The AgriPost
March 27, 2020
No Daily Interruption to Billions in Goods Crossing the Canada-US Border
A Steve’s Livestock truck coming back from the US at the Pembina-Emerson border crossing.
By Harry Siemens While some details were still to come, the CanadaU.S. border closed to all nonessential travel in both directions as of Friday March 20th according to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Trudeau anticipated the closure, a mutual agreement that will allow trade routes and commercial channels to remain open, would go into effect at some point in the overnight hours between that Friday and Saturday.
The Ag-Twitter world was abuzz before the actual details became public hoping against hope the border would remain open for commercial traffic because of nearly $2.7 billion in commercial that trade crosses that border daily. Much of that commerce is farm goods, grains, crops, equipment, fertilizer, parts to name some of those goods. When this journalist put the question to the #AGTwitter world, the responses came
from right across the country. Lorne McClinton, a freelance agricultural journalist in Kingston, Ontario, said, “The Feds were under political pressure to close the US border but had to calm the political waters without wrecking our economy by disrupting cross-border trade. Stopping only non-essential crossings does this. Critical for it to be a joint decision and to avoid unilateral action.” Continued on page 2...
Photo by Harry Siemens
Landon Friesen who farms at Crystal City shared a photo of the CanadaUS border crossing and on Twitter said that he has hauled south all week and that trade and commerce is crossing as usual. Photo by Landon Friesen
Fertilizer Industry to Make Sure that Farmers Receive What They Need for Seeding Fertilizer is essential to continued global food security. Canadian agriculture will play a critical role in helping the world recuperate from the COVID-19 pandemic. Like many industries that rely on Canada’s infrastructure system to deliver products we have felt the impact from recent disruptions. However, we have done well in recovering and generally have normal supplies of fertilizer moving throughout the country. This movement must continue, allowing farmers to position product for the beginning of the planting season in late April and early May and ensure additional quantities are available for replenishment throughout the entire planting season. “Our member companies are implementing COVID-19 contingency plans at manufacturing plants, storage terminals and agri-retail outlets across the country to protect employees and the public and to ensure farmers get the fertilizer they need in time for seeding,” said Garth Whyte, President & CEO of Fertilizer Canada. The Canadian supply chain is resilient and can manage through these challenges. Our industry would be concerned about any restrictive measures that may have unintended consequences on rail, port and truck service, imports or operations at agri-retail. Governments must ensure that the Canadian border remains open to the movement of fertilizer in order for farmers to receive their product and meet their spring seeding requirements. Ensuring a successful planting season and good yields at harvest this fall will be critically important to Canada’s economic recovery in 2020. Fertilizer Canada represents manufacturers, wholesale and retail distributors of nitrogen, phosphate, potash and sulphur fertilizers. The fertilizer industry plays an essential role in Canada’s economy, contributing $24 billion annually and over 76,000 jobs. As the unified voice of the Canadian fertilizer industry, Fertilizer Canada works to promote the safe, responsible, and sustainable distribution and use of fertilizer.
March 27, 2020
The AgriPost No Daily Interruption to Billions in Goods Crossing the Canada-US Border Continued from Page 1... Scott Perkin, a small grains and cattle producer from Elgin, Manitoba, said the border did not remain closed for agricultural trade or other commerce. But dropping demand is the more significant concern, markets hate uncertainty, and unfortunately, that is in abundant supply. President @intelliFARMInc grains analyst, economist and speaker who lives at Ste. Agathe said, “From what I can read into it, it shouldn’t make a substantial difference on Ag, specifically as that would be considered commercial. If the closures went beyond this, we’d likely have issues with fertilizer coming up, but also grain movement south. Hopefully doesn’t come to that.” Paul Van den Borre from Burgessville, Ontario, said commerce is still to flow, but this probably will add confusion and time to agriculturalrelated border crossings. Daryl Devos, a southern Manitoba farmer, said farmers need movement northsouth more than ever. Ocean ports will have intermodal problems for months. Eldon Klippenstein at Altona, added he is not trying to be concerned about seed supplies. Happy it is mid-March and not mid-April, but said commercial freight is still flowing normal, as much as he could tell. Warren, who calls himself the @SkepticAg the Hub of the Peace Country, suggested an action government could take is the easing of regulations and restrictions on truck drivers to override CBAs to allow for more loads and unloads.
David Hamilton, a grain farmer from Sturgis, SK said as long as there are enough services available to keep the trucking and rail industry going, they should be fine across the borders. They already see posts of truck stops closed for washrooms and meals to a small extent in the US. Gerry Ritz, former Canadian Ag Minister, said governments need to put timeliness on the “just in time” deliveries and any hold on best before product. John KowalchukFarms said with essential services like trucking across the border still allowed; it has had minimal effect on the Ag industry so far. That would change drastically if all movement stopped, but that would be the knife in the whole Canadian economy. Ben Heide of Boissevain, said one concern would be the supply of parts and supplies once planting season begins coming up from the US. “We can plan for everything but the unknown, the solutions to those hurdles will likely require creativity and patience.” Pat Kunz is a full-time farmer in south west Saskatchewan, who grows wheat, durum wheat, mustard and peas, said the only thing he might add is hopefully the majority of truckers and others in the supply chain remain healthy. “These are variables we will have to ride out.” Ron Krahn at Rivers, said that, “Ag should be in as good a position to carry on as any industry. But we are still reliant on logistics, truckers need restaurants and tire
shops, etc., which are all in danger of shutting down.” Krahn agreed with Jonathon Driedger, a grain market analyst with @LeftFieldCR, a research department for 16 Canadian crop markets said the focus on keeping food on store shelves should put Ag trade in an excellent position to remain as uninterrupted as possible. “We can’t rule out seeing that trade disrupted as well, but it should be one we take great lengths to ensure full movement.” Philip Shaw, who farms corn and soybeans in southeast Ontario near Dresden and writes about grain markets, said it appears the border is not closed for agricultural trade or other commerce. But dropping demand is the more significant concern; markets hate uncertainty, and unfortunately, that is in abundant supply. Landon Friesen who farms at Crystal City, said, “I’ve hauled south all week, crossed again a few minutes ago. Trade and commerce will continue as usual. No personal travel allowed either direction is what they’re telling me.” Ken Foster at Arborg, said his fear is if farmers get sick, “We don’t seed. Take this seriously.” Shawn Schil calls himself, “Social distancing Schill” said, agriculture needs to be making a common sense list of wants or proposed changes right now. The coronavirus fallout is exposing the bottlenecks and issues. “The agriculture system could be a dynamic national and global power if we would quit stepping on its neck, and instead empower it.”
Crop Plans Up in the Air By Les Kletke Tom Penner describes his seeding plans for 2020 as “up in the air” and while he tries to keep his rotation stable with only a few swing acres that might change this year. “We have not gone in winter with the land in this shape for a long time,” he said of his farm that was rutted by a difficult harvest. He said the issue is not a surprise but the winter months have not made it any easier. “We knew we were going to have problems when we were making the ruts last fall,” he said. “And they will be there when the snow melts, but it will depend on what kind of spring we have and what we can do to prepare the land for seeding.” Penner normally counts on a quarter of his acres being
in canola but that might be a problem this spring. “When we consider our rotation and where we have had canola in the last year it is going to be difficult to get a good seed bed for this spring,” he said. “The land that would have normally gone to canola this year is very rutted. If we get an early spring that allows us to get out and prepare the land, we will be okay, but a late wet spring will be tough because those ruts will fill with water, and I don’t know what we will do then.” He is more hopeful for the acres he plans to put into cereals. “They are a little more forgiving with seed bed preparation but we would still like to have that land in better shape,” he said. “So we are in a holding pattern on that and it makes it diffi-
cult to decide how much and what kind of seed we are going to need.” Penner said in a normal year he would have most of his plans complete by this time and a lot of his seed purchased. “I would like to be thinking about marketing the 2020 crop by this time, but we are not sure what we will grow so it is difficult to sell it at this time,” he said with a chuckle. He said that his land was saturated last fall so he is not looking for a slow melt to recharge soil moisture. “But we don’t want a quick melt and damage from water running off the field,” he said. “We would like an early spring to give us a chance to get our land back into shape, and then we can move ahead with spring work.”
The AgriPost
How Fast Farmers Plant Crops this Spring Will Determine Fertilizer Logistics
By Harry Siemens
Ryan Dyck, the territory manager of ADM Farm Fertilizer, spoke at a producer meeting in early March hosted by FarmLink and ADM in Miami and assured producers that ADM would help producers with spring planting. The big question for many producers this spring is the availability of fertilizer and logistics after last fall’s di-
At a meeting in Miami, Ryan Dyck, territory manager with ADM Farm Fertilizer assured producers that even if there are logistical problems fertilizer will be available in time for spring planting, by the end of May or beginning of June.
sastrous harvest. Availability will depend on when the demand happens. “If we get a quick seeding where everybody’s seeding and done by the middle of May, we’re going to have lots of issues with supply,” said Dyck. “If seeding stretches out to the end of May, beginning of June, I think everything’s going to fall into place just perfectly.” Many farmers compensated for not applying fertilizer last fall by taking a higher amount of fertilizer on the farm during the fall and winter months. However, no one knows what to expect, because no fall fertilizer was applied. Dyck said while speaking to older farmers they said that there never has been a year where they did not ap-
ply fertilizer on at least a quarter or half of their acres before winter. This spring will be a new experience for everyone. Patience will help weather some of those challenges said Dyck. Getting fertilizer in time will happen however, maybe not at the usual time. The extra demand for application in spring combined with logistics will all come together, but price and costs may vary. With the change to supplying more directly to producers Dyck said this will not be a one size fits all method. Direct supply will be for farmers that want to be progressive by treating fertilizer like their grain seed shipments as a way to manage their crops and other inputs a little bit more.
Crop producers attending a fertilizer meeting hosted by FarmLink and ADM in Miami on March 5. Photos by Harry Siemens
One for the Books By Les Kletke Lionel Kaskiw rates last year’s growing season as one for the books. Kaskiw is with Manitoba Agriculture and over the years has seem the ups and downs of the business but he rates last year as one that delivered a lot of lessons for even experienced farmers. The old adage of “yields start to deteriorate the day you seed and only continue to go down” from the true potential proved itself in many ways in 2019. “We had all the cereals in the ground in April,” said Kaskiw who was part of a panel at Ag Days in Brandon. “Then it got cool and seed did not germinate, then what was slow to germinate was attacked by insects.” The Lesson, “You have to remember that with seed treatment the clock starts when you put it in the ground,” he said. “So that seed did not have the protection it would have normally when it emerged. It
has spent much longer than normal in the ground. He recalled that a drought hit and further reduced the potential of the crop with dry conditions at a critical filling time. “Then we got the rain in September that made for almost impossible field conditions and what crop was there deteriorated because the excess moisture and being unable to harvest it.” He noted that some producers who normally straight cut their canola may have had a bit of an advantage but even that was lost by the length of the wet spell. Then some areas got snow in late September early October. He used the example of Holland that got from 18-22 inches of snow during the period. “There was nothing that could be done,” said Kaskiw. “It was a matter of field by field and trying to take off what was possible.” He noted that for many producers it was a matter of being in a claim position with
Lionel Kaskiw says the harvest of 2019 came with some tough lessons. Photo by Les Kletke
crop insurance and trying to clear the crop from the field. “They did not know if they would be in a crop insurance position but they still had to clear the crop from the field regardless of the value,” he said. Kaskiw said that while the year presented challenges at every turn producers cannot plan for that kind of year. “You have to be ready for what it throws at you and there were some tough lessons last year,” he said.
March 27, 2020
The AgriPost
March 27, 2020
KAP Calls for Exemption Under Manitoba Green Levy Dear Editor: Keystone Agricultural Producers (KAP) members have overwhelmingly called on governments to exempt the costs of heating barns and drying grain from any carbon tax framework, given the fact that farmers must do these things to successfully manage their operations. We have been supportive of the province’s intention to exempt those costs under its provincial levy. We have been supportive of using revenue for on-farm projects that will benefit farmers in their role as environmental stewards. A reduction in the provincial sales tax, however, will not have the same benefit to farmers. We are concerned that a move towards an unclear tax structure at a time when farmers are already dealing with seemingly unprecedented uncertainty across their operations. The administration of a federal-provincial carbon tax structure will create additional red tape when it comes to how farmers interact with government, and we know from our own work that separating the carbon tax charges from natural gas and propane bills is not a straightforward process. Jake Ayre, KAP Vice President.
Corona Time
All across England you can find “butter stones”, dating back to the 16th century. The stones had small bowl-like depressions that people filled with vinegar. People would put coins into these pools to be exchanged for food with farmers. Either party would approach the rock only when the other was a safe distance away. It’s how they used to deal with plagues. Today you can once again find coins in these stones. People are paying homage to the social and physical distancing of the past made manifest today. Strange days indeed. 2020 has been a quick series of disasters, one right after the other. Prices, weather, closed markets, protests, blockades and now a pandemic. And we haven’t even put a crop in the ground yet! Farmers have seen this kind of thing before, but it’s never been this up close and personal. It’s one thing to be dealing with club root or herbicide resistant weeds, or even livestock diseases like PED and such; it’s another when you come up against
something that could take out someone you know. The morning routine used to involve checking prices and weather forecasts, now we also check infection rates and death counts through various websites like nCoV2019.live and the Manitoba government COVID-19 page to see where things are at. One thing that makes this all so scary and unpredictable is that we are seeing a rapid session of big decisions made without reliable data. The only thing we can really be sure of is the death count. Even then, there are people who will have died but we didn’t know it was from COVID-19. That’s a big reason for all the lockdowns and quarantines. In the absence of evidence everyone is considered a potential carrier. Imagine trying to seed without any monitors, or harvest without moisture testers or marketing without break-even numbers, and you’ll get the picture. Only this is worse. A town in Italy got things under control quickly by testing all 3,300 residents.
