A lot of farmers are skeptical about climate change. Some are deniers. “I was a doubter as well,” Minto farmer Bill Campbell said in an interview after Keystone Agricultural Producers’ advisory council meeting Nov. 3. “But in the last five years I have kind of taken the approach that I can’t ignore it and I
Farmer changes his mind on climate change
KAP develops carbon pricing position after intense debate
Farmers should be exempted from paying a price on emissions resulting directly from food production, while getting some of the carbon revenues to help them further reduce emissions
There was vigorous back and forth as the Keystone Agricultural Producers laid out its carbon policy Nov. 3 at the fall advisory council meeting in Portage la Prairie. At times the discussion turned emotional as both sides had strongly held views on the issue. Farmers’ should be exempted from paying a price on any carbon
Spud producers pull off second record crop
Prices are low and right now there’s no market for the surplus production
Manitoba potato growers harvested, on average, a record 348 hundredweight (cwt) an acre this fall, up eight per cent from the previous record of 322 cwt set last year. However, it’s not all good news, Keystone Potato Growers Association manager Dan Sawatzky told the Keystone Agricultural Producers’ advisory council Nov. 3. “We are struggling to
KAP says fund education through income tax and residences
Farmers complain about skyrocketing tax increases on farmland, even though province-wide they are up only 15 per cent on average, according to a Manitoba government official
Keystone Agricultural Producers members have taken their stance on education tax reform one step further and are calling for the funds to be raised through income tax and a tax on residences. That adds to their long-standing call for removing the heavy tax burden on farmland and production buildings, and came during their annual advisory
New York Times findings on GM crops disputed
A Times study concludes GM crops don’t yield more than conventional ones, but two Canadian agricultural economists found GM crops are worth billions
Genetically modified (GM) crops haven’t increased yields or reduced pesticide use as promised by developers, according to a study conducted by the New York Times published Oct. 29. But a Canadian study shows biotechnology, which includes genetic modification and new hybridization techniques in canola, boosted yields and put billions of extra dollars into farmers’ pockets.
Wet conditions delaying Manitoba harvest, fertilizer applications
Sunny forecast is just what many farmers need
Too wet. That sums up conditions on many Manitoba farms as of Nov. 3 when the Keystone Agricultural Producers (KAP) held its advisory council meeting here. But that was before Mother Nature treated much of the province to a weekend of record-breaking temperatures, sunshine and wind. And as of press time Monday warmer-than-normal, sunny weather
Grain sector hails transport reform
But some farm groups worry about the future of the maximum revenue entitlement
Farm groups, grain shippers, crop processors and supply chain organizations are all praising Transport Minister Marc Garneau’s plan to make Canada’s grain transportation system more competitive. But some farm groups are uneasy about the future of the maximum revenue entitlement (MRE). Speaking to the Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan Montreal Nov. 3 Garneau announced legislation
Record hail claims, payouts for MASC in 2016
The big white combine took a heavy toll in Manitoba this year
This was a hail of a year for a lot of Manitoba farmers — in fact, it was a record. The Manitoba Agricultural Services Corporation (MASC) received 4,700 hail claims in 2016 and has so far paid out more than $43 million on destroyed or damaged insured crops, David Koroscil, Manitoba Agricultural Services Corporation’s acting
2017 excess moisture insurance deadline Nov. 30
Farmers who want to increase their EMI coverage, or buy down their deductible, have until the end of the month
The deadline to make changes to 2017 excess moisture insurance (EMI) coverage is Nov. 30. That’s also the deadline for new farmers who haven’t had crop insurance before to get higher EMI coverage rather than just the basic. Excessively wet fields this fall increase the possibility that some won’t get seeded before the Manitoba Agricultural
Canola Discovery Forum focuses on short-, long-term research
It gets new agronomic information to farmers faster and exposes researchers to the questions farmers want answered
Canola growers can cut their seeding rates under good seeding conditions, but they might have to re-evaluate insect thresholds and weed control timing. That was just one of the many pieces of information to come from the Canola Discovery Forum held in Winnipeg Oct. 25 to 27. “The evidence is starting to show we can