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MUDDY BASIS

A new crew

For grain marketing » Pg 11

Heads up KAP » Pg 3

February 5, 2015

SERVING MANITOBA FARMERS SINCE 1925 | Vol. 73, No. 6

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Task force has one year to finish review

Old diseases still linger More than 90 per cent of surveyed canola fields had blackleg

By Shannon VanRaes co-operator staff / brandon

W

hile many canola growers are worrying about new diseases like verticillium wilt or the growing threat of clubroot, it may be an old threat that causes them the most problems in the coming seasons — blackleg.

“We’ve seen a continued trend of increased prevalence,” s a i d A n g e l a Bra c k e n re e d , speaking at Brandon’s Keystone Centre during Ag Days. “We’re getting to over 90 per cent prevalence, meaning over 90 per cent of the fields we surveyed (in 2014) had some level of blackleg.”

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See DISEASES on page 6 »

As weather events continue to produce multi-year effects, stakeholders are being invited to help suggest ways to improve insurance programs

By Shannon VanRaes co-operator staff

E

arly forecasts may indicate spring flooding is unlikely in Manitoba this year, but for producers, high water is still front and centre as they cope with consecutive wet years and limited risk management tools.

In response, a task force has now been struck by the province to examine how climate-related risks like flooding can be better addressed through insurance programs.

“It’s certainly timely to undertake a review,” said Arborg-area farmer, Bill Uruski, who will head the newly announced Agriculture Risk Management Review Task Force.

No stranger to flooding himself, Uruski said the group will be “seeking input and advice from farmers, insurance policyholders and other stakeholders.”

Ron Kostyshyn, minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Development, spoke about the initiative last week at Keystone Agricultural Producers (KAP) annual meeting in Winnipeg.

“Crop insurance, as we know it, has been around for a number of years, so is there an opportunity to explore new options?… We want to hear from stakeholders,” said the minister.

The driving concern prompting the task force is changing weather patterns and the seeming increase in the prevalence of multi-year events. Many farmers have cited a lack of insurance options for those suffering a second year of losses from a single event, such as slow-to-recede flood waters.

See REVEIW on page 7 »

Minister Ron Kostyshyn speaks to KAP members in Winnipeg. Photo: Shannon VanRaes

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The Manitoba Co-operator | February 5, 2015

INSIDE

Did you know?

LIVESTOCK

Blast off to better soil moisture measures

Chasing cattle Packers are seeing more cattle flow south with the dropping dollar

12

A NASA satellite to measure water in Earth’s soil has gone into orbit

By Irene Klotz cape canaveral, fla. / reuters

A

CROPS Mapping the future A new Climate Atlas combines past trends and future probabilities

17

FEATURE Oilpatch layoffs Could help ease the labour shortage in agriculture

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CROSSROADS Going mobile New apps can help farmers get the job done faster and smarter

4 5 8 10

Editorials Comments What’s Up Livestock Markets

37

Grain Markets Weather Vane Classifieds Sudoku

n unmanned Delta 2 rocket lifted off from the Vandenberg Air Force Base in California Jan. 31 carrying a NASA satellite to measure moisture in the top layer of the Earth’s soil, data to be used in weather forecasting and tracking of global climate change.

Soil moisture is a variable that binds together all of the planet’s environmental systems, scientists say. More precise data will enable forecasters and policy-makers to deal more effectively with drought or flooding in specific regions.

“It’s the metabolism of t h e s y s t e m ,” s a i d D a r a Entekhabi, lead scientist of NASA’s Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) observatory.

Perched on top on the 39-metre rocket was NASA’s 2,100-pound (950-kg) SMAP, which will spend at least three years measuring the amount of water in the top two inches of Earth’s soil.

O v e r a l l , s o i l m o i s t u re accounts for less than one per cent of the planet’s total water reservoir, with 97 per cent in the planet’s oceans

A 127-foot (39-metre) rocket carrying a NASA satellite to measure how much water is in Earth’s soil blasts off Jan. 31.

PHOTO: REUTERS/Gene Blevins

and nearly all of the rest locked in ice, said Entekhabi.

Currently, scientists rely largely on computer models to estimate soil moisture.

But from an orbit 426 miles (685 km) above Earth, SMAP has two microwave instruments to collect exact soil

moisture measurements everywhere on Earth and update the measurements every two or three days.

“This data will benefit not only scientists seeking better understanding of our planet’s climate environment, but it’s also a boon for weather forecasters, agriculture and water resource managers, emergency planners and policy-makers,” NASA deputy associate administrator Geoffery Yoder, said after the launch.

SMAP joins 19 other NASA satellites keeping tabs on Earth’s land, seas and atmosphere.

Manitoba soil scientists and flood forecasters will be among the beneficiaries.

Extreme weather and wetter-than-usual conditions make SMAP satellite research timely, University of Manitoba soil scientist Paul Bullock told the Manitoba Co-operator in December.

Soil moisture distribution is an important input variable that goes into flood risk models because the amount of water in the soil changes how much precipitation can be stored and how much runs off into streams and rivers.

READER’S PHOTO

11 16 26 30

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3

The Manitoba Co-operator | February 5, 2015

CanadaGAP releases updated manual Recent alterations made to the national food safety manual are generally editorial in nature

By Jennifer Paige Co-operator staff

C

anadaGAP has recently released an updated version of its food safety manual, which will take effect April 1.

The updated, 6.3 version of the national food safety standards for the fresh produce market was released on January 28.

Executive director, Heather Gale, notes that the majority of revisions are editorial in nature and were adjusted to clarify or further explain existing requirements. “However, producers should still take the time to review any changes that may impact their sector.

“The best thing to do if you aren’t sure how to update your operations is to look at the document that we publish with the new manual, the summary of main changes,” said Gale. “This is an overview of what the changes are and you will be able to tell what is actually going to affect your operation.”

One of the major changes made to the manual is in Section 19.1 and relates to the sourcing of product. Operations must now be sourcing their product from suppliers who are also certified to CanadaGAP or another industryrecognized third-party food safety audit/certification.

“We always recommend that you reprint the glossary or at least review the changes in case the definitions have been altered.

When we talk about stored water, it is important to know what we mean by stored water. There are always tweaks and changes that may actually make things easier for you,” said Gale.

The CanadaGAP manual can now also be used by fresh produce brokerage firms, operations involved in production, packing and storage of greenhouse strawberries and those who are repacking and wholesaling mushrooms.

The revised manual is available for download online as well as documents outlining the main changes, and a document summarizing commodity-specific changes. Corresponding, updated audit checklists will be issued prior to April.

“Under our government recognition we are required to review the manual annually. In the future, it is our hope that we can issue updates less frequently,” said Gale. “However, what we would sacrifice in doing that is not being as responsive to fine tuning concepts and clarity around wording.

So, we have to weigh the requests that we get and whether it is worth reissuing updates.”

New faces enter key roles at KAP Keystone Agricultural Producers will continue to press government for better farm policies under its new leadership

By Shannon VanRaes co-operator staff

K

eystone Agricultural Producers is about to face a little bit of Ju s t i c e a s t h e y we l c o m e Dan Mazier to the role of president.

The longtime KAP board member and former vicepresident farms in the Westman region — close to the tiny community of Justice — and was acclaimed at the organization’s annual general meeting in Winnipeg last week. He takes over from D o u g C h o r n e y, w h o h a d reached the end of his fouryear term.

“I think we’re in really good shape and I feel like I’ve got a good understanding of the organization,” Mazier said, adding that he intends to focus on member communication as he moves forward in his new role. “ There was some good discussion about how the commodity groups do it, but we can always do better,” he said, noting new technologies and connectivity mean farmers don’t have to be in the same room to have a discussion anymore.

“Guys can communicate with us now in a lot of ways, we don’t have to sit in meetings till all hours of the night, so that’s one of my organizational goals,” he said.

The new president will also continue to push for policies that benefit Manitoba producers, building on KAP’s previous work.

“Working with the government, with bills that are on the table right now — producer payment securities, CTA review, surface water management strategy, various rural development initiatives that are ongoing — we’ll keep on pushing on those, and get some good

work done on that,” said Mazier.

The registered seed producer also sits on many committees within the organization, and is a member of the newly created Assiniboine River Basin Initiative’s steering committee.

Two new vice-presidents we re a l s o e l e c t e d a t t h e annual meeting.

Justin Jenner, who previously represented District 9, will take on the role of vice-president for the first time. Deloraine farmer and D i s t r i c t 1 d i re c t o r G l e n Franklin will fill the role of vice-president.

C u r t i s Mc R a e s t e p p e d down from the role of vice-president, after being elected to the position in 2013.

“We had really good people who signed up to be VP this year, really strong people who are going to carry this organization forward,” said McRae. “And sometimes when you get older you reali ze w h e re t h e i m p o r t a n t things are in life, so I had an opportunity to slow down my commitment to KAP so I could have family time… but in saying that, my time here has been incredible.”

Chorney also took the oppor tunity to thank all those who he’d worked with during his tenure as president, adding that he “knows KAP is in good hands” as it moves forward.

“There is strong leadership, high-performing staff and excellent membership support,” he said, noting s t ro n g b o n d s h a v e b e e n formed between members of the management team that will continue even as they move on to new challenges. shannon.vanraes@fbcpublishing.com

Dan Mazier Photos: Shannon VanRaes

“There is strong leadership, high-performing staff and excellent membership support.”

Doug Chorney

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The Manitoba Co-operator | February 5, 2015

OPINION/EDITORIAL

The (not so) great farm smackdown

I

f you’ve ever watched “smackdown” wrestling on television, you have to admit it’s entertaining, in a perverse sort of way, watching those muscle-bound burly sorts strutting around pounding their chests like apes and shouting insults.

Even when they are throwing punches or tossing each other out of the ring, it’s pretty obvious that it’s all a well-orchestrated act.

Laura Rance However, it’s not so much fun watching Editor the ongoing verbal slugfest between grain industry leaders over the future of the cereals industry in Canada. Scratch the surface of some of these exchanges and the bitter feuds that erupted during the Canadian Wheat Board debate quickly boil to the surface.

There is no question that some of the farmers who fought long and hard to preserve the single-desk monopoly still feel the sting of defeat. It colours their view of efforts to move the industry forward.

But likewise, we note that the victors — the ones who got what they were asking for — are remarkably thin skinned and ready to scrap with anyone who questions their view of the world.

Neither side is above questioning the intelligence and integrity of those with whom they disagree, making it next to impossible to keep debate over some fundamentally important issues out of the gutter.

Most recently, this has shown itself in the spat over Saskatchewan Wheat Development Commission’s decision not to join Cereals Canada.

The commission’s board of directors has said their reasons include a difference in spending priorities.

At a meeting of the Prairie commissions late last fall, Saskatchewan chairman Bill Gehl expressed the view that farmers wouldn’t have a large enough voice at the directors’ table of Cereals Canada, of which the board also includes grain marketing and life science companies.

At the time, some took exception to his remarks. There were mutterings about the Saskatchewan commission being run by NFU and “the former CWB director pool of labour.”

Even if that is true, so what? There is a pervasive view in some quarters that unless you come from the correct side, your views on just about anything don’t count.

Now the gloves have come off again. This time, it’s over a press release issued by Saskatchewan farmer Kyle Korneychuk, under the Canadian Wheat Board Alliance letterhead, after Saskatchewan’s minister of agriculture suggested the Saskatchewan commission join the national body.

“By strongly suggesting the farmer-elected Saskatchewan wheat commission join Cereals Canada, the minister has shown that he does not understand Cereals Canada is an industry-captured group and cannot reflect the interests of farmers,” Korneychuk said, noting the CC board has only three western farmers on it. (It turns out there are six.)

Korneychuk said farmers voting in the Saskatchewan commission elections expressed a need for continued public interest in plant breeding and research. That’s not a bad thing. For example, would midge-resistant wheat have been developed if an agro-chemical company was directing research?

“Diluting that interest by joining industry-captured groups and giving research money to the private trade does nothing for either the competitiveness of farmers or the development of the most agronomically useful wheat and barley varieties,” Korneychuk said.

OK, so he got his numbers wrong. And suggesting that Cereals Canada is an “industry-captured” group is provocative. But whether you agree or disagree with him, the point that farmers and agribusiness may have different priorities is a legitimate one.

However, the response from Cereals Canada president Cam Dahl was caustic and personal, suggesting Korneychuk was “either not capable of basic fact checking, or simply does not care that the facts are in conflict with his story.”

This falls far short of the organization’s platitudes about working together for a common goal.

It will probably take a generation or two for the hard feelings that dominated the CWB debate to dissipate, but perhaps now is a good time to stop creating more. There is common ground here. For example, the Saskatchewan commission has produced some of the best analysis to date on the reasons for and the issues raised by last year’s grain transportation disaster. And like it or not, the Saskatchewan directors are there because farmers voted for them.

By the same token, the CWB monopoly is gone. Let’s stop fighting about it.

This isn’t the only example of our declining ability to disagree in a civil and respectful manner in policy debates, only the most recent. As far as smackdowns go, the ones on television are about as productive — and far more entertaining. laura@fbcpublishing.com

Improve farming practices with behavioural science Farmers don’t always make rational decisions

By Chris Arsenault rome / thomson reuters foundation

T

raditional economics — assuming people are rational actors who respond to prices and subsidies to maximize their own interests — could use a rethink, a senior World Bank official says.

Anne Fruttero, a senior World Bank economist, relayed a story about small farmers in Kenya’s highlands, where low fertilizer use has been holding back crop yields.

Some farmers expressed the desire to buy more fertilizer, but had not been doing so after selling their crops at harvest time, despite being able to afford it.

When growers needed the fertilizer later in the year, they had less money immediately available, so many of them did not bother to make the purchase.

Traditional economics had led researchers to believe that farmers would follow their own self-interest, and thus save money from the harvest to buy fertilizers later in the year.

The emerging field of behavioural economics, outlined in the major World Bank report “Mind, Society and Behavior” released last month, shows that individuals do not always behave rationally. Emotions, social norms and taking the path of least resistance play a key part in everyday decision-making.

OUR HISTORY:

The solution for Kenyan farmers: organizations offered to sell them fertilizer immediately after the harvest. Uptakes increased.

“This policy of changing the timing was as effective as a 50 per cent subsidy (for fertilizer),” Fruttero said. “This is another way of understanding better why people do what they do.”

These new trends emerging in economics have major repercussions for international agencies working with farmers, said John McIntire, associate vice-president of the UN’s International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).

“How do you get people to spend less on alcohol and more on their farms?” McIntire said. “How do you try to induce people to stop doing things that are not in their interests?”

Behavioural economics can have tangible effects when trying to provide credit to small farmers who don’t have assets or collateral for traditional loans.

Group lending, where a cluster of small farmers takes turns receiving credit and shares the responsibility for repaying loans, could benefit from the new economics. An individual who defaults will lose social capital within his community, McIntire said, potentially reducing defaults.

Environmental services could also benefit from the new research, for example by giving farmers who plant trees to protect an upstream watershed from erosion priority access to hydroelectricity generated by the river they are helping to maintain.

February 1958

Y

ou could clean and sanitize up to 10 dozen eggs every three to five minutes with this Roto-Egg egg washer advertised in our Feb. 6, 1958 issue.

Other ads in that issue remind of how many farmers raised poultry at that time. Swifts advertised chicks for New Sky-Hi 314A breed, averaging 289 white eggs per year. Brown egg fanciers could get a few less — 285 from the Sex-Sal-Link bloodline from the “famous J.J. Warren breeding farm.” Brett-Young Seeds and Modern Hatchery in Dauphin offered “Hy-Line 123 Cream-Egg layers for Top Profit.”

In order to boost production, you could buy some Double-Duty Eggshell Maker from Winnipeg Supply.

Writing direct to the “Eighth Floor, Boyd Building, Winnipeg 1,” would get you a brochure on the product. If you happened to be in town to pick it up yourself, and also wanted to become a confident dance partner, another ad offered a one-hour private dance lesson for just $1 at Arthur Murray’s studio close by on Portage Ave. If you were more interested in turkey poults, Manitoba Dairy and Poultry Co-operative (Manco) was offering “Our Tufford strain broad-breasted bronze,” which had won first prize at the Royal Winter Fair.

5

The Manitoba Co-operator | February 5, 2015

COMMENT/FEEDBACK

photo: Lorraine Stevenson

Manitoba’s Small Scale Food Report is food for thought A growing number of citizens is interested in buying food direct from the farm

M

any farmers are willing to sell a side of beef, a few dozen eggs or a bag of potatoes to their acquaintances. Farmers have been direct marketing since agriculture began and it is only in the last 50 years that direct farm to consumer sales have started to be questioned. Up until then, governments encouraged farmers in the art of safe food production and processing. (Some can still remember that 4-H lesson on how to properly butcher a chicken.) At one time, many citizens knew their farmer.

Then came the agribusiness revolution and farmers were encouraged to abandon their small enterprises and specialize in the commodity market. Citizens became consumers and within two generations the social link between table and farm was broken.

Now, the grocery store rules the food system with a massive, complicated and expensive network of middlemen who ensure a constant supply of every food imaginable. The food is cheap but citizens have gradually noticed that the quality and taste have changed. Occasional food recalls and stories of factory conditions have contributed to a general worry about industrial food quality. Consumers grumble and keep going to the grocery store anyway, but a growing number of citizens have started buying directly from a farm.

Some farmers are answering the demand with direct food sales at the farm gate and farmers’ markets. When it suits them, governments jump on the bandwagon and proclaim their support for local foods. It’s telling that when bottled in Manitoba, Pepsi is defined as a “local” food.

Smaller is bad

Many farmers have bought into the idea that bigger is better and taken it one step further to believe that smaller is bad. Farm commodity associations have pushed through rules which ignore the needs of small-scale food producers and actively discourage farm gate sales and farmers’ markets.

When challenged, they talk about food safety, however, most rules have nothing to do with food safety. Export protocols, international traceability, food sizing, fancy packaging, double signatures and paved parking lots are not necessary when the farm is small and the consumer can question the farmer directly.

Governments have mandated commodity associations to focus on expanding export markets at the expense of small-scale food. So, it

was quite a surprise when the Manitoba government commissioned a Small Scale Food Report.

Well, maybe it wasn’t a surprise. A popular farm had first been commended, then raided over a regulation technicality. The resulting public furor was loud and long. When faced with public outrage, a government’s strongest defence is to commission a report.

The 18 people selected for the Manitoba Small Scale Food Report working group included three small-scale direct-marketing farmers. Of the rest, five were staff from associations which represent multinationals like Maple Leaf Foods and Canada’s biggest egg conglomerate, Burnbrae Farms.

Estimates are that about three per cent of Manitoba’s food is sold at the farm gate or farmers’ market. The report suggests that this market share could grow to 10 per cent. That would set direct marketing in direct competition with commodity agriculture. Industrial operators see 10 per cent as the difference between profit and loss and they are unlikely to willingly give up a share of their market.

The Small Scale Food Report recommends that small-scale food producers create an association, use it to negotiate with the big associations and convince them to change the rules so that small farmers can have part of their market.

How likely is that?

The report recommends that associations “foster a diversity of production methods,” recognize small scale “as legitimate members of the commodity group,” and calls for “a collaborative, inclusive context among the existing boards, small-scale specialty producers, government policy analysts and consumers.” That would be a reversal of the long-standing promotion of industrial farming.

Is collaboration possible? Industrial agriculture has a virtual monopoly. Now it is asked to embrace diversity and give up a piece of the market. It is asking a lot.

Public support for small farms is strong and getting stronger. As the report points out, commodity associations “have been granted a social licence to provide a predictable supply of food to the public.” But the growing popularity of small-scale food and farmers’ markets is a sign that the public wants more than what industrial farmers can provide. The question is, what will the government do to make a real place for small-scale producers at the table?

Kate Storey is a Manitoba farmer, direct marketer, and commodity association member.

Page 48 of the Small Scale Food Report recommends that small-scale food producers create their own little association, use it to negotiate with the big associations and convince them to change the rules so that small farmers can have part of their market. How likely is that?

Letters

By Kate Storey

We welcome readers’ comments on issues that have been covered in the Manitoba Co-operator. In most cases we cannot accept “open” letters or copies of letters which have been sent to several publications.

Letters are subject to editing for length or taste. We suggest a maximum of about 300 words.

Please forward letters to Manitoba Co-operator, 1666 Dublin Ave., Winnipeg, R3H 0H1 or Fax: 204-954-1422 or email: news@fbcpublishing.com (subject: To the editor)

Follow the east-side road

The Manitoba government is building a highway all the way from the south to the north end of Lake Winnipeg on the east side.

Why not build Bipole III alongside this road? It would be far less expensive and cause less damage to the environment. It should be no problem for Hydro and Highways to work together on this.

Come on Manitoba — do what is right.

Tryggvi Finnson Arborg

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The Manitoba Co-operator | February 5, 2015

FROM PAGE ONE DISEASES Continued from page 1

Brackenreed, an agronomist with the Canola Council of Canada, said that, on average close to 25 per cent of plants in infected fields showed signs of the disease last summer, although the level of infection on each plant was at the lower end of the spectrum. “ P l a n t i n f e c t i o n w a s n’t extremely bad, but it was high enough that we can expect that there was a yield drag,” she said. “It’s something that we should be managing or else it will get to the point where there is significant yield loss potential.”

Complicating the situation this year was the appearance of root rot, which in some cases made identifying blackleg more difficult.

“Producers wanted to know what came first, was it blackleg or was it root rot, and the reality is that by observation that was difficult to tell,” said the agronomist.

“But from what I saw, they were likely occurring in tandem, so it’s most important for producers to know that blackleg was there and it was able to infect. And if you’re using an R-rated variety, you need to observe these things and understand that there is infection occurring, regardless of if the root rot came in first.”

As always, scouting for the disease is key, she stressed.

Farmers should be going into the field, snipping plants at their bases and looking for the characteristic blackening that gives the disease its name.

Producers may also want t o re - e va l u a t e t h e i r ro t a tion schedules, in addition to the canola varieties they’re growing.

“Blackleg has seen a big increase in prevalence over the past number of years and a big reason for that is that the

Angela Brackenreed, an agronomist with the Canola Council of Canada, says producers need to scout for blackleg. Photo: Shannon VanRaes

pathogen is shifting so that it can infect plants that currently have resistance,” Brackenreed explained. “The resistance mechanism that we are relying on is called major gene resistance… which means that plant is relying on one gene to confer resistance, in comparison to minor gene resistance this is a good type of resistance because it usually confers almost immunity.”

The downside of major gene resistance is that it can be broken down fairly easily. Blackleg has a sexual and asexual cycle, which allows the pathogen to reconfigure itself to overcome resistance and few if any varieties on the market today address this.

“Unfortunately… most of our commercial varieties are relying

“Blackleg has seen a big increase in prevalence over the past number of years and a big reason for that is that the pathogen is shifting so that it can infect plants that currently have resistance.”

Photo: Anastasia Kubinec, MAFRD

Angela Brackenreed

on the same sort of major gene resistance,” Brackenreed said.

What producers can do is lengthen their crop rotations to

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One of the oldest diseases in canola is still one of the most common. photos: MAFRD

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lessen the armour of spores or pathogens in their fields.

“The canola council’s traditional messaging came mostly from blackleg management, and the reason for that is that blackleg can overwinter on the stubble,” said the agronomist. “Over three or four years they suspected that the stubble had enough time to decompose and that spore load would

be low enough, or acceptable enough that we can go back into canola.”

Waiting longer to go back to canola and changing varieties may help keep the disease manageable.

“Because this is something that we definitely need and want to manage,” she added. shannon.vanraes@fbcpublishing.com

7

The Manitoba Co-operator | February 5, 2015

REVIEW Continued from page 1

Farmers who saw the effects of the 2011 flood linger into 2012 couldn’t claim compensation under AgriRecovery for losses in 2012, although some held out hope that the province would be able to negotiate an agreement with the federal government that would see additional funds.

“At the end of the day, it is fair to say that the producer is being challenged.”

Ron Kostyshyn

shannon.vanraes@fbcpublishing.com

A new task force is studying how insurance programs can help farmers cope with repeated flooding. FILE PHOTO T:8.125”

Meet Rhett Allison Started farming: 1975 Crop rotation: durum, lentils, oilseed, peas Favorite TV show: W5 Most hated weed: Narrow-leaved hawk’s-beard Loves most about farming: Balance between work and play Best vacation: Mazatlan Guilty pleasure: Golf PrecisionPac® blends: DB-8454, PP-3317

T:10”

T h e t w o l e v e l s o f g ov e r n m e n t s c o s t s h a re t h e AgriRecovery program, but federal Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz has said previously he is not comfortable paying for the same flood twice.

When the issue of extended coverage for 2012 was raised during KAP’s annual meeting, outgoing president Doug Chorney said it would appropriate to consider 2012 compensation “off the table” at this point in time.

Kostyshyn acknowledged that continual excess moisture has taken a toll, noting that “the way the insurance program is set up, obviously, every time you have a claim… your premium goes up, and the source of revenue is somewhat challenged, so it keeps declining.”

“At the end of the day, it is fair to say that the producer is being challenged,” he said.

But the minister also noted that additional resources have been provided to producers under existing programs where possible, including the 2014 Canada-Manitoba Forage Shortfall and Transportation Assistance Initiative.

That program was put in place to assist livestock producers who had to buy and move feed for the winter months due to an extremely wet growing season. It was funded under the AgriRecovery framework.

Chorney noted that KAP first began lobbying for a review of risk management tools in 2011 and is glad to see a task force in place.