Three per cent were infected, and half of those showed no symptoms whatsoever. After isolating those cases, they were able to reduce transmission by 90%. Combined with a brief lockdown, that strategy had the town back up and running in a few weeks. But, given our current limited testing ability, that’s not realistic for us. Or is it? All around the world, our best minds are now focused on the corona virus problem. They’re connected in all sorts of ways through social media and the internet that never was the case before. The virus may be bobbing and weaving, but humanity is on it like dog on a bone. Some have called it a “digital Dunkirk” or a new “Manhattan Project.” As concerning as the virus is, the sight of the entire world economy quickly shutting down is the deeper alarm. Again, we’ve never done it on this scale or at this speed before, and we don’t have the data to know what the full ramifications are going to be. On the one hand, markets are responding to all
Penner’s Points By Rolf Penner
this chaos as best as they can, on the other there are huge chunks of them that aren’t allowed to operate at all. New ways are being found to do virtually everything. Hopefully it’s enough. Then there’s the blame game. We should all take a deep breath and remember that everyone’s a genius when they’re looking in the rear view mirror. No one really knew what to do and exactly when to do it, and even when it’s all done we probably still won’t know. But if we’re looking to judge, then we should judge the corrections we make. We’ve all heard the story of the boy who cried wolf. This time the wolf is on the loose, and the warnings were not overdone. A lot of people ignored the threat for too long but not anymore. The hunt is on and we’re going to get this one. This wolf has no idea what’s coming for it.
HyLife’s COVID-19 Response In a recent public notice from HyLife food company from CEO Grant Lazaruk it is apparent that the company has developed protocols to look after their people, animals, communities, and the company’s best interests. HyLife, one of Canada’s leading pork producers, sent out information reassuring the public during the ongoing outbreak of COVID-19 that they take its obligations very seriously. “As community partners, we rely on the trust of our communities and are working non-stop to find creative solutions to the problems presented by today’s current events,” said the company CEO Grant Lazaruk. “Throughout our history, we have operated under strict safety policies and procedures, along with effective biosecurity pro-
grams to protect against viruses. We plan to use these strong habits to develop the measures needed to keep everyone safe from COVID-19.” Lazaruk said as an essential service, providing food, their teams continue to fulfill operational needs. HyLife began these measures weeks ago as information about the outbreak surfaced. The company continues to evolve and adjust these measures to meet and protect the needs of their teams. HyLife has set-up a COVID-19 Response Team, a combination of leaders from across the company, dedicated to planning and implementing new preventative measures. “We have contracted a Public Health expert to join our staff to provide sciencebased support to our employees and monitor and hold our teams accountable to the highest health standards,” said Lazaruk. “We have created a work from home plan for as many of our employees as possible, and where it
isn’t possible, we take extra precautions to make sure we are social distancing.” Lazaruk said they are creating new spaces at the Neepawa processing plant site, increasing space available for employee breaks to help maximize social distancing where possible. They have rearranged shifts at the processing plant to have fewer people in the same space or working at one time and have also minimized interactions at shift changes to maximize social distance as much as possible. HyLife has suspended all company travel. They have asked all employees to cancel personal travel outside of their home countries and are working with employees on a case-by-case basis to minimize the financial impact of
cancelling their travel. “We require all employees who are returning from international travel to self-isolate for 14 days, assisting with the pick-up of employee’s friends and family from the airport to minimize interactions with people who are travelling internationally,” said Lazaruk. “We have restricted all third parties from entering HyLife workplaces. In addition the company has eliminated in-person meetings unless required and are empowering teams to use technology to facilitate as many of the peer-topeer conversations, taken measures to minimize paper transactions across the company and placed extra cleaning in common areas. Lazaruk said HyLife is providing additional pay-
ments to employees required to stay home while ill or selfisolate as an incentive to ‘do the right thing’ and not feel pressured to come to work for financial reasons. “We are continuing to educate our staff through internal communications regularly with ongoing prevention messaging, details on selfisolation, and how to reach out for help when experiencing symptoms.” He said they are happy the Canadian government announced the need to continue commerce across the Canada-US border. “Our transportation, distribution, exportation, and warehousing are working together to minimize any potential disruption to our supply chain, allowing us to continue to move forward,” said Lazaruk.
Lazaruk said they are creating new spaces at the Neepawa processing plant site, increasing space available for employee breaks to help maximize social distancing where possible.
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Reach Out and Touch Someone By Myriam Dyck Currently people are stuck at home and are being encouraged to physically put distance between themselves, and social media has become an overload of scary facts and events instead of a way of feeling like one is staying connected. Social isolation then leads to more health problems and feeling down because nobody seems to care about us and whether we live or die. I suggest we all find ways of feeling MORE connected to our family and friends for our own emotional and mental health! Let’s go back to good old-fashioned technology and actually USE the minutes on our smartphone plans and not just the data!! When I was young people used to phone each other up regularly... back when our phones were attached to the wall... just to chat about their day or their week. They talked to a friend for half an hour while they cooked or cleaned or looked after the kids or repaired a car. They called their relatives every week just to check on them and tell them about what was new in their lives. Getting a crick in your neck from holding a phone tucked in while you worked with your hands was normal. There was also more of a sense of community with social groups helping out neighbours and those living alone, whether through churches or just more human
contact since you couldn’t order things online but had to go out and shop locally. Over the last decade we have all gotten so used to only using data and texting and social media instead of actually talking in person. Getting together requires planning around busy schedules. I have worked full time from home for 15 years and have felt the changes in how society interacts particularly due to this. But some letters on a small screen are not a reasonable substitute for the human voice as far as our brains are concerned. We hear about how harmful being glued to smartphone screens is in children and teenagers, but it has also been affecting adults too. Younger adults may not ever have experienced a different way of doing things. Older adults feel a vague sense of loss over no more chatty calls or drop in coffee visits. When you get a phone call you are waiting to find out what the person ‘wants from you’. I myself am guilty of just talking to people on the phone for work but not for personal reasons, or feeling like it’s a waste of time when you have ‘more important’ things to do or you run out of energy and just want to not talk to anyone and the end of the day and curl up to watch TV in silence. But often the opposite is true, a good phone conversation can perk you up and improve your mood and
give you energy again! Over the next few months let’s all make an effort to stay CONNECTED to our family and friends! Pick up the phone and make at least 3 personal calls a day. Call up your grandparents or elderly relatives or neighbours and check on them. Say hello to your adult kids (even if they seem to be too busy for you - they may need the contact even more than you) every weekend and create a new habit that can endure even after the crisis is over. Call up your friends to cook supper ‘together’ using the same recipe (with a glass of wine then counts as having a drink together!) and compare notes about your day riding herd on the kids. Or watch a favourite TV show and call each other to discuss it afterwards. The possibilities are endless. Like Seinfeld, it doesn’t “have to be about anything”! Whatever the reason, make an effort to actually talk on the phone to at least three people a day for personal (not work) reasons! And yes, you also can start talking about personal things with work clients too - you may be the only real human contact that person working from home experienced that day! Let’s stay sane and feel MORE connected despite the current situation that is making people feel alone and lonely. Pass it on and make the effort!
Balancing the Need for Foreign Workers Dear Editor: The participation of temporary foreign workers on our farms and our food businesses is absolutely necessary. It is nothing less than an issue of food security. We are making sure that our food supply chain is not compromised by the closure of our borders, as we now need thousands of workers on the farms for the planting season as well as the processing of foods from the land and sea. We will work closely with employers to ensure protocols are in place for workers upon their arrival in Canada, to avoid any health risks. In addition to health screening protocols before travel, all individuals entering from abroad must isolate for 14 days upon their arrival in Canada. Every measure will be taken to follow necessary health requirements, including thorough pre-screening, supervised isolation upon arrival, and employee monitoring. There will always be opportunities available for Canadians interested in stepping forward to work on our farms and in food processing plants. The over 60,000 temporary foreign workers who come to Canada to work in our agriculture and agri-food sector are crucial to our food security and our rural economies. This measure will ensure Canadians will have continued access to healthy and affordable Canadian food when they go to the grocery store. I want to thank all the farmers, grocers, employees and food processors, as well as all those offering food services to the more vulnerable. They continue to go to work every day, and help keep our food supply chain strong and ensure everyone has the food they need during these difficult times. Our government is working around the clock to respond to the health and economic impacts of the COVID-19 outbreak on Canadians, and on our farmers and agri-food businesses. We’re standing by our farmers every step of the way. We’re working closely with industry and provincial-territorial partners to closely monitor all the issues related to the health of Canadians, including an adequate food supply for all. Hon. Marie-Claude Bibeau Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food
March 27, 2020
This is Real The pandemic that is circling the globe is real! I don’t understand which part of this thing that people don’t get, no one is immune. No one gets a free pass because they are healthy or have not travelled internationally. A hoard of toilette paper does not protect you (and I don’t know where that idea came from). This is going to change the world, the way we do business and the way we travel. It will take a long time to have this work through the system and things get back to normal – the new normal. You may call me paranoid if you like, but perhaps it is my experience. I had an uncle die because of the Spanish influenza epidemic in 1918. Yes, I know that is more than 100 years ago, but he is still dead, and while I do not remember him, I remember my Dad speaking about him. My Dad told the story of losing a brother who was a healthy 25-year old farm boy in southern Manitoba and three days later he was dead. We have technology that allows us to do business from a distance and
yet people are not using it. Information sources are working on distance technology, seed plants are making plans for non-contact delivery, and the list goes on… you can go to spring auctions on line. This is about putting a stop to COVID19 not just so that Major League Baseball can have a season but so that we can get back to some form of normalcy. Who would have thought that we could get to spring without NHL playoffs or World Curling Championships but we are and soon it will be time to go to the field and plant the 2020 crop. The planting season is going to be different, though I remember times where it seemed like imposed isolation when I was seeding and that was about all that I did except for sleeping. I want to believe that we will learn something from this situation but I am really doubtful, especially when I read stories of people hording toilette paper and see Facebook posts about the line ups at stores. This is not a place where I usually ask for something from readers but I am making an exception. Please, if you have any common sense use it, and honour the requests for isolation and reduce contact with other individuals. Please make your contribution to stopping the spread of COVID-19. Death is so final.
March 27, 2020
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CUSMA Receives Royal Assent Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland, who presided over the negotiations for the new Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA), was very pleased to support and see Bill C-4 in its last step to formal ratification on March 13 as it received Royal Assent. Bill C-4 is the Act to implement the new NAFTA. “Canada is a trading nation. Indeed, with the world’s tenthlargest economy, trade is the backbone of our economy. Trade is vital for the continued prosperity of Canadian workers, entrepreneurs, businesses, and communities across the country,” she said at the Standing Committee on International Trade in February. “Our government champions an open, inclusive society and an open global economy. These fundamental Canadian values transcend party and region. In fact, each of Canada’s three, major trading agreements, CETA, CPTPP, and now the new NAFTA, were the outcome of efforts across party lines.” “The new NAFTA maintains tariff-free access to the U.S. market for Canadian ranchers and grain farmers,” said Freeland. “We should never lose sight of the fact that the US starting objective in the NAFTA renegotiations was to abolish Canada’s system of supply management. We did not accept that. Instead, we stood up for Canadian farmers and preserved supply management for this generation and for those to come.” Despite being confronted with obstacles during negotiations, “The American tariffs that were unprecedented, unjust, and arbitrary CUSMA will maintain the tariff-free market access from NAFTA,” said Freeland about the months of talks. In addition the agreement includes updates and new chapters to address modern-day trade challenges and opportunities. The agreement provides key outcomes for Canadian businesses, workers and communities in areas such as labour, environment, automotive trade, dispute resolution, culture, energy, and agriculture and agri-food. Importantly, CUSMA also includes language on gender and Indigenous peoples’ rights. For agriculture CUSMA will preserve existing agriculture commitments between Canada, the US and Mexico, and help bring together an already highly integrated North American industry. Canada secured a number of beneficial outcomes for agriculture including new market access in the form of tariff rate quotas for refined sugar and sugar-containing products, as well as certain dairy products; a modernized Committee on Agriculture Trade, which will provide a forum for Parties to address issues and trade barriers; and, obligations for agricultural biotechnology that will increase innovation, transparency and predictability. The Government defended the supply management system from strong U.S. attempts to see it dismantled. As part of the overall balance of the Agreement, Canada will provide new market access for the US in the form of tariff rate quotas for dairy, poultry and egg products; eliminate current milk classes 6 and 7, and calculate component prices for skim milk powder, milk protein concentrates and infant formula based on a U.S. reference price; and establish a mechanism to monitor exports of skim milk powder, milk protein concentrates and infant formula. These products will be subject to surcharges if exports exceed an agreed threshold. When it comes to disputes, CUSMA builds on and improves the original NAFTA outcome by preserving the use of binational panels to resolve disputes on anti-dumping and countervailing duty matters, which is critically important to preserving market access outcomes and defending Canada’s interests in trade remedy cases and improving the state-tostate dispute settlement process of NAFTA to ensure that arbitral panels are formed to hear disputes and that the process is carried out in a transparent and expedient manner. CUSMA also includes a comprehensive environment chapter, which is subject to dispute settlement and aims to level the playing field by ensuring parties do not lower their levels of environmental protection to attract trade or investment. The agreement introduces new commitments to address global environmental challenges, such as illegal wildlife trade, illegal fishing and depletion of fish stocks, species at risk, conservation of biological diversity, ozone-depleting substances and marine pollution. It includes a new article that identifies 7 multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs) and commits the three parties to implementing their respective obligations under those MEAs to which they are party.
