beef plant on April 4 that is located in California’s Imperial Valley and built in 2001 reported the Cattle Buyers Weekly. The plant had a capacity of 2,000 head per day and accounted for just over 14 percent of National Beef’s output for the first nine months of 2013. National acquired the plant in 2006 and the closure will idle about 1,300 workers.

The kicker according to Steve Myer in the CME daily livestock report is that the company is citing a declining supply of fed cattle.

Meyer said that while the closure of the Brawley facility itself may be a bit of a surprise to some industry observers, the closure of a beef slaughter facility should really be no surprise at all. “Declining cattle numbers have put both the feedlot and slaughter sectors in a position of overcapacity.

And, while the U.S. beef cowherd may grow over the next few years given current profits and generally better range/ pasture conditions, we know of hardly anyone who would expect it to grow enough to support the current number and capacity of either feedlots or packing plants. In fact, we doubt that this will be the last plant closure as the sector adjusts to smaller cattle numbers.”

Meyer’s first impression of the report is that it is somewhat bullish. The total cattle inventory on January 1 was 87.73 million head, 1.8 percent smaller than one year ago.

“Of particular interest to me is the number of beef cows that have calved that were on U.S. farms and ranches on January 1 was down 0.9 percent from one year ago at 29.042 million head,” he said. “This marks the seventh straight year for an all-time low on the beef cows that have calved and a measure which dates back to 1965. Adjusting the beef cows and heifers 2 years and older inventory used before that year indicates this is likely the smallest beef cow herd since 1962.”

Meyer added this year’s reduction was smaller than expected, meaning the herd size may turn upward more quickly.

“Bottom line, the outlook supports continued heifer retention and lower cow slaughter this year. The big question still is whether the weather will also support the expansion. If so, look for very tight supplies and continued high prices for 2014 and into 2015. Beef production will not increase significantly until 2016,” he added.

Agriculture and AgriFood Canada is anticipating a strong year for Canadian farmers in 2014.

An overall positive situation is suggested for the agriculture sector in 2013 and 2014 in 3 new reports recently released with the Farm Income Forecast for 2013 and 2014, the Medium Term Outlook and the Farm Income, Financial Conditions and Government Assistance Data Book for 2013. These reports provide financial and market forecasts for the sector and offer benchmarks for producers, industry stakeholders and governments as they plan for the years ahead.

With farmers’ net incomes remaining near historical peaks, robust crop prices, favourable livestock markets and an excellent prairie harvest, indications are positive for the agriculture sector in 2013 and 2014.

“These latest forecasts show how the agriculture sector continues to be a strong driver of the Canadian

economy. Canada’s agriculture and food industry has grown into a modern, technologically-advanced,

export-oriented sector that is among the elite performers in today’s highly competitive global marketplace

and the outlook is bright for our farmers,” commented Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz.

Farm Income Forecast for 2013 and 2014 Highlights - Canadian farmers produced a record crop of 96.5 million tons of grain in 2013 due to historically high yields and ideal weather conditions.

- The average total income of farm families is expected to continue rising, reaching $132,579 in 2014.

- Aggregate net cash income for 2013 is projected to total $13.2 billion, a near record, while farm-level average net operating income is forecasted to increase to $68,498.

- Program payments declined by 25 percent because of favourable production conditions in 2013 and generally, there were healthy returns for the last few years.

- Average net worth per farm is projected to hit an all-time high of $2 million in 2014.

Medium Term Outlook Highlights - An increase is expected in prices for grains and oilseeds from the current lows as robust global growth and rising demand continues to support prices well above pre-2007 levels.

- Although feed prices have declined from drought-induced highs, prices will remain relatively strong and continue to be the most significant cost component for the livestock sector.

- Cattle and hog prices are expected to remain at higher levels over the medium term and livestock producers will find some relief from the high 2012-grain prices.

- Canadian exports of agriculture and agri-food products will continue to expand on trend supported by economic growth in large emerging markets. Exports will continue to be important for the red meat sector.

The Agri Post

Tips for the 100-Mile or Less Diet

February 28, 2014

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Testing Soil for Economic Accuracy

A new system devised by a Saskatchewan soil scientist could replace traditional soil testing by measuring ion exchange in the soil with membranes in a plastic spike.

Photo by Les Kletke

By Les Kletke

These green house cucumbers were started indoors on February 9 and were growing just nine days later.

Photo by Joan Airey

By Joan Airey In Manitoba we can grow everything from apples to zucchini, so why not eat locally.

The website site of a new Canadian garden magazine called Garden Making is full of information for gardeners. I haven’t seen their magazine yet but on their website gardenmaking.com I learned of dwarf basil, Italian Cameo Basil that grows easily in containers.

One chilly January day when I was eating lunch alone I happened to turn on the television, which happened to be on CTV2A airing the show Simple Fresh Delicious. The show is filmed by the Alberta government and it is a cooking show using locally grown vegetables, fruit and meats. The recipes I have tried have been delicious and are available online at simplefreshdelicous.com.

Duayne Friesen, host of The Lawn and Garden radio show Saturday mornings at 9:11 am, told listeners that buying cut flowers at Farmers Markets has grown 17 percent in the last year. If you are interested in growing cut flowers for your own use or to sell along with other produce at a Farmers Market you can get a list of flowers suitable for cut flowers from Friesen at this e-mail address, thelawnandgardenjournal@goldenwestradio.com. Friesen’s show airs on 1220 AM and 950 AM. Visiting with a gardening friend at the rink she told me I should order a Vesey’s Seed catalogue, as they were full of information. She also recommended growing Spring Treat corn because it stays at its peak for a long time. Their website is full of gardening information, veseys.com.