“Many of our members find the programs that are there to protect them are not meeting all of their needs,” he said. “Anyone going three years out of four with unseeded acres or flooded acres, the Assiniboine Valley being a classic example… those producers are really penalized unfairly in their minds because of things beyond their control.

They aren’t production factors in their control, they’re really insurable risks.”

The task force has one year to complete its work, and plans to hold a series of public consultations as it seeks to identify ways of making government assistance less ad hoc and more predictable.

Kostyshyn hopes to bring the task force’s findings to future meetings of provincial and territorial leaders, as well as to the federal government.

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8

The Manitoba Co-operator | February 5, 2015

Saskatchewan eyes tougher rules on investor farm buys Foreign-owned investment funds are trying to do an end run around laws restricting farmland ownership

By Rod Nickel / Staff Saskatoon / reuters

S

askatchewan is likely to tighten what are already some of North America’s strictest rules for purchasing farmland as the western Canadian province looks to fend off big money managers hungry for what they see as a winning investment.

The province, whose fertile plains grow more wheat than Argentina, has become the latest front in a global battle between investors keen to make large-scale land purchases and local farmers worried about being priced out of the market.

The provincial government said last month it would review its law governing farmland purchases in light of farmers’ concerns about recent deals. That review will specifically consider closing the door on further purchases by the $234-billion Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB), Saskatchewan Agriculture Minister Lyle Stewart told Reuters.

Farmers “are not high on the idea of institutional investors competing with them for the purchase of farmland,” he said.

Stewart said the changes could also include measures to foil the plans of Vancouver-based Skyline Agriculture Financial Corp., a foreignb a c k e d p l a ye r l o o k i n g t o finance as much as $1 billion in farmland purchases over the next decade.

Saskatchewan law already requires that companies that invest in farmland be 100 per cent owned by Canadians, with foreign buyers limited to

10 acres. Manitoba has similar legislation, which restricts foreign ownership of farmland to 40 acres. However, the Manitoba Farm Lands Ownership Act allows for exemptions on a case-by-case basis.

Purchases by pension funds are also banned, but the Saskatchewan Farm Land Security Board allowed CPPIB to buy 115,000 acres in 2013 on the basis that its corporate structure was unique.

“We’ll need to maybe think about cleaning things like that up,” Stewart said. Closing the CPPIB’s investment loophole “will be one of the things that will be considered for sure.”

Prices climb

Institutional investors typically rent land to farmers, gaining both a steady cash stream and exposure to potential land-price gains.

Pr ices for Saskatchewan farmland have risen steadily since 2001. They hit a record high in 2013, according to Farm Credit Canada, a governmentowned lender.

“We would love to invest in Canada if these laws changed,” said Paul Pittman, chief executive of Colorado-based Farmland Partners Inc., which owns a growing portfolio of farms in the United States. “The Prairie provinces (are) where the large tracts of land are, and the high production.”

Indeed, CPPIB, which has an investment horizon that runs decades, has said that it wants to buy more farmland in Canada, the United States, Australia, New Zealand and Brazil.

CPPIB declined to comment on the possibility that Saskatch-

ewan will stop it from making further buys.

Many farmers in Saskatchewan, which produced crops worth $9.6 billion in 2013, want land ownership to stay local.

“We have no problem with foreign ownership as long as it puts bums on the seat of tractors,” said Agricultural Producers of Saskatchewan president Norm Hall in an interview with the Manitoba Co-operator.

Manitoba farmers share those concerns, said Doug Chorney, a Selkirk, Manitoba farmer who just completed a four-year term as president of Keystone Agricultural Producers. As well, farmers feel it’s unfair having to bid on land against investment funds that are using pretax investment portfolios such as RRSPs. Skyline is keen to buy in.

Chief executive Mark Reineking hopes to raise $50 million to $100 million per year for roughly the next decade and lend it to farmers to buy about 25,000 to 50,000 cropland acres annually.

The company, owned mostly

by Canadians, but also by U.S. institutions, would use derivatives to help investors capture profit if land prices rise.

“Our sense from farmers is there will be a lot of interest,” said Reineking, a former executive at precious metals company Silver Wheaton Corp. “We’ve met the balance between giving the next-generation farmer what they need, which is access to long-term, permanent capital, and also giving exposure to investors” who can’t buy farmland themselves.

But the Farm Land Security Board has ruled Skyline’s structure “is an attempt to get around the provisions of the (law) and allow nonCanadian-owned entities the opportunity to control the farm operation.”

After Skyline financed a 16-acre land sale last year, the land board ordered it to reduce the holding to 10 acres or less.

Skyline is appealing that ruling in court.

Lawyer Patricia Warsaba of McKercher LLP said she thinks Skyline’s structure complies with the law. Warsaba represented the party that sold farmland to CPPIB, but she has no involvement with Skyline’s case.

“These (government) restrictions are treating an industry different than other industries as far as access to capital,” she said. “Saskatchewan farmers are somewhat undercapitalized.”

The province’s Saskatchewan Party government, which normally favours open markets, believes it will win the Skyline case. But Stewart said that if it loses, it would look at tightening the law.

If t h e g ove r n m e n t d o e s tighten the rules, demand may decrease and hold back land values, said Rick Van Beselaere of the Regina, Saskatchewan, office of national law firm Miller Thomson. But if it targets only unusually large purchases such as CPPIB’s buy, the changes may have minimal effect, he said.

WHAT’S UP Please forward your agricultural events to daveb@fbcpublishing.com or call 204-944-5762.

Feb. 12: Farm Safety Workshop, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., St. Viator’s Church, 307 Whitmore Ave. E., Dauphin. Free. For more info visit www.umanitoba.ca/ afs/farmsafety/safety_workshop.html.

Feb. 26: Farm Credit Canada (FCC) Forum, 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Keystone Centre, 1175-18th St., Brandon. For more info visit https://www.fcc-fac. ca/en/events.html.

Feb. 15-17: Western Canadian Holistic Management Conference, Manitou Springs and Danceland, Manitou, Sask. For more info call Nadia Mori at 306-946-3219 or email nadia.mori@gov.sk.ca.

March 1-3: Warming of the North: Implications for Arctic Transportation, Supply Chain Management and Economic Development, Ottawa Convention Centre, 55 Colonel By Dr., Ottawa. For more info visit http://umanitoba.ca/faculties/ management/ti/.

Feb. 17-18: CropConnect Conference, Victoria Inn, 1808 Wellington Ave., Winnipeg. For more info visit cropcon nectconference.ca.

Feb. 23-24: Wild Oats Grainworld conference, Fairmont Winnipeg, 2 Lombard Place, Winnipeg. For more info call 1-800-567-5671 or visit www.wildoatsgrainworld.com.

Feb. 24-25: Canadian Federation of Agriculture annual meeting, Delta Ottawa City Centre, 101 Lyon St., Ottawa. For more info call 613-2363633​or visit www.cfa-fca.ca.

Feb. 25-26: Manitoba Young Farmers Conference, Victoria Inn, 3550 Victoria Ave., Brandon. For more info visit www. gov.mb.ca/agriculture/business-andeconomics/events-and-deadlines/ young-farmers-conference.html or call 204-266-2930 or 204-697-1140.

March 3-5: Canola Council of Canada convention, Fairmont Banff Springs, 405 Spray Ave., Banff, Alta. For more info visit http://convention.canola council.org.

March 6-7: Manitoba Direct Farm Marketing Conference, John R. Brodie Science Centre, Brandon University (18th Street and Louise Avenue), Brandon. For more info visit www.directfarmmarketing.com.

July 7-9, 14-16: Crop Diagnostic School, University of Manitoba’s Ian N. Morrison Research Farm, Carman.

For more info or to register call 204745-5663.

S • • • •

G

9

The Manitoba Co-operator | February 5, 2015

SAFE Work Manitoba creates new safety consultant position On-farm safety consultations are now available to Manitoba producers to assist in establishing safer operations and help avoid pitfalls

By Jennifer Paige Co-operator STAFF

T

Jeff Shaw, farm and safety co-ordinator with the province speaks to a number of potato producers at the Manitoba Potato Production Days conference held at the Keystone Centre in Brandon, Man., on January 28.

h e Ma n i t o b a g ove r n ment has created a new farm safety specialist position to help farmers stay safe — and avoid Workplace Health and Safety inspection infractions.

“This role is a great opportunity to get some workshops back on track and help anyone who is looking for assistance in developing an on-farm safety plan,” said newly appointed farm safety specialist Morag Marjerison.

“A t y o u r re q u e s t , I c a n come to your operation and advise you, help you understand regulations, how they apply to your farm and assist you in seeing your operation through an inspector’s eyes,” s a i d Ma r j e r i s o n , a f o r m e r safety and health officer.

“The new position, created through the Keystone Agri-

ELITE WILD OAT CONTROL

IS JUST THE BEGINNING.

“At your request, I can come to your operation and advise you, help you understand regulations, how they apply to your farm and assist you in seeing your operation through an inspector’s eyes.”

Morag Marjerison

culture Producers and SAFE Work Manitoba, is a far m safety specialist, who can assist farmers in improving farm safety, help prepare for inspections from Workplace Health and Safety and prevent enforcement action by making improvements at the farm prior to an inspection,” said Jeff Shaw, farm and safety co-ordinator with the government of Manitoba.

Representatives from SAFE Manitoba outlined workplace injury and illness statistics during a presentation at the Manitoba Potato Production Days held in Brandon, Man., Jan. 28.

Consultations from the farm safety specialist are a free resource and any plans or information obtained during the consultation process are kept 100 per cent confidential from Workplace Health and Safety.

Marjerison also urged potato producers in attendance to be present at a sectorspecific workshop being held in late February.

“I would really encourage everyone to come out to these workshops so we can really determine what your industry

needs and what is going to be useful to you so that we can really get things moving forward.”

The potato workshops are scheduled to take place at the University of Manitoba research farm near Carman Feb. 24 and at the Manitoba Crop Diversification Centre near Carberry Feb. 25.

Wo r k s h o p s w i l l i n c l u d e updates on what has changed with legislation and how it will affect potato producers, safety and health issues that have recently been found on far ms and alterations you might want to consider on your operation.

Shaw and Marjerison will be hosting the workshops and will also be available to schedule on-farm consultations to anyone interested.

Marjerison is the only farm safety specialist consultant in the province and will be working with producers from all sectors.

For more information on upcoming workshops or to book an on-farm safety consult, contact Marjerison at (204) 761-0896. jennifer.paige@fbcpublishing.com

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Morag Marjerison addressed a crowd at the Manitoba Potato Production Days conference held in Brandon, Man., on January 28. Marjerison is the province’s new farm safety specialist with SAFE Work Manitoba. photos: jennifer paige

10

The Manitoba Co-operator | February 5, 2015

LIVESTOCK MARKETS Cattle Prices

Heifers

Alberta South $ 183.50 - 183.50 — 125.00 - 141.00 112.00 - 126.00 146.31 - 146.31 $ 219.00 - 229.00 225.00 - 238.00 240.00 - 257.00 259.00 - 282.00 290.00 - 313.00 319.00 - 346.00 $ 202.00 - 210.00 211.00 - 225.00 225.00 - 239.00 240.00 - 258.00 259.00 - 282.00 284.00 - 310.00

($/cwt) (1,000+ lbs.)

(850+ lbs.)

(901+ lbs.)

(801-900 lbs.)

(701-800 lbs.)

(601-700 lbs.)

(501-600 lbs.)

(401-500 lbs.)

(901+ lbs.)

(801-900 lbs.)

(701-800 lbs.)

(601-700 lbs.)

(501-600 lbs.)

(401-500 lbs.)

Futures (January 30, 2015) in U.S. Fed Cattle Close Change February 2015 153.53 0.18 April 2015 150.50 -1.30 June 2015 143.43 -2.35 August 2015 142.95 -1.82 October 2015 146.43 -0.82 December 2015 147.35 -0.92

Feeder Cattle January 2015 March 2015 April 2015 May 2015 August 2015 September 2015

Cattle Slaughter Canada East West Manitoba U.S.

Ontario $ 178.29 - 191.45 167.49 - 191.16 — — — $ 203.00 - 232.00 234.00 - 252.00 226.00 - 261.00 239.00 - 286.00 250.00 - 301.00 235.00 - 284.00 $ 207.00 - 224.75 192.00 - 228.00 205.00 - 234.00 223.00 - 261.00 240.00 - 274.00 222.00 - 307.00

Close 212.40 203.58 204.20 204.70 206.53 206.10

Change -3.57 -2.75 -2.85 -3.22 -3.00 -3.10

Cattle Grades (Canada)

Week Ending January 24, 2015 51,983 12,421 39,562 N/A 576,000

Previous Year­ 51,148 12,690 38,458 N/A 600,000

Week Ending January 24, 2015 881 22,403 16,305 411 549 10,687 159

Prime AAA AA A B D E

Previous Year 589 23,139 17,455 683 595 10,795 47

Hog Prices Source: Manitoba Agriculture

(Friday to Thursday) ($/100 kg) E - Estimation MB. ($/hog) MB (All wts.) (Fri-Thurs.)

MB (Index 100) (Fri-Thurs.)

ON (Index 100) (Mon.-Thurs.)

PQ (Index 100) (Mon.-Fri.)

Current Week 175.00 E 163.00 E 164.67 160.22

Futures (January 30, 2015) in U.S. Hogs February 2015 April 2015 May 2015 June 2015 July 2015

Last Week 176.22 163.76 164.23 166.80

Close 68.55 73.20 79.43 83.63 83.88

Last Year (Index 100) 174.71 162.44 164.95 165.90

Change -3.05 0.33 -0.09 0.47 0.72

Sheep and Lambs Winnipeg (Hd) Wooled Fats — — Next sale is February 4 —

Chickens Minimum broiler prices as of April 13, 2010 Under 1.2 kg................................... $1.5130 1.2 - 1.65 kg.................................... $1.3230 1.65 - 2.1 kg.................................... $1.3830 2.1 - 2.6 kg...................................... $1.3230

Turkeys Minimum prices as of January 11, 2015 Broiler Turkeys (6.2 kg or under, live weight truck load average) Grade A .................................... $1.965 Undergrade .............................. $1.875 Hen Turkeys (between 6.2 and 8.5 kg liveweight truck load average) Grade A .................................... $1.945 Undergrade .............................. $1.845 Light Tom/Heavy Hen Turkeys (between 8.5 and 10.8 kg liveweight truck load average) Grade A .................................... $1.945 Undergrade .............................. $1.845 Tom Turkeys (10.8 and 13.3 kg, live weight truck load average) Grade A..................................... $1.900 Undergrade............................... $1.815 Prices are quoted f.o.b. producers premise.

Cattle prices see strength from U.S. buyer demand Expect lower volumes, as last fall’s calves are already sold Dave Sims

Toronto 98.25 -128.62 202.42 - 220.56 218.77 - 230.51 224.14 - 261.27 220.52 - 304.07 —

SunGold Specialty Meats —

Eggs Minimum prices to producers for ungraded eggs, f.o.b. egg grading station, set by the Manitoba Egg Producers Marketing Board effective November 10, 2013.

New Previous A Extra Large $2.00 $2.05 A Large 2.00 2.05 A Medium 1.82 1.87 A Small 1.40 1.45 A Pee Wee 0.3775 0.3775 Nest Run 24 + 1.8910 1.9390 B 0.45 0.45 C 0.15 0.15

Goats Kids Billys Mature

Winnipeg (Fats) — — —

Toronto ($/cwt) 102.14 - 312.98 — 82.81 - 259.87

Horses <1,000 lbs.

1,000 lbs.+

Winnipeg ($/cwt) — —

Toronto ($/cwt) 22.00 - 45.00 35.00 - 59.00

“Right now I believe the dollar is saving our market.”

CNSC

C

attle volumes generally picked up throughout the province for the week ended Jan. 30, as around 13,270 animals made it to auction, up from about 11,350 the week previous.

“Prices were fairly strong, I’d say volumes were routine,” said Dave Nickel, auctioneer at Gladstone Auction Mart.

Bids for heavier animals softened in certain areas, with offers for feeder steers (800-900 pounds) generally topping out in the C$220-$235 per hundredweight (cwt) range, down slightly from the previous week where some bids strayed up to the $240s.

It was a slightly different story for steers in the 400- to 500-lb. range though as the ceiling was $5-$10/cwt higher.

“The U.S. demand is strong and the East is still pretty good too,” said Nickel.

One stockyard noted butcher cows traded relatively steady, with age-verified cows off $1-$2.

The weakness of the Canadian dollar has been beneficial to Manitoba producers, Nickel said, as it helps make their animals more attractive to out-of-country buyers.

“Right now I believe the dollar is saving our market. I know the U.S. buyers are putting bigger demand on it because the cattle are cheaper because the dollar is low,” he said.

dave nickel

As of Jan. 30, the loonie was at US78.61 cents, its lowest level since 2009. Many analysts say they expect it to hit US75 cents later this year.

Nickel said he also thinks a lot of herds have been whittled down over the past year due to the record prices growers were receiving.

“I would say it’s probably going to be on the thinner side because there’s a lot of calves that moved last fall because the price was very strong,” he said. “I don’t think you’re going to see the big numbers that we saw in the past for this time of the year.”

Stockyards, he expects, will see a mild increase in volume as we head toward spring, but not by a large amount.

“I think you’re going to see an increase in volumes in February and early March and then I think it’s going to taper off,” he said.

As for feed supplies, Nickel said there isn’t a lot of supply out there right now but he’s hoping farmers have enough to get by.

“The winter’s been nice enough that it’s been easier on the feed pile,” he noted.

Dave Sims writes for Commodity News Service Canada, a Winnipeg company specializing in grain and commodity market reporting.

briefs

Weak loonie saves Canadian bacon

By Dave Sims Commodity News Service Canada

Other Market Prices $/cwt Ewes Choice Lambs (110+ lb.)

(95 - 109 lb.)

(80 - 94 lb.)

(Under 80 lb.)

(New crop)

$1 Cdn: $0.7863 U.S. $1 U.S: $1.2717 Cdn.

COLUMN

(Friday to Thursday) January 30, 2015 Winnipeg Slaughter Cattle Steers — Heifers — D1, 2 Cows 114.00 - 124.00 D3 Cows 100.00 - 115.00 Bulls 140.00 - 150.00 Feeder Cattle (Price ranges for feeders refer to top-quality animals only) Steers (901+ lbs.) $ 200.00 - 211.00 (801-900 lbs.)

215.00 - 248.00 (701-800 lbs.)

220.00 - 251.00 (601-700 lbs.)

235.00 - 280.00 (501-600 lbs.)

260.00 - 321.00 (401-500 lbs.)

275.00 - 319.00 Heifers (901+ lbs.)

200.00 - 205.00 (801-900 lbs.)

200.00 - 215.00 (701-800 lbs.)

210.00 - 230.00 (601-700 lbs.)

220.00 - 245.00 (501-600 lbs.)

230.00 - 311.00 (401-500 lbs.)

245.00 - 303.00 Slaughter Cattle Grade A Steers Grade A Heifers D1, 2 Cows D3 Cows Bulls Steers

EXCHANGES: January 30, 2015

The recent weakness of the Canadian dollar has helped cushion the blow from surging American hog volumes, according to a livestock economist with the Saskatchewan government.

Brad Marceniuk says the downward action of the Canadian loonie has helped keep the value of Canadian hogs, which are sold in American dollars, more attractive to outside buyers.

“Canadian prices are based off U.S. markets, so right now if the dollar goes down a cent our price goes up $2 per hundred kilogram (approximately),” said Marceniuk.

It’s been an especially turbulent start to the year for the loonie as it has dropped 8.9 per cent since December 31.

The number of hogs being sent to U.S. processors has swelled over the past year which in turn has put pressure on prices.

A recent report indicates February hogs are down 2.3 per cent on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange with April hogs fading 1.5 per cent respectively.

“We had 2.3 million head slaughtered in the U.S. last week and that was up four per cent from a year ago,” said Marceniuk, adding a rise in slaughter numbers coupled with too much supply usually leads to lower prices.

“So after two months we’ve seen prices get pushed down, but in Canada, because the dollar is going down we haven’t seen quite as much an effect, so maybe the U.S. prices have come down 20 per cent but our prices have come down 14 or 15 per cent in Canadian terms,” he explained.

Going forward, Marceniuk expects prices to stay under pressure as there doesn’t

appear to be any shortage of American hogs.

“In 2015, production is supposed to be higher than 2014,” he said, adding the one caveat to this was the potential for disease.

The outbreak of porcine epidemic diarrhea virus began in the spring of 2013 and reached epic proportions last spring and summer, resulting in the deaths of millions of hogs. Since that time, vaccines and natural herd immunity have helped to curtail the number of infections.

“I think what’s happened is PED has not been as much of a factor in the U.S. as it was the same time a year ago. Supplies are starting to increase,” said Marceniuk.

Other factors affecting the market include record-high prices for beef, which have driven some consumers over to the pork shelves, increasing feed costs, and a prolonged work slowdown by U.S. West Coast port workers which has encouraged futures meat trading.

Looking for results? Check out the market reports from livestock auctions around the province. » PaGe 14

11

The Manitoba Co-operator | February 5, 2015

GRAIN MARKETS Export and International Prices

column

Canola’s supports washed out by fund liquidation South American corn and soy are dragging on U.S. markets Phil Franz-Warkentin CNSC

T

he ICE Futures Canada canola market saw some large price swings during the week ended Jan. 30, moving lower overall as fund long liquidation came forward to weigh on prices.

The funds started the week holding a net long position of over 40,000 contracts, according to some estimates, but liquidated a chunk of that open interest when prices fell on Wednesday ( Jan. 28). The funds are still probably net long by at least 30,000 or more contracts, which means they could either keep liquidating or turn around and rebuild.

The Canadian dollar remained a major driver in the canola market, finishing the week down nearly two cents relative to its U.S. counterpart. The softer currency conceivably makes canola more attractive to international buyers pricing in U.S. funds, but some of that currency benefit is lost by the fact that most buyers have also seen their own domestic currencies depreciate in relationship to the U.S. dollar.

Canadian canola exports continue to run ahead of the year-ago pace by about 500,000 tonnes, with 3.9 million tonnes exported during the crop year to date, according to Canadian Grain Commission data.

In the U.S., soybeans, corn and wheat were all lower during the week. All eyes

Last Week

Week Ago

Year Ago

Chicago wheat (nearby future) ($US/tonne)

186.57

196.12

203.38

Minneapolis wheat (nearby future) ($US/tonne)

205.49

211.46

219.45

Chicago corn (nearby future) ($US/tonne)

146.25

151.07

170.66

Chicago oats (nearby future) ($US/tonne)

183.18

188.69

267.15

Chicago soybeans (nearby future) ($US/tonne)

355.77

358.90

468.49

Chicago soyoil ($US/tonne)

651.36

704.94

817.39

Coarse Grains

oilseeds

are on South America in the corn and bean markets, as the big supplies from the continent start to displace the U.S. in the international market.

Production reports out of Argentina and Brazil generally call for some very large corn and soybean crops, which should be bearish in the long run. However, with harvest operations only in their very early stages, the day-to-day weather forecasts and the nearby concerns they bring still have the potential to sway values on a short-term basis.

From a technical standpoint, some damage was done on the corn chart during the week, with the March contract falling to its lowest levels in over three months. Beans are also trending downward.

While the Canadian markets saw some support from the weaker currency, the opposite was the case in the U.S., as the U.S. dollar strengthened inter nationally. As U.S. goods were getting more expensive, expor t demand was being discouraged.

The declining export demand was of particular note in the wheat markets, as Minneapolis, Kansas City and Chicago prices all continued their slide of the past month and a half. Big world supplies and generally favourable U.S. winter wheat conditions still hang over that market, though renewed tensions between Ukraine and Russia were being talked up as a possible supportive influence.

Phil Franz-Warkentin writes for Commodity News Service Canada, a Winnipeg company specializing in grain and commodity market reporting.

For three-times-daily market reports from Commodity News Service Canada, visit “Today in Markets” at www.manitobacooperator.ca.

All prices close of business January 29, 2015

Winnipeg Futures ICE Futures Canada prices at close of business January 30, 2015 barley

Last Week

Week Ago

March 2015

195.00

195.00

May 2015

197.00

197.00

July 2015

199.00

199.00

Canola

Last Week

Week Ago

March 2015

453.40

461.50

May 2015

449.40

455.60

July 2015

447.80

448.90

Special Crops Report for February 2, 2015 — Bin run delivered plant Saskatchewan Spot Market

Spot Market

Lentils (Cdn. cents per pound)

Other ( Cdn. cents per pound unless otherwise specified)

Large Green 15/64

Canaryseed

40.50 - 42.00

Laird No. 1

37.50 - 42.00

Oil Sunflower Seed

Eston No. 2

24.00 - 30.00

Desi Chickpeas

Field Peas (Cdn. $ per bushel)

23.00 - 25.50 — 15.20 - 16.00

Beans (Cdn. cents per pound)

Green No. 1

8.80 - 9.50

Fababeans, large

—

Medium Yellow No. 1

8.15 - 8.25

Feed beans

—

Feed Peas (Cdn. $ per bushel)

No. 1 Navy/Pea Beans

27.00 - 27.00

Feed Pea (Rail)

No. 1 Great Northern

44.00 - 44.00

No. 1 Cranberry Beans

44.00 - 44.00

4.75 - 4.85

Mustardseed (Cdn. cents per pound) Yellow No. 1

31.40 - 33.00

No. 1 Light Red Kidney

56.00 - 56.00

Brown No. 1

23.80 - 25.00

No. 1 Dark Red Kidney

73.00 - 73.00

Oriental No. 1

29.50 - 31.00

Source: Stat Publishing SUNFLOWERS

No. 1 Black Beans

32.00 - 32.00

No. 1 Pinto Beans

25.00 - 32.00

No. 1 Small Red

46.00 - 46.00

No. 1 Pink

46.00 - 46.00

Fargo, ND

Goodlands, KS

18.50

19.25

Ask

—

Report for January 30, 2015 in US$ cwt NuSun (oilseed) Confection Source: National Sunflower Association

Wheat basis muddied in Western Canada Canadian companies are offering delivery opportunities with basis rates above U.S. futures — until you factor in the exchange rate

By Phil Franz-Warkentin Commodity News Service Canada

T

he difference between the futures market and the cash market for any exchange-traded commodity can usually be explained by the basis, with a wide or narrow basis providing some indication of how representative the futures market is of what is actually happening in the physical market.

