Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) is getting out of the flax-breeding business so it can focus more on research to boost farmers’ flax yields. “We maintained our staff in the flax area to transition from breeding to agronomy and pathology,” George Clayton, AAFC’s acting director general for the Prairie/Boreal Plain Ecozone, said in an interview
Ag Canada drops flax breeding for agronomy research
The Manitoba Flax Growers Association says more research is needed to increase flax yields
Manitoba highest-cost processing potato producer: McCain
Growers, who are negotiating 2014 prices, don’t think the company’s figures are current
Manitoba potato farmers could face steeper cuts in contracted potato production unless they can become more cost competitive with other areas of North America, a senior official with McCain Foods says. Christine Wentworth, McCain Foods’ vice-president of North America agricultural procurement, said in a recent interview Manitoba produces the highest-cost processing potatoes in North America.
Global warming turned anti-GMO activist Mark Lynas into a promoter
Environmentalist and author spoke at CropConnect
Mark Lynas, the British author who made headlines a year ago by reversing his opposition to genetically modified crops says it was the compelling science on climate change that made him do it. “You can’t take a position saying, ‘I am defending climate change on the basis of the scientific consensus, but I’m opposing GMOs
Canola growers debate UPOV ’91
A resolution opposing the treaty was narrowly defeated
A resolution in favour of the Manitoba Canola Growers Association (MCGA) opposing Canada’s plan to implement UPOV ’91 was narrowly defeated at the association’s annual meeting in Winnipeg Feb. 18. It took a tie-breaking vote from the MCGA president and meeting chair Ed Rempel to defeat the resolution put forward by Deleau farmer Ian Robson
Farmers swarm first annual CropConnect
More than 1,100 farmers paid to attend over two days
More than 600 farmers attended the first annual CropConnect Conference at Winnipeg’s Victoria Inn Feb. 18 and more than 530 showed up for the second day Feb 19. “Everything I’m hearing about the conference has been pretty positive,” said CropConnect committee chair, Theresa Bergsma, who is also secretary-manager of the Manitoba Corn Growers Association. CropConnect
Railways cut producer car sites
CP Rail says the points it dropped weren’t being used, but KAP says farmers need more options, not less
The railways recently cut 19 producer car loading sites across the West even though farmers are using producer cars more than ever as they struggle to get a record crop to market. “If anything we need more producer car sites, not less,” Keystone Agricultural Producers’ (KAP) president Doug Chorney said in an interview. “KAP’s policy
Poor rail service blamed for some Canadian mills closing temporarily after running out of grain
The transportation crisis is hurting domestic grain customers too, says CNMA president Gordon Harrison
Western Canada’s grain train backlog is hurting the industry’s Canadian customers too with some millers forced to close due to a lack of supply, the president of the Canadian National Millers Association (CNMA) says. “Prolonged interruptions of up to three to four weeks in wheat and oat delivery by rail to mills have literally forced
Corn growers hail top yielder
Baker Colony of MacGregor has won the Manitoba Corn Growers Association’s 2013 corn yield competition with a yield of 252.74 bushels an acre. Froese Enterprises of Winkler and Rolling Prairie Inc. of Niverville placed second and third, respectively with yields of 210.03 and 209.18 bushels an acre. Baker Colony won growing Pioneer 39D97. Although average Manitoba corn yields set
Canola nutritionist honoured
Dave Hickling is this year’s recipient of the Canola Award of Excellence for his work on canola meal. Hickling received the award at the first annual CropConnect Conference banquet in Winnipeg Feb. 18 from the Manitoba Canola Growers Association (MCGA). Hickling recently retired from the Canola Council of Canada where he had worked since 2002. Hickling began his career
Line up private field crop inspection services early
A 109-year-old system is changing in just 18 months and nobody knows how smoothly it will go
Seed growers should make arrangements early with the company they want to inspect their pedigreed seed crops this year. “The key message is seed growers and (inspection) service providers need to be getting together over the next two to three months and nailing down the service agreement or arrangement for 2014,” Dale Adolphe, executive director