Bulls Blood is a new variety of beet seed I tried in 2013 and purchased from T&T Seeds. The flavour of the beets is delicious. I gave samples to friends to try and got positive feedback. The website is ttseeds.com.

Another good seed catalogue to check out is Stokes at stokesseeds.com.

Local horticulturist Eleanor Beever recommended growing Purple Viking potatoes. She said the seed is more expensive but the potato it produces is worth the cost.

After losing some of our corn to the raccoons in past years my husband put an electric fence around the corn patch.

Needless to say we didn’t share our corn with the raccoons this year. I unhooked the fence each morning and hooked it back up each evening to a solar powered battery so that grandchildren and pets wouldn’t get shocked.

If you are getting cabin fever you could start some multiplier onions in a large container or some lettuce in a long planter. It is possible to grow greenhouse cucumbers in a bay window this time of year.

If you don’t have time to grow your own vegetables visit a local Farmer’s Market or market gardener if you want the freshest tastiest fruit and vegetables to eat.

Reinhard Bachmeier challenges producers. He confronts them with the question of if they know their fertilizer recommendation is right.

“It is one thing to follow the recommendations and make decisions on the economics,” said Bachmeier, who operates Western Ag out of Dauphin. “But it is another thing to know if the recommendations are correct.”

Bachmeier, who grew up on a farm at New Bothwell that is still operated by his brother, said they have done extensive testing on the farm to see if traditional methods of soil testing and fertilizer recommendations are accurate. They have found that the recommendations are not.

“In over 30 percent of the tests we have conducted we have found that recommendations using the system developed by Dr. Jeff Schoenau of the University of Saskatchewan are different and provide more accurate results in predicting what the crop needs.” The system uses a spike placed in the ground rather than taking a sample at various depths, drying the soil and sending it to a lab.

“For years we have been taking soil samples and drying them and grinding them up and sending them to labs in western Canada and North Dakota, but here is a system that gives an accurate representation of what the soil can provide the plant and helps the producer decide at what levels he should be adding nutrients.” Bachmeier is strictly a consulting agronomist and does not sell product.

“I don’t have any ties to a manufacturer,” he said. “My concern is that the producer gets the most benefit for the money he is spending.”

Bachmeier said that it is a case of a prophet not being known in his own land.

“The work that Dr. Schoenau has done is recognized around the world but it is slow to be taken up in Canada. Other farmers are using this system and we are lagging behind, particularly in Manitoba. The system is known as PRS technology. Plant Root Stimulators use a resin membrane in a plastic stake to measure the ion exchange in the soil.

He said his business does not target maximum yield but rather concentrates on what makes sense economically.

“We target the economic yield,” he said. “What provides a good return on investment may be different than the maximum yield per acre and accurate testing of nutrients is the first step in achieving that goal.”

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February 28, 2014

The Agri Post

Research and Marketing Projects to Boost Oat Industry Prairie Oat Growers Association (POGA) is receiving a major financial injection to help oat producers sell more of their crop in the global marketplace.

POGA will receive $3.7 million from Agriculture and AgriFood Canada’s (AAFC) AgriInnovation Program for three research projects.

Up to $2,905,829 has been set aside for scientists to pursue collaborative research to develop new oat varieties targeted specifically for cultivation in the prairies. The new varieties will need to be higher in yield and have an enhanced resistance to disease.

With the use of $151,500, a new method of identifying genes for use in oat improvement is to be developed. With the ability to identify desirable traits in oats, breeders will be able to create higher-value varieties, leading to increased commercial opportunities.

A further $109,500 will be used to evaluate how oat betaglucan improves the responsiveness of the immune system in horses. The beta-glucan fibre found in oats has been proven to deliver numerous health benefits to humans and is expected to do the same for horses, which may lead to increased exports of Canadian oats to markets abroad.

We are confident that the projects made possible by this funding will be a huge benefit to oat producers,” said Bill Wilton, President of the Canadian Food Exporters Association.

POGA will also receive funds of up to $600,000 from AAFC’s AgriMarketing Program to help oat producers gain a foothold in the American equine market through the development of targeted marketing activities to promote Canadian oats as high-quality feed for horses. Activities include a multimedia advertising campaign to increase awareness of Canadian oats as healthy equine feed and atten-

Livestock Insurance Program a Confidence Builder

AAFC is funding the Prairie Oat Growers Association (POGA) projects with more than $3.7 million to help oat producers sell more of their crop in the global marketplace.

dance at trade shows and conferences where POGA can hold face-to-face meetings with equine experts, such as veterinarians and nutritional researchers.

Canada is a major oat producer, with about 90 per cent of Canadian oats grown in the west and is the largest exporter of oats in the world. In 2012, the Canadian oat industry brought $430 million to the farm gate and exported $620 million worth of high-quality oats to a number of key markets, including the U.S. Canada continues to be a global leader in oat production, trade, milling and research.

Not Committed to Seed Varieties Just Yet

By Les Kletke For most farmers in Manitoba it will be a matter of staying the course for seeding plans this year.

Many farmers are a bit behind last year and have not yet committed to inputs and seed purchase and most are sitting the lack of grain movement as well as lower commodity prices.

Mark Friesen farms at Pilot Mound and he says

that his seeding plans are much the same as last year, though he has not ordered his seed or committed to varieties.