However, those signals appear somewhat muddied when it comes to wheat in Western Canada, as the U.S.-dollar-based futures are worked back to a Canadian elevator price using some confusing mathematics.

Basis represents the difference between the futures price and the price paid to the farmer, with transportation costs, storage fees, margins, etc. factored into this number. A wide basis may imply that the end-user doesn’t really want to buy right now or that the futures may be unnaturally high due to speculative interest. On

the other side, a basis above the futures could provide a signal that the end-user is willing to pay up in order to secure more coverage.

In a commodity like canola, that has a futures market priced in Canadian dollars, basis levels can provide a fairly good picture of how badly the buyer wants, or doesn’t want, the commodity at any given time.

For wheat, the Canadian grain companies all calculate their prices off of the U.S. futures market. Currently in southern Manitoba there are many elevators offering nearby delivery opportunities with basis levels ‘above’ the U.S. futures.

As an example, Cargill Ltd. in Morris, Manitoba, was quoting basis for nearby delivery of No. 2 Canada Western Red Spring wheat (CWRS) with 13.0 per cent protein at 22 cents per bushel above the Minneapolis March futures on January 30. The company’s pricing web page shows the price to the farmer for February delivery at C$5.79 per bushel, which is

technically 22 cents above the closing Minneapolis futures price of US$5.57 per bushel.

However, that 22-cent difference fails to account for the fact that the Canadian dollar and the U.S. dollar are not one in the same. With the Canadian dollar worth roughly US79 cents on January 30, if you want to compare apples to apples, the Minneapolis March futures contract was worth C$7.05 per bushel in Canadian dollars. Using Canadian dollars across the board, the actual basis in this example comes in at C$1.26 below the futures.

Looking at it the other way, if both the futures and the cash price are calculated in U.S. dollars, the basis signal comes in at about US$1 per bushel below the futures.

Cargill is only one of many, with most of the major grain buyers across the Prairies utilizing similar pricing signals.

“It’s a fairly complex formula which could be considered internal information,” said one line company grain broker when asked for some clarification on the

wheat basis calculation that seemingly ignores the exchange rates. “There are about 20 steps between the port basis and the basis seen in the country,” he added noting that the cash price is worked backwards from the price received in the export market.

While the failure of the grain companies to compare apples to apples from a currency standpoint appears to add an unnecessary complication to the wheatpricing environment, the line company official said this method was actually used in an attempt to simplify things for the farmer. As a result, the wheat basis quoted by the grain companies may be seen as the basis ‘if’ the futures were in Canadian dollars.

The easiest way to look at it may be to see the U.S. dollar denominated futures price quoted by the grain companies and resulting basis level as more of a reference number, than actual prices. Whether or not that clears or muddies the issue may also be debatable.

12

The Manitoba Co-operator | February 5, 2015

LIVESTOCK h u s b a n d r y — t h e s c i e n c e , S K I L L O R ART O F F AR M IN G

Devilish dollar:

Is building the Canada beef brand worthwhile if cattle just head south?

What’s good for producers may mean more pain for packers

Programs like verified sustainable beef are part of the effort to create a premium Canada brand

Cargill and JBS plants in Alberta need more cattle, but a low dollar makes it harder to get them and also has some negatives for feedlots

By Alexis Kienlen staff

By Alexis Kienlen

“It would be better to keep the cattle fed and processed in Canada.

Seeing a lot of them go south is a bit concerning.”

staff

A

Need to compete

And it’s not just a problem for packers, as losing one of the two Alberta plants — which together account for more than 80 per cent of the country’s processing capacity — would be a disaster for the entire beef sector.

“We have processing capacity in Canada that we are not using,” said Rich Smith, executive director of Alberta Beef Producers.

“We need to make sure that we do

Brian Perillat

whatever we can to ensure that the processing sector in Alberta is competitive with the U.S., so they can compete with U.S. buyers for Canadian cattle.”

Part of the competitive equation is the greater regulatory burden in Canada and a shortage of workers, something the beef industry has been trying to address, even before the dollar took a dive, said Smith.

The low Canadian dollar helps offset those higher costs, but the flip side is that Canadian cattle are now cheaper in U.S. dollars, and that ups the competition from south of the border.

That’s OK as long as it doesn’t go on too long, said Smith.

“The reduced value of the Canadian dollar helps sell exports, which in the short term, helps create more benefit than harm for cattle sales,” he said.

Calf and fed cattle prices — which went up 40 to 60 per cent last year — has many in the industry worried about push-back from consumers, who have cheaper protein options in poultry and pork.

Feeders impacted

The high cost of cattle is also a concern for feeders, and they also have to deal with negative impacts from a low dollar. U.S. corn and DDGs are more expensive and that props up feed grain values here, which hurts margins for feedlots.

“They came off a great year in 2014, but going forward, they’re going to see some pressure because of greater competition out of the U.S. and less cattle around,” said Perillat.

About 70 per cent of the Canadian feedlot industry is located in Alberta.

“These people will have to compete with each other and with the U.S. on purchasing calves,” said Hays. “Their expenses are going to be higher.

They’re going to have to market into a marketplace which is fairly competitive. Their opportunities are not as good, but they’re still good.”

On the sales side, the low dollar makes for a mixed bag — there’s a good market for finished cattle in the U.S., but American feeders are aggressively bidding for feeder cattle here. That is “putting limitations on feedlot size for getting numbers,” said Hays.

As with the packers, the big issue for feedlots is making productive use of their infrastructure. The more cattle you put through a packing plant or feedlot, the lower the fixed cost per animal.

Most of the time, feedlots operate at a 70 to 80 per cent fill capacity, with overhead costs that include maintaining a facility and a staff, said Hays.

Once utilization slips down to 60 per cent, feeders can feel serious cash flow pain and that, in turn, reduces their capacity to bid for cattle — which can start a downward spiral. Once a feedlot is down to 50 per cent capacity, said Hays, it’s tough to keep the doors open.

That’s exactly what happened in 2007 when many feedlots across the country closed, he said.

“Feedlots need a high throughput coming through,” said Hays. “If things continue the same way, their margins will be reduced. Smaller feedlots cannot be as competitive as larger ones, so the smaller ones tend to shut down.” akienlen@fbcpublishing.com

file photo

low dollar means double trouble for Alberta’s big packers — and puts stress on feedlots, too.

“In 2015, with smaller cattle numbers and bigger exports, we’re going to see some pressure on our packing plants and feedlots to stay better utilized,” said Brian Perillat, senior analyst and manager with CanFax. Despite its shrinking herd, Canada still exported over a million cattle in 2014, putting more pressure on Cargill’s High River plant and JBS’s Brooks facility, both of which are running well below capacity.

“The projection right now is that both packers in the country are not doing all that well because of throughput dynamics,” said Fred Hays, policy analyst with Alberta Beef Producers.

“There are two things working against (the packers) — the costs that they’re paying for cattle and the numbers that are going through their system. That’s pulling down potential profitability.”

“We want to be as competitive as we can to keep the cattle here,” added Perillat. “It would be better to keep the cattle fed and processed in Canada.

Seeing a lot of them go south is a bit concerning.”

A bigger herd would help, but heifer retention has yet to climb significantly, with cow-calf producers opting to repair a balance sheet ravaged by years of low prices and high costs.

“It’s starting to turn around, but they’re projecting now that it will be into 2016 before we’ll see any upward trend in the herd,” said Hays.

Will initiatives like verified sustainable beef and BIXS have value if Canadian cattle just get shipped south?

The lower dollar is likely to see more feeder and slaughter cattle end their days on American soil and an overreliance on the U.S. market isn’t a good thing, say industry officials.

But current efforts to build the Canadian beef brand is worth the effort, they are quick to add.

“We’re not a huge beef-producing nation in the whole scheme of things,” said Brian Perillat, senior analyst and manager with CanFax. “There will be increased demand for the entire industry, and longer term, that will pay some dividends.”

Sustainability isn’t a fad and it’s good that Canada is at the forefront on that score, he added.

“This is really positive and it seems to be a growing trend in today’s marketplace,” said Perillat.

And although more than a million head of Canadian cattle were exported last year, there was also a jump in beef exports.

The latest stats (covering the first 11 months of 2014) saw a 14 per cent increase in sales by weight to just under 293,000 tonnes, according to Statistics Canada data.

The lion’s share — 204,000 tonnes — went to the U.S., followed by Hong Kong (24,000 tonnes), Mexico (22,000 tonnes), Japan (17,000 tonnes), and China (6,500 tonnes).

Our next-door neighbour will always be our largest market for both cattle and beef, but the Canadian beef sector is working hard to sell into other markets, said Fred Hays, policy analyst with Alberta Beef Producers.

“The market for China is increasing, but it’s overshadowed by the U.S. market,” said Hays.

South Korea is also a promising market, and sales to that nation more than doubled (to 2,700 tonnes) last year, he noted.

Leveraging traceability and the Verified Beef Production program is a good way to tap into premium markets, said Hays. That may not directly translate into more dollars for cow-calf producers, but it is good for the overall sector, while a revamped Beef InfoXchange System holds the promise of boosting efficiencies and margins at the ranch level, he said.

These types of programs will also help to bolster the Canadian consumer’s positive perceptions of the beef industry and help the industry gain the support of the Canadian public, said Rich Smith, executive director of Alberta Beef Producers.

“We need consumers to purchase the product, but we also need the support of the public for us to continue operating in this country,” he said.

They also help to convince consumers that they’re getting good value when they buy beef, even as it rises in cost, said Hays.

“Packers are concerned about that, and the beef industry is concerned about this, because a cheaper product like poultry or pork can come in,” he said. akienlen@fbcpublishing.com

13

The Manitoba Co-operator | February 5, 2015

Baby steps can add up to big gains on the farm Do 20 things five per cent better rather than one thing 100 per cent better

By Jennifer Paige Co-operator STAFF

W

ant to double your farm’s net returns?

Think five per cent, a Saskatchewan farmer and accountant told farmers attending the recent Ag Days.

By increasing your yield and selling price five per cent and cutting production costs by the same amount, a farmer can boost net returns by 100 per cent, Kristjan Hebert said.

In fact, boosting your farm’s profitability is more likely to happen through small i m p r ov e m e n t s i n a l o t o f things, than it is in one big change.

“As farmers, we spend a lot of time chasing unicorns, and what I mean by that, is ideas that will double our profits in one year or drop our fuel bill in half in one year,” he said. “But, through extensive research, the one thing we have found is that when you make incremental improvements in every step of your operation, it is amazing how those small improvements add up and impact profits in the long run.”

Hebert began his farming career at age 15 and today operates Hebert Grain Ventures, a 7,800-acre operation near Moosomin, Sask. He is also a chartered accountant, and is also the chairman of Global Ag Risk Solutions.

He follows the teachings of Danny Klinefelter, professor and extension economist with Texas A&M University, who developed a paper on the 12 best farm management practices that includes the five per cent rule.

“Through extensive research the one thing we have found is that when you make incremental improvements in every step of your operation, it is amazing how those small improvements add up and impact profits in the long run.”

Kristjan Hebert

The five per cent rule says that instead of attempting to make large changes to improve operations, it is best to focus on small improvements in multiple areas.

“The five per cent rule is really, baby steps to bigger profits. How we can utilize technology, data and management skills to capture opportunities that make sense for our farms,” said Hebert, who studied under Klinefelter while obtaining a degree in farm management at Texas A&M University.

Through a number of studies, it was found that most sustained success comes from doing 20 things five per cent better, rather than doing one thing 100 per cent better.

“As growers we have numerous opportunities to make f i ve p e r c e n t i n c re m e n t a l improvements in our businesses,” continued Hebert.

“The cumulative effect of a five per cent yield increase along with a five per cent cost-efficiency improvement can have a huge influence on competitive advantage and profitability.”

Research has also indicated that the top quarter of producers, in terms of profitability,

tend to be only about five per cent better than the average, whether in terms of costs, production or marketing.

In order to determine where you can begin to make five per cent improvements in your operation, Hebert recommends networking with nearby producers or creating a peer group to develop a benchmark.

“We need to convince ourselves to look for people who are doing it better than us and learn from them. If you aren’t learning from your neighbour, you won’t get better,” continued Hebert. “My favourite scenario is to be the dumbest guy in the room because there is only one way to go.”

Heber t offered up a few examples of areas small alterations could be made, such as increased use of inputs in terms of fungicide or seed treatments, different macro packages of fertilizer.

When it comes to the price of your seed, it might be a better education regarding the negotiation of contracts, relationships with your buyers, justifying inventory and the use of futures and options.

“The biggest alteration area would be in terms of your

Kristjan Hebert presents the five per cent theory to an audience at the Manitoba Ag Days, held in Brandon, Man., last month. photo: jennifer paige

fixed costs, as this is where farmers have the most control, it can be simple things like sectional control, running certain implements 24 hours to get better acres out of them, proper human resource management so that you have the right people where they need to be when timing is critical.”

As a base case, Hebert says a five per cent improvement in canola yield (from 40 to 42 bushels/acre), selling price

(from $10 to $10.50) and cost of production (from $350 to $332.50/acre) results in more than a 100 per cent increase in net return (from $50 to over $108 an acre).

“It is cr itical to analyze opportunities but also analyze what you are doing now to see if it is working and don’t be afraid to embrace change and find a way to implement it,” he said. jennifer.paige@fbcpublishing.com

U.S. makes progress in trade pact with Japan The deadlock over key trade issues is softening washington / reuters

U

.S. pork producers have hailed “significant progress” in Asia-Pacific regional trade talks and joined other farm groups in urging lawmakers to give the White House authority to fast-track trade deals, a sign that a deadlock with Japan may be softening.

An impasse between the United States and Japan, the two biggest economies in the 12-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership, over exports of U.S. farm goods and Japanese cars has held up negotiations on a wider deal for months.

Pork producers, who have demanded Japan cut tariffs on U.S. imports or be cut out of the deal, said in a letter to lawmakers the TPP would be “the most beneficial deal ever” for the pork industry and other farming sectors.

“Significant progress has been made with respect to Japan’s market access offer on pork thanks to the hard work of U.S. trade officials and the strong support of the U.S. Congress,” National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) president Howard Hill said in a statement.

“While NPPC is reserving judgment on a final TPP agreement, we believe it is imperative that Congress approve TPA (trade promotion authority) as a signal to our trading partners that the U.S. is ready to finalize an agreement that expands U.S. trade and generates U.S. jobs.”

The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association and the National Chicken Council echoed the call for TPA, which allows the White House to submit trade deals to Congress for an up-or-down vote, without amendments, in exchange for setting negotiating goals.

The vote of support from the farm lobby comes as chief negotiators gather in New York for further talks on the TPP, which some hope can be wrapped up by mid-March.

In another sign of progress, the Nikkei business daily reported late last month that Japan had offered to import more rice from the United States in a compromise aimed at pushing forward the deal, and the United States had dropped its request that Japan ease safety standards on car imports.

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14

The Manitoba Co-operator | February 5, 2015

LIVESTOCK AUCTION RESULTS Weight Category

Ashern

Gladstone

Grunthal

Heartland

Heartland

Brandon

Virden

Killarney

Ste. Rose

Winnipeg

Feeder Steers

Jan-29

Jan-27

Jan-27

Jan-29

Jan-28

Jan-26

Jan-29

Jan-30

No. on offer

2250*

1,015

692*

2219*

2,458

959

2,425

1,250*

Over 1,000 lbs.

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

900-1,000

210.00-234.00

170.00-214.50

n/a

215.00-229.00

210.00-222.00

n/a

n/a

200.00-221.00

800-900

212.00-220.00

200.00-230.50

200.00-226.50

218.00-236.00

224.00-239.75

220.00-237.00

225.00-237.00 (240.00)

215.00-240.00

700-800

240.00-263.00

240.00-283.50

220.00-248.00

232.00-250.00

233.00-251.50

235.00-250.50

225.00-255.00 (258.00)

225.00-257.00

600-700

250.00-297.00

240.00-271.50

235.00-272.00

245.00-274.00

249.00-284.00 (291.00)

245.00-270.00 (285.00)

260.00-282.00 (285.00)

240.00-284.00

500-600

260.00-312.50

270.00-315.00

265.00-325.00

280.00-318.00

268.00-305.00 (315.00)

270.00-305.00 (317.00)

275.00-312.00 (318.00)

275.00-319.00

400-500

277.00-345.00

290.00-345.00

300.00-360.00

315.00-345.00

295.00-348.00

300.00-331.00 (336.00)

275.00-318.00 (326.00)

280.00-316.00

300-400

n/a

300.00-356.00

300.00-360.00

325.00-360.00

n/a

n/a

270.00-295.00 (325.00)

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

190.00-210.00

180.00-207.00

n/a

n/a

n/a

Feeder heifers 900-1,000 lbs.

800-900

200.00-221.00

190.00-212.00

190.00-207.00

200.00-216.00

197.00-217.50

n/a

n/a

200.00-219.00

700-800

217.00-235.00

190.00-223.50

200.00-235.00

217.00-234.00

214.00-231.00 (135.00)

205.00-223.50

200.00-234.00 (239.00)

220.00-234.00

600-700

233.00-252.00

220.00-258.00

220.00-250.00

230.00-260.00

228.00-255.00

215.00-240.00 (265.00)

225.00-252.00 (255.00)

230.00-267.00

500-600

250.00-279.00

260.00-291.00

245.00-315.00

260.00-290.00 (300.00)

255.00-299.00

235.00-260.00 (285.00)

260.00-280.00 (285.00)

245.00-300.00

400-500

n/a

290.00-320.00

270.00-320.00

285.00-320.00

280.00-318.00

255.00-300.00 (306.00)

270.00-310.00 (315.00)

270.00-312.00

300-400

n/a

300.00-324.00

260.00-315.00

310.00-340.00

n/a

n/a

n/a

270.00-310.00

No. on offer

250

n/a

111

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

190

D1-D2 Cows

108.00-120.00

n/a

119.00-124.00

124.00-135.00

118.00-129.00

110.00-120.00

118.00-130.00 (133.50)

122.00-131.00

D3-D5 Cows

95.00-107.00

n/a

95.00-115.00

108.00-123.00

110.00-117.00

n/a

108.00-118.00

110.00-121.00

Slaughter Market

Age Verified

120.00-141.50

80.00-130.00

120.00-130.00

n/a

122.00-134.00

116.00-128.00

n/a

n/a

Good Bulls

130.00-152.50

115.00-142.00

135.00-142.00

140.00-154.00

139.00-154.50

135.00-148.50

130.00-148.00

140.00-148.00

Butcher Steers

n/a

n/a

n/a

165.00-175.00

164.00-174.00

n/a

n/a

165.00-171.00

Butcher Heifers

n/a

n/a

n/a

163.00-174.00

162.00-172.00

n/a

n/a

165.00-168.50

Feeder Cows

n/a

n/a

120.00-132.00

n/a

125.00-139.00

125.00-140.00

n/a

128.00-137.50

Fleshy Export Cows

n/a

n/a

119.00-124.00

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

Lean Export Cows

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

Heiferettes

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

135.00-148.00

* includes slaughter market

(Note all prices in CDN$ per cwt. These prices also generally represent the top one-third of sales reported by the auction yard.)

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15

The Manitoba Co-operator | February 5, 2015

Horses on Holiday

These horses don’t seem to mind hanging around a resort all winter. photo: Donna Gamache

Obama to propose sharp increase in antibiotic funding The funds for fighting resistance could double washington / reuters

U

.S. President Barack Obama’s fiscal 2016 budget request will propose nearly doubling federal funding to some $1.2 billion for the fight against antibioticresistant bacteria, the White House said Jan. 27.

The budget will include an almost $1 billion proposed investment in Department of Health and Human Services research to combat antibiotic resistance.

That figure includes $650 million to fund efforts by the National Institutes of Health and

Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority to sharply expand investments in the development of antibacterial diagnostics and research.

A further $47 million would help fund Food and Drug Administration evaluation of new antibacterial drugs for patient treatments.

In addition, funding would increase at the departments of Veterans Affairs and Defense to $85 million and $75 million, respectively, to address issues tied to antibiotic resistance in health-care settings, the White House said in a statement.

Department of Agriculture

funding for antibiotic research and surveillance would nearly quadruple to $77 million, it added.

Calling antibiotic resistance one of the world’s most pressing public health issues, the administration cited estimates by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that at least two million illnesses and 23,000 deaths are caused each year by antibiotic-resistant bacteria in the United States alone.

Obama signed an executive order last September launching federal efforts to combat the rise in antibiotic-resistance bacteria.

news

USDA reviews animal welfare concerns at federal research centre Reuters / The federal Agriculture Department is looking into recent media reports over controversial animal welfare conditions at its U.S. Meat Animal Research Center in Nebraska.

The agency said in a statement Jan. 21 that it was reviewing additional improvements in its animal science research, including in improving animal well-being.

The New York Times reported Jan. 19 that the Nebraska research facility had failed to follow basic animal welfare standards when conducting decades of research.

Researchers at the centre, which is overseen by the USDA’s Agricultural Research Service, are tasked with finding ways to bolster the profitability of the U.S. livestock industry, according to the paper’s report.

The research projects have ranged from making lamb chops bigger, pork loins less fatty and helping American livestock farmers fight animal diseases, the Times reported. In the process, according to the report, the centre has put these animals into cruel and dangerous conditions and has operated outside of the federal Animal Welfare Act, which does not cover farm animals used in research.

Canada resident tests positive for H7N9 The avian flu virus has not been found in birds in Canada

By Julie Gordon vancouver / reuters

A

Vancouver-area resident has tested positive for the H7N9 avian flu virus in the first documented case of the infection in a human in North America, the Canadian government said Jan. 26.

The woman, who is in her 50s, had returned to Canada from China and is recovering from the illness in selfisolation, the Public Health Agency of Canada said in a statement.

“I want to emphasize that the risk to Canadians is very low because there is no evidence of sustained human-

to-human transmission of H7N9,” Gregory Taylor, Canada’s chief public health officer, said at a news conference in Ottawa.

Taylor said the woman returned to Canada on Jan. 12 after visiting numerous locations in China and began to feel ill two days later on Jan. 14.

“All evidence is indicating that it is likely the individual was infected following exposure in China,” he said. “We don’t know at this time how the individual contracted the virus.”

The woman’s male travel partner, also in his 50s, has symptoms and was likely infected at the same time,

although the second case has not been confirmed, health officials said.

The H7N9 virus passes between birds, but experts say there is not enough evidence to prove it passes between humans. Most cases report contact with poultry, usually in live poultry markets, the Canadian health agency said.

The virus first infected three people in China in Ma rc h 2 0 1 3 . In 2 0 1 4 , i t infected 453 people, killing 175 of them, according to the World Health Organization.

The H7N9 virus has not been detected in birds in Canada.

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16

The Manitoba Co-operator | February 5, 2015

WEATHER VANE

Weather now for next week.

Get the Manitoba Co-operator mobile app and get local or national forecast info.

Download the free app at agreader.ca/mbc

“ E v e r y o n e tal k s ab o ut the weathe r , but n o o n e d o e s a n y th i n g ab o ut i t . ” M a r k Tw a i n , 18 9 7

Typical winter temperatures expected Issued: Monday, February 2, 2015 · Covering: February 4 – February 11, 2015 Daniel Bezte Co-operator contributor

W

ell, the cold weather pattern won out, as we saw cold arctic air move in during the last couple of days of January, and it looks like it will stick around for a little while longer.

This forecast period will start off with another arctic high drifting southeastward across our region. This should bring us plenty of sunshine Wednesday and Thursday including fairly cold temperatures with highs in the -18 C range and overnight lows around -27 C. Temperatures will start to moderate late Thursday and into Friday as the high pushes off to the east and a large Pacific storms tries to move onshore over southern B.C. This will swing our winds around to the south or southwest, allowing mild air to move in. Along with the milder air will come increasing clouds and the chance of light snow or flurries by late Friday.

Little of this Pacific energy will make it across the mountains, with the weekend

expected to see a mix of sun and clouds along with temperatures running right around the middle of the usual temperature range for this time of the year. We could see some of this Pacific energy finally make its way across our region Monday, bringing with it a few centimetres of snow, but confidence in this system is fairly low. An area of arctic high pressure is then forecast to drift by to our northeast on Tuesday and Wednesday of next week, bringing plenty of clear skies. Temperatures don’t look like they’ll cool down too much with this high, and should remain around the middle of the usual temperature range.

The models then show a warming trend developing during the second half of next week, with daytime highs by the end of the week possibly pushing the 0 C mark.

Usual temperature range for this period: Highs, -19 to -3 C; lows, -31 to -13 C. Daniel Bezte is a teacher by profession with a BA (Hon.) in geography, specializing in climatology, from the U of W. He operates a computerized weather station near Birds Hill Park.

Contact him with your questions and comments at daniel@bezte.ca.

