Efforts to get Japan to reopen its borders to Canadian beef less than 30 months of age “are proceeding well,” says Pierre Lemieux. “They are assuring us that progress is being made, that work is underway and there is certainly a good spirit of willingness and co-operation,” said Lemieux, parliamentary secretary to the minister of
Canada pushing Japan to take older Canuck beef
AAFC clarifies checkoff administrator’s authority
The federal government plans to sign an agreement with the Alberta Barley Commission to dictate how farmers’ money collected from the proposed new interim wheat and barley checkoff for research and market development is spent. “ABC and AAFC (Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada) intend to enter into an agreement that will specify what dollars-per-tonne amounts that
New fungicide options available this year
There are a couple new fungicide combinations available to Manitoba farmers this year and perhaps a new one if final regulatory approval comes in time. BASF’s Twinline combines the active ingredients in the fungicides Headline (Group 11) and Caramba (Group 3) into one jug. The product controls a number of cereal diseases including leaf, stem
CROP CHECKUP: Fungicide season has begun
Winter wheat is at, or near the stage, for applying fungicides to protect it from various leaf diseases — and spring wheat isn’t far behind. According to Holly Derksen, a plant pathologist with Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives (MAFRI) at Carman, some winter wheat fields were at the flag leaf stage last week and
KAP questions checkoff administrator
The Keystone Agricultural Producers is miffed over a federal decision to appoint the Alberta Barley Commission as administrator for the new interim checkoff on western wheat and barley. “I can’t see why KAP couldn’t have handled it or why the Canola Growers or Corn Growers couldn’t,” KAP president Doug Chorney said in an interview last
Good data is the antidote to hype
Magnetized seed, cheese whey, aspirin and diesel exhaust are among some crop-enhancing treatments farmers have been urged to buy over the years. A lot more are certain to appear when companies don’t have to prove their fertilizers work to get them registered, predicts Don Flaten, a professor of soil science at the University of Manitoba.
Ottawa appealed ruling against Ritz on CWB Act
The Federal Court of Appeal reserved its decision May 23 after hearing the federal government’s appeal of a ruling last year that Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz broke the law by not consulting with farmers before ending the Canadian Wheat Board single desk. The Appeal Court hasn’t signalled when it will render a decision. But its
Snake-oil versus innovation
Most farmers would scoff at the notion of replacing their nitrogen fertilizer with maple syrup. But Manitoba Agriculture soil fertility specialist John Heard was able to make a convincing argument using some creative interpretation of data. In 2009, Heard conducted a trial comparing the impact of a special “growth enhancer” derived from Acer negundo on
Assess frosted crops before spraying herbicide
Some Manitoba crops were damaged by frost May 29 and early indications suggest most will recover, but where there has been damage farmers should hold off applying herbicides. Farmers considering spraying should wait 24 to 48 hours to avoid further injury, says Nasir Shaikh, a weed specialist with Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives (MAFRI)
Windstorm sandblasts crops
Winds of up to 100 kilometres an hour toppled granaries, uprooted trees, ripped off shingles and sandblasted crops in south-central Manitoba May 14. In the aftermath, around 400 reseeding claims were submitted to the Manitoba Agricultural Service Corporation’s (MASC) insurance division as of May 18, said David Van Deynze, manager of claim services. “Canola, by