“Either we have adequate competition or, where we don’t have adequate competition… we need effective legislation to simulate this balance.” – WADE SOBKOWICH Farm groups, grain companies and railway shippers are pleased a federal government review of railway service has taken another step forward. Rob Merrifield, minister of state for transport announced Sept. 23 the
Rail Service Review Enters Next Phase
Low-Level Tolerances Needed For GM Crops
“Once an event has been approved it’s not a question when that event will show up, it’s a question of what day on the calendar it will show up.” – DENNIS STEPHENS Governments must agree on tolerances for small amounts of genet i -cally modified plants (GM) in commodity shipments and Canada’s should take the
More Clubroot-Tolerant Canolas In Pipeline
Several clubroot-tolerant canolas could be available to Alberta and other western farmers next spring. In the meantime, Manitoba authorities have stepped up their vigilance against the long-lived, soil-borne pathogen that can decimate canola yields. Pioneer Hi-Bred’s 45H29, the first clubroot-tolerant canola in Canada, received interim registration in February at the Western Canada Canola/Rapeseed Recommending Committee
Changes To Canola Registration System Proposed
“I think companies will only take this path (interim registration) if they know for sure they’re going to pass in the second year.” – JOANNE BUTH The Canola Council of Canada (CCC) says its proposal to change the canola registration system will get improved varieties to farmers faster while still safeguarding them and processors from
Stop Good Canola From Going Bad
Hot canola, even if it’s dry, needs to be cooled or it could go bad in the bin. “Canola will respire for about six weeks after you stick it in the bin,” said Anastasia Kubinec, the oilseed specialist with Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives. “And it can heat and the moisture can go up
Changes Likely For Flax Industry
“It’s going to be a wake-up call for somebody.” – DALE ADOLPHE Canada’s flax industry will have to change how it does business to restore European Union (EU) confidence if genetically modified (GM) flax is verified in Canadian exports. Farmers might have to declare the variety of flax they deliver, or grow only certified seed,
Manitoba’s Late Corn Crop Is Catching Up
“If it (corn) makes it, like everything else this year, the yields look like they will be phenomenal again.” – PAM DE ROCQUIGNY Maybe, just maybe, Manitoba corn farmers are going to dodge a bullet and harvest a good crop despite a cool spring and summer. If they do it will be “back-to-back miracles,” following
CdC Triffid Flax Scare Threatens Access To No. 1 EU Market
Like a movie monster that refuses to die, CDC Triffid, a genetically modified (GM) Canadian flax deregistered in 2001, has surfaced in Germany, European Union (EU) officials believe. And flax prices have plummeted just as farmers feared they might when they lobbied to have the variety voluntarily pulled from the market. Although the Canadian Food
Ottawa Responds To Producer Car Shippers
“If you don’t have sidings, you effectively sterilize the right to load producer cars.” – terry boehm The Canadian National Railway (CN) should work with farmers before abandoning sidings used to load producer cars, says Rob Merrifield, Minister of state for transport. “The minister is disappointed that CN is only using the bare minimum of
Producer Cars Have Been A Farmer Right Since 1902
Legislation giving farmers the right to load their own grain into rail cars was introduced in May 1902 as an amendment to the Manitoba Grain Act of 1900, after it became apparent elevator companies and the railways conspired to prevent farmers loading cars themselves. The amendment introduced the “Car Order Book” – allocating cars on