March 27, 2020
CUSMA Restores North American Economic Stability By Harry Siemens Colin Robertson, the Vice President and a fellow of the Canadian Global Affairs Institute, said Canada’s ratification of the CUSMA restores economic stability to North America during an uncertain time as the result of dropping oil prices and the implications of COVID-19. On Friday, March 20, the House of Commons passed legislation to ratify the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement, after which the Senate signed off on the bill. Robertson said ratification of the agreement by all three signatories brings much-needed stability back to the North American trading platform. The uncertainty had frozen investment by Canadians in Canada and certainly by foreign investment in Canada, as remarked by the Governor of the Bank of Canada. With a similar situation in Mexico, it brings stability back to North America. “We have a young population, highly educated, a massive market of 500 million people with the US, Mexico and Canada,
lots of energy, and the bonus of working together,” said Robertson. “The supply chain established since NAFTA came into effect in 1994 is working well and working better, this agreement gives assurance to foreign investors and within North America that you can continue to do business with an agreedto set of rules that includes dispute settlement.” Besides, Robertson said this much needed North American stability because of COVID-19 and the dropping price of oil, is timely. Robertson realizes each country still must go through the steps to confirm each country meets conditions for implementation, after which the CUSMA will replace the current North American Free Trade Agreement. He said when Donald Trump became president in 2016 part of his platform said it was the “worst trade deal ever”, that is NAFTA. The negotiations over the future of NAFTA started after his inauguration in January 2017. The negotiations took almost two years with an agreement reached on the text last December and further amendments when it went through the US Congress earlier this year. Next, the Canadian Parliament,
which had already reviewed the legislation last year before it rose for the election and now, is considered legislation. It mirrors what the US and Mexico passed. Robertson hopes it will become effective later this year or perhaps January of 2021 depending on the crisis at hand. The current NAFTA still operates, but there are new provisions in the new Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement that affect pharmaceutical prices, for example. Rules that relate to the trade-in rules of origin for it to qualify for free trade in North America, there has to be a certain percentage built at a certain wage level, and this will have some implications for Mexico. Robertson said the agreement is in effect for six years, then reviewed and renewed for another six years. “In reality though, my sense is that we will, because this is what they call an evergreen agreement with negotiators meeting to take into account changes to, for example, digital commerce, I suspect that we will be making small modifications to this evergreen Canada-US-Mexico Agreement over the coming years,” he said. “I do not anticipate any problem after six years because I suspect
all three countries will understand how important it is, and I think we’ll just keep rolling this agreement forward.” He said the trade agreement for Canada is significant because 75 per cent of exports go to the US and eighty per cent of Mexico’s exports go to the US. For Canada and Mexico, getting the security of this agreement once again will mean that investors can put money into North America and conduct trade without a lot of problems. It does not solve everything because the USChina phase one agreement slightly sideswipes Canada and he is not sure what will happen in phase two. World markets are in turmoil because of COVID-19 as well as the decision by the Saudis and the Russians not to reach agreement stabilizing the outflow of oil. “So in uncertain times, it is good to have an insurance policy that you can rely upon and that insurance policy in terms of trade and investment for Canada is always the relationship within North America. So that at least is settled for the next six years.”
March 27, 2020
The AgriPost
The AgriPost
AgvisorPro’s Uber Information for Every Farm Problem Makes Debut
By Les Kletke Farmers have a new way of getting information that will allow them to keep their social distance and still get the best possible information to make decisions about their farm. AgvisorPro was set to launch this spring but founder Rob Saik said that the outbreak of COVID-19 hurried things along. “We have been working on the company for over a year,” said Saik. “And this might help with the uptake but it is nothing we would hope for or try to capitalize on.” Saik said he has been thinking about ways that experts can monetize their knowledge and at the same time provide the best information to farmers at the same time they are making decisions about their operations. He likens the approach to obtaining information to the
way Uber allows people to order a ride. “We have a number of experts available and the rate for obtaining information from one of our resources varies according to their depth of knowledge,” he said. The price typically varies from $30 to $60 for a ten minute consultation. He said most producer questions can be answered in 10 minutes. The calls are archived so that the farmer can access them at a later time. “If someone is going out to spray a crop and the cost of their herbicide is $30,000 they want the best information they can get and they are not going to be too concerned about a charge of $60 dollars to speak to the best expert in the country about the specific problem they have.” Saik said the idea of the company came about to allow resource persons to monetize
their knowledge and to allow farmers to work smarter. “It is about stretching, and not stretching the body of the farmer but allowing him to stretch what he is doing and make it most effective,” said Saik. The company has a stable of experts in every area of agricultural production he noted. “We even have someone in honey and bee production,” he said. “The list of experts covers the more traditional areas of agricultural production from beef through crops. The connection will allow the producer to send a detailed picture of the problem which in the case of a weed issue or crop disease could be very valuable and it is immediate.” He said the approach is the logical progression from the traditional method of agricultural knowledge extension. There will not be a charge for
Rob Saik says his new service will be like Uber but provide information for farmers at a fair price.
information provided by an individual employed by a corporation with sales in the area. “These people are great resource people but if they are selling a product related to the question there is no charge,” he said. The company was introduced at a crop show in Saskatoon last year and is up and running for the 2020 crop year.
High Quality Colostrum is Magic for Newborn Dairy Calves The most critical aspects of promoting newborn calf health and reducing morbidity/mortality is to feed sufficient amounts of high-quality colostrum to each dairy calf, shortly after it is born. Once colostrum is fed, it becomes a matter of allowing its specialized antibodies do their job. They do this by establishing temporary immune protection until the calf’s permanent system becomes activated at two-months of age. Each type of these antibodies or immune-globulins has a specific role in neonate calf immunity. For example; IgG have the ability to target pathogens in the tissue of the animal’s body, while IgM destroys bacteria that enters the calf’s bloodstream. Last, IgA attaches to the membranes of different tissues such as intestinal linings, which prevent E. coli from attaching themselves and causing disease. Such high colostrum Ig levels do not last long and in a few days and subsequent milking return to a fraction of their immediate post-partum levels. Neither does the calf’s ability to absorb these immuneglobulins intact, because the calf’s ability to ingest and absorb whole immune-globulins is short-lived. Their intestinal cells with a specialized pinocytic feature are all replaced by more non-specific conventional cells within 24 hours after the calf’s birth. Once the calf’s gut closes no further of these large immune-globulins can be absorbed.
So, the on-the-farm practice to implement such important passive immunity in newborn calves is to feed each dairy calf 100 to 300 grams of immune-globulin from colostrum within the first 12 hours of birth. Given that high quality colostrum should contain at least 50 grams of IgG per litre, most dairy nutritionists instruct: 4 litres of colostrum be fed within the first-two hours of life, followed by another 2 litres by 6 - 12 hours old. Consumption and absorption of immune-globulins from colostrum following this protocol is considered successful if the calf’s IgG blood levels are over 10 g/litre in order to establish good passive immunity. As a dairy nutritionist, I have witnessed many producers following this practice. In one example, a dairy producer of a 350-dairy milking cow operation ensures that adequate amounts of colostrum are fed by using an esophageal tube. He is very conscientious that the baby calf does not aspirate any colostrum during the initial feeding (illustration) or during the second feeding a couple hours later. He tells me that if a calf is on the small side, he reduces the amount of initial/first colostrum to about 2 - 3 litres. In another case, I know a dairy producer that runs a 150-cow dairy and he prefers to leave the newborn calf with the cow for the first few hours of life and then he
watches the calf to ensure that it suckles. Afterwards, he removes the calf to a clean, straw-filled hutch and feeds it the second colostrum feeding by a 2-litre bottle. Despite some concerns in the present literature about disease-transfer from cowto-calf, this producer assured me that he has never had such problems and it seems to only calm the mother for many hours after giving birth. Despite, both producers having different methods of feeding colostrum, they both have the means of testing colostrum of each cow with a refractometer and as a result, ensure that each baby calf receives high quality colostrum. The first producer uses the black tubular refractometer ($30 - $50 per unit), in which he places a drop of colostrum on the glass side and reads a differentiation line between white and blue areas shown through the eye-glass. The other producer has a digital refractometer ($450 per unit)
in which he places a drop of colostrum in the center eyepiece and receives a subsequent digital reading. It is generally accepted by both producers and research alike that at least 22% on the Brix scale of both types of refractometers corresponds to at least 50 g/litre IgG, which is considered to be high quality colostrum for baby calves. These dairy farmers are a testament that there is no real substitute for high quality colostrum fed to newborn dairy calves. Such colostrum provides immune-globulins that can be consumed and directly absorbed across the intestinal wall only within a very short time after birth. As it happens, these antibodies give each dairy calf a seemingly magical chance at a healthy and productive life.
The most critical aspects of promoting newborn calf health and reducing morbidity/mortality is to feed sufficient amounts of high-quality colostrum to each dairy calf, shortly after it is born.
March 27, 2020
New Hub Benchmarks and Tracks Sustainability of Agri-Food Products The Federal government has set aside an investment of $560,000 for the Canadian Federation of Agriculture (CFA) to develop the Canadian Agri-Food Sustainability Initiative. This new initiative will provide Canadian farmers and processors an online national platform to proactively meet the growing demand for proof of sustainability from customers. With this support, the CFA will create a single window for data on the sustainability of the Canadian agri-food supply chain with a forum where producers and processors can share information and connect with new networks interested in sustainability. This initiative will also serve as a hub to benchmark and track the sustainability of the Canadian agrifood industry compared to international standards. Ultimately, the Canadian Agri-Food Sustainability Initiative will support Canadian food producers’ use of label claims about the safety and quality of their food products.
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March 27, 2020
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March 27, 2020
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Dr. John Carr Presents on COVID-19 By Harry Siemens and Dr. John Carr William Alford, the general manager for H@MS Marketing, said in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, H@MS passed on some information to industry partners prepared by Dr. John Carr regarding Coronavirus and Pigs. “It is business as usual at H@MS as we all do our part to limit the spread of the virus,” said Alford. The processors continue to operate without disruption taking additional measures to ensure the safety of their staff and suppliers. He encouraged everyone to work together in the coming weeks and months as this virus runs its natural course. “Be vigilant and take all necessary precautions to protect yourself and your families through these extraordinary times.” Dr. Carr, a world livestock consultant, veterinarian, and lecturer, said pigs could not get COVID-19 and will not give humans COVID-19. To date, there is no evidence of any animal transmission with this new coronavirus COVID-19, a human virus and a human problem. The evidence is pointing to a person in Wuhan becoming the first
case in November 2019. Carr referred to a report of the virus found in a dog in Hong Kong, but the virus was found but did not replicate, and the virus died out in the dog without producing any clinical signs. There are no cases of pigs getting COVID19 in China. He said coronaviruses are a vast family of similar viruses. They are so-called because viewing through an electron microscope they look like the corona of the sun. This virus family is thousands of years old - the corona forms from a variety of spikes that stick through the oily envelope. The virus family lives in many many species of mammal, birds and other reptiles. Man has many known Coronaviruses. The many human coronaviruses known about before 2019, are responsible for 15 per cent of the common cold cases. “But we also know of several types, which are very serious. These are Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS). They are a difficult
Dr. John Carr, a world livestock consultant, veterinarian, and lecturer, said pigs could not get COVID-19 and will not give humans COVID19. Photo by Harry Siemens
The corona is formed from a variety of spikes that stick through the oily envelope. Coronaviruses are a very big family of similar viruses. They are socalled because down the electron microscope they look like the corona of the sun. This virus family is thousands of years old.
family to control, and vaccination generally produces inadequate protection. Their genetics, based on RNA, means they can easily change and makes them very difficult to control as new forms will continuously emerge. The animal (and our) population will have little or no immunity to the ‘new’ form. This is what happened at the end of 2019. A new form of this virus appeared and is now going worldwide,” said Dr. Carr. “Our pigs can get their Coronaviruses which have a range of clinical problems – Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea (PED), which affects the piglets’ intestines less than ten days of age with fatal consequences. Porcine Respiratory Coronavirus (PRC) affects pigs breathing, causing a mild cough and sneeze similar to our seasonal colds, which can be dramatic, but the pigs all recover. But these viruses do not infect people.” Dr. Carr said the change in PED to a more virulent form occurred following the interaction of the pig coronavirus with a Bat coronavirus. A similar history to what has happened in man with COVID-19. These Coronaviruses do have a weakness – they have a layer of fat on the outside of the virus, and if removed, the virus cannot function. For this
Falk Seconds Bill to Tighten Farm Biosecurity Ted Falk, MP for Provencher, has seconded Bill C-205, An Act to amend the Health of Animals Act. Introduced by Conservative MP John Barlow, the Bill helps protect biosecurity for farms by amending the Health of Animals Act to make it a serious offence to enter, without lawful authority or excuse, a place in which animals are kept if doing so could result in the exposure of the animals to a disease or toxic substance. “Recently, more and more individuals and protest groups have been trespassing on farms and food processing centres,” explained
Falk. “This has the potential to cause massive biosecurity issues for animals and the individuals that work with them.” The Health of Animals Act currently provides for the control of diseases and toxic substances that may affect animals or that may be transmitted by animals to persons. However, the Act only applies to the owner of the animals. Currently there is nothing which addresses trespassers, which is what this Bill aims to change. This Bill will not in any way limit an individual’s right to peacefully protest on public property.