“I might up my soybean acreage a bit,” said Friesen, who had planted 800 acres on his farm in beans last year, “That is approaching 25% and when I consider my canola acreage I am pretty heavy on the oilseeds.” He farms 3,000 acres in total with nearly

1,200 acres of canola last year and expects to plant much the same this year.

With the remaining 1,000 acres, Friesen said, “It was in wheat last year and most of it will be in wheat this year. I might seed some oats, things don’t look to good right now and I think oat acres will be down so the market might come up next year.”

Friesen still has a portion of his 2013 crop left to market but was able to take advantage of strong prices in the fall.

“We had a good crop and we’re running out of storage,” he said. “So, I sold some crop right off of the combine, and that looks pretty good right now.”

He has not made his final commitment on seed yet.

“There is still a bit of time and there isn’t a shortage of anything so I will wait and see how the spring turns out before I commit to varieties,” he explained.

He believes that while corn and soybean acreage moved up dramatically the corn is not an option for him because of the additional equipment required.

“I also considered sunflowers, the budgets there look good, but I haven’t grow any the last couple of years and I don’t like the idea of getting back to a

later harvest and the possible problems that could come with a wet fall,” said Friesen. “Sunflowers are more of an option than corn.”

He also noted that because he is holding a great deal of last year’s crop he is not considering pre-selling the 2014 crop at this time.

Taiwan to Accept More Beef Taiwan and Canada have signed an arrangement to expand market access to include Canadian bone-in beef and other specified beef products from animals less than 30 months of age (UTM).

The arrangement will level the playing field for Canadian beef producers and generate export opportunities to the lucrative Taiwanese market. Canadian beef exporters will be able to expand their sales into this market, while also benefiting Taiwanese consumers with greater access to Canadian beef.

Under the agreement signed on February 3, implementation is to occur no later than 30 days from the date it was signed.

The cattle producers in Manitoba finally have what the grain and special crops producers have.

Starting in March, Manitoba’s livestock producers will have a new tool to manage risk and withstand market volatility with a joint effort between the federal and provincial governments in western Canada, the Western Livestock Price Insurance Program (WLPIP).

While the details of the new pilot program are not finalized, cattle and hog producers will get the details beginning this spring. It is a voluntary and user-friendly program that will help producers manage risks related to market volatility and unexpected price declines.

The WLPIP will operate as a four-year pilot project that includes an evaluation to assess its effectiveness as a risk management tool for livestock producers. The program is to be actuarially sound with premiums fully funded by producers.

Heinz Reimer, President of Manitoba Beef Producers, said that price insurance is a longstanding request from beef producers and this new risk management tool will help the industry develop the confidence to re-build Manitoba’s beef herd.

“Beef producers require strong, bankable risk mitigation tools,” said Reimer. “The combination of this price insurance and the revisions to forage insurance announced this past fall will give beef producers a strong and bankable risk management package, which could fundamentally change beef production in this province.”

Alberta’s Agriculture Financial Services Corporation is providing program administration across western Canada with the Manitoba Agricultural Services Corporation acting as the insurer for Manitoba producers who participate in the program.

The federal and provincial governments will cover the administration and delivery costs through Growing Forward 2’s AgriRisk Initiatives, Administrative Capacity Building. The federal government will also provide deficit financing for the pilot.

Reimer encourages all beef producers to investigate the new programming to determine what level of insurance is best for their operation.

Tom Teichroeb, a cow calf producer at Langruth, said this is absolutely great for him as a cattle producer and long overdue.

“This has been a tough thing for the livestock industry. We’ve never had anything insurable within our commodities,” said Teichroeb. “The crux of this program gives me a chance to manage my risk and a buffering tool for market volatility.”

The other factor is this, when he now goes to his banker to borrow money for operating or expansion the banker’s confidence level increases.

“You now have the ability to insure your commodities, hence, the banker’s confidence level increases because of the insurance of the commodity. He takes less risk,” he said.

“I see this as a good thing for cattle producers because of the hit ranchers took from the BSE problems back in 2003, which devastated many family farms, and in some instances whole families.”

The biggest challenge now facing the cattle industry in Manitoba is to build the herd size, encourage a few more producers to expand or even restart, and get on with ranching for a living.

The Agri Post

February 28, 2014

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The Agri Post

February 28, 2014

Scouting Your Field with Drones

by Les Kletke Trevor Thornton is clear, “There is no substitute for walking your fields, but if you can’t, a drone is a possible solution.” Thornton is the President of Crop Care Consulting as well as Paradigm Precision, two firms that operate out of Portage la Prairie offering crop consulting and field monitoring services.

His display at Crop Connections in Winnipeg featured a small helicopter drone that could be used to monitor fields. He did not promote it as a replacement for walking fields but rather as an option when walking the field was not a viable option.

“If the canola is too rank to walk through, his quad copter is a good option,” he said. “It can also be used to monitor fields with irrigation to give you a digital image of what might be happening in the field and if there are any problems with the equipment.”

He said they have been used as tools in Ontario but are relatively new to western Canada.

“The have been used in cases of reclamation and for environmental concerns,” said Thornton. “They are finding a use in agriculture but it is a relatively new application.”

There are also some concerns about the regulations and where the unmanned objects fit regarding flights over other property and if they require the filing of a flight plan.

Thornton said his firm plans to use them but only as a tool in addition to the tradition methods of monitoring field and he still rates a walk across the field in several directions as the best method of understanding what is happening in the field.

