“Managing Supply” An Option For Battered Hog Farmers

“The nice thing about managing supply is it actually gives producers the tools to get it (returns) from the marketplace and we don’t keep going back to government with our hands out.” – IAN WISHART Canadian hog farmers should consider managing supplies, as American potato growers do, to avoid excess production and depressed prices, says

Payments Or Prosecutions Wanted

“We’ve noticed as grain companies have gotten bigger and head offices have been elsewhere it has been tougher for us to get the checkoffs from them.” – KAP PRESIDENT IAN WISHART Keys tone Agr icul tural Producers (KAP) wants grain companies that don’t col lect the general farm organization’s checkoff prosecuted. KAP relies on a


Chinese Demand Blackleg-Free Canola

China’s demand that Canada start delivering certified blackleg-free canola starting Nov. 15 will be tough to fulfil because the fungus disease is common here, says Canola Council of Canada president JoAnne Buth. But she says the Canadian government and canola industry are working hard to restore access to one of Canada’s major canola customers. Last

White Flag Or Prudent Planning?

A former chair of the Canadian Wheat Board says work should begin now on a compensation package for farmers if a World Trade Organization (WTO) agreement kills the board. Ken Ritter says he is convinced there will be a WTO agreement given most nations’ desire to stimulate the world economy. The current WTO proposal singles


KAP Delegates Critical Of Province

“Some people are having some challenges and they want to blame me and I can live with that.” – ROSANN WOWCHUK Rank and file delegates verbally pummelled the Manitoba government at the Oct. 15 Keystone Agricultural Producers meeting, accusing it of being indifferent to outright hostile towards agriculture. “I can’t understand what the government is

Drainage Disparity Irks Interlake Farmers

“I know some of our guys here think we’re not getting a fair shake and we’re being neglected.” – HAROLD FOSTER Some Interlake farmers don’t think they’re getting a fair shake when it comes to drainage. The Manitoba government, through its Disaster Financial Aid program, kicked in $1.9 million to help several rural municipalities in


Manitoba Farmers Still Have Lots Of Crop To Harvest

“We had four months of spring – April, May, June and July,” he said. “Then we had one month of summer, that would be September. And now we’ve gone straight into winter.” – Calvin Gust If you’ve still got crop out, you’re not alone. Two-thirds of the delegates attending the Keystone Agricultural Producers’ (KAP) meeting

Most Crops OK Despite Frost – for Oct. 8, 2009

“That (heat in) September saved us big time when it came to the corn crop.” – DAVID VAN DEYNZE, MASC Thanks to the warmest September on record, this fall’s first frost Sept. 29 did little or no damage to most Manitoba crops, including later-maturing ones such as corn, soybeans, edible beans and sunflowers. It didn’t



Floyd Farms Drops Processing Elevator Licence

Floyd Farms of Arborg has decided not to renew its licence as a process elevator effective Oct. 1. The Canadian Grain Commission (CGC) has no reason to suspect any farmers are owed money for grain delivered to Floyd Farms, CGC spokesman Remi Gosselin said. If there are any, they should contact the CGC, he added.