WEATHER MAP - WESTERN CANADA

One-Month (30 Days) Accumulated Precipitation (Prairie Region) December 31, 2014 to January 29, 2015

2 - 6 mm 6 - 10 mm 10 - 13 mm 13 - 17 mm 17 - 21 mm 21 - 24 mm 24 - 28 mm 28 - 32 mm 32 - 35 mm 35 - 39 mm 39 - 43 mm 43 - 46 mm 46 - 50 mm 50 - 54 mm 54 - 57 mm 57 - 61 mm 61 - 65 mm 65 - 68 mm Extent of Agricultural Land Lakes and Rivers

Produced using near real-time data that has undergone initial quality control. The map may not be accurate for all regions due to data availability and data errors.

Copyright © 2015 Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada Prepared by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s National Agroclimate Information Service (NAIS). Data provided through partnership with Environment Canada, Natural Resources Canada, and many Provincial agencies.

Created: 01/30/15 www.agr.gc.ca/drought

This issue’s map shows the total amount of precipitation that fell across the Prairies during the 30 days ending Jan. 29.

Most regions were dry, receiving fewer than 15 millimetres of water-equivalent precipitation.

January continues warm winter weather Our region seems squeezed between high pressure to our west and low pressure to our east

By Daniel Bezte co-operator contributor

T

he first month of 2015 has come and gone and compared to last year’s it was a heck of a lot warmer! After a really warm December, which saw temperatures ranging from 2 to 4 C above average, a lot of people were expecting the bottom to fall out in January, especially after what happened last winter.

Looking back at January’s weather, after the first 12 or so days of the month those same people were saying, “I told you so!” Temperatures during the first two weeks of the month ran well below average, with daytime highs hovering around -20 C and overnight lows dropping to around -30 C. Then, in only a couple of days, the temperatures soared, with highs averaging within 1-2 C either side of the 0 C mark on most days.

These mild conditions lasted nearly to the end of the month, which in turn, resulted in mean monthly temperatures across all regions of agricultural Manitoba being well above average once again.

The mean monthly temperature at our three main regions (Brandon, Dauphin, Winnipeg) was around -13.5 C, about 2.5 C above the long-term aver-

Most of January’s snow came as light dustings which were either quickly blown off fields or melted during some of the warmer days.

age. For comparison, last year’s mean monthly temperature for January was -19 C. In fact, this year’s January temperature was only 1 C colder than last March.

I don’t even want to talk about last February, which was even colder than last January, with a mean monthly temperature of -20 C. Along with the mild temperatures came fairly dry conditions. Both the Winnipeg and Dauphin regions repor ted fewer than 10 cm of snowfall, less than 50 per cent of average, with some regions seeing fewer than five cm of snow. Around Brandon, thanks to an early January snowfall, there was a little more snow, between 15 and 20 cm in some areas, right around average. Looking at the map of January precipitation you can see only the southernmost parts saw average to above-average amounts. Most of the snow during the month came in the form of light dustings of one or two cm and was either quickly

blown off fields or melted during some of the warmer days.

As a result, large portions of our region have very little snow cover so far this winter. This is something I will look at in more detail in an upcoming issue.

Who called it?

When we put all the data together, it turns out January did end up following in the footsteps of December, with another warmer- and drierthan-average month for most areas. Looking back at the different forecasts, it appears no one really got it right. If we had to pick a winner I think it would be a toss-up between Environment Canada and my forecast.

EC had called for near-average temperatures with near-average snowfall over eastern regions and above average over western areas. My forecast also called for near-average temperatures and near-average snowfall but I did point out it looked like the second half of the month would

see above-average temperatures. I will leave the verdict up to you. By the way, both of the Almanacs had called for a cold and snowy January.

Now on to February’s forecast.

According to the Old Farmer’s Almanac, February will be a little cooler than average with well-above-average snowfall.

Over at the Canadian Farmers’ Almanac, the forecast is a little tougher to figure out. As you may or may not know, it doesn’t actually predict whether temperatures or precipitation will be above or below average; instead, I have to try and interpret its forecast and use its wording to come up with some kind of monthly summary. Some months it’s easy, as it will use terms like really cold or stormy a fair number of times in its monthly forecast, but this is not the case for this February. The best I can tell is that February will see nearaverage temperatures and nearto below-average snowfall, as it doesn’t mention any storms and uses the term fair a few times, which to me means nice weather. Environment Canada calls for near-average temperatures in February with eastern regions possibly seeing colderthan-average conditions. Precipitation amounts will be near average over western regions,

with eastern regions seeing below-average amounts.

Finally, my forecast. The medium- to long-range weather models are not showing any big changes to the overall pattern we have seen across North America over the last month.

While this should make forecasting easier, the current weather pattern has our region squeezed between a ridge of high pressure to our west and a trough of low pressure to our east. A stronger ridge will mean mild weather, whereas a stronger trough will result in colder weather. I think the western ridge will win out more often than the eastern trough.

This means we’ll see a couple of nice mild spells with a couple of short cold snaps during the month. As a result, the overall temperature for the month should be above average. Precipitation is always the tough one, but with our current pattern, any storm systems that do make it into our region will not be overly strong and should move fairly quickly, meaning we’ll likely see little in the way of snow. Therefore, overall precipitation for the month should be below average.

However the month ends up, I feel pretty confident in saying we won’t be nearly as cold as last February!

The Manitoba Co-operator | February 5, 2015

17

T:10.25”

CROPS hu s ba n dr y — th e s ci e n c e , S K I L L O R A R T O F F A R M I N G

Climate Atlas proposed as long-term planning tool University of Winnipeg climatologist Danny Blair wants everyone to have accessible information through an easy-to-read mapping database called the Climate Atlas of Manitoba

By Lorraine Stevenson co-operator staff/Brandon

A

Difficult to interpret

The data to put the Climate Atlas together is actually available right now and free to download but the sheer volume and complexity of it makes it inaccessible and very difficult to interpret. Producers can’t be expected to have the time or expertise do this work he said.

“We need to put in farmers’ hands the tools they need to understand where we’re going from a climate point of view, just as we do from a market or financial point of view, he said, adding it would help inform business investment decisions to have a way of gauging climate conditions a decade or two out.

“They can’t go online and figure that out on their own, and I’m suggesting they can’t just go outside in their own backyard to make those big decisions. And those big decisions need to come from big data.”

®

Manitoba climatologist Danny Blair spoke at Ag Days last month describing present and future “normal no more” scenarios as climate change impacts agro-Manitoba. PHOTO: LORRAINE STEVENSON

“The past is no longer representative of what’s going to come.”

DANNY BLAIR

The project is in its early stages and they have already put together some projections including anticipated days of fall frost over the next 50 years. It is a very interesting project showing things like a much-extended growing season across a large swatch of central Manitoba, he said. In as little as 30 years, Manitoba could experience as many as 30 days per year above 30 C, or more than double the number of those days right now.

That may make other types of production possible here, but that sort of prolonged extreme heat also holds potential for drought and other types of risks.

Early work

Blair cautioned his audience that this early work is also limited by the number of climate models they’re presently using, and is also based on worst-case scenarios, or highest outer limit of projected CO2 in the atmosphere

if global emissions aren’t curtailed. There is the potential for many other better scenarios too and their aim is to make the Climate Atlas comprehensive.

But the project is presently as underfunded as it is ambitious. They’ve undertaken the work with a grant of $14,000 from the province and will need considerably more than that to do the work properly, he said.

He said there’s support for the project provincially but coffers are thin for making these kinds of investments.

“We’re talking about potential investments of hundreds of thousands of dollars to do it properly and we’re getting dribs and drabs. But it just creates dribs and drabs of outcomes and that’s frustrating to me and to the audiences that I speak to.”

Last week the province announced it will establish a new task force to hold public consultations and evaluate existing provincial programs and policies such as production insurance to manage and recover from climaterelated challenges such as flooding.

Manitoba’s farmers are saying existing agricultural programs don’t adequately address these climate-related challenges, especially as they become more common, Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Development (MAFRD) Minister Ron Kostyshyn said in a news release. lorraine@fbcpublishing.com

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University of Winnipeg climatologist and a small team of researchers are working to develop high-quality maps they say will project what sort of climate agro-Manitoba is likely to have in the next half-century.

The Climate Atlas of Manitoba will be a set of accessible, easy-to-understand data, based and calculated on past trends and future probabilities, Danny Blair told his Ag Days audience in January.

“We want to produce clear and updatable maps online and associated data that will make it easier for farmers to understand recent trends and future probabilities,” he said.

It should help bring home an often baffling and perplexing message of climate change and its implications for how it will affect us, said the scientist who gave his Ag Days audience a talk on atmosphere science and global climate change.

Just as you can’t look out your window at local weather and draw grand conclusions about global climate change, you can’t plan around normal anymore because “it is normal no more,” he said.

“The past is no longer representative of what’s going to come,” he said, adding that the length of the growing season, number of growing degree days, spring soil moisture, summer precipitation, winter temperatures will become more and more variable under different global warming scenarios.

“We have to take that into account,” he said.

And while there is talk now about the need for adaptation and readiness in new climate scenarios on the Prairies, the question that begs is, “Get ready for what?”

18

The Manitoba Co-operator | February 5, 2015

Attack on Cereals Canada slapped down The head count of farmers on the board is higher than alleged

By Alex Binkley Co-operator contributor

C

laims that Cereals Canada doesn’t reflect the interests of farmers don’t jibe with the facts, says Cam Dahl, the organization’s president.

Kyle Korneychuk, spokesperson for the Canadian Wheat Board Alliance, described Cereals Canada as “an industry-captured group and cannot reflect the interests of farmers. It has only three western farmers on a board largely composed of representatives of multinational grain and agro-chemical companies.”

Dahl said the organization is intended to represent the entire value chain of the cereals industry in Canada to benefit growers and processors. If Korneychuk had bothered to do some research on the Internet, “he could have discovered that there are in fact six producers on our board of directors, representing more than one-third of the board.

Cam Dahl

photo: Supplied

“With a few additional exertions of his index finger, he would have learned that we have farmer membership from coast to coast,” Dahl continued. “If he was quite energetic he might have

chosen to call the six farm group members to learn why they value membership in Cereals Canada.

“The fact that he has done none of these things tells me that he is either not capable of basic fact checking, or simply does not care that the facts are in conflict with his story,” Dahl added.

Korneychuk issued a release under the Canadian Wheat Board Alliance letterhead after Saskatchewan Agriculture Minister Lyle Stewart urged the province’s wheat commission to join the Winnpeg-based organization.

Korneychuk said for the commission to do so would “dilute farmers’ voices on such an important responsibility as the research and development of new varieties of wheat and barley. The public and our customers have already spoken very loudly that they do not want our essential food crops controlled by multinational agro-chemical companies whose only mandate is to provide profits to their shareholders.”

Formed two years ago in the aftermath of the end of the Canadian Wheat Board’s monopoly, Cereals Canada has released a strategic plan for bringing sustainable profitability to grain growers, suppliers and processors.

“Cereals Canada brings together a broad and diverse collection of partners from all parts of the cereals sector,” said chairman Greg Porozni, who is also a director of the Alberta Wheat Commission. “Our goal is to ensure a profitable and vibrant future for all links in the value chain. The cereals sector is in a period of transition that presents the industry with a unique opportunity to create the environment that will allow Canada to realize its full potential in international and domestic markets.

“Our overarching goal is to ensure that all links in the Canadian cereals value chain are profitable,” he said.

“We will accomplish this by meeting the demands of our customers for consistent, high-valued quality products.”

briefs

U.S. heavy snows protect winter wheat

By Christine Stebbins chicago / reuters

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A major snowstorm that moved through the central United States over the Feb. 1 weekend dumped more than a foot of snow on Midwest wheat areas, providing a protective cover for the dormant crop against frigid temperatures expected later this week, agricultural meteorologists said Feb. 2.

But the deep snowfall will slow the movement of grain and livestock early this week from Iowa eastward to Ohio as it will take a couple of days for the Midwest to dig out, they added.

The heaviest snows of 10 to 18 inches (25.4 to 45.7 cm) fell from central Iowa eastward to southern Wisconsin, northern Illinois, northern Indiana, southern Michigan and northern Ohio.

“It produced a nice blanket of snow over the central and northern wheat areas, which will protect the wheat from the cold temperatures coming up this week,” said meteorologist Dan Hicks of Freese-Notis Weather in Iowa.

Morning low temperatures plunged below -18 C in the western Corn Belt, and travel disruptions due to lingering snow and blowing snow continue across the eastern Corn Belt, according to the National Weather Service.

Unprotected wheat can experience winterkill if temperatures dip below freezing for four hours or more.

The southern areas of the Midwest Soft Red Winter Wheat Belt missed the snow, but this week’s temperatures were forecast to stay above zero, with lows in single digits and teens, limiting potential winterkill damage, Hicks said.

19

The Manitoba Co-operator | February 5, 2015

What’s killing your potatoes and what precautions should you be taking?

Surveillance, seed knowledge and proper pre-season cleaning tactics are essential in avoiding the sector’s most prevalent pests

By Jennifer Paige Co-operator STAFF

P

provincial Department of Agriculture, to provide a nationally consistent proactive approach for good biosecurity practices.

The standard, guide and self-evaluation checklist is available online at http:// www.inspection.gc.ca/plants/ potatoes/guidance-docu ments/national-farm-levelbiosecurity-standard/eng/135 1685363578/1351685528151# apana. jennifer.paige@fbcpublishing.com

Plant pathologist, Vikram Bisht discussed potato diseases and crop biosecurity at a presentation during the Manitoba Potato Production Days in Brandon, Man., on January 28. photo: jennifer paige

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roducer surveillance is the first line of defence against pests that can have major impacts on Manitoba potato producers’ yields, a plant pathologist with Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Development says.

“Surveillance is the key for all of these disease concerns.

The process of collecting and recording the presence or absence of the diseases in your fields is critical in prevention,” explained Vikram Bisht at Manitoba Potato Days in Brandon. “Early detection of disease and pathogens in your crop systems is essential.”

Bisht spoke on diseases of concern and crop biosecurity to an auditorium full of potato producers.

According to Bisht, top diseases of concern to Manitoba potato producers right now include potato wart, brown rot, bacterial ring rot, cyst nematodes, late blight, tuber necrosis viruses and weeds.

“These are some of the pests I have considered to be potential threats to Manitoba potato producers,” he said. “And soil and seed are the major sources these pests are getting into your operations.”

Bisht provided attendees with tips and suggestions on how to best rid or keep their operations clean of devastating threats.

“Protect your farm property and your farm system through the operational management and crop health management.

There are a few key steps to take at the start of every season and when obtaining seed.”

Bisht recommends cleaning and disinfecting all equipment and storages at the beginning of every new growing season through pressure washing or air pressure, disinfecting with a one to two per cent commercial bleach, as well as cleaning field equipment with scraper and hammer.

“It is also important for producers to remember to clean new equipment before taking it onto the field. Whether it is used or coming from the dealership, ensure that it is cleaned of all soil and disinfected.”

He recommends that when acquiring seed, be sure to use clean and certified seeds, regularly disinfect knives on seed cutters and be sure to exercise caution when sharing or making custom cuts.

“If at all possible, it is best to know the source of where you are getting your seed and ensure that the seed hasn’t been in contact with potato issues or non-potato disease issues as well,” added Bisht.

“A n o t h e r g re a t re s o u rc e to producers is the national

farm-level biosecurity standard and producer guide, which comes with a self-evaluation c h e c k l i s t t o a s s i s t yo u i n developing a biosecurity plan for your operations.”

The national farm-level b i o s e c u r i t y s t a n d a rd a n d guide was created through the co-operative effor t of Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Agriculture and AgriFood Canada, the Canadian Po t a t o Co u n c i l , Ca n a d i a n Horticulture Council, and the

20

The Manitoba Co-operator | February 5, 2015

U.S. grain farmers add debt as crop prices squeeze cash flow

Buried in snow

Corn prices have dropped by half since 2012 following two consecutive record harvests

By Christine Stebbins chicago / reuters

U Snow drifts give a frosted shredded wheat look to these bales near Minnedosa. photo: luc gamache

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.S. grain farmers are boosting demand for loans from far m banks as five-year lows in crop prices squeeze operating budgets ahead of spring planting, according to a national survey of farm banke r s i s s u e d by t h e Fe d e ra l Reserve Bank of Kansas City Jan. 28.

“Re d u c e d p r o f i t s i n t h e crop sector persisted in the fourth quarter of 2014, leading to a sharp rise in farm sector borrowing and a slight decline in cropland values,” the bank said. “Should low crop prices and high input costs persist, crop sector profit margins may weaken further and strain loan repayment capacity in the coming year.”

Corn prices set record highs during the summer of 2012 amid the biofuels boom and drought in the United States a n d m a n y ove r s e a s a re a s.

But prices are now down by about half after two consecutive record American harvests.

At the same time, crop production has recovered overseas, hurting wheat exports.

Without mammoth Chinese demand, soybean pr ices would be even lower.

The Fed survey, which covered the Midwest, Plains and Mountain states, said farm loan debt outstanding as of Sept. 30 was 6.7 per cent higher than a year earlier.

Loan-to-deposit ratios at farm banks have risen to the highest since 2010. Sales of combines and large tractors were 26 per cent lower in 2014 than the year before. Collateral requirements showed “a slight rise,” the Fed said.

Livestock producers, aided by the sharp drop in feed costs, continued to regain profits in 2014, the Fed said.

But lending to livestock p r o d u c e r s a l s o “r o s e s i g nificantly” last year as cowcalf operators expanded to rebuild beef herds. “Looking ahead, the supply of feeder cattle may contract further if a reduction in calf slaughter signals that more animals are being retained to rebuild herds,” the Fed said.

Pressure on farmland values from lower crop revenues had been countered to some extent by demand for grazing land from resurgent livestock farmers.

“While the majority of surve y re s p o n d e n t s e x p e c t e d cropland values would stabilize, some anticipated additional declines in 2015,” the Fed said.

21

The Manitoba Co-operator | February 5, 2015

New website aims to shine a light on grain prices Alberta Wheat Commission website aims to offer accurate price data updated on a daily basis for eight zones across the Prairies

By Alexis Kienlen and Jill Burkhardt staff / contributor / edmonton

D

on’t know if your local elevator is offering a good price? There’s an app for that.

Or at least there will be, once www.pdqinfo.ca is fully up and running.

The new website, created by the Alberta Wheat Commission with $742,725 in federal funding and launched Jan. 28 at FarmTech, aims to give farmers timely and accurate pricing data for grains and oilseeds.

“We feel strongly that this project has the potential to change the way farmers market their crops through access to better and more timely information,” said Kent Erickson, chair of the commission.

“Our ultimate goal is a more transparent market, one that enables producers to be able to capture the marketing opportunities available to them.”

Currently it’s hard for grain farmers to get a firm handle on prices being offered for their crops, said Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz, who flew to Edmonton to announce the project.

“There are a number of websites that are up there now, including some of the grain companies that claim to be price transparent,” said Ritz.

“The problem is a lot of them are two or three weeks out of date. So this will be very timely (and) updated daily or on our half-day basis.”

“There is a varying degree of where farmers are looking for price,” added Erickson, who farms near Irma. “It is currently very fragmented. The new website gives a good benchmark and more accountability is going to make the website better.”

The website “pdq” stands for “price and data quotes,” is currently in pilot mode, and offers just a single price for four crops: Canada Western Red Spring, Canada Western Amber durum and Canada Prairie Spring wheat, and canola.

The website covers eight zones (three in Alberta, four in Saskatchewan and one in Manitoba) and offers a price for each zone. Additional crops and more detailed pricing will be added in the coming weeks and months, said Erickson.

“The more companies that get involved and contribute to the background of the website, it will make the website that much more robust,” he said.

And there will be a mobile version, too, added Ritz.

“It will be an app on your iPhone or Android or whatever you have, and if you’re looking for a certain price, it will ping you when the market hits that price — that’s the ultimate goal,” said Ritz.

Producers need to have a clear idea of what the current “benchmark” price is before they start calling their elevators,

“If you’re looking for a certain price, it will ping you when the market hits that price.”

Gerry Ritz

said Erickson. Any substantial change in that price will alert them that something is moving the market.

The pricing data will be supplied voluntarily by a cross-sec-

tion of buyers and sellers, said Ritz. Both he and Erickson said getting those players’ participation will be critical to the success of the initiative.

“The discussions have been ongoing with a lot of them,” said Ritz. “Of course, the smaller and mid-range players like this idea because it lets them show they’re in the game. The bigger ones will tell you, ‘We have our own websites,’ and they do — but it comes down to the accuracy and timeliness of those websites.” akienlen@fbcpublishing.com

Gerry Ritz FILE PHOTO

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22

The Manitoba Co-operator | February 5, 2015

briefs

Japan considers no-tariff quotas for beef, pork in Pacific trade talks It wants to end a standoff over access to food and farm markets

A shopper browses at a supermarket in Chiba, east of Tokyo. When it comes to trade policy, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe faces a choice between the fears of Japan’s aging farm lobby and the hopes of suburban families lined up here — a nearly 20-metre long meat counter at a Tokyo mall showcasing Australian beef. Photo: REUTERS/Yuya Shino

Japan farming reforms a stiff test of Abe’s resolve Japan farms are inefficient and tiny by international standards

By Yuka Obayashi tokyo / reuters

A

fter December’s landslide reelection, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s program to revive the nation’s economy is set to meet perhaps its stiffest challenge, the nation’s sclerotic farming industry.

He will soon submit legislation to reform agriculture, a sector where a dwindling band of aging farmers works tiny plots, while conducting gruelling negotiations to sign up for the Trans-Pacific Partnership ( TPP), which would cut towering import tariffs that shield domestic farmers.

Standing in his way is Japan Agriculture ( JA), a lobby group that controls most aspects of pricing and distribution through its network of about 700 farming co-operatives, and also supplies feed and machinery.

It doesn’t like Abe’s plans to clip its wings, nor the TPP. And the JA, which has long had close ties to his Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), has financial clout — its banking business had nearly 91.5 trillion yen ($780 billion) in deposits in March 2014 — and a large membership, which give it influence over lawmakers in rural constituencies.

In January its members campaigned against and helped defeat the LDP’s candidate for governor of Saga, a prefecture in farm-heavy southwestern Japan.

Though agriculture is only about one per cent of Japan’s economy, that defeat worries those who fear the government could temper what Koichi Kurose, chief economist at Resona Bank, calls “a symbolic part of Abe’s structural reforms” ahead of nationwide local elections in April.

“If they pull back from that to win elections, they can pull back from the whole Abenomics reforms,” he said.

“Foreign investors are also watching closely whether or not Abe can carry out agricultural reforms, which will affect their evaluations of Abenomics,” said Chizu Hori, senior research officer at Mizuho Research Institute Ltd.

“Foreign investors are also watching closely whether or not Abe can carry out agricultural reforms, which will affect their evaluations of Abenomics.”

Chizu Hori,

senior research officer at Mizuho Research Institute Ltd.

Watching closely

At home, farmers hurt by another plank of Abenomics — loose money and a weaker yen — are also watching closely.

Hiroyasu Sugiura, 67, whose dairy lies in the shadow of Toyota Motor factories in central Japan, says he is desperate.

The tumbling yen helps exporters like Toyota but has led to a sharp rise in feed costs, which now swallow nearly 80 per cent of Sugiura’s dairy revenue.

“The weaker yen... may have given Toyota Motor trillions of yen in profit, but we are getting squeezed by the same national policy,” said Sugiura, who is also the head of the Aichi Dairy Cooperative. “We want the government to protect us.”

For the consumer, however, high prices and a recent butter shortage are the pitfalls of a closed market for milk and dairy products, where output volume and sales prices are set by the state and a few designated groups under the JA, while imports are under effective state control.

Pitfalls

Japan imposes a 360 per cent tariff on butter imports to protect domestic farmers while maintaining an import quota as a condition for such high tariffs under international rules of trade.

Abe wants to break that system to give local farmers or co-operatives autonomy so they become more productive and profitable.

Other reforms include a scheme to encourage land transactions so farms can expand.

The average Japanese farm is only two hectares (five acres).

“One of the most important elements Abe needs to tackle is to make farms grow bigger to be more productive,” said Mizuho Research’s Hori.

Structural reform is critical ahead of the TPP, which would link 12 countries covering nearly 40 per cent of the world economy.

Disagreement between the United States and Japan, the two biggest, over how widely Japan will open up has delayed progress, though more talks are scheduled this week to try to get agreement this year.

Japan imposes high tariffs on dairy produce, rice, wheat, beef, pork and sugar to protect local farmers, but under the TPP it would have to cut or remove some, and allow higher imports, putting more pressure on its beleaguered farmers.

Some, however, are already removing themselves from the suffocating umbrella of JA. One co-operative in Hamanaka, a small town on the northern island of Hokkaido, now buys cheaper feed from trading houses, instead of JA, while recruiting young couples by offering a paid training program and financial and technological help so they can take over land from retiring farmers. “ We have no i d l e f a r m l a n d s i n Hamanaka. Five couples are on our waiting list,” said Shigenori Ishibashi, the co-op head, adding milk output in the town had risen 25 per cent since 1983.

“We’re not afraid of TPP or the weak yen,” Ishibashi said.

tokyo/ reuters / Japan i s c o n s i d e r i n g c re a t i n g quotas for low or no-tariff imports of main agricultural products such as beef and pork in a rush to seal an ambitious Pacific trade deal, Japanese media said Feb. 1.

A standoff between the United States and Japan over access to farm and auto markets has been holding up negotiations ov e r a 1 2 - n a t i o n t r a d e pact, known as the TransPacific Partnership (TPP).