“We have gotten to the point that farms have gotten bigger and guys check their fields driving by at 100 kilometres and how that doesn’t always provide the best information.

That is where we come in to monitor the fields and see what is happening below the crop canopy.”

“It is just another tool in the tool box,” he said of the helicopter. “We have it on display at our booth to attract attention and it is doing that.”

He was more than willing to talk about other services his company provides and stressed how a well-planned crop care program fits all situations. He did not say it outright but he suggested that a helicopter drone might also cause some concern with the neighbours if its flight path strays too far over the property line.

Trevor Thornton says nothing will replace walking a field but a drone helicopter could help when walking is not possible.

Photo by Les Kletke

Cereals Canada Welcomes New President Cereals Canada has announced the appointment of

Cam Dahl as the organization’s first President.

With a Master of Science, degree in Agricultural Economics from the University of Manitoba Dahl brings diverse agriculture industry experience to his new role. Prior to joining Cereals Canada, he served as General Manager of the Manitoba Beef Producers, Commissioner of the Canadian Grain Commission,

Cam Dahl (left) speaks with Ag Minister Gerry Ritz.

Chair of the Canadian International Grains Institute Board of Directors, and Executive Director of the Grain Growers of Canada. He also worked on Parliament Hill. As the organization’s President, Dahl will have oversight of the strategic direction, development and management of Cereals Canada operations.

“We are pleased to have a seasoned agriculture industry professional take the leadership position at Cereals Canada,” offered Greg Porozni, an Alberta

wheat producer and Cereals Canada Chair. “Cam is a strong leader, and his broad experience in agriculture and policy is a good fit for what Cereals Canada represents and what it has been established to do.”

With collaboration a key priority for Cereals Canada, Dahl’s knowledge of how government works from the inside, combined with a solid understanding in communicating the needs of industry, he will serve this new and growing organization well.

“We may be a relatively new entity but we have set high expectations and we have a lot of work to do to demonstrate value. We needed a strong individual who could rise to that challenge,” added Porozni. “Cam understands the importance of building relationships and trust, and he knows how important collaboration is to enable all sectors of the industry to advance together.”

Dahl is excited for the opportunity to be a part of building something he says is really needed in this industry and in Canada in a collaborative, driving force that represents and serves the cereals value chain both domestically and internationally. In a planning session slated for March 2014, the Cereals Canada Board of Directors, with the support of their new President, will be setting the strategic direction for the organization going forward.

“The Board of Directors has created strong momentum early on,” said Dahl. “I look forward to building on that energy in the coming months, supporting and contributing to the strategic planning process, as well as reaching out and demonstrating our value to the industry at large.”

Dahl starts his new role with Cereals Canada on March 3.

The Agri Post

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February 28, 2014

The Agri Post

The Agri Post

Fresh Start for Flax

By Les Kletke The Flax Council of Canada is encouraging flax growers to get a fresh start this year. Since the awkward situation with Triffid appearing in other varieties of flax and causing concern in the market place about the purity of the Canadian crop, the Council along with Saskatchewan’s Crop Development Centre, has reconstituted their varieties.

The four varieties reconstituted are CDC Bethune, CDC Sorrel, CDC Sanctuary and CDC Glas. The intent of the program is to have growers ‘start from zero’ with plating certified seed and regain the confidence of the market place in the Canadian crop.

Paul Dribnenki told those at Crop Connections in Winnipeg that flax could

Dr. Paul Drebnenki tells Crop Connect that flax is ready to see and increase in acreage and better control of field moisture will help yields.

Photo by Les Kletke

see resurgence as a viable crop in western Canada.

He said one of the greatest problems with flax production is excess water and

the expanded acreage of tile-drained land makes it a more viable crop.

“We lobbied for that when I worked at the Research Facility at Rosebank,” Dribnenki told the audience. “We didn’t get it and when we moved production across the road and the road acted as a dike we had 100 percent increase in yield.”

He faced questions from an Alberta producer who had problems with flea beetles in his crop.

“I am not aware of flea beetles attacking a flax crop but it certainly may be the case,” said Dribnenki and instead of dismissing the question carried on with more discussion. “This is what we need to know as researchers. Research is driven by farmers and we need to be aware of the problems you face and it is

through discussions like this that we make the choices for where breeding programs should go.”

During his presentation, Dribnenki introduced Will Hill, of the Flax Council, who said that the European market is strengthening and producers in Canada could look forward to better times for flax.

Discussions also dealt with production of the crop that was historically centred in Manitoba, moving west to southern Alberta, where it has grown under irrigation and yields of 50-60 bushels an acre are attainable.

The Flax Council of Canada urges producers to be vigilant with their testing of samples for traces of Triffid flax and the Council has a list of approved labs on it’s website at flaxcouncil.ca.

Outlook for Average Crop Predicted

By Elmer Heinrichs Agriculture and AgriFood Canada has released its February outlook for the current 2013-14 crop year and the upcoming 2014-15 crop year opening August 1.

For 2013-14, the production of all field crops in Canada is estimated at 96.6 million tonnes (Mt) based on Statistics Canada’s November survey. This is about 25 percent higher than last year and is due to significantly higher average yields attributable to ideal growing conditions, despite late seeding.

Transportation, storage and marketing issues are expected to be the main challenges facing the sector this year. The production of grains and oilseeds (G&O) in Canada is estimated at 90.1 million Mt, an increase of 27 percent from 2012.

Exports and domestic use are forecast to rise significantly due to increased supply. Prices for G&O are forecast to average 10 to 30 percent lower than 2012-13 due to lower international prices and record supplies in Canada.

