THURSDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2016
VOL. 94 | NO. 49 | $4.25
Farmer invents portable bench | 49
SERVING WESTERN CANADIAN FARM FAMILIES SINCE 1923
Bayer laments clubroot resistant hybrids
GRAIN ELEVATOR AGLOW
Canada’s waiver to the pulse fumigation policy at origin ends in March BY SEAN PRATT SASKATOON NEWSROOM
Pulse crop exporters are getting antsy about the looming expiration of an exemption to an Indian phytosanitary policy. India has a blanket requirement that all pulse imports must be fumigated to ensure there is no presence of certain quarantine pests. The policy states that fumigation has to occur at origin. However, India has provided a waiver to certain countries, including Canada, allowing exporters to fumigate shipments at destination in India. That is because it is too cold in Canada to properly fumigate. A minimum temperature of 21 C is required for effective fumigation.
BY SEAN PRATT SASKATOON NEWSROOM
An executive at the world’s largest canola company says an unfortunate consequence of developing clubroot resistant varieties is that growers have come to depend on them too much. Garth Hodges, vice-president of marketing and business development with Bayer CropScience, told delegates attending the Canola Industry Meeting that those varieties have given growers a false sense of security. “In a sense, it was unfortunate that we did have clubroot resistant hybrids because I get the sense growers are depending on it and thinking, ‘well, I don’t have to worry about it because I have a solution,’ ” he said. Hodges stressed that resistant varieties are not a solution. Farmers still need to employ best management practices such as sticking to a one-in-four-year rotation. “My concern is all of the other things that growers should be doing to manage this disease, they’re kind of putting aside.” Hodges said clubroot is going to be one of the biggest challenges facing the canola industry. The affected area is small right now, but it will expand because the disease has many races and rapidly overcomes resistance genes.
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PULSE EXPORTS
Clock ticks on India’s fumigation exemption
Company says new varieties have bred producer complacency over disease management
SEE BAYER REGRETS, PAGE 4
WWW.PRODUCER.COM
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SEE CLOCK TICKS, PAGE 5
u|xhHEEJBy00001pzYv.:) DECEMBER 8, 2016 Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to: Box 2500, Stn. Main, Saskatoon, SK. S7K 2C4
Fire destroyed a grain elevator in Turtleford, Sask., Nov. 29. There was initially concern that the blaze would spread to other businesses, but firefighters were able to keep it contained. See page 15 for a related story. | REBECKA BLOOM PHOTO
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
CANOLA INDUSTRY MEETING
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