“The first thing I want to say is we are non-partisan and we have members from every political stripe and farms of every style and size.” – TERRY BOEHM The National Farmers Union’s (NFU) new president , Saskatchewan farmer Terry Boehm, says addressing the downturn in the hog and cattle sectors and preventing market disruption
Terry Boehm New NFU President
Wells Condemns Corporate Seed Power
Afew very large seed corporations led by Monsanto have too much power over farmers, according to retiring National Farmers Union (NFU) president Stewart Wells. “With the rapid changes the seed companies are making to the system – seed registration, patent protection, seed contracts and inter-company seed agreements – Monsanto and the seed trade will quickly
Easter Critical Of Leaders For Not Defending Members
Liberal Agriculture Critic Wayne Easter says the leadership within Canada’s hog and cattle industries isn’t doing enough to defend producers from inadequate government action. “For the life of me I don’t know why the hog and beef industry isn’t standing up for themselves,” the Prince Edward Island MP told the 40th annual meeting of the
How Weatherindexed Production Insurance Works
Bees don’t fly much when it’s cold so honey production suffers. The weatherindexed crop insurance Rick McConnell, a consultant, and Watts and Associates have developed would give beekeepers the option to insure against cold at specific times of the year. A farmer could insure against too much or not enough rain or heat for the
KAP Explores Weather-Indexed Production Insurance
“I guess it really boils down to kind of a philosophical discussion over who should be delivering crop insurance.” – NEIL HAMILTON If Manitoba farmers could’ve insured against a killing frost occurring in late August, many would’ve, suspects Keystone Agricultural Producers (KAP) president Ian Wishart. Fortunately, the frost held off and disaster was averted. Farmers
New Pulse Buyer Shuttered
Altona pulse crop processor Sunbelt Prairie Products has closed its doors before it opened. The firm, owned by Makhdoom Abbas, who is also president and CEO of international food-processing firm Zeb Rice Ltd., went into receivership Nov. 16, said Collin LeGall with Winnipeg-based Lazer Grant, a trustee in bankruptcy. There’s a good possibility some other
National Farmers Union Celebrates 40 Years
“Structure determines process, process determines results.” – ROY ATKINSON If there’s a constant with the National Farmers Union, it’s consistency. Canada’s only national, voluntary, direct-membership general farm organization, which holds its 40th annual meeting in Ottawa this week, sticks to its principles. “The first person who compromises, loses,” Roy Atkinson, the NFU’s first president, said
Ballots In The Mail For MCGA Election
“The best thing I could hope for is that as soon as a person gets a ballot they mark it and send it back.” – BILL ROSS Six farmers – four incumbents and two others – are running to fill four directors’ seats around the Manitoba Canola Growers Association’s (MCGA) board table. The incumbents seeking
Great Weather Helps With Late Harvest
“My gut feel is the biggest amount of those acres have probably disappeared.” – CRAIG THOMSON Two giant green combines pull out of the cornfield at the junction of highways 23 and 3 after dumping their overflowing hoppers of golden kernels. It’s still too wet, says one of the combine operators from the Rosebank Hutterite
You’ll Need A GM Test First Starting Dec. 1
Starting Dec. 1, western Canadian flax will have to be tested for the presence of genetically modified (GM) flax before elevators will accept delivery. It’s part of the protocol reached recently between Canada and the European Union (EU) to ensure the EU gets GM-free flax from Canada, says Flax Council of Canada president Barry Hall.