The production of pulses and special crops (P&SC) in Canada is estimated at 6.5 million Mt, an increase of 14 percent from 2012.

Exports are forecast to rise but domestic use is forecast to fall.

Prices are expected to fall, except for dry beans, com-

pared to 2012-13.

For 2014-15, although world prices are expected to be pressured by abundant world supplies, prices in Canada are expected to be supported by a weak Canadian dollar, which is anticipated to remain at a 5 to 10 percent discount to the U.S. dollar.

In general, average grain prices in Canada are forecast to be similar to or slightly lower than prices for 2013-14. In Canada, burdensome carry-in stocks will be an over-riding issue for 2014-15.

The total area seeded is expected to increase marginally as higher area for oilseeds more than offsets lower area for grains.

Across all crops, average yields are expected to decrease by about 15 percent causing total production to fall to 82 million Mt but, due to high carry-in stocks, supply is forecast to be only slightly lower than 2013-14.

For G&O in Canada, area seeded is forecast to increase marginally but production is forecast to decrease by 15 percent to 76.2 million Mt due to lower average yields.

Exports and domestic use are forecast to increase slightly. Carry-our stocks are expected to decrease slightly but remain burdensome. Average prices are forecast to be similar to or slightly lower than 2013-14.

For P&SC in Canada, area seeded is forecast to in-

crease but, due to lower average yields, production is forecast to fall by 12 percent to 5.7 million Mt. Exports, domestic use and carryout stocks are fore-

Hickling Receives Canola Award A recently retired Dr. Dave Hickling was recognized by the Manitoba Canola Growers Association (MCGA) during this year’s Canola Award of Excellence at the Crop Connect gathering in Winnipeg for his work with canola meal.

“You’ve heard of that one litre more per cow per day thing? Ya, I came up with that,” said Hickling with a little more than a touch of humility in his voice.

Hickling is of course referring to his extensive research on canola meal as a feed nutrient, particularly when it comes to its benefits in the dairy industry.

After decades of combined studies, the results confirm that including canola meal in a mixed ration for dairy cattle will in fact increase yields significantly over using another protein source.

As canola production around the world increases,

cast to decrease from 201314. Average prices are forecast to rise marginally from 2013-14 with the exception of dry peas and dry beans.

Hickling is excited to continue being part of a community that is working to increase the value of canola meal. At least 55 percent of canola seed is meal. His career began as a nutritionist with Cargill in Brandon.

He then went on to the Canadian International Grains Institute. He has conducted trails in China and Mexico during the course of his career and joined the Canola Council of Canada in 2002.

“I’m so lucky to be part of this industry,” he said.

“I’ve had the opportunity to work on different species, work with processors, and learn about what motivates customers. I’ve taken a very practical approach with this career, not an academic one. The Canola Council gave me a great opportunity to understand the big picture on canola meal. I feel most fortunate about that.”

The MCGA presents the Canola Award of Excellence annually to a person or group who has contributed to the sustained growth and prosperity of the industry.

The first award, presented in 2008, was given to Dr. Baldur Stefansson, also known as the Father of Canola.

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Research Shows that Cold Affects RFID Tag Retention Winter in the Canadian west can be bitingly cold, as this winter has proved.

When we head outdoors in temperatures below -30°C, we are advised to bundle up to protect ourselves from the cold. Researchers at the Prairie Agricultural Machinery Institute (PAMI) are now asking farmers to keep something else under wraps in those cold temperatures, uninstalled RFID tags.

Radio frequency identification (RFID) tags are an

important part of tracking individual cows from birth to slaughter, and their use on Canadian cattle has been mandated through the Canadian Cattle Identification Agency (CCIA). A number of tag options have been approved by the CCIA for use in the Cattle Identification Program because they met the program’s criteria for retention, readability, and the ability to withstand tampering.

However, producers are

still having problems getting the small, round, yellow tags to stay in place on an animal’s ear. This is why a team of researchers at PAMI has been looking at reasons for the retention problems and what can be done to fix them.

“We recognize there is frustration among producers related to tag retention and we wanted to address it,” said Dr. Joy Agnew, a member of the PAMI research team. “We used an engineering approach to systematically test the mechanical strength of RFID tags to determine if all tags are the same, if some are weaker, or some are stronger.”

They tested six types of RFID tags, following best practices for their application. Those best practices included using compatible fronts and backs such as tags from the same manufacturer and using the correct applicator for each brand of tag.

The team then measured the force it takes to break

the tags apart by brand of tag to see which were the least variable in terms of performance, which were stronger, and which were the easiest to insert. They also tried inserting the tags at different temperatures.

What they found was that all met the basic strength requirements set out by the CCIA; however, temperature was shown to have a profound effect on the tags.

“Inserting the tags in the cold and comparing their strength with warm-applied tags was something about the tags that we believe no one else has tested,” Agnew noted. “The whole effect of temperature on tag retention was a question mark.”

In the PAMI test, both tag and applicator were brought down to -30°C and then the tag was inserted.

The tag was then brought back up to an ambient temperature before its strength was tested.

“We found that if the tags were inserted cold, they were much weaker than those inserted at room temperature,” Agnew reported.

Tags were also more difficult to insert when they were cold and broke apart far more easily, even when back at room temperature.

These results show that it is best to avoid tagging animals in extremely cold temperatures. If it cannot be helped, producers

Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags are an important part of tracking individual cows from birth to slaughter, but some producers report poor retention after installation.