A bilateral agreement between the two economies, which dominate the TPP, is key to a deal among the 12 nations, which account for 40 per cent of the world economy. Negotiators had hoped to clinch a deal by 2014.

Japan would propose the “TPP quotas” in which it would set the detailed volumes for such products as beef, pork, dairy and rice that it would accept at low or no tariffs, the Nikkei business daily said, without citing the sources.

Beef and pork are among the farm markets that Ja p a n e s e P r i m e M i n i s ter Shinzo Abe has vowed to protect under the TPP, along with dair y, wheat and sugar cane.

For beef, the TPP quota is likely to be set at 500,000 tonnes a year, roughly the level of imports now, Nikkei said.

Japan is considering cutting a 38.5 per cent beef tariff to about 10 per cent over more than 10 years, and tariffs would be raised significantly for imports b e y o n d t h a t a s “s a f e guards” to protect domestic producers, it added.

The quota is likely to be set at around 500,000 to 600,000 tonnes a year for pork, Nikkei added. Japan imports about 760,000 t o n n e s o f p o r k a y e a r, with the U.S. and Canada accounting for more than 60 per cent, the Nikkei said.

Japan is obliged to buy about 770,000 tonnes of foreign rice a year under the World Trade Organization’s ( WTO) minimum access program, and Japan is in talks with the U.S. to accept up to 50,000 tonnes p e r y e a r a d d i t i o n a l l y, which could also be part of the quota, Nikkei added.

Separately, Japan is considering cutting top pork duties of 482 yen ($4) a kilogram to around 50 yen over more than 10 years, public broadcaster NHK said on Sunday. The higher tariffs for safeguards would likely be double that at around 100 yen if imports surged, it added.

23

The Manitoba Co-operator | February 5, 2015

COLUMN

Key reversal alerts producers to recent downturn Technical analysis has the ability to cut through the news and see opportunities David Drozd Market Outlook

live cattle Weekly Nearby Chart as of January 28, 2015

L

ive cattle futures plummeted $23 per hundredweight after turning down from a new historical high in late November 2014.

As always, the news was incredibly bullish at the top, so some livestock producers may have been caught off guard by the sudden drop in prices. However, producers who study charting and technical analysis may have noticed the price action forewarning of an impending downturn.

Technical analysis has the ability to cut through the news. When the trained eye picks up on reversal patterns, indicating a change in direction, this presents opportunity.

Market tops can materialize in a very short period of time and the subsequent downturn predominantly occurs more quickly than the move up.

This is because a bull market needs to be fuelled by a constant flow of bullish news.

However, a bull market dies under its own weight without being fed any news.

Initially, the market goes down on long liquidation.

The selling picks up when the longs decide to get out of their positions, first to protect profits and then to cut losses.

Declining open interest provides evidence of this. The open interest is illustrated at the bottom of the accompanying chart. Open interest is the sum of all the long or short futures contracts at the end of each trading session. You will notice, the open interest has been declining with the downturn.

One of the unique aspects of charting and technical analysis is the ability to gain an insight as to when a market is about to turn down.

Reversals are price events that tend to signify turns of minor or intermediate import a n c e . H o w e v e r, w h e n a reversal occurs at new contract highs, arrives after a ra t h e r e x t e n s i v e m ov e u p both in time and price, and is accompanied by a close lower t h a n t h e p re v i o u s w e e k’s low price, this special case becomes a key reversal. Here, the turn in the market could t a k e o n m o re s i g n i f i c a n t meaning than just a minor trend change.

tially halts the price advance.

The buying fails to absorb this heavy selling and prices begin to weaken.

During the same session the selling moves down to the market, creating more pres-

sure. When prices fall below the previous week’s closing level, additional selling materializes.

Thus, after advancing to new highs, the market ends the week lower, often sub-

s t a n t i a l l y b e l ow t h a n t h e previous week’s close. The initial selling which caps the a d va n c e i s p re d o m i n a n t l y by large market participants.

The selling which occurs after prices weaken reflects smaller speculative longs getting out.

A key reversal is a complete change in sentiment. As the market starts the week on a strong note, the longs are comfortable and confident.

The market’s per for mance provides encouragement and reinforces the expectation of greater profits.

How e v e r, a s t h e m a r k e t turns down and settles below the previous week’s low, the immediate outlook for prices is abruptly put in question.

Longs respond to weakening prices by exiting the market.

This explains why a market can turn down, all the while the news remains bull-

ish. Therefore, knowledge of charting and technical analysis is one more tool producers can use in order to take advantage of hedging opportunities.

Fortunately, the decline in the Canadian dollar has to some degree been supportive to the price of slaughter animals.

Send your questions or comments about this article and chart to info@ag-chieve.ca.

David Drozd is president and senior market analyst for Winnipeg-based Ag-Chieve Corporation. The opinions expressed are those of the writer and are solely intended to assist readers with a better understanding of technical analysis. Visit Ag-Chieve online at www. ag-chieve.ca for information about our grain-marketing advisory service and to see our latest grain market analysis. You can call us toll free at 1-888-274-3138 for a free consultation.

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Key reversal

As an indicator of reliability, the week’s trading range, which is the difference between the high and low price, should be wide and the market should first advance into new highs prior to reversi n g d i re c t i o n a n d c l o s i n g poorly.

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24

The Manitoba Co-operator | February 5, 2015

Fertilizer prices stray away from corn influence But with more sources and more fertilizer types, availability doesn’t look like it will be an issue

By Dave Sims commodity news service canada

F

oreign exports and transportation look like they could be main issues facing the fertilizer industry in 2015.

Countries such as Ukraine, Russia and Belarus are busy players on the market with Morocco also ramping up production. As a result, more supplies of phosphates and other fertilizer types are out there, according to David Asbridge, president and senior economist with NPK Fertilizer Advisory Service in Missouri.

“Availability doesn’t look like it will be an issue this year,” he said.

In particular, he says shipments of fertilizer have been streaming into the Gulf Coast which is causing some price pressure to bleed up to the Midwest.

“Potash prices have started coming down and are likely to stabilize or even go lower before the heart of the spring season gets here,” he added.

That will be welcome news to many

FILE PHOTO

western Canadian farmers who have seen higher-than-expected fertilizer costs, according to the president of the Keystone Agricultural Producers in Manitoba.

“We’re always told fertilizer prices track corn prices closely and we’ve seen a significant decline in corn prices recently but fertilizer is more expensive right now than a year ago, which doesn’t make a lot of sense to producers,” said Doug Chorney.

Asbridge says fertilizer and corn have generally matched each other’s movements over the past five to six years, but that is slowly changing.

“The nitrogen producers saw this coming, once the corn prices started falling and wheat prices started falling they began to cut back on production.

They kind of limited the supply there to kind of keep prices up.”

Nitrogen prices are expected to stabilize with a modest bump come springtime, said Asbridge.

Over the holiday season Chorney said anhydrous ammonia was priced at $910 a tonne, which was higher than expected.

Logistics issues, transportation problems and the challenge of keeping supply through the distribution network

are often cited as the reasons for the high price, he said.

As a result some producers may be choosing to wait to purchase their fertilizer needs.

However, Asbridge says the situation may play out differently at the retail end.

“If retailers have booked stuff in without pre-selling it, they’re not going to be too willing to move that price down any,” he said. Farmers may get the benefit though if retailers have booked supplies without pre-selling them.

Weather will also likely play a factor.

A wet, dreary spring could keep prices down while a nice, early warm spring could cause values to increase over what was expected.

“We expect nitrogen prices to kind of stabilize here for a little bit, there’s not much upside to it, but once we get into spring we anticipate a little seasonal bump in prices,” Asbridge added.

Farmers with good soil levels may also skip a year too, he said.

briefs

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Russia’s wheat export prospects dim after tax launched moscow / reuters / Russia’s wheat export tax, launched Feb. 1, will further slow already reduced export supplies of the grain as it seeks to cool domestic prices due to the currency crisis, traders said.

Russia’s ruble fell 40 per cent against the dollar last year and has continued to sink this year due to weak oil prices and western sanctions over Moscow’s role in the Ukraine’s crisis.

In theory, a weaker ruble should be good for Russian wheat exporters as their grain becomes cheaper in dollar-denominated global markets, where wheat is hovering around fourmonth lows.

But a price slump may mean Russia’s government is unlikely to ease its informal export curbs imposed in December — including tougher phytosanitary controls on plant pests ± after the export tax was launched, traders said.

“The government does not want wheat to go out,” a trader said. “The ruble at 70 makes it very interesting to export.”

Russia’s wheat export tax, or a duty on wheat exports, amounts to 15 per cent of the customs price plus 7.5 euros and will be no less than 35 euros per tonne until the end of 2014-15 marketing year on June 30.

The tax was only imposed on wheat and some traders can now shift to sell other cereals abroad.

Russia has exported 22.7 million tonnes of grains, including 17.9 million tonnes of wheat, since July 1.

Several vessels with wheat for Egypt have been stuck at Russian ports due to informal curbs.

25

The Manitoba Co-operator | February 5, 2015

Governments invest in new canola research lab focused on plant pest surveillance The lab’s first assignment is to help identify clubroot in samples sent from the field Canada/Manitoba news release

T

he Canada and Manitoba governments have provided $250,000 in research funding and $969,000 for equipment to help identify and address problems caused by canola diseases and pests, federal Agr iculture Minister Gerry Ritz and Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Development Minister Ron Kostyshyn announced Jan. 29.

“The canola industry is an important economic driver, and our government is working to ensure farmers and producers have the tools they need to grow their business,” said Minister Ritz. “This investment will support research into disease prevention and resistance in canola, helping the sector remain profitable and sustainable.”

Research funding is provided under Growing Forward 2 - Growing Actions and will be used to take samples from across the province to determine the presence of clubroot.

A new web-based biosecurity questionnaire and risk assessment for producers will also be developed with these funds.

The equipment installed at the newly opened Pest Surveillance Initiative (PSI) lab in Winnipeg includes a polymerase chain react ion m achine (qPCR), which can be used to identify low levels of clubroot in submitted soil samples, and gene sequence and analysis equipment to track how clubroot strains may change over time.

“Research is an essential part of agriculture and we are pleased to make this investment in the future of Manitoba’s canola industry,” said Minister Kostyshyn, speaking at the PSI grand opening.

“Manitoba’s forward-thinking canola growers have made the PSI a priority. We have already seen the serious implications of clubroot, as well as other pests. We hope today’s research will create solutions for the future.”

The PSI is managed by the Manitoba Canola Growers Association (MCGA) with additional support provided by the Manitoba government. MCGA has invested another $130,000 in the lab and its research on behalf of their members.

“Labs like the PSI are needed to keep up with emerging threats to Manitoba crops like clubroot and the recently announced detection of verticillium wilt,” said Ed Rempel, president, MCGA. “With the support of Growing Forward 2 for the clubroot grid sampling project, we will have the baseline of clubroot levels in Manitoba by the fall of 2015. Growers need this information to make management decisions and protect their incomes. Since there are many diseases that threaten canola and other crops, we expect the PSI lab will be busy for years to come.

While clubroot is the initial focus of the PSI lab’s work, other projects of interest to Manitoba farmers are expected to begin later in 2015. PSI currently employs a lab director and has field staff with special-

ized training in sampling and lab analysis. They have also launched an internship program for student researchers to work on projects in the PSI facility.

Clubroot is a serious disease affecting crops like canola and mustard as well as cruciferous vegetables like cabbage, cauliflower and broccoli. It restricts the flow of water and nutrients to the plant, causing wilting, stunting and yellowed plants, which ultimately result in lower yields and lower values for the producer. In 2011, soil samples from two unrelated fields in Manitoba tested positive for the presence of clubroot DNA. Since that time, about two per cent of Manitoba’s fields have been sampled to detect the presence of clubroot. Results are available at www.gov.mb.ca/agriculture/ crops under Plant Diseases.

photo: thinkstock

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26 1

Manitoba Co-operator || October February 6, 5, 2011 2015 TheThe Manitoba Co-Operator

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27

The Manitoba Co-operator | February 5, 2015

AUCTION DISTRICTS Parkland – North of Hwy 1; west of PR 242, following the west shore of Lake Manitoba and east shore of Lake Winnipegosis.

Westman – South of Hwy 1; west of PR 242.

Interlake – North of Hwy 1; east of PR 242, following the west shore of Lake Manitoba and east shore of Lake Winnipegosis.

Red River – South ofHwy 1; east of PR 242.

The Pas

Birch River

Swan River Minitonas Durban

Winnipegosis

Roblin

Dauphin

Grandview

Ashern

Gilbert Plains

Fisher Branch

Ste. Rose du Lac Russell

Parkland

Birtle

Riverton Eriksdale

McCreary

Neepawa

Gladstone

Portage

Brandon

Carberry

FARM MACHINERY Machinery Miscellaneous

HAYING & HARVESTING

Combines

HAYING & HARVESTING Various

COMBINES Case/IH

Rebuilt Concaves

2008 CIH 8010 4WD combine.(it will drive as far as a track machine in mud), 30-ft flex draper, very low hrs 800-hrs, $200,000 OBO. (204)871-0925

FARM CHEMICAL SEED COMPLAINTS We also specialize in: Crop Insurance appeals; Chemical drift; Residual herbicide; Custom operator issues; Equipment malfunction; Yield comparisons, Plus Private Investigations of any nature. With our assistance the majority of our clients have received compensation previously denied. Back-Track Investigations investigates, documents your loss and assists in settling your claim.

Licensed Agrologist on Staff.

For more information Please call 1-866-882-4779

Boissevain

Killarney

Elm Creek

Crystal City

Sanford

Ste. Anne

Carman

Mariapolis

Pilot Mound

Lac du Bonnet

Beausejour

CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT

Winnipeg

Treherne

Westman

Waskada

Stonewall Selkirk

Austin

Souris

Melita

Interlake

Langruth

Minnedosa

Reston

FARM MACHINERY Machinery Miscellaneous

Lundar

Erickson

Rapid City

1

FARM MACHINERY Machinery Miscellaneous

Gimli

Shoal Lake

Hamiota

Virden

Arborg

BUSINESS SERVICES Crop Consulting

St. Pierre

242

Morris Winkler Morden

Altona

Steinbach

1

Red River

ANNOUNCEMENTS

BASF Knowledge Harvest Join growers from your area to hear from industry experts and watch live plant demos.

Hear a presentation on leadership from former NHL All-Star, Lanny McDonald.

Register at www.agsolutions.ca/knowledgeharvest Feb 12th, Brandon-Feb 17th, CalgaryFeb 19th, Edmonton-Feb 24th, SaskatoonFeb 26th, Moose Jaw

If you want to sell it fast, call 1-800-782-0794.

Treatment of horses: Acupuncture & Alternatives

06 D6R CAT LGP 6 way dozer, double tilt, A/C cab & heat, 1-bbl MS ripper, system 1 U-C, top con GPS system, $97,500. (204)871-0925 1998 JD 270 LC hyd excavator, quick attach, hyd thumb, 12-ft. stick, A/C, $40,000. Phone: (204)871-0925, MacGregor.

FARM MACHINERY FARM MACHINERY Fertilizer Equipment 1991 LOREAL FLOATER: 466 dsl engine, Trimble auto-steer w/mapping. Shedded all winter. 60-ft booms, Allison auto. trans. Motor & trans. in excellent shape. Phone:(204)466-2822 or (204)856-9176 USED FERTILIZER SPREADERS, 4-8 ton, large selection. Portage La Prairie. (204)857-8403 www.zettlerfarmequipment.com

FARM MACHINERY Grain Bins CUSTOM BIN MOVING Book now! Fert Tanks.

Hopper Bins/flat. Buy/Sell. Call Tim (204)362-7103 or E-mail Requests binmover50@gmail.com

FARM MACHINERY Grain Vacuums

42-FT 960 JD FIELD cultivator, w/brand new shovels & good mulchers, $8000; 40-ft Blanchard packer bar, $4000; 30-ft JD 9350 press drill w/factory transport, always shedded, $7500; 7x41 Westfield auger w/13-hp Honda engine w/electric start, $1800; 10x60 Westfield swing auger, $3000. All equipment well maintained & in VGC. (204)825-2799 or (204)825-8340.

BREAKING DISCS. KEWANEE 12, 15, 16-ft; Towner 18-ft, Wishek 14, 26, 30-ft. Feeder wagons, Roorda 300bu, $2000; Kelly Ryan, $2000; Gehl 130, $900; Auger feeder, $750; Phoenix harrows, 35, 42, 53-ft; Flexi-Coil 50-ft winged packer, $9500; Oval 340 loader, $2000; Allied # 2795, $4500; Gehl 400-bu spreader, $7500; Knight slinger spreader, $3500; JD Double auger snowblower, $1250; Single auger, $1000. Call (204)857-8403.

FOR SALE: 1998 FLEXICOIL 5000, 28-ft Airseed-er w/1700 Air Cart, Liquid Green Drop Kit, Atom Jet Openers, on board Seed Treater, 3 rollers & Monitors. Neverhad fertilizer in tank. Asking $30,000 OBO; 1980 4386 IHC 4WD Tractor, 4,700-hrs, good tires, plumbed for Airseeder. Asking $15,000 OBO. 1985 Case IH 1460 Combine, 466 engine, 2,952-hrs, no chopper, alwaysshedded. Asking $15,000 OBO. Call: (204)867-0315 or (204)867-0367 or Email: rhop@mynetset.ca.

FARM MACHINERY Machinery Wanted SMALL GARDENER LOOKING FOR a corn planter. Call (204)268-2392 ask for Gordon.

Rebuild combine table augers Rebuild hydraulic cylinders Roller mills regrooved MFWD housings rebuilt Steel and aluminum welding Machine Shop Service Line boreing and welding

If you want to sell it fast, call 1-800-782-0794.

COMBINES Accessories

Penno’s Machining & Mfg. Ltd. Eden, MB 204-966-3221 Fax: 204-966-3248

Check out A & I online parts store www.pennosmachining.com Call our toll-free number to take advantage of our Prepayment Bonus. Prepay for 3 weeks and we’ll run your ad 2 more weeks for free. That’s 5 weeks for the price of 3. Call 1-800-782-0794 today!

HEADER TRAILERS & ACCESSORIES. Arc-Fab Industries. 204-355-9595 charles@arcfab.ca www.arcfab.ca

CURT’S GRAIN VAC SERVICES, parts & repair for all makes & models. Craik SK, (306)734-2228.

Westman Dressage presents Dr. Gillian Dobson, DVM Sunday, February 15, 2015, 1:30-4:00 Riverbank Discovery Centre, Brandon, MB $10 (members), $15 (non-members)

AUTO & TRANSPORT AUTO & TRANSPORT Trucks 06 GMC DURAMAX DSL 4x4, extended cab, runs very nice, 310,000-km, good rubber, $9,000 w/new safety. (204)871-0925 95 F800 CAB & Chassis, 5.9 Cummins DSL, $5,500. F800 tandem water truck w/hoist, 3208 CAT engine, $6,500. (204)871-2708.

BUILDING & RENOVATIONS BUILDING & RENOVATIONS Roofing

PRICE TO CLEAR!!

75 truckloads 29 gauge full hard 100,000PSI high tensile roofing & siding. 16 colours to choose from.

B-Gr. coloured......................70¢/ft.2

Multi-coloured millends.........49¢/ft.2

Ask about our blowout colours...65¢/ft.2 Also in stock low rib white 29 ga. ideal for archrib buildings BEAT THE PRICE INCREASES CALL NOW

FOUILLARD STEEL SUPPLIES LTD. ST. LAZARE, MB. 1-800-510-3303

FARM MACHINERY Parts & Accessories GOODS USED TRACTOR PARTS: (204)564-2528 or 1-877-564-8734, Roblin, MB. MURPHY SALVAGE New & used parts for tractors, combines, swathers, square & round balers, tillage, press drills & other misc machinery. MURPHY SALVAGE (204)858-2727 or toll free 1-877-858-2728.

Harvest Salvage Co. Ltd. 1-866-729-9876 5150 Richmond Ave. East BRANDON, MB. www.harvestsalvage.ca New, Used & Re-man. Parts

Tractors Combines Swathers The Real Used FaRm PaRTs sUPeRsToRe Over 2700 Units for Salvage • TRACTORS • COMBINES • SWATHERS • DISCERS Call Joe, leN oR daRWIN (306) 946-2222 monday-Friday - 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.

WATROUS SALVAGE WaTRoUs, sK. Fax: 306-946-2444

FYFE PARTS

1-800-667-9871 • Regina 1-800-667-3095 • Saskatoon 1-800-387-2768 • Winnipeg 1-800-222-6594 • Edmonton “For All Your Farm Parts”

www.fyfeparts.com NEW & USED TRACTOR PARTS NEW COMBINE PARTS

Stretch your

Large Inventory of new and remanufactured parts

ADVERTISING DOLLAR!

1-800-782-0794

BUILDINGS AFAB INDUSTRIES IS YOUR SUPERIOR post frame building company. For estimates and information call 1-888-816-AFAB(2322).

Website: www.postframebuilding.com CONCRETE FLATWORK: Specializing in place & finish of concrete floors. Can accommodate any floor design. References available. Alexander, MB. 204-752-2069.

STEINBACH, MB. Ph. 326-2443 Toll-Free 1-800-881-7727 Fax (204) 326-5878 Web site: farmparts.ca E-mail: roy@farmparts.ca BUILDINGS

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 25 | 10AM AUCTIONEER’S NOTE: Most machinery has been stored inside with excellent maintenance. Major equipment 380/90R46 rear hub duals, selling at 11:00 AM. Live online bidding on major equipment. Registration, terms, & details at SteffesGroup.com. 30” space, for JD 4730 Location: 9223 123rd Ave SE, Cogswell, ND. From Cogswell, 2 miles west on ND Hwy. 11, 1-3/4 mile south. FERTILIZER, CHEMICAL TRACTORS 2008 JD 9430, deluxe cab, active seat, 24 spd., 4 hyd., return flow, integrated auto steer, inside weight pkg., inside rear suitcase weight pkg., HID lights, Firestone 710/70R42 metric duals, 1,692 hrs., S/NRW9430H002894 1981 Versatile 895, 4 hyd., aux. hyd. for air seeder, wired for JD ATU, 8,908 hrs., S/N090611 1977 Versatile 850 Series II, 12 spd. gear, 3 hyd., 20.8-38 duals, shows 4,569 hrs. but tach incorrect, approx. 8,800 actual hrs., S/N052189 2004 JD 8520, MFWD, deluxe cab, active seat, powershift, ILS, 4 hyd., power beyond, 3 pt., PTO, integrated auto steer, front fenders, (22) front suitcase weights, full rear wheel weights, 30” spacing, 420/85R34 front duals, 480/80R50 duals, 4,098 hrs., S/NRW8520P026694 1990 Case-IH 7130 Magnum, MFWD, 18F/4R powershift, 2 hyd., 3 pt., 1000 PTO, 2,529 hrs., S/NJJA0024547 (3) Custom-fabricated frontmount toolboxes for tractors, one for 4WD & two for MFWD AC 7040, cab, A/C, heat, 10 spd., 2 hyd., 3 pt., 540/1000 PTO, front rock box, 402 hrs.

1980 IHC 1086, CAH, 8 spd., 3 hyd., 3 pt., 540/1000 PTO, 522 hrs., S/N43183 1968 AC XT190 Series III, diesel, 8 spd., cab, heat, power steering, 5 hyd., 3 pt., PTO, quick tach loader, 7’ bucket w/ hyd. grapple, shows 1,622 hrs.

TRACTOR LOADER BACKHOE & FORKLIFT 2001 JD 310G tractor loader backhoe, cab, heat, shuttle trans., joystick, 4WD, 7’ loader bucket, 2’ digging bucket, 2,842 hrs., S/NT0310GX896358 Clark forklift, LP, 4,000 lb. cap., 3-stage mast, 48” forks, S/NCY40IH50-16-932 GPS EQUIPMENT JD Starfire ITC globe, SF1, S/NPCGT01C333940 JD SF3000 globe, SF1, SF2, RTK, S/NPCGT3TA123422 JD 2630 display, SF2, Row Command, 525 hrs., S/NPCGU2UA353204

JD 2600 display, SF1, swath control, 1,550 hrs., S/NPCGU26H178543 HARVEST EQUIPMENT 2007 Case-IH 8010, deluxe cab, deluxe controls, Field Tracker, AFS Pro 600 display, Y&M plus mapping, AFX rotor, rock trap, variable speed feeder house, power reverser, chopper, long unloading auger, single pt. hookup, stubble lights, extra set of concaves, 1,562 sep. hrs., 2,074 engine hrs., S/NHAJ200084 2010 Case-IH 2162 flex draper, 35’, fore/aft, AHH, S/NYAZN12681 2008 Case-IH 2412 nonchopping corn head, knife rolls, S/NCBJ039324 GRAIN CART & GRAVITY WAGONS 2009 Unverferth 9250 grain cart, 925 bu., 16” corner, 1000 PTO, S/NB24940123 (2) Gravity wagons, 175 bu.

