The western producer december 10, 2015

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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 10, 2015

VOL. 93 | NO. 50 | $4.25

CANOLA SURPRISE |

SERVING WESTERN CANADIAN FARM FAMILIES SINCE 1923

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STATSCAN REPORT

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WWW.PRODUCER.COM

FARM SAFETY SPECIAL REPORT

Dairy’s milky future Dairy farmers are optimistic the industry will stabilize and thrive now that the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement has been signed. Economists think it’s the beginning of the end. Who’s right? | BY ED WHITE, WINNIPEG BUREAU

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OW IS THE TIME to tackle the unsustainable trends of dairy supply management, say leading agricultural economists and farm leaders. It might not be the sort of thing a new government relishes wading into, but some think that if supply management doesn’t set itself up for the future, it might not have much of one. “I think there’s a real opportunity to take a hard look at this,” said Canadian Federation of Agriculture president Ron Bonnett, who supports supply management. “I think it’s one of the critical issues going forward. If we don’t get this together, we’ll have bits and pieces banging up against each other.” In a surprise to many, Canadian dairy and other supply managed sectors will be allowed to keep the system within both the European free trade and Trans Pacific Partnership deals signed by the former Conservative government. Each deal loosens supply management’s stranglehold over Canada’s domestic market, but the fundamentals, the system’s “three pillars,” survive.

LETHBRIDGE BUREAU

Amendments tabled in the Alberta legislature Dec. 7 are designed to clarify parts of Bill 6, the Enhanced Protection for Farm and Ranch Workers Act, and quell at least some of the farmer outrage that has gained momentum since the bill’s introduction in November. Farm and ranch owners, family members and neighbours or volunteers who assist with farm and ranch work will not be required to have coverage under the Workers Compensation Board, the amendments indicated. Similarly, operations with no paid, non-family employees will not be subject to Occupational Health and Safety regulations. Labour minister Lori Sigurdson and agriculture minister Oneil Carlier held a news conference to explain the amendments, which they said were always the intent of government.

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u|xhHEEJBy00001pzYv;:! DECEMBER 10, 2015 Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to: Box 2500, Stn. Main, Saskatoon, SK. S7K 2C4

SEE THE SPECIAL REPORT ON PAGES 30-32

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MICHELLE HOULDEN PHOTO ILLUSTRATION

NEXT WEEK: FOLLOW OUR EXCLUSIVE COVERAGE OF THE DTN AG SUMMIT FROM CHICAGO

Smaller farm machinery manufacturers need to invest well if they want to stay ahead of the main-line companies. | Page 66

BY BARB GLEN

SEE GOV’T AMENDS BILL 6, PAGE 5

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Small can be beautiful

Family, neighbours to be exempt from coverage

Bringing the world to the farm A Montmartre, Sask., couple see their farm through the lens of having worked on volunteer projects around the world. See our on-farm feature. | Page 23

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

SEE DAIRY’S MILKY FUTURE, PAGE 4

Alta. gov’t to amend farm safety bill


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