The insertion force required to apply the RFID tags was tested during the PAMI research team’s test procedures.

Shear force using twine along with tensile and impact tests were conducted on six different brands of RFID tags during the PAMI test procedures.

should keep both applicator and tags warm while the tagging is taking place. This is something that producers can add to their list of best practices right alongside using the proper tool to apply the tags.

“Producers need to ensure that they are using the

right applicator for the right tag components, no mixing and matching,” said Agnew. Using one brand of applicator with another brand of tag, or mismatching the front and back of the tags resulted in poor retention.

Key Export Markets Targeted for Canadian-Bred Horses The Federal Government is giving $483,650 to Equine Canada (EC) to help develop key export markets with long-term potential for the sale of Canadian-bred horses and horse genetics. The goal is to help Canadian horse breeders compete effectively and successfully in the international market place.

EC will lead missions to, and host visitors from Argentina, Australia, Brazil, China and South Africa to enable Canadian and foreign stakeholders to meet face to face.

To capitalize on the large number of international visitors expected to attend the PanAm Games in Toronto in 2015, EC will also hold a Pan-American Showcase featuring Canadian horses.

“We have two main objectives; develop key export markets with long-term potential for the sale of Canadian-Bred horses and the rejuvenation of domestic demand for those horses by showcasing the wide range of opportunities available to the new generation of Canadian horse owners,” said Michael Gallagher, President of Equine Canada.

The Government of Canada is helping Equine Canada with its export markets.

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Carmen Farmers Named Outstanding Young Farmers for Manitoba Myron and Jill Krahn of Carmen are the 2014 Outstanding Young Farmers (OYF) for Manitoba. The diversified crop farmers are seed growers, operate a seed dealership and have an on-site seed treatment. They will represent Manitoba at the Outstanding Young Farmers national event later this year in Quebec City in November.

The Krahn’s were named at a recent OYF event in Onanole, near Riding Mountain National Park that was attended by Loni Scott, Assistant Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives, MP Robert Sopuck, MLA Stu Briese, Julie Labossiere of the Manitoba 4-H Council and OYF President Derek Janzen and his wife Rhonda. The other

nominees included Yan Lafond from the St. Jean area, and Eric Gluck and Jodi Griffith near Lowe Farm.

“Agricultural is a dynamic, evolving industry, and yet the constant is the strong family ties that build a strong and successful farm business,” said OYF President Derek Janzen. “The Krahn’s are an outstanding example of the importance of working together, as a family, in a business that is also a lifestyle. OYF is extremely proud of the Krahn’s and the example they are setting for their own family and the entire agricultural community about what our industry is truly built on.”

The Krahn’s are living their dream by continuing the family tradition of raising their children on the family farm, while instilling the importance of community, a strong work ethic and respect for the land. They grow corn, soybeans, canola, cereal grains and grass seed on their farm, as well as producing seed for native grasses, cereal grains and soybeans. In 2009, they began a seed dealership for corn seed, later adding soybean and cereal seed to the offering.

An on-site seed treating system was also added to complement the growing business.

The couple include their daughters Cadence (9) and Keira (7) in all aspects of the farm business. Off the farm, community involvement carries a high priority for the Krahns, attending, volunteering and sponsoring numerous community events.

Myron is the current chair of the Manitoba Corn Growers Association and is a Director on the Pembina Consumers Co-op board.

Celebrating 34 years of identifying great agricultural successes, Canada’s Outstanding Young Farmers’ program is an annual competition to recognize farmers that exemplify excellence in their profession and promote the tremendous contribution of agriculture. The competition is open to participants 18 to 39 years of age who make the majority of income from on-farm sources. Participants are selected from seven regions across Canada, with two national winners chosen each year.

The program is sponsored nationally by CIBC, John Deere, Bayer CropScience, and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and supported nationally by AdFarm and Farm Management Canada.

Canada’s Canola Industry Sets Bold New Targets for 2025

By Elmer Heinrichs Canadian canola production surpassed the industry target of 15 million tonnes. The next goal, announced, is 26 million tonnes by 2025.

This is based primarily on an increase in yield per acre with very little increase in overall acres of canola. An average Canadian yield of 52 bu/ac multiplied by 22 million acres will achieve 26 million tonnes of production.

The Canadian canola industry is aiming to grow annual demand to 26 million tonnes by 2025, based on global growth trends in vegetable oil consumption and the rapid rise in demand for healthier alternatives like canola oil.

These trends show that the market will be there and the challenge for Canada is to seize the opportunity rather than leaving it to some other country.

By laying out a framework for growth the Canola Council of Canada and its members, believe that the new 2025 strategic plan will help to spur on the development of the logistical infrastructure, domestic crush capacity and agronomic advancements to achieve this goal.

Genetic gain alone could contribute 10 bu/ac to the current 40 bu/ac average achieved in 2013.

With some changes to agronomy and in management practices could contribute another 10 bu/ac.

- Plant establishment: Yield gains of 3 bu/ac can be realized by a better understanding of seed mortality and seed placement with the goal of consistently reaching plant stands that lead to top yields.

- Fertility management: A small magnitude increase in fertility to meet the full nutritional requirements of the crop could contribute 3 bu/ac to yields by 2025.

- Pest management: Yield gains of 2 bu/ac can be realized through improved management of weeds, diseases, and insects.

- Harvest management: Research shows that we are losing 2 to 5 bu/ac at harvest. Improved swathing timing and adoption of straight cutting could reduce average losses by 2 bu/ac.