AIR DRILL & PRESS DRILL Case-IH SDX30 air drill, 30’ w/ext. to 40’, 15” space, single disc openers, walking tandems, full run blockage & population monitor, Fargo Products manifolds, air diffuser on each row, New discs, scrapers, & seed firmers, Concord 2300 twin compartment commodity cart, 230 bu., hyd. fill auger w/poly flighting, hyd. fan, offset axles, rice tires, hyd. tow hitch, cart S/NAS-1124, S/NCKB0028124, used on 500 acres IHC 620 press drill, 10’, 6” space, rubber press PLANTER 2013 JD DB60 CCS planter, 24x30”, vari-rate drive, Pro shaft, Row Command, pneumatic down pressure w/sensor adjust, Yetter shark tooth, Mudsmith gauge wheels at tire location, Copperhead spike closing wheels, drag chains, 800 gal. liquid tank, Totally Tubular in-furrow, manifold flow monitor, hyd. drive pump, hyd. drive compressor, rear fill, rear hitch for caddy, flotation walking tandems on wings, hyd. fold markers, soybean & corn discs, 4,700

total acres, JD component S/NPAM2430EH0760203, S/NH0DB60ZJCM75101 TILLAGE EQUIPMENT Summers Super Coulter Plus, 40’, S/NG0127 Summers Super Coulter, 40’, 10” space, S/NB0546 Wil-Rich chisel plow, 31’, 12” spacing 2005 JD single shank subsoiler, 3 pt.

IHC 700 pull-type plow, 8x16”, spring trip, rear hitch Moulson land roller, 40’ Case-IH 496 rock flex tandem disc, 32’, 9” space Sunflower 1444 rock flex tandem disc, 33’ Wil-Rich 2500 field cultivator, 45’, walking tandems across Pull-type tandem disc, 6’ SEMI TRACTORS & TRUCKS 2000 Kenworth T800, 72” Aerocab sleeper, C15 Cat, Eaton 13 spd., engine brake, air ride, air slide 5th, cruise, dual exhaust, aluminum diamond half fenders, (2) 150 gal. aluminum tanks, 236” WB, 764,353 miles 1992 Kenworth T600, removable 40” sleeper, 3406 Cat, Eaton 10 spd., air ride, air slide 5th, cruise, (2) aluminum fuel tanks 1990 Kenworth T600, day cab, 3406 Cat, 13 spd., engine brake, air ride, fixed 5th plate, aluminum fuel tank, shows 354,505 miles 1975 Ford 880 twin screw, Custom cab, 477 V8 gas, automatic, 19’ box, twin post hoist, roll tarp, 88,508 miles 1977 IHC 1700 dead tag tandem, 392, 5&2 spd., 20’ Frontier box, hoist, roll tarp, plumbed for drill fill 1966 Chevrolet C70 twin screw, 427, 5 spd., 18’ aluminum box, hoist, roll tarp, shows 121,268 miles PICKUPS 1999 Ford F250 Super Duty XLT ext. cab, 8’ box, Triton V10, automatic, 4WD, lockout hubs, leather, power windows, locks, & mirrors, headache rack, Rancher front heavy duty brush guard, running boards, 5th wheel ball & tow pkg., 142,618 miles

1996 Ford F350 XLT dually, 460 V8, automatic, 2WD, 8’ fiberglass service body, 100 gal. tank & pump, pintle hitch, shows 143,464 miles 1981 Ford Custom Built dually, 352 V8, 4 spd., 4WD, lockouts, 8’ alum. service body HOPPER BOTTOM TRAILERS 2012 Timpte hopper bottom, 40’x96”x66” sides, ag hopper, air ride, EXT Conv. electric roll tarp w/remote, air scale, (2) rows LED lights, front & rear ladders, catwalk 2011 Timpte hopper bottom, 40’x96”x66” sides, ag hopper, spring ride, EXT Conv. electric roll tarp w/remote, (2) rows LED lights, front & rear ladders, catwalk 2008 Maurer hopper bottom, 38’x96”x66” sides, ag hopper, spring ride, roll tarp, 2 spd. traps, (2) sight windows, New tarp in 2013 Shop-built tandem axle steel gravel box, 13’, 540 PTO OTHER TRAILERS Western tandem axle gooseneck stock trailer, 20’x7’, S/N1018 Shop-built tandem axle livestock trailer, 16’ 2008 Stud King MD38 tandem axle header trailer, adj. pole Unverferth tandem axle header trailer, 36’ 1988 RSI single axle dry van, 28’, (2) 2,000 gal. poly tanks, 11 hp. Honda electric start engine, 2” pump, 15 gal. & 30 gal. mix cones, rear steps 2010 Kaufman tandem axle tilt bed trailer, 24’ 2007 PJ tandem axle gooseneck trailer, 28’ Shop-built tandem dual axle gooseneck trailer, 20’ Shop-built pintle hitch flatbed trailer, 16-1/2’ Shop-built tandem axle skid steer trailer, 9’, steel deck Truck chassis, converted into trailer Single pickup box trailer SELF-PROPELLED SPRAYER 2010 JD 4730 self-propelled sprayer, 5-section 90’ boom, 5-nozzle bodies w/tips, 800 gal. SS tank, 976 hrs., S/NN04730X008601

Kent & Colleen Carpenter 701.680.0880 or 701.724.3834

& NH3 EQUIPMENT Dempster tandem axle fertilizer spreader 3,000 gal. fertilizer tank Tandem axle spray cart Progressive 1500 strip till bar, 16x30”, S/N71500189

HAY & LIVESTOCK EQUIP. Case-IH 8440 round baler M&W 1800 round baler (2) Bale spears, 3 pt.

Mix Mill 5 hp. electric grinder Extra motor & parts for Mix Mill Dual 600 tandem axle manure spreader Apache portable creep feeder Co-op creep feeder w/selffeeder gates Smidley SS hog water fountain My-D Han-D Mfg. chute w/automatic head gate Portable squeeze chute Shop-built portable corral Swinging gates, 8’ (20) Tractor tire feed bunks Hyd. tractor tire inverter OTHER EQUIPMENT Convey-All BTS360 seed tender, S/NGN2028HQ Alloway S-tine cultivator Orthman hyd. folding bar 2005 Meyerink pull-type box scraper, 12’, hyd. tilt Eversman 650 dump scraper, 6-1/2 yd.

Clark reel-style rockpicker Fork-style rockpicker Degelman rock nabber, 3 pt.

Shop-built blade, 7’, 3 pt.

Bush Hog 12715L hyd. fold mower, 15’, 1000 PTO NH 456 pull-type sickle mower, 9’, 540 PTO, hyd. lift Bush Hog rotary mower, 6’ Farmhand XL940 loader frame Front-mount hyd. dozer, 7’ Track wacker, 3 pt.

Shop-built 3 pt. w/Danuser head posthole auger Shop-built dual mover Gopher getter, 3 pt.

(2) Honda transfer pumps (10) Kenwood programmable mobile units HOPPER BIN & BULK TANKS GRAIN HANDLING EQUIP. TANKS, PARTS SHOP EQUIPMENT FARM SUPPORT ITEMS

or Brad Olstad of Steffes Group, 701.237.9173 or 701.238.0240

Steffes Group, Inc., 2000 Main Ave East, West Fargo, ND 58078 Brad Olstad ND319, Scott Steffes ND81, Bob Steffes ND82, Ashley Huhn ND843, Eric Gabrielson ND890, Randy Kath ND894

701.237.9173 | SteffesGroup.com

TERMS: All items sold as is where is. Payment of cash or check must be made sale day before removal of items. Statements made auction day take precedence over all advertising. $35 documentation fee applies to all titled vehicles. Titles will be mailed. Canadian buyers need a bank letter of credit to facilitate border transfer.

28

The Manitoba Co-operator | February 5, 2015

TracTors

TRACTORS Versatile

LIVESTOCK

TRACTORS Case/ IH

875 VERS W/ATOM JET kit; 895 Vers w/Atom Jet kit. (204)325-2416.

LIVESTOCK Cattle Auctions

08 STX 430 brand new 620-70-42 tires, delux cab, heated leather seat, just over 3,000-hrs, $150,000.

Phone (204)871-0925, McGregor.

TRACTORS John Deere FOR SALE: JD 1840, hi/low, 3-pt; JD 2130, hi/low, 3-pt, w/FEL; JD 2750, 2-wd, O.S., 3-pt, Hi/Low shift w/146 FEL; JD 3155, MFWD, CAH, 3-pt, w/740 FEL, grapple; JD 4055, MFWD, PS, 3-pt; JD 4240 Quad shift; JD 4440, (2) Quad shifts; JD 4640, Quad, add on 3-pt, w/FEL; JD 6400, MFWD, CAH, 3-pt, PQ, w/640 FEL; JD 6420, MFWD, 3-pt, 24-spd w/LHR, loader; JD 7710, MFWD, PS, 3-pt, w/740 FEL. All tractors can be sold with new or used loaders. Mitch’s Tractor Sales Ltd St. Claude, MB (204)750-2459 (cell), Mitchstractorsales.com FOR SALE: JD 1840- Hi/Low Shift, 3PT; JD 2130Hi/Low Shift, 3PT, w/FEL; JD 2750- 2WD, O.S., 3PT, Hi/Low Shift, w/146 FEL; JD 2750- MFWD, CAH, 3PT, w/24 FEL; JD 2955- MFWD, 3PT, CAH, w/265 FEL; JD 4020- PS, 3PT; JD 4055- MFWD, PS, 3PT; JD 4240- Quad Shift; JD 4440- (2) Quad Shifts; JD 4450- MFWD, 3PT, PS; JD 4640- Quad, add on 3PT, w/FEL; JD 6400- MFWD, CAH, 3PT, PQ, w/640 FEL; JD 6420- MFWD, 3PT, 24-SPD w/LHR, loader; JD 7710- MFWD, PS, 3PT, w/740 FEL; JD 7810- MFWD, PS, 3PT, fact duals; JD 8650- 4WD, PTO, quad. All tractors can be sold with new or used loaders. Mitch’s Tractor Sales Ltd. St. Claude, MB. Cell:(204)750-2459. www.mitchstractorsales.com

TRACTORS 2-Wheel Drive

FEBRUARY

GRUNTHAL, MB.

AGENT FOR T.E.A.M. MARKETING

REGULAR CATTLE SALES

COCKSHUTT 1850 W/DUALS 2 hyds, good tires, $2,500.

1200 Case 4WD, good tires, $6,000. (204)871-2708.

every TUESDAY at 9 am

HEAT & AIR CONDITIONING

February 10th, 17th & 24th

Monday, February 23rd at Noon

The Icynene Insulation System®

Sheep and Goat with Small Animals & Holstein Calves

Saturday, February 28th at 10 am

• Sprayed foam insulation • Ideal for shops, barns or homes • Healthier, Quieter, More Energy Efficient®

Bred Cow Sale

For on farm appraisal of livestock or for marketing information please call

Harold Unrau (Manager) Cell 871 0250 Auction Mart (204) 434-6519 MB. Livestock Dealer #1111

www.penta.ca

1-800-587-4711

IRON & STEEL

USED MF 255 TRACTOR w/4cyl Perkins dsl motor, dual hydraulic couplers, 3PTH, 6.5x16 front tires, 16.9x30 rear tires. New: starter, battery, seat cushions, brake job & PTO clutch. Only 1,295-hrs. $11,900 OBO. Phone Evenings:(204)683-2479.

Hwy #205, Grunthal • (204) 434-6519

TRACTORS Various

TRACTORS Massey Ferguson 1994 3660 MF, front wheel assist, 140-hwp, loader & grapple, good rubber. Asking $23,000 OBO. Also, triple axle 48-ft flat deck trailer, $5,000. Phone: (204)325-5264.

GRUNTHAL LIVESTOCK AUCTION MART. LTD.

STEVE’S TRACTOR REBUILDER specializing in JD tractors in need of repair or burnt, or will buy for parts. JD parts available. Phone: 204-466-2927 or cell: 204-871-5170, Austin.

Search for

WWW.GRUNTHALLIVESTOCK.COM

BRED COW SALE BAR VALLEY COLONY

Get the APP »»

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 10TH – 11:00 A.M. • 170 Black Cows, Bred Black Due Mid March/April **250 Cows Expected**

Call 204-447-2266 or for more info and piCtures go to www.srauCtion.Ca The Manitoba Co-operator. Manitoba’s best-read farm publication.

OPENS: Wednesday, Feb. 4 / CLOSES: Thursday, Feb. 12 BRED COW SALE

Mon., Feb. 9, 2015 @ 11:00 a.m.

Butcher & Feeder @ 9:00 a.m.

• 10 Crossbred Heifers Bred Simmental • 20 Crossbred Cows Bred Limousin • 10 Char Cows Bred Char

TIMED ONLINE

Brought to you by SteffesGroup.com TRACTORS 1995 Caterpillar 85C, powershift, 4 hyd., wide swing drawbar, 85% undercarriage, cast drivers, 30” extreme heavy duty tracks, 70%, HID lights, shows 12,675 hrs., complete records available, S/N9TK01458 1991 NH 9030 bi-directional, CAH, 105 hp. diesel, hydro, 4 hyd., front 3 pt., front 540 PTO, front loader, 8’ bucket, 6,600 hrs., tires in good condition, clean unit, S/ND472959 GPS EQUIPMENT JD 2600 GS2 display, includes card, manual & case, 314 hrs., activation not included, S/NPCGU26H183416 JD 2600 GS2 display, includes card, manual & case, 348 hrs., activation not included, S/NPCGU26H185263 JD 2600 GS2 display, includes card, manual & case, 388 hrs., activation not included, S/NPCGU26H185613 JD 2600 GS2 display, includes manual & case, 470 hrs., activation not included, S/NPCGU26H168280 JD 2600 GS2 display, includes card, manual & case, 612 hrs., activation not included, S/NPCGU26H183607 JD 2600 GS2 display, includes card, manual & case, 621 hrs., activation not included, S/NPCGU26H168156 JD 2600 GS2 display, includes card, manual & case, 631 hrs., activation not included, S/NPCGU26G163349 JD 2600 GS2 display, includes card, manual & case, 643 hrs., activation not included, S/NPCGU26H189303 JD 2600 GS2 display, includes card, manual & case, 700 hrs., activation not included, S/NPCGU26H168364 JD 2600 GS2 display, includes manual & case, 700 hrs., activation not included, Location: 304 Jeannie Lane, Harrisburg, SD , Contact: Chris Bair (605) 271-7730 PCGU26H168066 JD 2600 GS2 display, includes card, manual & case, 747 hrs., activation not included, S/NPCGU26H184757 JD 2600 GS2 display, includes card, manual & case, 773 hrs., activation not included, S/NPCGU26H183358 JD 2600 GS2 display, includes card, manual & case, 810 hrs., activation not included, S/NPCGU26H182865

JD 2600 GS2 display, includes manual & case, 848 hrs., activation not included, S/NPCGU26H182686 JD 2600 GS2 display, includes card, manual & case, 878 hrs., activation not included, S/NPCGU26H183240 2011 JD GreenStar 1800 display w/Plug-N-Play wiring harness, S/NPCGU18A121182 JD Greenstar brown box mobile processor, includes pigtail & key card, ISO 2.5 or Deere 4/5, 4,440 hrs., S/NPCGV02D216950 JD StarFire ITC receiver globe, includes case, no activation, S/NPCGT01C553121 JD StarFire ITC receiver globe, includes manual, no activation, S/NPCGT01C556350 JD StarFire ITC receiver globe, includes manual & case, no activation, S/NPCGT01C550481 JD StarFire ITC receiver globe, includes manual & case, no activation, S/NPCGT01C555855 JD StarFire ITC receiver globe, includes manual & case, no activation, S/NPCGT01C560139 JD Accu-Depth controller & display, S/N102494 FLEX DRAPER HEAD 2006 MacDon 974 flex draper head, 36’, finger reel, fore/aft, CNH adaptor, single drive, S/N169701-06 Versatile 400 self-propelled swather, 19’, tires in good condition, starts & runs, drives well, S/N5002759 GRAIN CART J&M 875-16 grain cart, 16” corner auger, 1000 PTO, Agri-Cover tarp, 30.5-32 diamond thread tires, S/N3044 AIR DRILLS & CART 2009 Amity SD40 air drill, 40’, single disc, mid-row bander for NH3 Raven cooler, manifold blockage, tow behind 3350 SS tank, includes semi truck hopper on auger, hyd., winch for NH3 tanks Case-IH 2300 air cart, twin compartment, hyd. fan 1999 JD 1820 air drill, 36-1/2’, 10” spacing, Raven cold flow NH3 system w/Raven 440 monitor, hyd. rear winch, (3) sets of openers: wheat, soybean & fertilizer, steel press wheels w/extra

weld on caps, 1,000 acres on NH3 attachment, many extra parts, S/NHO1820X680116 PLANTER 2013 Kinze 3660 vacuum planter, 16x30”, lift & rotate fold, bulk fill w/ scale, hyd. markers, FMX 1000 display w/ISOBUS compatible, edge vac meters, row clutches, hyd. driven/ vari-rate capable, 2,800 acres total, pneumatic down pressure, trash whippers, 550 gal. liquid fertilizer capacity, John Blue pump, (2) sets of discs & spare parts included TILLAGE EQUIPMENT 2009 Salford 570 RTS vertical tillage tool, 41’, 18-18.5” discs, harrow, rolling baskets, weight kit, S/N09-1826 2009 Wil-Rich 5800 chisel plow, 45’, floating hitch, heavy duty harrow, S/N458778 2004 Sunflower 1434 disc, rock flex, 36’, 23-24” blades, Summers 94 harrow, S/N1434K20040616 Case-IH 4700 VibraTiller, 45’, 3-bar harrow, rear hitch, S/N3835 Case-IH 4700 VibraTiller, 45’, 3-bar harrow, S/N3068 1991 Case-IH 4900 field cultivator, 52’, 3-bar Case-IH harrow, New knock-on shovels, S/N66154 Wil-Rich Quad 5 field cultivator, 45’, single spring, Wil-Rich 3-bar harrow, S/N442753 Wil-Rich 4400 chisel plow, 53-1/2’, Degelman harrow, S/NU15270 Wishek tandem disc, 24’ TRUCKS 2008 Sterling Acterra single axle, ISC Cummins diesel, 6 spd., air ride seat & susp., cruise, power windows, locks, & heated mirrors, 24’ Delta Waseca van body, roll-up door, Ultron elec./hyd. lift gate, transparent roof, curbside door, (2) 60 gal. aluminum fuel tanks, 11R22.5 tires on aluminum rims, 279,880 miles 2003 Kenworth T800 tri-axle day cab, N14 Cummins, 400 hp., 10 spd., diff lock, air slide, steerable pusher, wet kit, 22.5 tires on aluminum, shows 784,000 miles, S/N1XKDP40X03R391978 2003 Kenworth T800 tri-axle day cab,

Cummins, 400 hp., 10 spd., air ride, steerable pusher, wet kit, 22.5 tires, shows 726,000 miles, S/N1XKDP40X33R391974 2002 Kenworth T800 tri-axle day cab, Cummins diesel, 10 spd., single steerable pusher, wet kit, 24.5 tires, approx. 765,000 miles, S/N391976 1983 Ford F600 single axle, V8 gas, 5&2 spd., 16’ steel box, hoist, 9:00-20 tires, 84,904 miles 1974 Chevrolet C60 single axle, V8, 4&2 spd.,14’ Frontier box, hoist, 9:00-20 tires, single owner, rust spots on fenders & driver side door, runs & drives very well 1964 Ford F850 tandem axle twin screw tanker, 5&2 spd., approx. 2,000 gal steel tank, shows 67,089 miles PICKUPS 2014 GMC Sierra crew cab, heated leather seats, dark grey, 5.3L, backup camera, 22” chrome rims, Z71 pkg., 6,676 miles 2002 Dodge Dakota, V8, 4WD, 4-door, salvage title 1996 Chevrolet K10, 1/2 ton, standard cab, 4.3L Vortec V6, 4WD, Boss Power V snowplow, 8’2” HOPPER BOTTOM TRAILERS 2015 Timpte Super Hopper hopper bottom trailer, 43’x72”x96” wide 2015 Timpte Super Hopper hopper bottom trailer, 43’x72”x96” wide SELF-PROPELLED SPRAYERS & SPREADER NH3 EQUIPMENT GRAIN HANDLING EQUIP. WHEEL LOADERS & TRACTOR LOADER BACKHOE SAND & GRAVEL EQUIP. OTHER EQUIPMENT TANKS, PARTS SHOP EQUIPMENT TRACKS & TIRES RECREATION MISC. ITEMS

West Fargo, ND 701.237.9173

IQBID is a division of Steffes Group, Inc. Litchfield, MN 320.693.9371

Mt. Pleasant, IA 319.385.2000

Ames, IA 515.432.6000

SteffesGroup.com

ANGUS INFLUENCE SALE Fri., Feb. 13, 2015 @ 9:00 a.m.

SHEEP, LAMB & GOAT SALE Wed., Feb. 18, 2015 @ 1:00 p.m.

SPECIAL RANCHERS FEEDER SALE

Sioux Falls, SD 605.271.7730

FORSYTH F BAR RANCH have for sale 20, 2 yr old & 5, 3 yr old PB Red Angus bulls. For more info & prices contact Roy Forsyth (204)448-2245 WILKINRIDGE STOCK FARM ANNUAL Bull sale.

1:00pm April 11th at Ridgeville Hall. Sale will include 16 yearling Red Angus bulls, 1 yearling Black Angus Bull, 2) 2-yr old Red Angus Bulls. There will be a good selection of Red & Black Maine Anjou Bulls & 18 Charolais bulls from Walking Plow Charlais. Sale catalogue & videos will be online www.dlms.ca as we get closer to sale time. Sale will be by video w/online bidding available. For more info call Sid Wilkinson (204)373-2631.

LIVESTOCK Cattle – Charolais WALKING PLOW CHAROLAIS HAS 18 yearling Charolais bulls consigned to Wilkinridge Stock farm Bull Sale 1:00pm April 11th at Ridgeville Hall. Also in the sale will be Red Angus & Maine Anjou bulls. Sale catalogue & videos will be online www.dlms.ca as we get closer to sale time.

Sale will be by video w/online bidding available. For more info call Cliff, Warren Graydon (204)427-2589.

WILKINRIDGE STOCK FARM ANNUAL Bull sale.

1:00pm April 11th at Ridgeville Hall. Sale will include 18 yearling Red & Black Maine Anjou bulls, as well as 1) 2-yr old & 1) 3-yr old herd sire. There will also be 2) 2-yr old & 16 yearling Red Angus bulls. Walking Plow Charolais have 18 yearling Charolais bulls in the sale. Sale catalogue & videos will be online www.dlms.ca as we get closer to sale time. Sale will be by video w/online bidding available.

For more info call Sid Wilkinson (204)373-2631.

LIVESTOCK Cattle – Simmental WE HAVE AN EXCELLENT group of Red & Red Blaze face Polled, Simm Bulls for sale. Your bull c/w a full guarantee & is semen tested, fed, insured until delivered & delivered when you need him all at our cost. Call Ray Cormier (204)736-2608 & you can visit our website at www.riverbankfarms.com

Rendezvous Farms 11th Annual

Simmental Bull & Female Sale Monday, 1:00 p.m.

February 16

Ste. Rose Auction Mart Ste. Rose, MB

On Offer 85 Bulls & 41 Heifers

Mon, Feb. 23, 2015 @ 9:00 a.m.

(Contact Market Rep For Details) “Where Buyers & Sellers Meet” To Consign or for more information call:

204-694-8328 or call Mike at 204-807-0747

www.winnipeglivestocksales.com Licence #1122

LIVESTOCK Cattle – Angus 45 RED & BLACK Angus 2-yr old bulls, suitable for heifers & cows, private treaty at the Ranch. Info sheets available. Contact Triple V Ranch. Dan: (204)522-0092 or (204)665-2448.

Matthew: (204)264-0706. vvvranch.com D.B. MICHIELS RED ANGUS purebred two-year old bulls for sale. Catalogue information available by email at DBMREDANGUS@gmail.com. Contact David at (204)723-0288 or Brian at (204)723-0474.

EDIE CREEK ANGUS has 35 Meaty, Moderate, Maternal, Black & Red Angus bulls for sale. March 14th at Ashern Auction Mart will be our 8th Annual Sale. Easy Calving, Easy Fleshing. Developed as 2-yr olds to breed more cows for more years! Great temperaments, many suitable for heifers. www.ediecreekangus.com (204)232-1620

LIVESTOCK Cattle – Black Angus 20TH ANNUAL CATTLEMANS’ CONNECTION Bull Sale, March 6th, 2015, 1:00pm. Heartland Livestock Brandon. Selling 100 Yearling Black Angus Bulls. For Catalogue or more information call Jack Hart, Brookmore Angus (204)476-6696 or email brookmoreangus@gmail.com Barb Airey manager HBH Farms (204)566-2134 email rbairey@hotmail.com Sale management Doug Henderson (403)782-3888 or (403)350-8541.

BULL SALE WED., MAR-25TH. 50 Black Angus 2-yr olds & select yearlings. Bar H Land & Cattle Co. Langenburg SK. Robin (306)743-2840, cell (306)743-7490. Sales Manager Chris (306)933-4200.

CRANBERRY CREEK ANGUS REGISTERED bulls for sale. Sired by Windy 702, Remitall Rachis, Vermilion Yellowstone, Game Day, Cranberry CRK Pioneer, HF Kodiak. Bulls are easy going with great dispositions. Hand fed for longevity. Semen tested, guaranteed & delivered. Will hold until the end of April. All weights & EPD’s available. Call (204)534-2380, or cranberrycreek27@gmail.com for more info, David & Jeanette Neufeld, Boissevain

For consignor information & location, complete terms, lot listing & photos visit SteffesGroup.com

LIVESTOCK Cattle – Red Angus

LIVESTOCK Cattle – Maine-Anjou

PHONE

AUCTION SALES U.S. Auctions

STEWART CATTLE CO & GUESTS BULL SALE 50 Black Angus & Simm/Angus Bulls View catalogue online: www.stewartcattle.com Email for catalogue: stewartcows@wificountry.ca Phone: (204)773-6392

WE HAVE AN EXCELLENT selection of PB Charolais bulls, both Red & white yearling & 2-yr olds.