Viruses like African Swine Fever pose a very real threat to Canadian agriculture and our food supply, with the potential to decimate livestock herds and devastate farmers. “Canadian farmers grow and raise quality food for all of us, and protecting Canada’s food supply is critical,” noted Falk. “In today’s global marketplace it is critical we protect the integrity of Canada’s supply chain and ensure our food remains safe to eat and sell.” “I am proud to support Bill C-205 and I call on the Liberal government to do the same.”
reason washing your hands carefully with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, ideally with a nailbrush, is a great idea. “Washing your hands to remove viruses can be difficult as illustrated using a UV soap, which we use on our students to teach them good hand biosecurity.” The majority of the flu and colds appear to be more severe for the very young and old. COVID-19 is different because it affects older people. “In pigs with PED, we have something similar, but the other way round where pigs less than ten days of age get very sick but older than this, the clinical signs are relatively mild,” said Dr. Carr. “One of the facts might be that at birth, we received natural immunity to pathogens. The body takes 14 days or so to create antibodies, but these only protect us when we are infected a second time – not the first. As we get older, the innate (natural) defense mechanisms of the body become weaker, and we rely on our memory (antibodies) to protect the body.” With this virus, nobody has any memory because it is new. Once the first wave passes, this virus is likely to become part of the seasonal cold virus. “But this first passage is a painful lesson; we are all human, and in this together.”
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March 27, 2020
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March 27, 2020
Hog Prices on the Rise By Harry Siemens Hog commentator Jim Long said while challenging, he scoured for anything to talk about other than the Coronavirus. “Not much we know, unlike TV news anchors who have become virus experts in the last few days.” Long said in the middle of March, there was a USDA, lean hog price increase from 56.44 to 58.47 per hundredweight in a week compared to a year ago, 53-54 per cent at 53.97 per hundredweight which is almost $10 a head higher. On Friday, March 13, USDA, pork cut-outs reached 70.04 cents a pound which is the first time in several weeks over 70 cents a pound. “Increased price means better demand,” he said. US Pork exports set another weekly high at 44,500 metric tonnes, led by China at 16,120 metric tonnes, and European hog prices remain high, too. Spain at 1.54 Euro/Kg is at record levels, equaling 78 cents a pound. China’s average price is 36.66 RMB/Kg. ($2.38 lb). Long reflected on what this means for the farmer. “Sounds like a recipe to bake a happy cake, not so fast,” he said. He also looked at the lean hog futures, which have collapsed despite many
CFA Extremely Pleased with Government’s Response
Jim Long hog commentator said US hog prices are rising along with US exports to near record levels. Photo by Harry Siemens
positive market directions. “Lean Hog Futures based in Chicago seems to create instant negativity in our industry. No other hog producing country in the world has lean hog futures except the USA,” said Long. “Ninety-two per cent of the world hog industry seems to have managed to operate without lean hog futures. From what we can see, every other country has higher hog prices than the USA.”
He explained that this system has Canada wagging the dog’s tail; the US futures and pricing system. He said that the last time he wrote about his observations on the effect of Lean hog futures, he received more responses and comments than any other time over the past twenty years, all supportive of the observations except one. “We know that nothing will change. Lean hog futures
will continue as long as the money flows into them, and there is a whole industry of brokers and agents collecting commissions on the activity with obvious vested interest to perpetuate the current system,” Long said. In summary, Long said that overall US hog prices are rising along with pork exports at a record level including China and European hog prices which are near or at record levels.
The Canadian Federation of Agriculture (CFA) was extremely pleased to hear this evening that the Canadian government has clarified that the existing travel restrictions will still allow essential agri-food temporary foreign workers from entering Canada in time for the impending planting season through to harvest. “Farmers are pleased to see the government respond so promptly to the looming shortage of agri-food workers and we are committed to working with all the appropriate agencies and departments to ensure their entry maintains strict public health protocols to prevent further spread of COVID-19. Top of mind for Canadian farmers is ensuring the safety and health of all Canadians. The next top priority is ensuring a constant food supply during the COVID-19 pandemic for all Canadians,” said CFA President, Mary Robinson. “We are still reviewing the details and will be in close contact with all relevant departments and industry stakeholders over the coming days to ensure these workers arrive safely and on time, while responsibly adhering to all public health requirements. We commend the government’s quick reaction, ensuring the continued resilience of the Canadian food supply during these difficult times,” continued Robinson. There are still many details to be worked through, but the CFA looks forward to working with public health officials and other key stakeholders to address the logistical challenges associated with this effort and ensure all necessary measures are taken. The health of the Canadian public and all agri-food workers is the first priority, and we will be in close contact with farm groups across Canada to ensure we are coordinated in this effort.
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Gardeners: It’s Time to Start Your Tomatoes By Joan Airey Until sports were all shut down, I was getting behind with my garden projects. My mouth waters at the mention of a garden ripened tomato. My neighbour’s Dad when I was first married always said to start your peppers by March 15, tomatoes on April 7 and the cabbage family April 15. I’ve generally followed his advice. Even though his daughter moved out west several years ago, for the 20 years she lived on the next farm over to us she always had an extremely well producing garden. Dave from Sage Garden Greenhouses said to start your tomatoes from the third week of March through to about the first week of April. Tomatoes really do benefit from being started indoors although there are a few short days to maturity for some varieties that could be direct seeded outdoors. For best results you will need a very sunny location or full spectrum grow lights. Dave said one of the tricks of seed starting tomatoes is to be prepared for their fast growing which means having a plan for re-potting into deeper starter containers as they grow so their stems develop extra below ground roots each time you repot anchoring them really well. I always bury them deep in the garden too. Don’t forget they will need a seedling starter fertilizer which helps grow a stronger plant. Hardening off your plants before setting out in the garden is important. Also use clean containers with drainage holes to start your plants so you can water them from the bottom. On the weekend I was able to listen to Lawn and Garden Journal on 1220 radio and they recommended watering plants in the morning not the evening. Putting a fan on your plants to strengthen them and increasing light longer than daylight hours with grow lights. This is something I know works great from personal experience. For those who want to listen for tips, the Lawn and Garden Journal airs Saturday morning from 9-10 am. I had a call from Doug Reid of Rapid City and he told me he grew “Pink Fir Apple” a fingerling variety of potatoes he purchased from Eagle Creek Seed Potatoes a company you can find online located in Alberta. Doug and his wife enjoyed them boiled fresh from the garden last summer. Stay safe everyone and if you are able to stay home, enjoy doing things you normally don’t have time to do. I’m lucky my granddaughter Blake lives next door and loves to come over to bake and garden with me.
Magnificent Clydesdales Coming to Brandon in 2021
By Joan Airey Many Manitoba volunteers are busy getting things organized for the World Clydesdale Show which will take place in Brandon July 14-18, 2021, at the Keystone Centre in Brandon. The show is considered the Olympics for Clydesdales and draws over five hundred horses from over seven provinces and twenty-seven states. “Cost to attend the show for a day for adults will be fifteen dollars, while children between twelve and seventeen will pay ten dollars, while those under twelve will get in free,” commented Calvin Martin, co-chair of the show. A highlight of the show will be the six and seven horse hitches. You will not only be able to see hitch classes but halter classes, riding classes, barrel racing, jumping, and dressage performed by Clydesdales. “The goal of the Brandon World Show committee is to put on a show that people can attend, enjoy and remember for all the right reasons and also to showcase the versatility of the Clydesdale breed. This will also leave a legacy for future World shows in Canada,” said Martin. The Martin family lives near Strathclair where Calvin’s dad originally raised Clydesdales before Calvin and Blair. Now a third generation Blaine’s daughters Charity and Britney are involved showing and raising Clydesdales. Updates and more information are available on their website at worldclyeshow2021.com and their Facebook page.
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Crops to Consider for 2020 Seeding
By Elmer Heinrichs With the increasing daylight and the official arrival of spring, many Manitoba farmers are getting antsy waiting for fields to dry. If you’re uncertain about what to plant this spring, you are not alone. Given the markets and a wet, late harvest last fall, a lot of producers are still pondering which crops to grow this spring. Dave Simonot, intelligence specialist with Manitoba Agriculture, suggests wheat and canola will likely hold steady for acres; both have offered acceptable pricing and good yield performance over the last three years. “Those who managed to
harvest all their wheat early will lean more favourably to the crop while those who saw the abrupt sprouting and downgrade last September will be less enthusiastic,” he said. “There is no crop that is a clear favourite coming into 2020. Based on current pricing and recent production experience, oats is likely to be a popular choice since current prices remain better than other crops, and last year’s yield performance and early harvest beat most other choices.” “Oats will still be a smaller crop, usually fourth or fifth in terms of overall seeded acres, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see acres rise 10 per cent,” said Simonot.
Soybeans will lose acres again mostly due to three years in a row of disappointing yields and the terrible harvest for all later crops last fall. On the other hand, grain corn acres will hold steady or rise somewhat as pricing is appealing and harvest difficulties are more common for this crop. “And I expect barley will hold steady or rise slightly as prices are mediocre because it is an early, low risk crop for some,” added Simonot. In general, he expects a slight shying away from the longer season crops, particularly soybeans due to harvest difficulties and disappointing yields in recent years. “In terms of market
outlook, I would describe it overall as subdued. No great expectation of buoyant prices, just steady as she goes. But prices aren’t terrible either, producers can still make some money if yields and quality are good,” said Simonot. Since pretty much all of Manitoba entered winter with saturated soils, the worry is more likely to be about too much moisture rather than too little at seeding time. The light snow cover to early March augurs slightly towards an earlier spring with more time for drying soils for planting, but that could change with any material precipitation event.
Former Ag Minister Ritz on Canada’s Trade Hit By Harry Siemens The necessity to deal with COVID-19 somewhat overshadowed a vital trade issue. Parliament gave three readings to the new CanadaMexico-US trade agreement referred to as CUSMA. Former Agricultural Minister Gerry Ritz gave an interesting perspective on this new deal. With Canada’s ongoing access to China greatly restricted, Canadian grain may reach China through the US or other countries, which has both an upside and downside for Canadian farmers. Ritz said the point he makes with the new NAFTA is that there is the free flow of goods at America’s sayso, unfortunately. But they are now in the final throes of a deal with China. “As we lose our capacity to trade directly with Chi-
na, we’ll be flushing all of our products to the US,” he said. “Whether fixed or not, then they’re going to go to China through that window, through the US, and that means that we become price takers again,” said Ritz. According to Ritz, this was done for years. As Agricultural Minister the Federal government increased Canada’s trade by some two and a half times by selling direct to other countries. The value of, a beef cow was worth $200 to $300 more when traded directly with China than through the US he said. “If it goes as a US animal then we take less for our product. It continues to move product, but at the end of the day, those are all profit dollars coming right off a farmer and rancher’s bottom line,” said Ritz.
Former Agricultural Minister Gerry Ritz gave an interesting perspective on the new CUSMA deal. Photo by Harry Siemens
In the case of canola trade to China at somewhat of an impasse, he said that while still shipping canola oil, they lost the market on the meal and the actual seed going over there for processing. The crushers are still doing okay, but it is not showing up on a farmer’s bottom line because of the variability of the Chinese market. What is good today, on Tuesday, is not necessarily good the following Tuesday. “Yet, we don’t have that almost $3 billion capacity in China for our canola seed. They’re buying more soy now out of the US, buying some canola, but looking at other markets than Canada,” he said. “A lot of our processors are looking at that US market as an easier way to do it than to deal directly with Japan, which is unfortunate because that’s a very premium-priced market.” Ritz said of COVID-19 and other health-related pandemics that it does show as a severe impact and has a chilling effect on international trade. Canadian farmers have felt the impact of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE), Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea (PED) and influenza A H1N1 which can all close market doors when not suppressed immediately. Now with African Swine Fever, China will have a tremendous shortfall in their domestic ability to produce because
even their breeding stock has taken a significant hit. China will need Canadian genetics to build back up their stock, but it is a matter of when and how to get it there. In the immediate future, Ritz, for one, worries about the deferred Canadian budget and fears the budget deficit may be about to balloon from $25 or $30 billion, perhaps tripling to $100 billion. He wonders if the government is printing money, or is there an economic back-up plan to follow the response to the economic impact of the COVID virus. The other problem is that the agricultural community is worried but they should not be, he said. “There’s a hungry world out there looking for Canadian products,” expressed Ritz. “But our guys are caught watching this whole thing spiral down, and they’re starting to wonder what their bottom line is going to look like,” he said. He looks at the recession that will happen and said that no one is ready for it as a country and wonders who is going to be left standing at the end of the day. “The government can print more money and send it out if they’re not building something at the end of it when we come out of this thing that we’re actually at par or gaining a little bit on infrastructure or whatever, then we’re totally at a loss.”