This new goal will require new agronomy tactics. Going forward, the Canola Council of Canada will implement an approach that recognizes that each farm operation is unique and that growers need to make their own decisions depending on their own circumstances.

Canola agronomy cannot be a ‘one size fits all’ approach.

For example, some farms will be able to sustain the use a one-in-two canola rotation.

Others may need to use a longer rotation, perhaps due to high blackleg severity and incidence, increased flea beetle populations, positive clubroot identification and herbicide tolerant weeds.

Provincial Cattle Check-off Increases A resolution to increase the provincial check-off producers pay when they sell cattle was passed at Manitoba Beef Producers’ (MBP) Annual General Meeting hosted in Brandon in early February.

Approval from the AGM completes the requirements to change the regulations under the Cattle Producers Association Act to increase the provincial check-off by $1 per head of cattle. The current provincial check-off is $2 and the check-off has not seen an increased since 2006.

“Beef producers have been expressing the need for additional financial resources for their organization for some time,” said Heinz Reimer, MBP President. “Producers made it clear that increased investment in MBP is needed when they brought forward and approved resolutions to increase the check-off at MBP’s 2013 district meetings and when they passed the check-off increase at the annual meeting.

The check-off increase will help us sustain our future as we work to promote and defend beef producers’ interests and livelihoods.”

Effective July 1, the $3 per head of cattle will be collected to fund the activities of MBP on behalf of beef producers in the province. This coincides with the beginning of MBP’s fiscal year. Producers also pay Canada’s national beef levy, which is $1 per head. The national levy funds the market development work of Canada Beef Inc. and the research funded through the Beef Cattle Research Centre.

Questions regarding the check-off increase can be directed to MBP at info@mbbeef.ca or by calling 1-800-7720458. Producers can also visit mbbeef.ca for a review of the outcome of the vote on each of the resolutions brought forward from MBP’s district meetings.

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Western Winter Wheat Initiative Officially Launched Bayer CropScience, Ducks Unlimited Canada and new partner Richardson International Limited have founded the Western Winter Wheat Initiative.

The Western Winter Wheat Initiative is an organization formed to promote the production of winter wheat in western Canada. Winter wheat is a highly profitable crop that has many benefits for growers. The organization’s goal is to be a support system for farmers who want to grow winter wheat.

“This new initiative builds on our previous partnership with Ducks Unlimited Canada by supporting and expanding winter wheat production across western Canada,” said

Budget Measures Address Some Agricultural Concerns Despite modest reference to agriculture in the most recent federal budget, the Canadian Federation of Agriculture (CFA) is pleased with the inclusion of the ‘Made in Canada’ initiative and efforts to eliminate trade barriers and tax compliance burdens.

“The CFA recognizes the work done by government to increase the competitiveness of Canadian farmers, and we see continued commitment in that regard in various aspects of this budget,” said CFA Vice-President Humphrey Banack.

The agriculture-friendly aspects of the budget include food safety with $390 million invested into food safety.

“We are pleased to see CFIA given more resources, particularly on the staffing side and information sharing, to help maintain a strong food safety system,” Banack noted.

A private sector steering committee will be established to lead the development of a ‘Made in Canada’ consumer awareness campaign. “Promoting Canadian products is something the CFA has been calling on for some time, most recently through the National Food Strategy, so we are very pleased with this development. We look forward to working out the details with stakeholders to find a system that is clear to consumers and works on the ground level for manufacturers and farmers alike,” said Banack.

The budget includes identification of restrictive trade barriers and a focus on ways to reform the obstacles. “Canadian agriculture is prime to push its potential,” Banack added. “We are pleased to see a comprehensive look at internal barriers will be conducted so when opportunity arrives, there’s nothing standing in the way.”

The CFA hopes to see agricultural research prioritized with investments in university stream research through the Canada First Research Excellence Fund. Investing in research ensures the sector continues to grow and on forefront.

The CFA continues to work with government and better connect unemployed Canadians into agriculture, as chronic labour shortages remain a real concern for the industry.

Extension of a tax deferral for the disposal of animals in disaster situations is seen as positive for the industry because it was previously limited to breeding stock of livestock, but has now been extended to include horses kept for breeding purposes and bees.

“It is important to note, however, key taxation issues that did not make this budget,” said Banack. “Specifically, the budget didn’t address CFA’s concerns with last year’s reinterpretation of restricted farm loss rules, red tape that siblings face when trying to divide farm corporations, or tax barriers associated with the use of holding companies in intergenerational farm transfers,” Banack concluded.

There are benefits with the introduction of legislation that addresses U.S.-Canadian price discrimination, when it is not justified by higher operating costs in Canada. As the Budget notes, evidence suggests that some companies charge higher prices in Canada than in the U.S. for the same goods.

CFA looks forward to working with government as the details of the legislation are rolled out.

Paul Thiel, Vice-President of innovation and public affairs with Bayer CropScience. “We are excited to have Richardson International now on board in support of this new winter wheat initiative as they bring extensive knowledge of the ag sector with their agronomy, sales, and grain merchandising units,” he added.

Funding from the Richardson Foundation as part of their Healthy Prairie Landscapes initiative allows Richardson

International to be a key player in the promotion of winter wheat across the Prairies.

“There is tremendous potential in increasing winter wheat production across western Canada as the crop offers many benefits to producers,” said Peter Entz, Assistant VicePresident of seed and traits for Richardson International.

