THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2013
VOL. 91 | NO. 47 | $4.25
Agritechnica GROWING WITH FARMERS FOR 90 YEARS
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Coverage of the world’s largest agricultural machinery show begins this week. | P. 74
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PLANT BREEDING | REGULATIONS
PBR rules undergo federal review Plant breeders’ rights | Industry would welcome regulatory standards BY BRIAN CROSS SASKATOON NEWSROOM
This is the 15th year the Beef Supreme Challenge has been held at Canadian Western Agribition, where winners of the major beef shows from across North America are eligible to show. This year, bulls and females from 12 breeds competed, which made up about 100 head of cattle. | ROBIN BOOKER PHOTO AGRIBITION | LIVESTOCK SHOW
Beauty is the beast at Agribition
Ottawa is contemplating legislation that would allow seed companies to collect royalties on harvested grain. Federal agriculture minister Gerry Ritz told members of the Canadian Seed Trade Association Nov. 13 that Ottawa is considering changes to current plant breeders’ rights legislation that would clear the way for the adoption of regulatory standards known as UPOV 91. Under UPOV 91 standards, farmers would retain the right to plant farm-saved seed. SEE RULE CHANGE, PAGE 2
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Prize-winning cattle | Charolais female and Red Angus bull take supreme championship CALGARY BUREAU
REGINA — A red and white theme with an international flair dominated this year’s premier livestock show, which wrapped up the exhibition season for some of North America’s top purebred beef cattle. Canadian Western Agribition’s RBC Beef Supreme champions were a Red Angus bull from Alberta and a Charolais pair from Texas. Each received $10,000 and other prizes at Agribition’s grand finale held Nov. 16 in Regina. The Charolais female, OBG Nancy 028 with a calf named CK Eileen 212, came from Keaton McConathy of Angleton, Texas. The pair was also the grand champion Charolais at Farmfair International in Edmonton the previous week. The Red Angus bull was the entry of Redrich Farms in Forestburg, Alta. The two-year-old was also grand champion Red Angus from Farmfair and the Olds Fall Classic in Olds, Alta.
The show has run for 15 years and invites grand champion females and bulls from across North America to compete before a panel of five judges to select the best of the best. Mark Kelley showed the supreme female. He manages the cattle for the McConathy family and has been coming to Agribition for years. The family has bought Canadian genetics from breeders such as Dennis Serhienko of Maymont, Sask., in the past and follows shows such as the supreme with their annual display of top cattle. The family ranches near DallasFort Worth and raises 700 to 800 cows, which include Charolais, Limousin, Simmental, Chianina and Brahman. They also have a major rice operation. This cow has three national champions in its pedigree and will stay in Canada at Northline Angus in Alberta, where McConathy’s fiancé, Jade Schneider, will look after it until it is time to attend the National Western Stock Show in Denver in January. The heifer calf will be shown in
Denver, and the dam is entering a flush program. Charolais perform well in southernTexas and are valued for crossbreeding to produce smoky calves for the club calf circuit as well as beef production. “They are good crosses on everything,” said McConathy. He felt competitive going into the ring before the judges at Regina, but he did not want to get cocky. “You hope and you watch their body language, but sometimes you are wrong,” he said. Tyler Dietrich, 18, led out his family’s bull entry, which has been on a winning streak this fall. The win was an overwhelming experience for his parents, Bill and Tracy Dietrich. They had a grand champion female that made the top 10 at a past Agribition, so winning this time around affirmed that their Red Angus program is on the right track. The bull was bought as a youngster from Wilbar Farms in Saskatchewan. It is retiring back to the family’s For-
estburg ranch after this show to breed cows through artificial insemination. “He’ll go the rest of his life as a herd bull at our place,” said Tyler. They have 170 registered Red Angus, 35 commercial SimmentalRed Angus cows and 15 purebred Simmentals. The family is active in the Angus business, including a recent visit for Tyler to the World Angus Forum in New Zealand. He was a silver medalist for the Canadian team in the international youth judging competition. Next fall he returns to post secondary education, and will pick up his football career with the Edmonton Huskies. SEE A STORY ON THE SUPREME WINNERS, PAGE 3.
Visit us online at www.producer. com to see a video of Agribition’s Beef Supreme Champion.
THIS WEEK AT WWW.PRODUCER.COM | FOR MORE FROM AGRIBITION, SEE PAGES 3, 78-81
u|xhHEEJBy00001pzYv/:= NOVEMBER 21, 2013 Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to: Box 2500, Saskatoon, SK. S7K 2C4 The Western Producer is published in Saskatoon by Western Producer Publications, which is owned by GVIC Communications Corp. Publisher: Shaun Jessome Publications Mail Agreement No. 40069240
BY BARBARA DUCKWORTH