The AgriPost
Farmers Respond on Twitter to COVID-19 Outbreak
By Harry Siemens With governments at all levels, businesses and agricultural groups making swift decisions in response of COVID-19 the farming Twitter world became even more active. In a daylong discussion on a Sunday, it became apparent farmers and farm suppliers would continue to do what they always do, work through it one way or the other. A farmer Jim Pallister said it best, “We will out farm this too.” One non-farmer replied, “So grateful to farmers especially during these scary times. Thank you for making sure that we have food on our tables.” A Twitter discussion participant, Louise offered some concrete help and suggestions, listing some factors that provide hope. Southern Manitoba has access to the US market that does not require rail. Farming is a social distancing career. People around the world desire Canadian agricultural products around the world because of their quality. Many farmers have almost everything they need on their farm to complete the 2020 planting season. Many farmers work with a family that is all in with their goals, which increases the chance of labour availability. “Most farmers have access to resources they need to stay healthy,” said Louise. Then a farmer, Gerry Demare of Somerset, posted how he has talked about this lately at home. “Will this result in destruction disrupting supply chains?” questioned Demare. “Most disrupters that farmers have ever experienced result in lower prices. For now, the lower Canadian dollar is helping. Will the economy falter, probably, if not crash. The domino effect
will be huge.” Ron Krahn of Rivers, said that the COVID-19 outbreak and the drastic measures would not affect his farm greatly and he had few concerns. Most concerns revolved around people being unavailable for work due to quarantines or border issues and unavailable crop inputs due to local logistics and active ingredients from international sources, including seed and fertilizer supplies from the US. “Canola contracted to CHS in Hallock MN while wheat going to an elevator that ships a lot south,” said Krahn. “Border closures could shut that down while employees have to stay home during busy seeding season are all concerns.” Pat Kunz, a full-time farmer in southwest Saskatchewan planting wheat, durum wheat, mustard and peas, said “As smaller farmers, he and his wife are the crew. Have had the odd person that will help out, but this is a constant concern, injury or illness as spring planting approaches would be hard to manage.” Eldon Klippenstein, who farms near Altona, tweeted it is hard to say at this point although, he is, “anticipating hassle, headaches, shipping disruptions, and shortages of products.” Jim Wickett, who farms at Rosetown, SK and chair of the Western Canadian Wheat Growers (WCWG) who cancelled their 50th AGM slated for Regina March 17 and 18, said, “It is very early in the process. Hopefully, this is all an abundance of caution.” Günter Jochem is the president of the WCWG and operates the family farm, Blue Diamond a grain and oilseed operation, just
west of Winnipeg, with his wife Crystal and their four daughters expressed some concern. “It’s tough to say how this will affect farmers. I’m glad we have a solid six weeks until seeding starts. If this happened just as seeding started it would be really tough. 2020 will be a challenging year right out of the gate.” Another farmer in southern Manitoba who calls himself the God of Ag said with trade issues, rail blockages and now COVID-19, “I have to say this is the first time in my life I’m not overly excited to invest a pile of money growing a crop. I will, but this year feels blah so far.” Rolf Penner, a special crops and grain farmer east of Morris said it is hard to say right now how badly or not it will affect farmers. “We’re in a low population density business, so I’d say we shouldn’t have too many issues. But it could disrupt our supply lines, inputs, repairs, etc. People who might tough it out to get the job done might now stay home just in case.” Demare at Somerset quipped wait until it thaws and the soil smells good. “Ya, that smell always gets me geared up.” “Probably all I need,” said God of Ag on Twitter in response. Landon Friesen, a farmer in the Manitou area, waded in on the school closure issue, assuming there would be some online teaching but suggested rotating the children through the school in small groups to reduce interaction. In response, Tyler Bartmanovich in western Manitoba tweeted, “I suppose. Just difficult to go from having all of the lessons planned for in-class to online. Then again, I have no idea how the current curriculum is structured these days.”
Business Interruption Insurance and COVID-19 A common question we are receiving these days is whether a contagious virus (you may have heard of it) causing loss to business revenue is covered by the business interruption coverage on an insurance policy? Business Interruption coverage is set up to pay for ongoing expenses along with the optional loss of profits that can be added to the policy. I’ve often heard this referred to as disability insurance for your business, allowing the loss of income to be offset by the insurance policy and keeping the business out of extra financial hardship
during this time. Insurance brokers absolutely love being the bearers of great news, so these past few weeks have been difficult as the answer to the question about business interruption is consistently, “No!” This is due to the way that business interruption coverage is set up – the coverage is triggered only when there is an insured peril that causes loss to your physical premises insured under your policy. As COVID-19 is not causing damage to property, the loss of revenue from this virus does not trigger the business interruption insurance coverage. While we are seeing multiple insurers reminding us of the basics of business interruption, we are being advised that each policy is unique and it is in your best interest to call your insurance broker
and ask if coverage would apply. This is also a great time to review the vacancy provision and liability conditions surrounding this virus to make sure you understand how your policy will respond to your specific situation. Still have questions? Rempel Insurance Brokers Ltd. are open for business throughout this pandemic and are glad to assist you with your insurance needs throughout this and all seasons of life. We wish you health and rich moments with your family throughout this time. David Schmidt is an Account Executive at Rempel Insurance Brokers in Morris, MB, specializing in insuring farms and businesses across Manitoba and Saskatchewan. Office 204-746-2320, Text 204-712-6618 or email davids@ rempelinsurance.com.
March 27, 2020
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Agriculture: My Journey Today
By Brenna Mahoney I became part of the agriculture industry four years ago. Shortly after, I wrote, “Agriculture: My Journey so far”. It was a reflection on my first six months working in this amazing sector. Despite being new to agriculture I knew I had found where I belonged! Sometimes I think that we forget that agriculture really is amazing. One of my most memorable experiences was being able to stand in front of a few hundred high school students as a volunteer for Agriculture in the Classroom and tell them how this industry has changed my life and the way I view my own educational path. It was through this opportunity that I recognized how diverse agriculture is, even the team within Cereals Canada. The diversity that agriculture attracts is one of its main strengths. Almost on a daily basis I meet people from all over the world that have been attracted to Canadian agriculture. The value chain brings together people of almost every educational and cultural background. Agriculture’s people are its biggest asset. Diversity goes beyond people. Students contemplating their career pathway should come to agriculture. One in eight people work in agriculture and no matter your passion there will be a connection back to the industry. Every day there is something new to learn, talk about, or problem to solve. Navigating diversity of issues is not always easy but is extremely rewarding. It should always be seen as an opportunity, never a challenge that cannot be overcome. The issue of public trust is one example where agriculture’s diversity can be used as strength. We are privileged to have a window into every part of this industry, from farm gate to plate. But consumers do not have this window. Consumers should be viewed as a part of our industry; they participate in it by buying our commodities and making them into meals for their families. Canadian agriculture has the diversity to speak to consumers no matter their background and help them answer the question, “Where does my food come from?” But to do that we need to work together and collaborate. Collaboration means that we recognize how each person, organization, or segment of the value chain may experience things differently. If we are going to be able to respond to changing consumer needs around the world, we must use these different experiences and work together instead of the natural silos that emerge from our province, background or the part of the industry in which we operate. I am likely a bit biased about the benefits of collaboration as my job is completely dependent on successfully building partnerships. This includes working directly with the Cereals Canada membership, but also outside organizations. Collaboration has shown me how much each one of us has in common. Organizations and people who think they are different usually find that goals are usually similar. Collaboration is must more effective than individual efforts. Once we get down to specific projects it is always better if the message comes from not just one but many voices. Farmers contribute to national organizations through their checkoffs. They are seeing the benefits of collaborative efforts among commodity groups in joint projects like the Keep it Clean! campaign or the annual new crop missions. Both of these collaborative efforts have continued to become bigger and better each year in part to the cooperation between the national and provincial commodity organizations. Another example of effective collaboration is the creation of a national wheat campaign designed to emphasize the nutritional benefits of products made from Canadian wheat and to counter some of the “wheat myths” growing on the internet. As a wheat value chain, we are seeing a positive impact of working together to develop messaging as well as fund research projects regarding wheat and its health benefits. Even though this project is still in its early stages, we are already seeing the advantages of working together. An immediate benefit has been the interest we have been getting from international customers. Some of Canada’s top importers of wheat are asking for the science-based messages around wheat’s nutritional value that we have developed and information on how to celebrate and promote wheat. Agriculture is now a big part of who I am. I often get told I must have drunk the Kool-Aid, to which I proudly reply, “It was actually some delicious beer made with Canadian barley.” We should be proud of our industry not just because we are feeding people, but also because we are attracting a level of diversity which I feel stands out amongst other industries. We are also fostering collaboration and most importantly we continue to engage individuals who are already working in it. Each day I get to come to work and face the day, a day with endless possibilities, filled with new opportunities and challenges to which I know I will overcome. I am indeed grateful to be doing it and looking forward to what comes next. Brenna Mahoney is the Director of Communications and Stakeholder Relations for Cereals Canada.
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The AgriPost
March 27, 2020
Under the Magnifying Glass By Les Kletke Kerri Hudson-Reykdal has some advice for livestock producers: keep pace with the times. Hudson-Reykdal is a vet in the Interlake and spreads her time between small animals and beef cows as just one example on how she has kept pace with changes in her industry. She started Manitoba’s first mobile veterinary hospital in 2013 and now appears on TV. Most recently, she drew a fan following with her presentation at Ag Days in Brandon. The presentation, was entitled Raising Livestock Under a Magnifying Glass saying this is what livestock producers today have to do. “You have to be aware of people watching you and all aspects of your industry,” she said. “They are people who may not understand your industry but they are having on impact on the practices on your farm.” Hudson-Reykdal went on say, “The fact that you have used a handling chute for the last 30 years and it still works fine does
Kerri Hudson Reydal says the rules have changed and producers have to make an effort to explain their production practices to consumers.
not justify it in today’s environment. You need to be aware of current regulations and what is expected of the industry.” “This is not your parent’s world,” she said. “And you cannot get by with the practices of a generation ago.” She went on to list the example of A&W advertising saying it has achieved what it set out to do. “It has been good for them and the message they want to send, they are concerned about their business and selling their product, not about the beef industry,” she said. Hudson-Reykdal uses McDonald’s restaurants as an example of a company that has taken a much more consultative approach by working with beef producers to develop a program that works for production
and the company’s marketing image. She urged producers to be proactive and tell their story. She practices what she preaches and uses television to explain what is happening on farms and in her clinic. “Dairy groups have done a good job and are building a relationship with consumers, “she said. “We have to be aware of where consumers get their information and make sure that it is truthful, there is no one else that is monitoring the internet and making sure things are accurate when it comes to food production. She said the lobby for plant-based proteins is very strong and the message they have about meat production may not be accurate but it is up to producers to make sure it is, and to tell their story.
Assiniboine and Olds Partner to Support Prairie Ag Labour Needs Assiniboine Community College and Olds College have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to work cooperatively and collaborate to enhance agricultural and environmental programming to better meet the labour market needs in the Prairies. Both colleges are well known for agricultural programming in their respective provinces and have long delivered agricultural programs that are reflective of labour market needs. The MOU will support an expanded ability for the colleges’ to work together in a more official capacity. “Assiniboine strives to provide program leadership
in the agriculture field,” said Mark Frison, President of Assiniboine Community College. “A partnership with Olds College will facilitate a dialogue amongst colleagues in both provinces, which face similar challenges with protected labour market gaps.” The agreement will encourage sharing of curriculum assets and program information between the two colleges. Both institutions will examine ways they can best use and share their resources to serve learners, industry employers and commodity organizations while partnering to support economic growth opportunities. “Olds College is known for high-tech, hands-on ag-
riculture education and innovative applied research that lays the foundation for solving real-world problems in farming, food and land,” commented Stuart Cullum, President, Olds College. “We look forward to our partnership with Assiniboine Community College and working together to support the agriculture industry.” Another important aspect of the signed partnership will have both parties explore opportunities that will allow students to move between the two institutions and their programs. The MOU commenced upon signing on March 5, and will continue until June 30, 2025.
From left to right Dan Daley (Dean, School of Trades and Skills, Olds College), Debbie Thompson (Vice President, Academic and Student Experience, Olds College), Derrick Turner (Director, Advancement & External Relations, Assiniboine Community College), Tim Hore (Dean, School of Agriculture & Environment, Assiniboine Community College) and Stuart Cullum (President, Olds College).
The AgriPost
Changes Happen for Auction Time
By Les Kletke Spring is a busy time on the farm auction circuit and in the words of Bill Klassen, “Spring is the time for an auction, there is no doubt about that.” Klassen is used to being busy but this spring he is busy with other aspects of the auction business. While the calendar on his website lists the usual number of farm sales he is not sure if all of them will go on as planned and what format they might take. “We have been using online bidding for a number of years,” said Klassen. “But now we might go to a strictly online system, and we have never done that before.” He said that the system is in place for online bidding but there are other aspects of the auction it cannot accommodate. “Over the years online bidding has grown to be about 15-20% of the dollar value of a sale, but that is certainly not the same per cent age of items,” said Klassen. Online bids are typically focused on a large piece of equipment and not on the smaller items from the farmer’s workshop. “We might
Bill Klassen with Premier Pallister in happier times, but Klassen says he is set to follow the guidelines about large gatherings.
have a combine sell online and it can account for 20% of the money generated at the sale,” said Klassen. “We are not sure how a total online sale will be for the smaller items. Klassen said he is seriously taking the recommendation of not having large crowds gather and had a report of a farm sale in the eastern US being shut down by law enforcement officers because it garnered more of a crowd than was allowed by health regulations. He also acknowledged that in many ways a farm sale is a social event and that will be missing with online sales. “There is no doubt that there is more to a sale than the money
generated,” he said. “A sale provides an opportunity to say good-bye as people leave the business. That is a very important aspect and that will be missing.” Klassen plans to meet with individuals who have sales scheduled and said that so far he has one fellow who has committed to going ahead, and one who is leaning to postponing his sale. When asked if has he seen anything like this before in his more than 50 years in the auction business he said, “I remember my grandpa speaking of the flu epidemic but I have not had anything like this in the auction business before.”
