Commodity group collaboration and perhaps even mergers, will be discussed at CropConnect this week, led by Fairfax, Man., farmer and consultant Kelly Dobson. Dobson will be updating farmers Feb. 15 at 12:40 p.m. at the Victoria Hotel and Convention Centre in Winnipeg as well as have a booth at the CropConnect show where farmers give input,
Commodity collaboration, mergers to be discussed at CropConnect ’17
One group that’s been an early collaborator says right now that’s as far as they’re going
Single checkoff coming for wheat growers
The new system will fund both wheat variety development and Cigi, say the provincial wheat groups
Wheat growers can expect to see a simplified checkoff system in the coming crop year. Beginning August 1, 2017, they’ll see checkoffs for the provincial associations combined with the transitional checkoff for funding variety research and market development. Those funds, collected through the temporary Western Canadian Deduction (WCD) checkoff, have since 2012 funded the Western
Looking closer at the wheat checkoff change
Farmers won’t see much difference on the elevator driveway, but what about Cigi and the WGRF?
For farmers it’s going to mean a single checkoff line on their grain ticket. For groups like the Canadian International Grains Institute (Cigi) and the Western Grains Research Foundation (WGRF) the changes will be more involved. Having a direct role in funding these groups may lead to more farmer input into their governance. Read more: Single
Farmers Doug Chorney, Lonny McKague appointed to Canadian Grain Commission
They start Feb. 13 along with new chief commissioner Patti Miller
The Canadian Grain Commission (CGC) will soon have a full complement of commissioners. Doug Chorney, a farmer from East Selkirk, Man., is the new assistant chief commissioner and Lonny McKague, who farms at Ogema, Sask., is the new commissioner. Their cabinet appointments take effect Feb. 13. That’s also when Canola Council of Canada president Patti
Wheat growers repeats calls for CGC fee cut, refunds in wake of $106-million surplus
But some say mailing cheques is impractical and logistically challenging so lowering fees is the best option
The Western Canadian Wheat Growers Association thinks it’s time for the Canadian Grain Commission to cut some cheques to farmers. The WCWGA call comes because the CGC has, over the course of the past few years, accumulated a $106.3-million operating surplus, mainly through user fees on farmers. But a CGC official says he isn’t sure the
Lack of meal capacity could be costing canola growers
One global analyst says meal sales are being lost, but the domestic industry says so far the system has kept up
Insufficient export capacity is costing western Canadian canola growers money in lost canola meal sales and farmers should be complaining loudly, says Thomas Mielke. Meilke is executive director of the widely read food oil publication Oil World, based in Hamburg, Germany. “You could do more, but the logistics are not in place,” Mielke said here
Consider selling new-crop canola soon — more than usual
Thomas Mielke of Oil World warns a jump in palm oil production will push world canola prices down later and canola prices could decline by early this spring in anticipation
Canadian canola growers should consider selling new-crop canola soon and perhaps more than they would normally this early, says Thomas Mielke, executive director of Oil World, a German-based publication covering world vegetable oil and meal markets since 1958. “We all know these high prices (of around $500 a tonne on the Winnipeg futures market) cannot
Agriculture Minister Eichler optimistic Trump will see value in ag trade
Trump’s nominee for ag secretary, Sonny Perdue, has a record of supporting trade
Manitoba Agriculture Minister Ralph Eichler is optimistic President Donald Trump will see the value of agricultural trade, despite his protectionist rhetoric. “I think that Trump is a very educated man in his own way,” Eichler told reporters Jan. 17 at Ag Days. “Maybe he has to listen a little bit more than he talks… that
Province to discuss new stable funding formula for KAP
KAP welcomes the initiative and the National Farmers Union says it wants in too
The Manitoba government has promised less red tape — including how the Keystone Agricultural Producers (KAP) collects membership fees. “The current funding structure creates needless and excessive administration costs for farmers and KAP and purchasers of agricultural products,” Agriculture Minister Ralph Eichler said while speaking at Ag Days Jan. 17. “A review of the system
Heads up for farmers, businesses about commercial imports from the U.S.
A farm couple who didn’t know about changes introduced in March 2016 recommends getting an import number and filling out a B3 form in advance to save time
Roland farmers Bob and Shelley Bartley want to get the word out to fellow farmers and other business owners about paperwork changes when commercially importing from the United States. Their advice is to get an importer and exporter number from the Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA) and do the paperwork in advance of importing goods.