Pictures & info on the net www.defoortstockfarm.com. Call Gord or Sue:(204)743-2109.

AG EQUIPMENT DEALS on your

FREE STANDING CORRAL PANELS, Feeders & Alley ways, 30ft or order to size. Oil Field Pipe: 1.3, 1.6, 1.9, 1 7/8, 2-in, 2 3/8, 2 7/8, 3 1/2. Sucker Rod: 3/4, 7/8, 1. Casing Pipes: 4-9inch. Sold by the piece or semi load lots. For special pricing call Art (204)685-2628 or cell (204)856-3440.

LIVESTOCK Cattle – Black Angus

OSSAWA ANGUS AT MARQUETTE, MB has for sale: yearling & 2 yr old bulls. Also 3 yr old & 6 yr old herdsire. For more info call (204)375-6658, cell (204)383-0703.

REGISTERED BLACK ANGUS BULLS for sale.

Low birth weights & quiet. Buy now & save, no disappointments! EPD’s & delivery available. Phone Amaranth (204)843-2287.

For more information

call or text David Maguet 204-447-7573

for more info contact Jay Good: 403-556-5563 Darren Paget: 403-323-3985 or glenn norton: 780-542-0634 Email: office.transconlivestock@gmail.com www.transconlivestock.com

LIVESTOCK Cattle Various 300 BRED COWS FOR sale 2/3 Black 1/3 Red. Bred to Purebred Black bulls, start calving mid April. Call (204)638-5581.

LIVESTOCK Cattle Wanted

TIRED OF THE HIGH COST OF MARKETING YOUR CALVES??

300-700 LBS. Steers & Heifers Rob: 528-3254, 724-3400 Ben: 721-3400 800-1000 LBS. Steers & Heifers Don: 528-3477, 729-7240

Contact: D.J. (Don) MacDonald Livestock Ltd. License #1110

29

The Manitoba Co-operator | February 5, 2015

LIVESTOCK Swine Wanted

REAL ESTATE Houses & Lots

REAL ESTATE Farms & Ranches – Acreages/Hobby

REAL ESTATE Farms & Ranches – Manitoba

WANTED: BUTCHER HOGS SOWS AND BOARS FOR EXPORT

3 KIPLING LANE

GRANT TWEED:

FARMS FOR SALE: 1. 72-acs of pastureland 1-mi East of Kelwood. Kelwood loam soil, fenced, 2 dug outs. 33-acs cult w/new posts ready for Alfalfa, remainder pasture, $47,000. 2. 640-acs of pastureland east of Gladstone. Fenced w/dug outs. Will handle 100 -11- cow calf pairs. Lakeland soil, $249,000. Call Liz Sumner Gill & Schmall Agencies (204)476-6362.

ALTERNATIVE POWER BY SUNDOG SOLAR, portable/remote solar water pumping for winter/summer. Call for pricing on solar systems, wind generators, aeration. Carl Driedger, (204)556-2346 or (204)851-0145, Virden.

1604 sq. ft. 2 storey $319,900 in Niverville, 20 min. south of Wpg. 3+1 BR. 3.5 bath.

Modern open concept main floor w. espresso finished hardwoods. Gas fireplace. Island & high end stainless steel appliances, under cab. lighting.

Huge master w. tray ceiling, WIC + bath. 2nd flr. Laundry w. front load appl. Fin. bsmt. 12x20 deck, dble detached garage. Must see!

NIVERVILLE,MB · PH:1-204-899-7684

FOR SALE: FARM KING model 100 rollermill w/5-hp motor; 20-in Better Air barn fans; 2-in Chore Time feeding system w/4 drives. Ph:(204)836-2434.

REAL ESTATE Land For Rent

FOR SALE: POLY-CAST SLEIGH, 24-in x 48-in x 12-in high; Small calf-squeeze w/head holder, 15 x 30 x 40-in high; Budd calf de-horner; Cattle shock prod; Birdizzo; Stop-Doctor medicine injector; Lawis cattle oiler. (204)825-8354, (204)825-2784.

50 QUARTERS OF PASTURE near Crane River Manitoba, For sale or rent, very reasonable, call (204)638-5581, Dauphin.

P. QUINTAINE & SON LTD. 728-7549 Licence No. 1123 LIVESTOCK EQUIPMENT

HI-HOG CALVING CHUTE

FARM LAND FOR RENT: University of Manitoba Glenlea Research Station (530-ac). Application deadline February 20, 2015-midnight. For Land Rental Application Detail Sheet, please contact Catharine.plouffe@umanitoba.ca

REAL ESTATE Land For Sale

With head gate. Used very little. Delivery can be arranged. (204)870-7002 mennis178@gmail.com LIVESTOCK SCALES made to fit in your chute or alley. We have a variety of sizes to choose from, no electrics. Also bale scales, hopper feeders in various sizes. Elias Scales:(306)445-2111 www.eliasscales.com MORAND CATTLE MATERNITY PEN, complete w/headgate & nursing panels, as new. $1,600.

Please Call:(204)534-7401. Killarney , MB.

MISCELLANEOUS WANTED LOOKING FOR INSTANT DEEP freezer for freezing potato chips. Phone (204)638-8415.

WANTED: MILKTANKS 150-250 GAL & 600-1,200 gal, cooling does not need to be in working condition. Call (204)529-2022.

PERSONAL SHARE YOUR LIFE, as it’s meant to be... A lasting Relationship. CANDLELIGHT MATCHMAKERS is here to help you. Confidential, Rural, Photos and Profiles to selected matches, Affordable, Local.

Serving MB, SK, NW Ontario. Call/Write for info: Box 212, Roland, MB, R0G 1T0, (204)343-2475.

REAL ESTATE REAL ESTATE Cottages & Lots RECREATION PROPERTY NEAR RIDING Mountain National Park! Prime hunting! 120-ac. of bush.

40-ac. cult. Log cabin. 24-ft x 24-ft metal storage shed. 30-ft x 36-ft heated shop. Camper. Power, water & sewer. Karen Goraluk, Salesperson.

(204)773-6797. NorthStar Ins. & Real Estate. www.north-star.ca MLS# 1409718

REAL ESTATE Houses & Lots READY TO MOVE HOMES- 1520-sq.ft, 3-bdrm, $85,000; 1320-sq.ft, 3-bdrm, $75,000; 1320-sq.ft, 3bdrm w/dormers & covered front porch, $85,000. All homes completely finished including cabinets, interior woodwork, light fixtures, bath fixtures, 200-amp service, painted. Flooring not included. Will also custom build your plan. Call for quote. MARVIN HOMES (since 1976) (204)326-1493 or (204)355-8484 Steinbach area, www.marvin-homes.ca RUSSELL: 316.92 TOTAL AC. Approx. 230 cult. ac. Class B soil. Eaton’s home, established bed & breakfast - great revenue property. 2nd house is 3 bdrm bungalow. Various outbuildings. Treed. Landscaped. Includes equipment. Karen Goraluk, Salesperson. (204)773-6797. NorthStar Ins. & Real Estate. MLS#1417127

FOR SALE: 153-ACRES (140-cultivated), Gladstone, MB (Ogilvie) area. NW 15-15-12W. Summer cottage (Hydro), pole shed (wired), 1750-bu Westeel Bin. 2 dugouts. Asking $1,600.00 per acre. Call Ron (204)918-3169 cell.

LEONARD KIESMAN of Moosehorn, MB intends to sell private lands: N1/2 02-28-07W, SW 2-28-07W, E1/2 03-28-07W, NE 34-27-07W, N1/2 10-28-07W, SW 11-28-07W to DARCY ALAN HUEGING who intends to acquire the following agricultural Crown land leases: W1/2 34-27-07W, SE 35-27-07W, SE 02-28-07W, SW 03-28-07W, SE 11-28-07W, SW 22-28-07W PT LS 3 & 5 by Unit Transfer. If you wish to comment on or object to the eligibility of this purchaser please write to: Director, MAFRD, Agri-cultural Crown Lands, PO Box 1286, Minnedosa, MB R0J 1E0; or Fax (204)867-6578.

THE FOLLOWING PRIVATE LAND is being offered for sale: SE 33-22-11W, NE 32-22-11W, NE 21-22-11W, NW 34-22-11W. The following Crown lands have been approved by Manitoba Agriculture, Food & Rural Development for transfer to the purchaser of the private lands listed, as these lands are part of the ranch unit held by Tom Anderson of Alonsa, MB: NE 31-22-11W EX Road Plan No. 616 PLTO, NW 31-22-11W, NW 32-22-11W, NW 35-22-11W, SW 05-23-11W, SE 06-23-11W, SW 06-23-11W, NE 28-23-11W West of Lake EX Road Plan No. 555 PLTO subject to MHYD Easement, NE 29-23-11W, NW 29-23-11W, SE 29-23-11W, NE 35-22-12W, SE 35-22-12W, SW 35-22-12W subject to MHYD Easement, NE 36-22-12W. If you wish to purchase the private land & apply for the Unit Transfer, contact the Lessee Tom Anderson at PO Box 114, Alonsa, MB R0H 0A0. If you wish to comment on or object to the eligibility of this Unit Transfer, write the Director, MAFRD, Agricultural Crown Lands, PO Box 1286, Minnedosa, MB R0J 1E0; or Fax:(204)867-6578.

Providing professional service in all farm property matters. 50-yr in the Ag industry. Call for an obligation free consultation.

Call: (204)761-6884 grant@granttweed.com

REAL ESTATE Farms & Ranches – Manitoba 320-AC. ROBLIN: 180-AC. seeded to pasture/hay.

All fenced. 3 dugouts. 1,120-sf bungalow. 3 bdrms.

21-ft x25-ft attached garage. Quonset. Karen Goraluk, Salesperson. (204)773-6797. NorthStar Ins. & Real Estate. www.north-star.ca EXCELLENT LIVESTOCK FARM EXTENDING to 1,732 deeded acres w/4,425-ac of Crown land. All the land is fenced & the farm has very good buildings & metal corral system. The farm can carry up to 400-450 cow/calf pairs. There is a small bungalow home. Also, excellent 254-ac property located in the RM of Alexander at the junction of Maskwa & the Winnipeg River. This would make a first class cottage development, or is suitable for other uses.

235-ac of pastureland in Rapid City area. Jim McLachlan (204)724-7753. Homelife Home Professional Realty Inc. www.homelifepro.com

TILLAGE & SEEDING Air Drills

GRAIN FARM: 803 TOTAL ac. 702-ac are cultivated. Land is in a block. Yardsite w/house, 48-ft x 96-ft machine shed, grain storage. N of Roblin, MB. Karen Goraluk - Salesperson. Call:(204)773-6797.

NorthStar Ins. & Real Estate. www.north-star.ca GRAIN/MIXED FARM-GRANDVIEW: 1,944 total Ac. 1,294 cultivated. Most of the land is in a block.

2 yardsites. Some of the land is fenced. Karen Goraluk, Salesperson. (204)773-6797. NorthStar Ins. & Real Estate. north-star.ca. MLS #1425508

REAL ESTATE Farms & Ranches – Manitoba

JUST LISTED: DON’T MISS OUT ON THIS FABULOUS PROPERTY. Ethelbert near foot hills Park line. Duck Mountains: 1/2-hr from beautiful lakes 144.5-acs, river through property, bungalow 1,400-sq.ft., electric furnace, air exchanger, plus wood stove, Quonset 40x80-ft. & much, much more. A Must to See. Call Florence Komarniski Real Estate (204)638-3055.

Manitoba Co-operator classifieds, 1-800-782-0794.

A great way to Buy and Sell without the ef for t.

REAL ESTATE Farms & Ranches – Wanted GOOD QUALITY GRAIN & Cattle Farms wanted for Canadian & Overseas Clients. For a confidential meeting to discuss the possible sale of your farm, or to talk about what is involved, Phone Jim McLachlan:(204)724-7753. www.homelifepro.com HomeLife Home Professional Realty Inc.

TILLAGE & SEEDING Air Drills

Classifieds

PRECISION PRICING RETAIL LEASE FINANCE

$190,499

The Following Private Land is being offered for sale: SE 06-25-12W, SE 07-25-12W, NE 07-25-12W. The following Crown lands have been approved by Manitoba Agriculture, Food & Rural Development for transfer to the purchaser of the private lands listed as these lands are part of the ranch unit held by Alfred Klein of Ste. Rose du Lac, MB. NE 32-24-12W, NW 32-24-12W, NE 05-25-12W, NW 05-25-12W, SE 05-25-12W, SE 19-24-13W, SW 20-24-13W, NE 03-25-13W, NW 03-25-13W, SE 0325-13W, SW 03-25-13W, NE 04-25-13W, NW 04-2513W, SE 04-25-13W, SW 04-25-13W, SE 10-25-13W, SW 10-25-13W. If you wish to purchase the private land and apply for the Unit Transfer contact the Lessee Alfred Klein at PO Box 681, Ste. Rose du Lac, MB R0L 1S0. If you wish to comment on or object to the eligibility of this Unit Transfer write the Director, MAFRD, Agricultu-ral Crown Lands, PO Box 1286, Minnedosa MB R0J 1E0; or fax (204)867-6578.

MB and Eastern SK, call Brent at (204) 771-8244 www.versatile-ag.com/seeding

REAL ESTATE Farms & Ranches – Acreages/Hobby Country Retreat: 163-ac of scenic rolling land near Erickson, MB. 120-ac arable, large mature yard w/ natural shelter belt & small lake. Cozy bungalow, garage, machine shed. Grant Tweed,Century 21 Westman. Brandon MB. Phone: (204) 761-6884 grant@granttweed.com

Based on the 40' DH730 air drill and AC400 air cart on a retail lease contract amortized over 60 months at 4.49% APR. Other product configurations available. See dealer for details.

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30

The Manitoba Co-operator | February 5, 2015

Just V eggin' Out Veggin'

by Adrian Powell

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Bashful Manitoba's late spring spears Faith Copacabana setting Well past one's sixties Sardine containers Manitoba late fall root crop Nimbleness Relating to the eye US depression era president Concise Track shapes, usually With it, in a sense Like Delta marsh Forest flora Aid in wrongdoing Kipling's "___ we forget!"

Self-esteem SOLUTION TO PUZZLE

C R A B S

H E L L O

A L O U D

R E H E A R

B A R R E L S

U N T I E D

S C R U I C U M B E R S

R O I L O D A L O N E

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DOWN 1 Red Lobster entrees 2 Word of greeting 3 One way to read 4 Try a case again 5 Bayonet thrust 6 Oil units 7 Loosened one's laces 8 Lid closing hindrance 9 ___ Lanka 10 Manitoba salad fixin's harvested in late summer 11 All by oneself 12 Ben Heppner, for one 14 Manitoba orange root crop 20 What an E may stand for 21 Extra helpings 26 The blue in blue cheese 28 Like a rubber band 30 When to harvest pumpkins, briefly

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harvest that might give you a big head?

Ire Radar screen spot Give the slip to Garden gastropod Gets some nourishment Mountie material Co-op competitor, at times Judge in court Three-spots

C A R R O T S

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*Taxes included

Payment Enclosed ❑ Cheque

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T I N S

❑ 1 Year: $150.00 (US Funds)

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31

The Manitoba Co-operator | February 5, 2015

For Pricing ~ 204-325-9555

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SALES & PRODUCT DISTRIBUTION POSITION AVAILABLE FOR SEED RETAIL BUSINESS We have been in the seed production and retail business in Southeastern Manitoba for over 30 years and are looking to expand our sales team. We are looking for an outgoing sales and service oriented person willing to contact both existing and potential new customers through cold calls to expand our sales territory.

The selected individual must be able to promote new seed genetics and agricultural products in a professional manner. During the peak season, he or she must be able to assist in the distribution of both seed and chemicals.

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32

The Manitoba Co-operator | February 5, 2015

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33

The Manitoba Co-operator | February 5, 2015

MORE NEWS

Search Canada’s top agriculture publications… with just a click. Network SEARCH

loc a l, nationa l a nd internationa l news

Oilpatch’s pain could be agriculture’s gain as layoffs mount Thousands of energy and construction workers will be looking for jobs, but agricultural employers need to attract them

By Jennifer Blair staff

T

he layoffs have already started in Alberta’s energy sector — but many more are on the way, say experts. “ We’re estimating somewhere in the range of $12 billion less investment taking place,” said Michael Burt, director of industrial economic trends with the Conference Board of Canada.

“That’s going to translate into thousands of fewer jobs in the oilpatch and also in the construction industry associated with developing oilsands pipelines.”

“We are expecting some job losses in the energy sector and I think that translates into some nice, juicy resumés coming through the door of forest and ag producers,” added Todd Hirsch, senior economist with ATB Financial.

“That’s a benefit — and people will not have to back up the money truck to get them.”

Farm employers across the country have struggled to find workers, and the fact that there are “close to 50,000” temporary foreign workers working in Canadian agriculture is evidence of that, said Burt.

But the big problem on the Prairies has been competition for workers, such as truck drivers, that are in demand in both agriculture and the energy sector, he said.

“They may find it easier to get a job in oil and gas, or they may get higher pay,” said Burt. “So you’ve seen people in particular occupations being drawn out of agriculture, and likely other sectors as well, into oil and gas when the boom was occurring the last few years.”

Agriculture has also had trouble

attracting unskilled labourers who have been drawn by the high pay and high demand for workers in the energy business.

But that was then — the landscape is dramatically different now, said Burt.

“Basically, those people who were working in the oilsands or the oil and gas sector will be looking for jobs elsewhere. Agriculture and other sectors will likely benefit from that.”

Attracting workers

So how can producers grab hold of some of these workers?

Use some of the same tricks that oil and gas companies do, suggests Cheryl Knight, an oil and gas human resources consultant based in Calgary.

Knight promotes a “multi-pronged approach” that embraces flexibility.

“The worker today is demanding much more flexibility,” said Knight, who spoke at the Agricultural Labour Summit in Red Deer late last year.

“We can complain about it. We can fight it. We can try to change it. But the best thing to do is to figure out ways to address it.”

The oil and gas industry has been built on a “mobile workforce” — skilled workers from other provinces who are offered customized work rotations, said Knight. And producers can attract farm workers using a similar system.

“You can target areas of high unemployment across Canada where there are skilled people who are unemployed,” she said.

“What opportunities do you have to address some of your labour supply (problems) through mobile workers and rotations?”

Untapped labour pools

Producers should also be looking at

“underrepresented supply pools,” as the oil and gas industry has done.

Youth are the easiest to attract — if employers make it easy for them.

“Youth do not know how to find you — they’re a little bit lazy in terms of how to find the sector and how to get into the sector,” said Knight, who suggests working with high schools and colleges to utilize or develop workplacement programs.

Immigrants are another labour supply pool that producers should consider.

“There are immigrants in Canada that are unemployed and underemployed,” said Knight. “They are the most motivated, skilled, educated, and flexible workforce that we have in Canada.”

And while Aboriginal workers can be difficult to attract, they also represent a largely untapped labour pool that producers should explore, she added.

“As we’ve found in oil and gas, partnerships with Aboriginal communities are critical,” she said. “It’s probably the most long-term prospect that we have, and it’s one of the prongs that we must work on.”

But producers also need to be willing and able to invest in training and development if they hope to attract and retain farm workers, regardless of whether these workers came from the oilpatch.

“You’re going to have to train those people that have transferable skills, but not 100 per cent of the skills that you need,” said Knight.

“There’s no magic wand. There are low-hanging fruit… but you have to be working at things all the way through.”

— with files from Alexis Kienlen jennifer.blair@fbcpublishing.com

“Basically, those people who were working in the oilsands or the oil and gas sector will be looking for jobs elsewhere.”

Michael Burt

“We are expecting some job losses in the energy sector and I think that translates into some nice, juicy resumés coming through the door.” todd hirsch

- E. Froese, Manitoba, 2014 AWC Delegate

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34

The Manitoba Co-operator | February 5, 2015

Fuelling the rig should be cheaper this spring, but savings on fertilizer, chemicals, and seed will take longer and may be offset by the lower Canadian dollar. photo: Thinkstock

Don’t expect diesel, fertilizer, and chemicals to match oil’s steep decline Experts say it’s a mixed bag when it comes to input costs — some will fall slowly, other gains will be offset by lower dollar

By Jennifer Blair staff

F

alling oil prices are bad news for energy producers, but that should be good news for farmers and other big users of fuel and energy-intensive products.

“We’re paying 30 or 40 cents a litre less for gas today than we were three or four months ago,” said Michael Burt, director of industrial economic trends with the Conference Board of Canada.

“Fuel costs will definitely be lower this year, and that should be a benefit financially for farmers.”

There is some serious money on the table; fuel costs make up about 10 per cent of a farm’s operating costs.

But compared to gasoline, which has dropped dramatically, so far diesel prices are just “softening,” said Jennifer Stoby, ag inputs market analyst with Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development.

“Unfortunately diesel is not dropping as quickly as gasoline is,” said Stoby. “I don’t think we’re going to see a huge drop like we did with gasoline in the last few months.”

And why is that?

The problem is twofold, said Michael Ervin, president of MJ Ervin and Associates, a Calgary-based expert in the refining and marketing end of the oil business.

On the supply side, big gasoline inventories pushed down gas prices very quickly while on the demand side, diesel is closely linked with furnace oil, a popular heating fuel in parts of Canada and the eastern and midwestern U.S. “In the wintertime, there are higher furnace oil sales in parts of North America where furnace oil is a fairly significant heating product,” said

“The last four years have been a gift. Pretty much no matter what you did, you were profitable when you sold. This is a very different game.”

Remi Schmaltz

Ervin. “That creates a bit of seasonality, which tends to create a heightened markup of diesel relative to the crude oil price in the winter.”

There is also a large amount of North American diesel being exported to South America and other global markets.

“Come springtime when furnace oil demand is reduced, I expect to see a further drop in diesel prices, assuming that the crude price stays low,” said Ervin.

Fertilizer prices

The drop in fuel prices also makes it cheaper to produce fertilizer, seed, and chemicals — but, again, it will take time for those lower costs to trickle down to the farm level, said Remi Schmaltz, CEO of Decisive Farming.

“In the short term, from now till spring, the drop in oil is not really going to offset or help those three commodities,” said Schmaltz. “Until we get into next year, that’s when we’ll probably start to see some real correction around oil affecting these other inputs.

“Right now, supply and demand for fertilizer, seed, and chemicals is really going to dictate it, versus the cost of production.”

And like the furnace oil market, the oil price plunge came at the wrong time of year in terms of having a big and immediate impact, he said.

“A lot of this fertilizer has already moved,” said Schmaltz. “Even if there was some adjustment in the cost of production in the short term, it’s really a delayed effect for it to work itself through the system because all of this other stuff has been produced at a higher number.”

Stoby agrees.

“Fertilizer probably won’t be directly impacted by the drop in crude oil prices,” she said.

As a result, producers shouldn’t expect fertilizer prices to come down between now and spring, said Schmaltz.

“We have now started to see in the short term a lot more growers realizing, as we get closer to spring, the logistics really start to tighten up on fertilizer, and they’re starting to make purchasing decisions if they haven’t already,” he said. “Historically, now till spring, prices don’t get better.”

Falling loonie

The drop in the Canadian dollar is also a big factor, and that’s definitely a negative for input prices.

“When you look at fertilizer in particular, it’s not a positive because our prices are based on U.S. numbers typically,” said Schmaltz.

“Even if you weren’t dealing with the

supply-and-demand logistics that we are (facing) today, that bigger spread between the stronger U.S. dollar and the weaker Canadian dollar means that we need to pay more for fertilizer,” he said. “That’s going against us for sure.”

But it’s also a two-way street and the drop in the Canadian dollar is making crop commodities more “cost competitive,” said Burt.

“If you’re selling your products outside of Canada and you’re getting U.S. dollars of X per bushel, you’re getting more Canadian dollars for every bushel that you sell, so there’s a benefit there,” he said.

That’s good for grain exports, said Schmaltz.

“From the Canadian dollar perspective, that makes our grain exports cheaper,” he said. “We’re a more attractive market to buy from.”

But whether the bump in grain prices will offset the higher costs of fertilizer and equipment remains to be seen. That’s why producers need to know their margins, said Schmaltz.

“When we’re dealing with the volatility in commodity markets like we’re experiencing these days, you really have to have your finger on the pulse of where your margins are down to a field crop level,” he said.

Producers need to have a plan in place to protect themselves from rising costs and dropping prices.

“You can’t be shooting from the hip here,” said Schmaltz. “The last four years have been a gift. Pretty much no matter what you did, you were profitable when you sold. This is a very different game.”

— with files from Alexis Kienlen jennifer.blair@fbcpublishing.com

35

The Manitoba Co-operator | February 5, 2015

China eyes food safety, modern farms in 2015 rural policy A program allowing farmers to trade their land to alleviate poverty and create more efficient farms will be expanded beijing / reuters

C

hina has listed food safety and modernizing farms as among key priorities this year, its 2015 rural policy outline showed, as it tackles falling agricultural productivity that has raised concerns about its future food supply.

T h e “ No. 1 d o c u m e n t ,” i s s u e d e v e r y Ja n u a r y a n d released by state news agency Xinhua Feb. 1, showed China will also protect far mland and lend more to farmers to narrow a wealth gap between rural and urban areas.

Attempts to clean up land that has been damaged by heavy metal mining and processing will be widened this year, and “permanent farmland” that is off limit to industrial and urban development will be created, the document said.