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Watch for the Market Peaks By Les Kletke Grain markets are taking a hit and prices have fallen from the beginning of the year but David Drozd said there are still some bright spots. He also credits COVID-19 and the retracting world economy as only one of the factors in play. “If we use the example of soybeans which is traditionally a seasonal market,” said Drozd. “They traditionally go down from January to March and this is that time of the year.” He noted that the decline may be more than usual and that may be due to the world wide pandemic but he said a record crop being predicted for Brazil is also a factor that is pushing the price down. Drozd said that the decline of the Canadian dollar does make for some opportunities for Canadian agricultural exports. “We have seen some spring wheat spot markets hit $7 a bushel and that is a year high so we are recommending to our clients that if they see those prices to take advantage of them,” said Drozd. He recommends seeking
David Drozd says that producers should be watching for peaks in the grain market that can provide good returns.
those spots in the market. “You might have to make a deal with your elevator agent or where you market grain, that if those prices come along, you are ready to take advantage of them.” He said looking at the beef market, there are several factors that are pushing prices down not the least of which is a record beef production in the US. “Also beef is considered the rich man’s protein and when the market pulls back it takes a hit. That is what is happening right now,” he said. “So beef prices are feeling the pressure and moving downward. There is no doubt about that.” Drozd a dedicated chartist believes that charts can provide an explanation for what
is happening in the market place and often predicts a floor or ceiling but not always. “We know where floors have been before but things can go lower,” he said citing the example of crude oil. “Prices are low but yet production is high and continuing, there seems to be a market for places to store crude oil,” he said. He said this market movement is different than the situation in 2008. “At that time China was a strong market but that is not the case at this time,” he said. “So we are not sure where this could end up, but we know it will turn around. We suggest looking for the spikes in the market because it might be a while before a full scale turn around.”
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March 27, 2020
Maintain Good Nutrition in Beef Cows after Calving
By Peter Vitti Maintaining good nutrition in beef cows after calving is very similar to continuing well-balanced diets that were fed to them as late-gestation cows. That’s because years of beef research demonstrate that cows that calve out in optimum body condition of 5 - 6 (1 = emaciated to 9 = obese) have a greater chance, compared to thin fresh cows with an easier birthing, produce large quantities of colostrum containing more immune antibodies and produce more milk for their newborn calves. And if optimum body condition is maintained until the upcoming breeding season, cows show a quick return to fertile estrus, which leads to high rates of conception with next year’s calf. Such optimum body condition in breeding beef cows can be viewed as the specific amount of dietary energy that is surplus from meeting the energy requirements for vital functions, milk production as well as replacement heifer growth. It is stored as layers of body fat in beef cows. It’s a wellaccepted law of nutrition
and to a much lesser extent applies to the calving cows’ need for more dietary protein. Consequently, the postpartum beef cows’ requirement for dietary energy increases 25 - 35% and for crude protein increases 10 15%, compared to late-gestation beef cows of the same stature. Both of these nutrients are largely utilized for milk production in which 75% of the milk produced by fresh cows and consumed by their calves is produced in the first 60 days after calving. Therefore, most nursing cows require about 60 - 62% TDN (total digestible nutrients) and about 11 - 12% crude protein in their diet by the time they are milking at their highest levels. Growing first-calf heifers need a similar amount of these nutrients too. In addition to extra energy and protein, beef cows after calving require a more fortified mineral and vitamin feeding program. For example, bovine research shows that an average cow producing 10 - 15 lbs of milk per day; requires about two times more calcium compared to a non-milking
late-gestating beef cow. Furthermore, they also proved that phosphorus deficiencies reduce milk production as well as reduce utilization of dietary energy to maintain optimum body condition. There is also work that shows deficiencies in both minerals delay post-calving estrus as well as puberty in unbred 1st calf heifers. Trace minerals are also documented to play significant roles in beef cows’ milk production, but their heavy focus tends to be preparing beef cows for the upcoming breeding season. For example, copper, zinc, manganese and selenium (and vitamin E) are part of important enzyme systems that are linked to good reproductive activity. As a beef nutritionist, I have formulated many postcalving cow diets to meet each one of the above required major nutrients. Here is outline of each important nutrient group as it relates to my dietary advice: - Energy - Lactating beef cows consume 30 - 40 lbs of feed (dm, basis), each day. So, I often develop a diet based upon a 90% forage
If optimum body condition is maintained until the upcoming breeding season, cows show a quick return to fertile estrus, which leads to high rates of conception with next year’s calf.
base, which should be of good quality and mold-free until cows are released onto spring pastures. Until then, I would also supplement with 1 - 2 lbs of high-energy grain such as corn or barley. Limit alternative ensiled forages such as corn silage to avoid over-conditioning of beef cows. - Dietary protein - Post-partum beef cows need 11 12% protein diet and mixed legume-grass hay can fill this demand. Although, alfalfa hay or silage can be
utilized in a mixed-forage, feeding only 18 - 20% hay is not recommended. This could lead to diarrhea and possible lost body condition. In contrast, avoid feeding low quality straw as the main forage, because they are typically deficient in both in protein and energy. - Mineral/vitamin program - A well-balanced program should either maintain or build up adequate mineral and vitamin status of the post-partum cow. It should compliment macro-miner-
als found in the forages and assure that trace minerals are consumed in adequate amounts as well as be have a high degree of gut absorption, tissue retention and efficient metabolism. By following such dietary parameters, it really showed me the right direction to put together a well-balanced post-calving cow diet. It also taught me the value of meeting the much higher dietary requirements, as beef cows change from gestating into lactating fertile cows.
The AgriPost
Hog Prices, Supply and Demand Interrupted by Pandemic
While addressing the HAMS Marketing producer meeting in Starbuck, Tyler Fulton of HAMS Marketing Services said hog producers should stay the course on existing marketing strategies despite the current market disruptions resulting from the global reaction to COVID-19.
By Harry Siemens With all farm organizations cancelling or postponing their AGMs and producer meetings this spring, producing food will continue. Despite the current market disruptions resulting from the global reaction to COVID19, Tyler Fulton of HAMS Marketing Services said hog producers should stay the course on existing marketing strategies. The one overwhelming factor influencing hog markets right now is the impact from actions to halt the spread of COVID-19. Fulton, a director of risk management, said the market is hugely uncertain about where pork demand will move except for a massive hole in supplies within Asia
due to African Swine Fever which can be filled if logistics in the supply chain line up. There is a great deal of uncertainty associated with the demand considerations, but the COVID-19 has disrupted the ordinary course of life in North American and around the world. The pork industry will not know the long term forecast on demand for months. He recommends that the best thing the industry can do is to stay the course. “I think the market will clear unless there are some logistical bottlenecks because there’s a major price difference between Asia and North America,” he said. “North American demand for pork is still excellent, but we don’t know how COVID-19 and the actions to reduce its spread will affect pork markets specifically.” Fulton said up until about the second week in March, the hog markets were very resilient, getting useful positive information from stable exports to China. However, when it became apparent that the COVID-19 implications could have an impact on logistics that is when the hog markets turned lower. He said the hog market has remained among the more resilient markets still. During that same period, slaughter hogs numbers increased in the US, running at the highest slaughter levels ever seen for this time of year. Typically slaughter numbers start to ease off a little bit. It re-
flects that US producers have ramped up production. “We’re still in the middle of that trend, where there’s no end in sight, in terms of the increases in production that we can expect.” He said the US is managing with the new plants and with the greater use of double shifts at one of the two new plants. There is some concern for the fourth quarter of 2020, but there is potential for some plants in North Carolina, to ramp up more slaughter and ship whole carcasses or primary cuts. “So I don’t think its doom and gloom, but I think we’re approaching a level where it could be a concern eight to ten months from now.” Even before the industry knew the extent of the pandemic fallout, the hefty supply kept a cap on cash hog prices, much more so than anticipated for this time of year. Most analysts expected to see year over year number increases but thought the increased export potential would overcome those increases. Running at pro-
duction levels a lot closer to full capacity utilization than anticipated kept a lid on cash hog prices. Fulton said in early March, they saw the severe impact from the development of COVID-19, because it threatened export demand. There is a lot of concern about the grand economic impacts that this virus may have globally, and that uncertainty has put pressure on futures markets. He said producers with a plan would benefit from a structured approach to gaining protection for their hog prices, he said. The plan will need to consider the whole picture, which includes the heavy supplies here in North America, the apparent hole that developed from African Swine Fever in China and other countries, and now, the new dynamic’s of the pandemic. “Producers should have lower expectations than what they did three months ago, just strictly because Coronavirus has the potential to disrupt normal marketing signals,” he said.
Producers listening attentively at the HAMS Marketing producer meeting in Starbuck. Photos by Harry Siemens
Ag in the Classroom Sees Increase to Online Activity By Les Kletke A world wide pandemic is not what Sue Clayton would have wished for to expand the profile of Ag in the Classroom (AIG) but it is providing her organization with new opportunities. “It is not what we would ever hope for,” said Clayton, the Executive Director of AIC Manitoba. “But the heightened awareness of food and its sources has given us expanded opportunities to spread the message of food production and how important agriculture is in our province.” The closure of schools and public meetings has had some draw backs though. “We have canceled our literacy month with people reading in classrooms,” said Clayton. “We have canceled the Amazing
Agriculture Adventure for Russell.” It is likely a similar event for Brandon will also be canceled but the announcement had not yet been made. The increase in home schooling has caused a boom in the downloading of AIC materials available on line. “We have seen a tremendous increase there and we also see an increase in the questions about food supply and the origins of our food,” she said. Clayton said it is a broader opportunity than the group normally gets. “We normally have our material in classrooms but now we are seeing that parents are using the materials and having discussions with their children. So it is an opportunity to get the message out to parents who might not be aware of how big of a
role agriculture plays in our province or on the source of food.” Clayton is clear that the message is a positive one. “We want to be sure to send that message that crops will be planted this spring and that food will be moving from the farm gate to the plate,” said Clayton, emphasizing that it is not a panic situation about food production but rather an opportunity to understand what is involved with food production in Manitoba. She said that store shelves missing some food items we normally take for granted are encouraging further discussion about why those items are not in the store and the process involved in getting food to the market place. She is confident that the
Sue Clayton
organization will continue to work in classrooms when school resumes. “We do not know how long schools will be closed and we have canceled some of our events to provide a safe environment but we will be back with training sessions for teachers and materials they can use in classrooms when school resumes,” said Clayton.
March 27, 2020
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Skip-O-Potamus Handcrafted Soap Gives Joy
Handcrafted soap.
By Shauna Wagenhoffer Handcrafting, taking raw ingredients and transforming them into something new and useful has always intrigued me said Shauna Wagenhoffer. “Knowing I have created something appreciable gives me joy” said Wagenhoffer. “As a teen I became fascinated with the idea that lye made from ashes and fats or oils could become something cleansing. Making soap seemed both incredible and impossible. My mom encouraged me to try and had me meet with a friend of hers who was also interested in learning. We forged ahead together, mixing our lye with trepidation and breathing a huge sigh of relief as our first bars came out actually looking like soap! Waiting the six weeks for it to cure before trying it was a true exercise in patience.” After that first batch, Wagenhoffer was hooked. She moved ahead trying new formulas and scent combinations, making soap for family and friends. Now twenty years later, Karl, her husband started to see the possibility for a business. “I looked into all the notification and labeling laws and quickly became overwhelmed,” she said. “He encouraged me and helped me do all the hard stuff so I could do the part I enjoy, actually make the soap.” “Our soap is made in small batches to help ensure quality and cured for at least six weeks to ensure hardness and longevity,” said Wagenhoffer. “We use locally sourced, sustainable, and organic ingredients wherever possible. It’s been fun to learn every part of the process, from rendering lard to packaging, and to continue to try new ideas and formulas. We strive to make products that are safe and healthy for the whole family.” Her interest in soap led to thinking about all the other skin care products used and wondering how many others she could make. As a result Skip-O-Potamus now offers shampoo bars, lip balm, lotion bars, beard balm, whipped body butter, sugar scrubs, bath bombs and bath salts as well. They also make laundry soap and stain sticks for pre-spotting laundry. “Have a product you’re eager to find locally crafted?” asked Wagenhoffer. “Let us know and maybe we can make something happen.” Karl and Shauna live in Stuartburn with their four children, Heidi, Hannah, Levi and Megan. They are hoping to get their soap into retail locations again soon. Currently, you can purchase directly from them and are available either by email at kswagenhoffer@gmail.com or phone 204-425-3089. They would love to have you contact them to order your own handcrafted skin care products.