“The Western Winter Wheat Initiative will focus on performance tracking trials across the three Prairie provinces in 2014 and we are proud to say Richardson International’s Kelburn Farm will be one of these important sites.”

“We have been an advocate for the crop for many years,” said Paul Thoroughgood, Regional Agrologist for Ducks Unlimited Canada. “Winter wheat is a great fit in cropping rotations and with the new varieties that are available, along with improved agronomic practices, it is one of the highest performing and highest returning crops on the Prairies right now.”

Pork Producers Pressure Government to Finalize Canada-Korea FTA The Canadian pork industry is ready and eager to rebuild market share lost in South Korea due to a lack of a free trade agreement and urges all levels of government to finalize the Canada-Korea trade deal.

“The absence of an FTA with Korea is causing substantial and growing prejudice to the Canadian pork industry since all of our key competitors in Korea have FTA’s in place,” stated Canadian Pork Council’s Chair Jean-Guy Vincent. “The completion of a CanadaKorea Free Trade Agreement is of critical impor-

tance for the Canadian pork sector.”

The Canadian pork industry has been a strong advocate for completing a Canada-Korea FTA as soon as possible to prevent further deterioration in Canada’s competitive position in that market against its competitors the U.S., the European Union and Chile.

All three have free trade deals in place. The South Korean market has at times been the industry’s third or fourth most important export market.

“We are optimistic that Canada can finalize an

agreement with South Korea, one that will provide at a future date competitive access conditions for the Canadian pork industry,” added Vincent. “Without an FTA with Korea, it is fair to say that Canada’s pork exports to South Korea are disappearing, from $223 million in 2011 to $129 million in 2012 and an estimated $70 million in 2013 as its three competitors’ FTA’s are being implemented.”

South Korea has always been a top five market and the high-value of the items

sold there, such as chilled (shoulder) butts and bellies, is significant enough to have a major impact on Canadian hog prices and jobs in both the farming and processing sectors should Canada lose access to the market.

An American study evaluated the benefits for the U.S. pork sector of the FTA between U.S. and Korea at US$10 per hog. The benefits for the Canadian pork industry of a Canadian FTA with South Korea should be similar as those in the U.S. case.

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New GM for the Provincial Exhibition of Manitoba

The Provincial Exhibition of Manitoba announced that Rob O’Connor replaced Karen Oliver and joined the team in the capacity of General Manager on February 17.

The Provincial Exhibition is confident that Rob’s experience and agricultural background will serve him well in his work with the Fairs. In his previous position as Show Manager of Canada’s Farm Progress Show in Regina, he has been extremely successful in growing the show, attracting national and international participation and quadrupling the sponsorship. Rob brings with him a set of skills and relationships grown from his work experiences in the exhibition industry and as an owner of a purebred cattle operation that will serve him well as General Manager.

“I am thrilled with the opportunity of becoming a part of one of Canada’s oldest Exhibition Associations. I am looking forward to maintaining the traditions of the Association and capturing the opportunities that present themselves which will keep the organization relevant,” said O’Connor. “I look forward to working with the Directors, volunteers and other stakeholders that make this organization an important part of the Brandon community.”

Karen Oliver, the current CEO and General Manager, will continue until the end of the Royal Manitoba Winter Fair, which runs March 31 to April 5.

“Leaving the helm of the Provincial Ex is bittersweet. As much as I love the Fairs, I’m excited to have someone come on board with a fresh perspective and new ideas to bring the Fairs to the next level,” said Oliver. “I feel confident that Rob is just the person to do that.” Oliver will still stay connected to the organization following the Winter Fair but in a role that takes her out of the office as she continues to work on the Display Building No. II Project.

The Provincial Exhibition of Manitoba proudly produces three Fairs annually, the Royal Manitoba Winter Fair, the Manitoba Summer Fair, and the Manitoba Livestock Expo.

For more information about the Provincial Exhibition, visit brandonfairs.com.

Pork Marketing Strategy Gets Financial Boost Canada Pork International (CPI) has just received federal government support worth $15 million to be used over a 5-year period on a costshared basis to support CPI’s Domestic and International Canadian Pork Marketing Strategy.

This will help Canadian producers to compete abroad and increase demand for their high-quality pork products. Existing markets such as Japan and new markets such as the European Union (EU) and South America will be targeted through the development of printed and in-store promotional products. CPI will also undertake international missions and conduct market research to increase Canada’s brand presence and improve industry-to-industry trade relationships.

“This contribution will be of great assistance as it now enables our association and its members to develop and implement a 5-year strategy, primarily aimed at differentiating our products from our competitors,” said Edouard Asnong, Chair of Canada Pork International. “The Canadian pork industry is still very dependent on export market sales as more than 60% of its production is exported outside of Canada, but we need to be fully recognized as a reliable supplier of high quality pork products if our industry is to fully benefit in the future.”

“After several difficult years, it is important that the profitability of the industry be improved. For

Canada’s pork products are enjoyed by consumers worldwide.

that purpose, our strategy aims at better differentiating Canadian pork in the most lucrative markets, including the domestic market, by promoting its high-quality attributes, its quality control programs, and its production systems,” added Asnong.

In 2012, Canada exported 1.2 million tonnes of pork products, worth $3.2 billion to more than 100 countries. For the first ten months in 2013, they amounted to 980,000 tonnes, worth $2.6 billion.

Canada Pork International is the export market development agency of the Canadian pork industry. Established in 1992, it is a joint initiative of the Canadian Meat Council and of the Canadian Pork Council.

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