Manitoba’s agriculture minister Ralph Eichler, shown here at an Aug. 27 pre-election forum hosted by the Manitoba Farm Writers and Broadcasters Association, easily held his riding of Lakeside in the Sept. 10 provincial election. (Manitoba Co-operator photo by Geralyn Wichers)

Ag minister returned, ag critic downed in Manitoba vote

Manitoba’s Progressive Conservatives easily kept their agriculture minister while hanging onto a marginally slimmer majority government in Tuesday’s provincial election. Ralph Eichler, the Tories’ ag minister since 2016 and the MLA for the Interlake-area constituency of Lakeside since 2003, defeated New Democrat challenger Dan Rugg of Elie on Tuesday night by a spread of 4,340

Harvest progress in Manitoba limited by widespread rainfall

Manitoba Crop Report and Crop Weather report for September 10

Southwest Region A few rainy days during the week and heavy rains yesterday have halted all harvest activities. In small pockets, there were a few days in which producers had made some harvest progress. Rain amounts are variable throughout the region. Hamiota, Forrest and Carberry area had the most at 40 to 45 mm. Russell,


Clubroot galls on a canola plant. (Video screengrab from Canola Council of Canada via YouTube)

Clubroot able to beat resistant canola reaches Manitoba

A strain of clubroot able to club the roots of some resistant canola varieties has made its way east to Manitoba. Manitoba’s agriculture department reported Friday that clubroot pathotype 3A — a strain that can “overcome some first-generation sources of genetic resistance” in commercial canola — has been positively identified in the south-central rural municipality

Canola and soybean prices have both taken a hit in 2019.

AGGrowth Coalition frustrated by lack of government trade aid

Presumably Canadian farmers have suffered, 
but where’s the economic analysis backing it up?

The AGGrowth Coalition “demands” the federal government provide “support for… export-oriented farmers facing significant market disruptions as a result of global trade action,” but hasn’t provided documentation of how much trade problems have hurt Canadian farmers. The coalition and others are working on that, AGGrowth co-chair and Grain Growers of Canada chair Jeff Nielsen said






China is buying increasing volumes of canola oil and meal from Canada, says Chris Vervaet, executive director of the Canadian Oilseed Processors Association.

New record for Canadian canola crushing in 2018-19

TRADE Back-to-back record canola crushing is unlikely to result in increased crushing capacity due to trade uncertainty

China all but stopped importing Canadian canola seed in March, but it’s buying more Canadian canola oil and meal than ever. Meanwhile, Canadian processors crushed a record 9.295 million tonnes of canola seed during the 2018-19 crop year, ending July 31, Statistics Canada figures show. That’s up 0.3 per cent, or 26,000 tonnes, from the


Canada's exports of major crops reached 44.6 million tonnes, up from 41.9 million in 2017-18.

New record for Canadian crop exports in 2018-19

trade It came despite a huge drop in canola seed export, 
which record wheat sales helped offset

Canada exported a record 44.6 million tonnes of major crops when the 2018-19 crop year ended July 31, up six per cent from the previous record of 41.9 set last crop year, according to Canadian Grain Commission (CGC) statistics. “If there is potential for profit farmers will grow the crop,” Keystone Agricultural Producers president Bill

Dominic Barton. (Video screengrab from McKinsey.com)

Industry groups hail appointment of new China envoy

Ottawa | Reuters — Canada has appointed veteran business consultant Dominic Barton as ambassador to China, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Wednesday, as the government grapples with a major diplomatic and trade dispute between the nations. Barton, 56, a Ugandan-born Canadian who stepped down as global managing partner of consulting firm McKinsey and Co.