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The AgriPost
March 27, 2020
Farm Family Moves Forward Despite Many Setbacks By Harry Siemens Gunter Jochum’s family moved to Canada from Germany in 1980 to provide more opportunities for the second generation in the agriculture industry. Now Gunter operates the family farm, Blue Diamond Farms a grain and oilseed operation, just west
of Winnipeg, with his wife Crystal and their four daughters. Gunter is also president of the Canadian Western Wheat Growers Association (CWWGA). Jochum is ready for seeding this spring except for some harvested soybean acres from last fall that will need
The harvest in the fall of 2019 was a difficult one leaving deep ruts and unharvested soybean acres at Gunter Jochum’s family farm west of Winnipeg. Photo supplied by Gunter Jochum.
special care. “I mean, we’re still weeks away from seeding, and all our seed and fertilizer is lined up and ready to go,” he said. “We have it on the farm in storage, so I don’t expect any disruptions on that front. We can put our crop in with family members and we have one full-time hired guy that works with us. There’s not much disruption from that side of it.” Gunter has the seeding plans firmed up with minor changes from last year, sticking with wheat, oats, canola, and soybeans rotation. The family farm has about 80 per cent of the 2019 crop moved. He said that the last 20 per cent, in hindsight should have moved in the fall because the markets are not doing well right now. “But it’s still months until harvest, and hopefully, as we get over this COVID-19 problem, markets will rebound, and we see another opportunity to market the last 20 per cent of our crop.” The disruption in rail service also affected him personally. “We did have some trouble moving some of our soybeans where we had an off-the-combine contract, and we managed to fill it here a couple of days ago,” said Jochum. The disruptions put
Seed Industry Announces New Collaboration on Value Creation At the Prairie Grain Development Committee Meetings in Winnipeg recently, the Canadian Plant Technology Agency (CPTA) and the Canadian Seed Trade Association (CSTA) announced two initiatives that will help Canadian crops remain competitive. CPTA has launched a pilot program to test how the Seed Variety Use Agreement (SVUA) will work in the real world. To provide transparency on the pilot program and create opportunities for collaboration, CSTA has formed a working group with producer and industry representation. These combined efforts are an opportunity for industry to show leadership and establish how the SVUA will provide value for farmers, industry and the agriculture sector at large. The grain industry broadly agrees that seed value creation is important for Canadian crops to remain competitive globally, and that industry must show leadership. The seed industry has been working hard to determine the next steps after hearing feedback during the value creation consultations. The pilot program and working group are the best approach to get the information required on how the SVUA will work, giving farmers more confidence and providing an opportunity to address concerns. The principles created by producer groups are also a key guideline to keep these efforts on track. “It has been a twelve-year journey to get to this point on value creation, and I’m thrilled that we are taking the next steps to make the Seed Variety Use Agreement a reality,” said Todd Hyra with SeCan. “I’m excited about the opportunity the pilot program offers to provide evidence of value, transparency and choice for all.” CPTA’s pilot program will introduce an SVUA system for a limited number of seed varieties sold for planting beginning in spring 2020. “The pilot program is good news for our industry, and we are supportive of the process. We look forward to testing and evaluating the system,” said Chris Churko, FP Genetics and Chair, CPTA. CSTA’s SVUA working group will bring together producers and industry for updates on the pilot program and act as a forum to provide advice and collaborate. “It’s important to continue the conversation with producers. We look forward to offering new varieties to participating farmers and hearing their feedback,” said Dave Hansen, Canterra Seeds. The Canadian Seed Growers’ Association is one of the confirmed participants in the working group. “This is an excellent way for our association to give feedback and help measure the success of the pilot program,” said Kevin Runnalls, Canadian Seed Growers’ Association. For further information visit seedvaluecreation.ca.
a damper on prices as well. He thinks that it will take at least until harvest time to clean up that backlog. While many farmers in western Canada and in the US have millions of acres to harvest, others have mucked up fields with ruts and crop residues. He said they were lucky with their grains and oilseeds getting them off before the rains started. But the soybeans were a poor crop and they had to fight to get them off, finishing in heavy snow the first week of November. About 25 per cent of last year’s soybean acres have ruts. Once the snow disappears, they will know what those fields look like. He noted that farming heavy clay acres is not advisable to any degree in the spring. A pass or two with heavy harrows may get those ruts levelled if not too deep or it may be possible to seed into those ruts. Back in 1993 there was a very wet fall and he kept getting stuck every 80 acres because of the ruts from one end to another. “In the spring of ‘94, we seeded right into those ruts, but the crop was all right.” Jochum straight cuts everything and even with some ruts, they usually can harvest
Gunter Jochum, president of the Canadian Western Wheat Growers Association said he is ready for seeding this spring except for some harvested soybean acres from last fall. Photo by Harry Siemens
this way rather than laying it in a swath. As president of the CWWGA and their 50th AGM now postponed until November he said it is not going to change what they do day-to-day, week-to-week. It is business as usual. “We moved it off until November because we figured trying to get it squeezed in before seeding, is probably not realistic because nobody knows how long this COVID-19 disruption is going to last,” said Jochum. He said that problems have not disappeared. They still face issues with the carbon
tax and transportation along with COVID-19 that has caused new challenges for temporary foreign workers. Many farms across western Canada rely on the same temporary foreign workers who return year after year. “Now they’re not able to come into the country,” he said. “So we are lobbying our government to make provisions that we can bring those workers in to help us do our fieldwork,” said Gunter. “Because you can’t just train new people at the drop of a hat. And so, this is going to be a problem.”
Are There Edible Cotton Seeds?
Most of us associate cotton with its fibre. A by-product of cotton fibre production is the leftover seeds. The February 7th Sustainable, Secure Food blog explores how scientists are making seeds from cotton edible for people. Blogger Keerti Rathore explained, “Cotton seeds can be used for cottonseed oil, but that market is limited. The rest of these seeds are fed to ruminant animals, like cows.” “This seemed like a waste to us in our lab because cotton seeds are high in protein,” explained Rathore. “In 2014, cotton growers produced about 47 million tons of cotton seeds. Those seeds contained more protein than the 1.27 trillion eggs produced globally that same year!” Humans can’t eat typical cotton seeds because they contain a toxin called gossypol. Gossypol is toxic to red blood cells. Consuming gossypol can cause anemia and even death. So Rathore and his team at Texas A & M set about to make a cotton seed
that was safe for human consumption. “We couldn’t take gossypol out of the entire cotton plant because it is a natural toxin that protects from insects and some disease,” said Rathore. “Recently, my lab succeeded in creating cotton seed without gossypol, making it a good source of protein for humans!” By removing gossypol in this new cotton seed, scientists have expanded potential markets for growers. Not only can they sell their fibre, they now have an excellent human
protein source for sale. “This, we hope, should get a better price than the current ruminant feed,” explained Rathore. “This boost in food security and farmer’s incomes doesn’t require additional inputs, like land, water or fertilizer.” In this way, cotton seeds can be one solution for a sustainable, secure food supply. To learn more about cotton seeds as food, read the new Sustainable, Secure Food blog sustainable-secure-foodblog.com/2020/01/22/whatdo-nutrients-do-for-plants.
Cotton seeds can be a solution for a sustainable, secure food supply.
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Unifying the National Voice of Cereals By Cam Dahl, President of Cereals Canada and Dean Dias, CEO of Cigi The Canadian International ers and research community. ing exporters, like the rising Grains Institute (Cigi) and These functions are comple- competition from Black Sea Cereals Canada are moving mentary to the work that Cigi countries. forward towards an amal- has been carrying out. While finances have not gamated organization. This Collaboration between Ce- been the primary driver of is a positive development. If reals Canada and Cigi started change, the amalgamation one were to start with a blank long before discussions began also will see cost savings. For page in designing how the on unifying the two organiza- example, all of the Members cereal grains sector was to tions. The cohesive Canadian of Cigi are also Members of be represented, we would not voice provided through the Cereals Canada and moving have started with two sepa- annual New Crop Missions is to a single Board of Directors rate organizations. But that one example of the benefits will reduce travel and meetis not how the sector has de- of collaboration. Working to- ing costs. Having leadership, veloped. Moving operations gether has also benefited the administration and overhead into a single organization un- industry as a whole, which under one organization will der the direction of a single is one of the key advantages also result in cost savings. Board of Directors is part of of amalgamation. The coor- Early on in the process, the the ongoing evolution of the dinated approach to outreach membership of Cigi and industry. from Canada that has resulted Cereals Canada agreed to a For the last 40 plus years, from our informal collabora- set of principles that would Cigi has built a reputation tion will be cemented in place guide the development of the internationally for technical under a single roof. new governance model. and functional quality analyThroughout the discussions These are: sis and support. Cigi has ef- on amalgamation, which - The amalgamated orgafectively helped to develop have taken place over the nization will be national in markets for Canadian wheat past three years, the Direc- scope; through training and infor- tors of the two organizations - The full value chain will be mation sessions with cus- have been guided by a key represented within the orgatomers, held both in Canada question “what is in the best nization; and in-market. In addition to interest of the Canadian in- - Representation at the Board these roles, the international dustry going forward.” This table will have a linkage to brand and relationships that has not been about protecting financial contribution to the Cigi has established will all the turf of either of the two organization. continue under the amalgam- organizations but looking for All Members, regardless of ated organization. a renewed governance model representation on the Board Cereals Canada grew out that will more efficiently and of Directors, will have the of the change in market- effectively deliver the servic- opportunity to participate in ing for Canadian wheat and es the industry needs around the work of the organization barley. The organization is market development, policy, through standing committees designed to be the national market access, research and and ad hoc working groups; umbrella for the cereal grain communication. A coordi- and organization will strive value chain, addressing poli- nated value chain approach for consensus decision makcy issues both in Canada and is becoming more and more ing at both the Board and internationally, tackling an important as the world enters Member level. increasing number of market into a new age of protectionThis past June the Boards access issues and providing a ism and trade barriers. Cana- of both Cigi and Cereals bridge between customers of dian farmers, exporters and Canada signed a formal letCanadian cereal grains and processors also face growing ter of intent that charged us Canadian farmers, export- competition from emerg- with the task of developing
an amalgamation agreement, including bylaws, based on these key principles. This goal has been accomplished. Under the direction of both Boards a governance model and bylaws have been developed and are being taken to Members for review. Members are scheduled to vote on this package this spring with June as our target for integration. This is an exciting time for Canadian agriculture. We are seeing new challenges, like the rapid growth of competitors around the Black Sea and the increase of non-tariff trade barriers. We are seeing new opportunities with millers in markets like Nigeria and Bangladesh adding Canadian wheat to their blends to create cost effective products. New plant breeding technologies will allow us to respond more rapidly to the changing needs of our customers both in Canada and offshore. We are seeing more demands for demonstration of the sustainability of our production practices; a task at which Canadian farmers can excel. World markets are changing, and the value chain organizations designed to represent the industry must continually evolve to adapt to these changes. We are excited by the opportunity that this evolution presents and know that a new and more effective organization is emerging, one that is built on the foundation of success established by both Cigi and Cereals Canada.
Grown and Made In Manitoba By Joan Airey Darcy and Sharlotte Neufeld decided to move back to Manitoba. Darcy had managed a PFRA pasture for thirteen years and a private pasture until 2016. When managing pastures they had fifteen cows of their own but when they moved to Lake Metigoshe near the border they decided to sell the herd. Their plan was to establish a business selling custom meat products under the Bar Y Meats which was a derivative of the brand used on their cattle previously. “We moved to our place in January 2017. There was a meat shop already set up in the yard so we had it inspected so that it could be used it as a side business,” said Sharlotte. “We began by selling farmer sausage coils in the summer of 2017 at Farmers Markets and it sold really well. That fall and winter we did some custom
cutting and selling direct to the customers.” As their business became more successful they expanded their locations and offerings. “We rented the ice-cream shop in Deloraine through the winter months and sold our products from there,” said Sharlotte. “For Easter 2018 we added smoked hams and then added farmers sausage patties, cheddar and garlic smokies for the summer markets and smoked bacon that fall. There was continued demand for our products the winter of 2019 so we worked on getting our products shelf life tested so we could offer it in stores. In April of 2019 we started selling our products in stores.” Richard Thomas who is on the Neufeld’s sales team is a Red Seal Chef and has been cooking up their products for Co-op stores in western Manitoba. “We are now cur-
rently supplying ten Co-op locations, six private stores, two summer stores and one restaurant across the southwest corner of Manitoba,” said Sharlotte. “We deliver product as far as Onanole in the summer months, and all year round we deliver product to stores as far west as Virden and south to Pierson and the furthest east is Portage la Prairie.” She describes her products as tasting great. “All our products are gluten free; all are smoked with oak using real fire,” said Sharlotte. “We
Bar Y Meats farmer sausage.
source our entire raw product from East 40 Packers in Brandon. They have supplied us with a great product. We are happy working with them.” When the Neufelds are not busy in the meat shop their teenage boys’ team rope as Darcy does in his spare time too. Now their daughter is starting to barrel race. To aid in their children’s passions, they built an outdoor roping arena on the yard so that summer evenings are usually spent practicing and enjoying being outside. Sharlotte is the videographer and chef.