Modern farms will be set u p, a n d re g u l a t i o n o f t h e quality of food and other farm products will be enhanced, it said.

On l a n d re f o r m s, a i m e d at allowing farmers to trade their land to alleviate poverty and create bigger and more efficient farms, the document said the focus is on expanding an experiment that registers land usage rights to cover entire provinces.

Chinese farmers typically hold long-term land use contracts allocated by the government, which allow them to farm the land but not sell it.

China has been struggling to squeeze as much food out of its dwindling, contamin a t e d l a n d as pos sib le as demand increases from everexpanding urban regions.

More loans to farmers

About a third of China’s population lives in rural areas, according to a Reuters estimate. Many young people have migrated to cities, re d u c i n g p r o d u c t i v i t y o n farms and raising concerns about the countr y’s future food output.

More infrastructure will be built in rural areas, including laying water pipes, upgrading existing power grids, or constructing networks for alternative energy such as hydro and solar power.

Private investment in farms will be encouraged, and authorities will experiment with ways to provide cheaper financing options to more farmers, the document said.

China Development Bank, which makes large infra-

structure investment at home and abroad and lends at the b e h e s t o f C h i n a’s g ove r nment to support its policies, will have to increase midand long-term infrastructure loans to rural areas, it said.

The Postal Savings Bank of China, which serves lowincome entrepreneurs, will be encouraged to expand in villages, the document showed.

Agricultural businesses that meet undisclosed criteria will also be encouraged to sell bonds, and the leasing of big farm equipment will be tested.

Direct subsidies for farmers, currently being trialled by cotton and soybean growers, will continue, the document said. Officials have said that authorities need more time to assess the efficacy of the subsidy before rolling it out to other crops.

Farmers dry chilies in the Gobi Desert in Turpan, Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous region in October. According to local media, Turpan’s abundant sunshine and rainless weather in autumn make it a natural drying area for chilies.

Photo: REUTERS/China Daily

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36

The Manitoba Co-operator | February 5, 2015

Big U.S. farm lender sees ‘soft landing’ for land prices

Venturing out

In Iowa, the top corn and soybean state, prices are down 8.8 per cent for the year

By Christine Stebbins Reuters

C Goats play outside on a warm winter day.

photo: hermina Janz

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entral U.S. far mland prices held up fairly well this winter, buoyed by a resurgent livestock sector’s need for pasture, and a “soft landing” is likely for the market despite sharp losses in grain prices in 2014, according to a survey by Farm Credit Services of America, one of the biggest U.S. farm lenders.

“Cropland prices in Iowa, Nebraska, South Dakota and Wyoming declined some in the final six months of 2014, while demand for pasture land remained strong,” FCS America said in a statement Sept. 20.

“The latest benchmark farm values and sales data tracked continue to point to a ‘soft landing’ for farmland after years of price increases.”

The Omaha-based lender tracked sales records on 3,447 properties and 64 benchmark farms in the four states surveyed.

It issues its survey twice a year.

“It was a break-even year or less than break-even for crop producers, and you’re seeing that reflected in lower land values,” Bill Davis, senior vicepresident at FCS America, said in an interview.

“It’s the opposite story in the livestock sector, where we had record profits in cow-calf, beef feedlots and the swine industry last year,” Davis said. “We’re seeing producers that made a lot of money in the cow-calf sector bid pasture or rangeland prices higher.”

FCS said benchmark land values in Iowa, the top corn and soybean state, were an average 8.8 per cent lower year on year in January. However, “that followed 10 years of rising land prices, with farmland values still up 196 per cent,” it said.

“In areas of Iowa, sale prices remain near historical highs.

The highest sale in the fourth quarter of 2014 was $15,300 per acre in Plymouth County,” the lender said.

In Nebraska, a major producer of both grain and beef, farmland values fell 1.7 per cent in the last six months of 2014 but were down only 0.2 per cent in January of this year from a year earlier. Nebraska farmland values are up nearly 290 per cent from 10 years ago.

In nearby grazing states land values rose. In South Dakota, benchmark values were up 7.8 per cent for the year. In Wyoming, values rose nearly seven per cent, driven by strong beef calf prices.

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37

The Manitoba Co-operator | February 5, 2015

COUNTRY CROSSROADS CON N EC T I NG RU R A L FA M I L I E S

Put mobile technology to use on your farm Spend more time in the field and less time at a desk with the use of mobile technology, Cloud computing and agriculture-geared apps

By Jennifer Paige Co-operator STAFF

T

he next time your combine is making an unfamiliar tickety tickety noise, don’t call your machinery repairman – send them a video message so they can see and hear the problem, farmers attending Ag Days in Brandon were told last month.

Today’s mobile technology is a perfect fit for farmers. The ability to access business and agronomic resources while on the move has enabled producers to spend more time in the field and less time in the office chair.

“A lot of these mobile tools were not created for the ag industry but it’s up to us to be thinking, how we can use this for our purposes,” said Peter Gredig, as he addressed an audience during a seminar on the use of mobile technology.

Gredig is a mobile technology specialist from AgNition Inc., a Canadian company dedicated to producing mobile technology for the agriculture industry.

“This technology has really evolved and it doesn’t matter what you have — iPhone, Android, or BlackBerry — it’s how you use it. All of these devices are amazing tools and it is up to us to figure out how we can best use them in our operations.”

Along with discussing a number of the latest apps geared toward the industry, Gredig spoke on how to get more from your smartdevice and different func-

tions the technology can perform that save farmers time.

“A tablet is so much more useful than all of those monitors in tractor cabs.

Fairly recently, ag companies have started moving away from selling incab monitors to rather utilize producers’ tablets and smartphones as the monitors.”

Even without downloading additional applications, Gredig notes that these devices come with a number of gadgets that are handy to farmers in the field, such as the flashlight, protractor, compass, speedometer and level.

“Many of us still think of these devices as phones that can do other things, whereas in reality they are incredible mobile tool boxes that include a phone. The industry certainly needs to be aware of and understand the power of real-time audio and video communication.

“If you don’t use these video communication apps, you are really missing the boat. Say you have something in your field that you see and you don’t know what to do about it. Sure, you can take a picture, GPS the location and email it but you could also video-call your agronomist,” said Gredig, suggesting use of the Facetime and Skype apps.

“If you were to Facetime your agronomist, they would be able to see exactly what you are dealing with at that moment. As an industry, we need to start doing this.”

“Many of us still think of these devices as phones that can do other things, whereas in reality they are incredible mobile tool boxes that include a phone.”

Peter Gredig

Peter Gredig spoke to an audience on the use of mobile technology in ag at the Manitoba Ag Days held in Brandon, Man., last month. Photos: Jennifer Paige

Many of these modern-day devices a l s o o f f e r v o i c e re c o g n i t i o n o r Bluetooth software. Employing these features on your device can be a time saver and increase your safety.

“When we look back at the advancement of this technology, it is not going to be these cool little apps that make

life easier for us, it is going to be how we gather our data, store and manage it,” said Gredig.

According to Gredig, the real valuable feature of mobile technology is in the use of Cloud computing‚ — the practice of using a network of remote servers hosted on the Internet to store, manage and process data — rather than a local server or personal computer.

Gredig relates the Cloud to a virtual filing cabinet that allows you to store data on the Internet and access it with the security of a password.

“The liberation and freedom of the Cloud means that you don’t worry about the basement flooding, a fire or hard drive crashes, because as you are generating data it is wirelessly and immediately being stored.”

Apps for effective mobile farming

P

Connected Farm

e t e r G re d i g , m o b i l e technology specialist with AgNition recently discussed the use of mobile technology in agriculture with audiences at the Manitoba Ag Days in Brandon, Man. Throughout the presentation, Gredig outlined a number of the latest applications that may be helpful tools in the areas of agronomy, product support and data management.

Flag This

This app enables you to communicate an action that is location specific, so that users are able to flag a location through GPS that requires scouting for plant symptoms, draining standing water, fence repair, etc. Flagged locations can then be saved and stored or shared via email.

T h i s a p p was developed by the Saskatchewan Soil Conservation Association Inc.

Voxer

Voxer is a push-to-talk appli-

This app focuses on mapping field boundaries, locating irrigation pivots, marking flags, and entering counting information. Scouting attributes include an extensive list of weeds, insects and diseases. Also, allows you to log the severity of a problem, crop conditions and capture photos to integrate with scouting attributes.

Crop Nutrient Deficiencies An application designed specific to Canada, which allows users to identify and map weed pressures.

cation that basically converts your smartphone into a walkie-talkie. You can connect a number of devices and keep your team on track.

My Shed

A free application that provides you with engineering parts manuals, assembly diagrams, and parts number

A mapping and scouting application that allows users to log details and map field boundaries.

Assists growers in determining fertility issues in their fields by nutrient type or by browsing photos of crops to find the image that most closely matches the fertility issues they are seeing.

lists for your machines. Create parts lists and share them with your dealer, access tool box reference guides, and lubricant/fluid selector guides.

management app, free and Cloud based that allows you to manage your entire operation from seed to sale.

Farm at Hand

Designed specific to Canada, this app allows you to identify and map weed pressures.

An app built by farmers, for farmers. It is a complete farm

Weed Identifier

This app assists growers in determining fertility issues in their fields by nutrient type or by browsing photos of crops to find the image that most closely matches the fertility issues they are seeing.

iHerd

IHerd is a cattle management app that can categorize herds, record herd management data, herd numbers, manages movement between properties, offers tally counting, tracks transfer of cattle, records and manages medical treatment and dosages.

38

The Manitoba Co-operator | February 5, 2015

COUNTRY CROSSROADS

Prairie Fare Mind your portions this winter Julie Garden-Robinson Food and Nutrition Specialist NDSU Extension Service

“

D

id you know your breed has a tendency to become overweight?” I asked our dachshunds. If they had replied verbally, I might have fainted.

Instead, they looked at me with pleading eyes, and then they turned their attention to the plates I was carrying. Their sharp noses could detect the traces of food on the plates. I leaned down and patted them on the heads and they flipped on their backs in submission.

They looked like furry beetles bobbing their feet.

“They’re a little chubby but not as chubby as they used to be,” my son noted as he approached. “See, they have waists,” he added.

“I think Chester and Jake could stand to lose a pound each,” my oldest daughter said after studying their physiques. “Louie is fine, though.”

Our attention to the weight of our three dogs has nothing to do with them becoming canine supermodels or fitting into their fuzzy winter sweaters. Just like humans, overweight and obese dogs have a greater risk of developing chronic diseases, including diabetes, heart disease and cancer.

Our wiener dogs, with their long bodies and short legs, also have a greater risk of spine and joint issues. Overweight humans also may develop joint issues.

Unfortunately, our dogs tend to gain weight when the arctic winter weather arrives and they refuse to go outside for longer than a couple of minutes. For a while in early winter, Jake couldn’t make it up the shallow step into the hallway. He bumped his belly on the step, so he would wait until someone lifted him. We put less food in his bowl, he slimmed down and he now leaps over the step.

Here’s a delicious, warming soup recipe courtesy of Penn State Extension. It’s full of filling, colourful vegetables, which you can vary depending on your preferences or what you have on hand.

Vegetable Soup 1 tsp. oil (canola, sunflower, olive, etc.)

1/2 c. chopped onion 1 clove garlic, chopped 4 c. chicken broth (reduced sodium) 2 (16-oz.) cans diced tomatoes (reduced sodium or no salt added) 1/3 c. pasta (small shells or elbows) 1/2 c. parsley (or about 2 tbsp. dried parsley) 2 c. chopped broccoli 2 c. sliced carrots 2 c. sliced celery Salt and pepper to taste 2 tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

Note: You may substitute frozen vegetables for the fresh vegetables.

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until the onion is soft, about two minutes. Add the chicken broth, tomatoes and parsley to the saucepan. Bring the liquid to a boil, add remaining ingredients and cook for about 10 minutes, until the pasta and vegetables are tender.

Makes eight servings, about 1-1/4 cups per serving. Each serving has 100 calories, 2 grams (g) of fat, 18 g of carbohydrate, 6 g of protein, 4 g of fibre and 340 milligrams of sodium.

I was fairly focused on weight management after attending a twoday diabetes prevention program. If only weight loss in humans was as straightforward as putting less food in our dogs’ bowls. We as humans are surrounded by temptations or “cues” to eat.

In our class, we learned about pre-diabetes, which is a condition of elevated blood sugar that can progress to diabetes unless steps are taken. Left untreated, pre-diabetes can advance to Type 2 diabetes within five years.

Diabetes can have far-reaching effects, including damage to the kidneys, eyes, heart, brain and other organs.

According to a well-designed study, pre-diabetics who lost seven per cent of their body weight during the course of a year cut their risk of developing Type 2 diabetes by 58 per cent. For example, a seven per cent weight loss equates to a 200-pound person losing 14 pounds.

In the pre-diabetes study, the recommended weight loss was done in a healthful manner, with portion control and reduction of calorie-dense fats in the diet. The participants in the study were to get 150 minutes of brisk physical activity per week. For example, taking a 30-minute brisk walk five days a week met the physical activity goal.

We all need to keep portion control and physical activity as priorities, even when the thermometer drops. During the winter, we tend to “hibernate” in colder areas of the country. We might feel like eating more (to stay warm) and gain weight as a result.

A food scale and measuring cups may be needed to get a handle on portion sizes if you are trying to lose weight. After awhile, you can learn to eyeball your portions based on common objects. A teaspoon of butter is about the same size as the tip of your thumb (to the first joint). One cup of pasta is about the size of a tennis ball. Three ounces of meat is about the same size as a deck of cards.

As I thought about our dogs and their weight, I decided on a portion management plan for them. We have a food scale, so we will weigh their dog food into “portions” in small plastic bags instead of eyeballing the food in their bowls. Just like us, our dogs can have a carrot slice as a lowcalorie treat, too.

Made in Manitoba

M

ustard isn’t just for sandwiches and burgers anymore.

Smak Dab Gourmet Foods is a new small-batch, locally driven company established last August and operating out of Winnipeg producing a line of craft gourmet mustards.

Chef and entrepreneur Carly Minish, who is originally from Swan River, is the creator of the line of mustards, including flavours such as Beer Chipotle, Cranberry Wine, Fig Port, Honey Horseradish, Hot and Smokey, Red Wine and Plum, and Spiced Pumpkin.

Minish says she was inspired to become a mustard maker after rave reviews from homemade mustards created one year as Christmas gifts for friends and family.

Her family’s life evolves around food, plus entrepreneurial parents encouraged her to try becoming a small-scale food maker, says Minish.

“It’s just taken off,” says Minish now devoted full time to building her gourmet food business. “This wasn’t anything I intended on pursuing forever, but it’s turned into a really great business.”

Smak Dab mustard sold last summer at St. Norbert Farmers’ Market and is now available in the Swan Valley Co-op, several Winnipeg locations including

Local Treats and Frozen Meats.

Generation Green at The Forks Market, as well as online at My Farmers’ Market, St. Norbert Online Market and Foodie Pages.

Learn more at www.smakdab.ca.

— Co-operator staff

39

The Manitoba Co-operator | February 5, 2015

COUNTRY CROSSROADS

Discovering local history Finding the site of the Barnardo Industrial Farm for Boys

By Judy Bauereiss Freelance contributor

M

any of us often miss out on exploring local history. This past summer I set out with a group of friends to find the original site of the farm and cemetery of the Barnardo Industrial Farm for Boys in Russell, Manitoba.

None of the buildings have survived but large white markers overlook the site.

Dr. John Thomas Barnardo, an Irish philanthropist and doctor, was the founder of the training facility. His aim was to take orphans and street children living in poverty in the United Kingdom off the streets and bring them to Canada, where they were to serve on an apprentice training farm for eight months before being hired out to work on farms. In 1887 he acquired an 8,960-acre tract of land 222 miles northwest of Winnipeg. Here, a large wooden three-storey building was erected to house 100 boys, with space for offices, a store, hospital, laundry and kitchen.

One report also suggests the site had two jail cells. The manager, E.A. Saunders, lived in his own cottage on site. There was also a large barn to house 45

cows, two horse stables, one feeding shed, a 20-acre garden, and two piggeries to house 300 hogs. Water was supplied by a windmill.

The first load of 50 boys, mostly under the age of 14, arrived from the Labour House in England on April 15, 1888 via Halifax aboard the Allan Line Steamer, the “Polynesian.”

Their day began at 5 a.m. with the bugle reverie; there was a 1-1/2-hour break at midday and they worked until 6 p.m. A short prayer service occurred twice a day and on Sunday a clergyman from Russell presided over a full service. A

None of the buildings remain but the site of the farm and the cemetery is marked. COURTESY PHOTOS

library was also on site and the boys performed concerts at times to which neighbours were invited. During the summer, wagons collected milk and cream from 200 local farms to make butter in the creamery.

Barnardo also established schools and houses elsewhere in Canada. The Depression

of 1939 ended these training schools, but a Barnardo charity still exists in the United Kingdom, now called Believe In Children. From 1892-1939, it is believed Barnardo brought some 30,000 young children to Canada, 1,660 of which were “trained” at the Russell site.

For more information check

out Kenneth Bagnall’s book, The Little Immigrants: The Orphans Who Came To Canada and Gail Corbett’s Nation Building: Barnardo Children in Canada.

Judy Bauereiss writes from Inglis, Manitoba

White can be so right

Using plants with white on their leaves will add interest and contrast

By Albert Parsons Freelance contributor

W

hite is a very useful colour in our outdoor landscapes. It is used as a transition between other colour blocks, it can create bright accents in a border, and it creates light in the late-day garden — moon gardens contain mostly white-flowering plants or plants with white in their foliage.

The indoor gardener can employ white in many of the same ways as the outdoor gardener uses it. While there are houseplants with white flowers — the bright-white spathes of peace lily come to mind — foliage plants that have white markings on their leaves are by far the most common way that indoor gardeners use white.

I liken most of our interior landscapes to late-day outdoor gardens because of the reduced light levels.

Therefore, just as white shines and brightens dull corners outdoors in the evening, so it will add light to the relatively dimly lit areas of our interior landscapes. The white on the leaves will seem to jump out at you and make the plants much more prominent.

There are many houseplants with white markings on their leaves that can be used. Large foliage plants like dieffenbachia and Chinese evergreens (Aglaonema) are two such plants. Some varieties of both of these wonderful foliage plants have just as much white as green on their leaf surfaces. Placed in a dim corner — both will tolerate low light levels — they will brighten

The indoor gardener can employ white in many of the same ways as the outdoor gardener uses it.

the corner up and make it seem more alive. Two other large foliage plants that will serve the same purpose are a variegated schefflera and a variegated dracaena; new cultivars of both these plants have been developed whose leaf margins are almost pure white.

Many trailing houseplants have white markings on their leaves. Some varieties of ivy have leaves frosted with white, while the centres of the leaves of some varieties of arrowhead plant are almost totally white. Both can be displayed as hanging plants, as tabletop plants, or they can be trained to climb on trellises. They demand only moderate light levels and will add brightness to any plant grouping. A larger trailing plant that has white leaf margins is the lowly spider plant. A large specimen displayed on a plant stand will add brightness and interest.

Fittonia, polka-dot plant, various forms of sanseveria, including mother-in-law’s tongue, plectranthus, and aluminum plant are just a few of the smaller plants whose green leaves sport bright-white markings. Any one of these can be used as a specimen tab-

There are many types of plants to choose from that have white on their leaves. PHOTOs: ALBERT PARSONS

letop plant. When displayed on a side table or mantel in an attractive decorative container — perhaps a white one — it is as if a light is shining on the spot because the white on the leaves is so bright. All of these plants can also be used in a dish garden or in a clear glass terrarium, where the white variegation on the foliage will add brightness to the arrangement.

All-green plant groupings can be a bit boring, even though the plants might have a variety of textures,

heights, and leaf shapes. Add a couple of plants with white markings on the leaves and the grouping will be much more vibrant and interesting.

When you are creating plant displays in your indoor living spaces this winter, include some plants with white on their leaves. You will be astonished at how much brightness that will add to your indoor area.

Albert Parsons writes from Minnedosa, Manitoba

40

The Manitoba Co-operator | February 5, 2015

COUNTRY CROSSROADS column

Update your bathroom in a weekend Some paint, a little work and a few new accessories will transform a room Connie Oliver Around the House

A

s you can see from the “before picture” this bathroom needs an update. Barring a full-on renovation it was updated in a weekend with paint and a bit of elbow grease.

The oak cabinets were dated and well used, as was the inset mirrored medicine cabinet. The wall cabinets were taken down and given a few fresh coats of warm-white paint, and the hardware was removed beforehand to ensure a quality finish. The vanity was also given a few coats of warm-white paint, inside and out. The inset medicine cabinet was also removed and the inside got a few coats of white spray paint, which covered up the rusty spots and gave the cabinet new life. It took three coats of paint to cover the oak cabinets so they were painted over two days in order to allow for proper drying time.

After the cabinets and old towel bar and hooks were removed and the walls patched and primed, the walls were given a fresh look with a shade of softgrey paint. To avoid the difficulty of trying to paint the walls around the toilet, the wall was divided leaving the bottom onethird the existing colour, which

Before. PHOTOS: CONNIE OLIVER

was white. This will save you a lot of grief if you’re in the same situation. Use a quality painter’s tape and a level to create a clean division on the wall. If you can’t use this technique (perhaps because the existing colour will not work with your new colour or the walls are in rough shape), then do your best to paint the entire wall around and behind the toilet. It can be done; it’s just a bit fussy.

It only took half a day to paint the small bathroom allowing for the appropriate drying time between coats. Use a bathroom and kitchen paint meant for these rooms specifically. It will hold up better in the long run.

The door and trim were left in their existing warm white, which

After.

offsets the new colour beautifully. If your door and trim are dark wood, update them with some new white paint in the same shade used on your cabinets. Painting out dark wood will keep it from looking dated.

You can paint just the bathroom side of the door in order to keep a cohesive look in the hallway.

The edge of the door should also be painted white. (In a case like this, paint the edge of the door the same colour as the side of the door that opens into the room.)

The cabinet hardware was reinstalled and the freshly painted cabinets were hung back up onto the freshly painted walls.

Spending a few dollars on new

bathroom accessories will help update the look. A new black double towel bar, (which you can see in the reflection of the medicine cabinet mirror) and a matching robe hook on the back of the door were installed. The black really pops against the grey walls, and once everything was in place the bathroom was transformed.

So, if you need a quick update, a bit of paint and some time and patience can help you freshen up a room in a couple of days.

A small room, like a bathroom, can easily be updated with the addition of new items like towels, a shower curtain and rings, a new toilet seat, bath mats and artwork. Consider covering a pitted shower rod with an

inexpensive shower rod cover.

New bath mats in a complimentary colour can take the focus off of old flooring until you can replace it. Items like new matching towel bars and robe hooks can be fairly reasonable in price and can make a big difference in the overall finished look. Even seemingly unimportant items like a toothbrush holder and cup set and a new trash bin in a great colour will give your bathroom a fresh look. These are all affordable items that will help transform a dingy bathroom.

What are you doing for the next few days? Perhaps, a bathroom update?

Connie Oliver is an interior designer from Gimli, Manitoba

Co-operator barn series revival Do you know this barn?

I

f you do, a Manitoba historian wants to hear from you. In early 1981 the Co-operator worked with provincial Manitoba Historic Resources Branch staff to photograph and publish a series on rural buildings in Manitoba. Each week a photo and a story were published about why each of the buildings were rare or unusual.

Now Gordon Goldsborough, webmaster and journal editor with the Manitoba Historical Society (MHS) is looking for Co-operator readers’ help to relocate these barns. He has looked for them during road trips in rural Manitoba, but because the site’s location details are scant, he has been unable to find them. He wants to include the buildings, with their GPS co-ordinates on a map of historic sites being prepared for the MHS.

This photograph was taken by now-retired Co-operator editor Bob Hainstock who took the photo in the 1980s for the earlier project. Many of the photos were eventually included in Hainstock’s 1986 book Barns of Western Canada: An Illustrated Century.

We are including the original “caption” that ran with his photo, hoping a reader can answer these questions: 1. Does the building still stand?

2. If so, where is it?

3. What are its GPS co-ordinates?

4. What other information can you provide on its state of preservation or other details about its history since the original story in the 1980s?

Please send your responses to Gordon Goldsborough at: email: gordon@mhs.mb.ca Telephone: (204) 474-7469 Mail: 2021 Loudoun Rd. Winnipeg, Man. R3S 1A3.

One does not necessarily require a hill to build a barn with the characteristics and conveniences of a bank barn. This 79-yearold specimen is located on the flat plains south of Hartney, yet achieves the benefits of a drive-through upper level by the use of earth ramps and wooden bridging.

Constructed in 1903 by Benjamin Roper, the 40x60-foot barn was divided into three main work areas. The entire upper level was given to feed storage. The west half (left) was used to house horses, while the east side remained exclusively for cattle.

Mr. Roper was a young stone mason when his parents left Yorkshire, England, and arrived in the Hartney district about 1881.

His profession appears to have been well used, however, with the enormous stone walls still in good repair in both the barn and nearby house.

The only significant change to the barn these many years was a new covering for the distinctive hipped gable roof, and a doubling of the main floor joists in the early 1950s when tractors replaced horses in hauling feed into the upper levels.

The farm remained in the Roper family until 1973 when it was sold to Tom and Marvel Pennylegion. However, Watson Roper, a grandson of the original builder, continues to farm the land. The town celebrated its centennial in 1986 and it is perhaps fitting the oat sheaths required for the threshing demonstration July 1 to 4 were stored in the old Roper loft.