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Preparing Plants for our Future Climate A recent study investigated plant behaviour when exposed to higher carbon dioxide levels. Planning is something we all do. As individuals, we may be planning for next weekend or our future retirement. Farmers and plant breeders are also planning for a future. The crops we currently depend on will need to grow under different conditions due to climate change. Some weather conditions are easy to control. Scientists can set the temperature in a greenhouse and control how much water each plant receives. It is not as easy to change earth’s atmosphere. However, changes in our atmosphere are a part of climate change. Carbon dioxide is one greenhouse gas of concern. We know carbon dioxide levels have been increasing since the industrial revolution. Although there are efforts to reduce emissions, scientists predict that carbon dioxide levels will continue to increase. The presence of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is not all bad. In fact, plants need it to grow. In photosynthesis, plants use sunlight and carbon dioxide to make sugars. So, more carbon dioxide means plants can grow faster. Raja Reddy, a professor at Mississippi State University, studies how climate change affects plants. Reddy works together with crop breeders who are planning for future conditions. Breeders are seeking varieties that can handle drought and warmer temperatures. Reddy and colleagues started to wonder if the way plants respond to conditions like drought will change when there is more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. To test this, the team used a unique greenhouse facility. Researchers increased the carbon dioxide inside the greenhouse to represent our future atmosphere. “It is important for breeders to test crops under the most realistic set of future conditions possible,” said Reddy. “When identifying crops that will be tolerant of drought, breeders need to know that tolerance will be maintained when there is more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.” Fourteen rice cultivars were grown using both present and future atmospheric conditions. “Rice is one of the most important grain crops in the world, so it is particularly important to know how rice will respond to a new climate,” explained Reddy. Under both the current and future conditions, the research team investigated additional variables. These included the temperature of the greenhouse and the amounts of light and water rice plants received. Warmer temperatures, less water and light exposure represent environmental stresses plants will face in the future. Researchers measured plant growth at harvest for things like height, leaf area, and root length were compared. Generally, plants grown under future carbon dioxide levels were larger. Rice height and leaf area were larger above ground, and root systems were larger below ground. When looking at the response of rice plants to stressors like drought, the pattern was similar for both present and future carbon dioxide levels. In other words, increased growth in the atmosphere with more carbon dioxide does not affect how the plant handles stress. Reddy feels this is positive news. “What breeders are doing to plan for the future should hold up well,” he said. “The existing research to identify drought and heat tolerant rice can assume that those cultivars will maintain the desired traits as carbon dioxide levels increase. It also means that breeders can screen crop varieties without altering carbon dioxide levels, which is hard to do in most greenhouses.”
Plant growth chambers, known as Soil-Plant-Atmosphere-Research (SPAR), help understand crop responses to a wide range of environmental conditions. Photo by K. Raja Reddy
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Viruses: An Eye on the Big Picture Dr. Julie Brassard has a passion for viruses. Viruses are tiny organisms that can make you sick in a matter of hours. She is part of a team of researchers that helps us better understand viruses. “Our immune systems are very complex, yet some viruses can effectively bypass them and make us sick so quickly,” said Dr. Brassard, a food and environmental virologist based at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s Research and Development Centre. “The more I learn about them, the more fascinating I find them.” Dr. Brassard and her team use a “one health’ approach that looks at the big picture of diseases and how viruses travel between humans, animals and the environment. That is because many viruses naturally circulate among animals, humans and the environment, including water. For example, hepatitis E virus (HEV) is found in pigs worldwide. The pigs are not affected by the virus, but act as a host. The virus can be transmitted to humans who eat contaminated under cooked meat. While the risk of contracting the disease is low in Canada, its potential for harm means that finding the best measures to reduce the spread of the virus continues to be important. Dr. Brassard’s team is working hard to discover the sources of HEV, how it spreads, and how it survives. Their research will help teach people how to control HEV in barns, abattoirs or barbecues. “Farmers and others in the agri-food industry face many challenges as they work hard to keep our food safe,” said Dr. Brassard. “I feel privileged to be able to support them by providing new knowledge, scientific advances and innovations to protect people, animals, our food industry and our economy.”
Seed Growers Ready for Planting By Les Kletke Despite having one of the worst harvests in recent memory Manitoba producers should not be facing a shortage of quality seed, particularly for their cereal production. Doug Smith grows pedigree seed in south western Manitoba and said he will have adequate supplies. “For most producers of pedigree seed it is only a portion of their acres,” he said. “And with pedigree seed being our highest value crop we tend to put it on our best land, that means we put the crop in earlier, and it is matures earlier. So, we got most of it off before the wet hits in the fall.” He commented that the dry conditions of summer did take some toll on the yields of most crops but seed producers are usually optimistic about markets and tend to produce more that they need to meet the demand. “Most years some of pedigreed seed production gets sold to the elevator in the commercial grain market,” said Smith. “That might not be the case this year, or it may be a lower amount that finds its way to the commercial channels.” Smith said there has been a shift in barley varieties over recent years and some new malt varieties are making inroads, but the increase in production will meet the demand. “In the seed business we try and see what will be popular in a couple of years so we are multiplying that variety for when the demand is there,” he said. “We should be alright this year because of our production and much of the early crop came off in good condition.” He said while some seed may have been harvested at higher moisture content there were some good days that allowed for drying with aeration fans. While he does not produce soybean seed, he said that maybe more of a concern for Manitoba producers. “There are some companies that have a lot of their production in Manitoba and they may have been impacted,” he said. “But we will have to see how the supply is closer to spring.”
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Now is the Time to Remove Moisture from Your Steel Bins By Les Kletke Angela Brackenreed knows that farmers would like to forget the fall of 2019 and the harvest conditions that it brought. Brackenreed is an agronomist with the Canola Council of Canada and a farmer herself so she understands the practical side of a challenging harvest. In her presentation at Ag Days she reminded farmers that canola is a food and should be thought of in that way all the time. She reminds farmers that as things will warm up in the spring bins of canola need to be monitored closely to make sure a crop that was put into storage in borderline conditions does not spoil in the spring when outside temperatures begin to climb.
“There could be pockets in the bin that have canola at a higher moisture and when things warm up that out of condition grain could cause heating that could spoil the whole bin,” said Brackenreed. “You need to monitor that grain and turn it just to make sure there are no hotspots that could cause the whole bin to spoil.” Her presentation outlined the less than ideal conditions of last fall and how moisture levels which could normally be controlled by forcing air through the bin did not work. She also acknowledged that many farmers did not have the facilities to apply heat to the air they were forcing through the grain and even when they did it could cause further problems as moisture
could move through and concentrate at levels in the bin where it might cause crusting making the crop that went in at acceptable moisture levels to spoil. “Harvest conditions varied from day-to-day and the grain that went into storage varied from day-to-day,” said Brackenreed. “It is extremely important to monitor it in the spring and see what is in the bin and what has happened through the winter.” Her data shows that canola at 8% moisture can be stored for up to 40 weeks but at 10% moisture that number drops to 24 weeks of safe storage. “We normally have grain cooled down to -25 °C and that helps with a lot of problems but this year we have canola that might have
Angela Brackenreed of the Canola Council of Canada advises producers to monitor their bins as the temperatures outside rise.
gone into storage at moisture levels as high as 15% and that requires much more attention.” Brackenreed said that there was a lot to be learned from the conditions of last year, and one thing to remember is that steel bins are a closed loop system that does not allow moisture to leave.
Canola Exports to China Remain Banned One Year Later Ted Falk, MP for Provencher, is marking the one-year anniversary of China banning Canadian canola imports by calling on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to stand up for our farmers. “An entire year has gone by since China began blocking imports of Canadian canola,” Falk said. “The Liberals have failed to re-
spond with the tough, principled leadership necessary to get our canola back to market.” Canadian-grown canola contributes $26.7 billion to the Canadian economy each year. This includes over 250,000 jobs and $11.2 billion in wages. Canola is also a Canadian invention developed here through the
ingenuity and hard work of Canadians, he noted. “Canola represents a powerful force in our economy, including our local economy here in southeast Manitoba,” Falk said. However, farmers have faced a series of challenges over the last number of months, from last year’s tough harvest season, the
trade dispute with China, the Liberal carbon tax, and the illegal rail blockades. “Our farmers are suffering through no fault of their own,” Falk added. “Mr. Trudeau needs to kick it into high gear, use every tool at his disposal, and help our farmers facing a cash-flow crisis in order to save the upcoming season.”
It’s Time to Plant Giant Crops By Elmer Heinrichs Giant crops hold a fascination for people. Even for backyard gardeners who don ‘t intentionally try to grow extra-large produce, a homegrown fruit or vegetable that tips the scales guarantees bragging rights for at least the rest of the growing season. With spring season-start-
ing upon us, a select group of gardeners and growers are thinking really big for 2020. They plan to grow champion-size fruit and vegetables for entry in the Roland Pumpkin Fair which will be held this year on October 3. The popular fair attracts competitors and curious onlookers from across
Manitoba and even North Dakota. Entrants take their heaviest pumpkin, tomato, watermelon or squash to the annual weigh-off which is governed by Great Pumpkin Commonwealth Rules. Competition is friendly but intense. No one is doing it just for their health. This is gardening as a sport
and the participants aim to win. Like all growers, they diligently try to improve from one growing season to the next and are part of a wider network committed to helping one another. Last year’s winner was Cornie Banman of Schanzenfeld, Manitoba with a monster gourd weighing in at 1,660.5 pounds.
Research Looks At Managing Costly Potato Disease There will be a Federal investment of over $2.3 million to support the Canadian Horticultural Council’s research into managing the Potato Early Dying (PED) disease. The horticulture sector contributed an additional $991,918 towards this research, for a total investment of over $3.3 million.
The purpose of the project is to provide potato growers with the knowledge, tools and technologies they need to manage Potato Early Dying, which results in premature aging, limiting potato yield by as much as 50 per cent. As part of the project, the Canadian Horticulture Council will survey potato
fields to determine the levels of PED and evaluate the control of PED through growers’ cropping systems, best management practices and control products. With this new funding, the Federal government has invested a total of $13.8 million in Canada’s horticulture research cluster, which is
giving farmers cutting-edge technologies and practices for better pest management, better handling of produce, and improved soil health. The research cluster is also developing new sustainable practices to reduce the environmental footprint as well as new crop varieties to keep our growers competitive.
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Planting Relay Soybeans and Intercropping Experiment By Harry Siemens Dr. Martin Entz, University of Manitoba, said in a recent article in Nature, plants rarely grow alone. Some farmers follow the lead of nature and grow two or three crops in the same field. This practice is referred to as “intercropping”, and was used widely in ancient agricultural systems. First Nations farmers, who grew corn, potatoes and squash in places like Netley Creek, MB thousands of years ago, practiced intercropping. Now, intercropping is making inroads into Canadian farmers’ plans who are experimenting with a wide range of crop types. Alex Devloo, 21-years old, farms with his father and uncle at Swan Lake, MB, with help from his brothers and a cousin. The farm operates 3,031 acres, growing mostly wheat, canola and soybeans along with the recent addition of edible beans and corn every once in a while. At the advice of his brother Andrew and inspired by Jason Mauck, CEO of Constant Canopy he tried the relaying method with beans. Relay cropping is a form of double cropping. The Devloo farm experimented with 20 acres of relay beans and winter wheat about 10 miles west of
Notre Dame. Devloo, saw Jason Mauck of Gaston, IN, who does something similar tell the story on Twitter. They wanted to see how their planter also worked with wheat. “It was a two in one experiment for us and turned out pretty well considering some conditions although we’d change a few things,” he said. He said they planted winter wheat the previous fall 2018 on 30 inch spacing at about 1.2 million seeds and watched it grow. In the following spring, 2019, they planted soybeans in between those wheat rows ending up with two crops in one. However, it took a lot of water and because 2019 was dry followed by a deluge of rain at the end of the fall, their yield was affected. Devloo said the best part is that the ground was always covered all year round because they planted the wheat after harvesting the previous crop in 2018. “So it always had a crop on it, never really bare land. The winter wheat comes off early, and the soybeans keep maturing on their own,” he said. “And then by having those soybeans on there, winter wheat comes off fairly early. Then the soybeans were on there,
pretty late, especially this year which makes for a good cover crop. I would assume that it would help the soil, but I wouldn’t be able to give exact answers to that.” He said they planted the winter wheat on September 10 in the previous year, harvesting it in the next summer on August 16. The soybeans came off November 5. “They were the last priority because we struggled to get our monocrops off before taking off this small 28-acre plot, and it was away from all the rest of our fields,” he said. After putting two rows of 30 inches beside each other he ended up with about seven inches between each crop and planted soybeans in between those rows. The problem was getting enough water which reduced the yield of the soybeans that were choked out. Devloo said another problem was their Lexion combine that has big back tires. “The big duals on the front at 30-inch spacing helped us to aim between the rows, but the back wheels squished a couple of rows causing crop damage. A 40 foot head on the front eliminated some wheel track damage. To do a whole field in the future, a person would want to run a single set of duals on a skin-
Drone shot of the 3,031 acre farm that Alex Devloo, brothers, father, uncle and cousin operate at Swan Lake, MB that grows mostly wheat, canola and soybeans.
ny tire on the back to get between those rows to minimize crop damage,” he said. The winter wheat yielded about 63 bu. /acre, the soybeans about 10 bu. /acre in what Devloo described as a tough year for soybeans that received snow and about 12 inches of rain. “I would expect on a normal year the yield would have been higher,” he said. “We have no plans on doing it again. It was more of a little experiment to see how it did over here. I don’t think it’s practical on our farm at this time and at this moment with the current varieties. Maybe one day somebody would come up with a variety that works specifically for this. If I were to do it again, I would almost try it with hybrid rye instead of winter wheat.” He said that this experiment would not be the last one and agreed it is sometimes advantageous to find what does not work.
At the advice of his brother Andrew and inspired by Jason Mauck, CEO of Constant Canopy, Alex Devloo experimented with relaying soybeans into winter wheat.
A photo of a more mature crop that used the experimental relay method to plant winter wheat and soybeans on 28-acres at the Devloo farm.
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