A perennial problem with surplus milk powder stocks has re-emerged to plague Canada’s dairy industry. Year-end stocks of skim milk powder are five times higher than they were for the previous year, according to the Canadian Dairy Commission. This increase comes at a time when falling world milk prices restrict the commission’s ability to remove
Skim milk powder surpluses rise again
Wolves attacking cattle in south-central Manitoba
“You can’t just run out and kill every wolf you see.” – Martin Unrau, MCPA Bill Guenther is missing a quarter of his calves and he’s pretty sure he knows why. About six weeks ago, Guenther surprised a large wolf – “a big grey bugger” – eating on a freshly killed 600-pound heifer calf on
Canada takes COOL to WTO
“… a needless and expensive thickening of the border.” – Gerry Ritz Canada has launched a WTO trade action against the U. S. mandatory country-of-origin meat labelling rule. Federal Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz and International Trade Minister Stockwell Day made the announcement at a news conference in Ottawa Monday. The Canadian government has initiated formal
MCPA proposes its own environmental program
“ALUS is a great idea but it does not help us as cattle producers.” – MARTIN UNRAU, MCPA Manitoba cattle producers are proposing a new program to reward them financially for environmentally friendly farming practices. The program, called Envi ronmental and Rural Stewardship Program (ERSP), would pay producers up to nearly $127 million annually for
World food system exploits consumers: activist
Raj Patel held up a Snickers bar, examined the list of ingredients and proclaimed it the key to understanding the world’s food system. The list included cocoa, likely from the Ivory Coast, the world’s largest cocoa producer and an employer of child labour. It also included lecithin, an emulsifier made from soybean oil, found in
Polluters liable for “excessive annoyances”
“So long as farmers engage in normal farming practices, the normal common law of nuisance won’t apply.” – William Amos, Ecojustice A landmark Supreme Court of Canada ruling that companies can be sued for polluting despite operating within government regulations could have ramifications for agriculture. Supreme Court judges ruled November 20 that a Quebec cement
Keystone Centre seeks financial solution to $5.5 million debt
Provincial and city officials are struggling to find a long-term solution to the financial woes of Brandon’s Keystone Centre, home to the biggest agricultural events in Manitoba. A special committee expects soon to file a report with the province recommending ways to pay off the centre’s $5.5 million debt and restore it to financial health.
Flooded cattle producers ineligible for tax deferral
Flooded Manitoba farmers who are selling off cattle and hoping for an income tax break are out of luck unless Ottawa changes the rules. Producers may defer income from livestock sales for one year only if they are forced to sell animals because of drought, not flood. That leaves out flooded cattle farmers who are
NFU slams KVD elimination, fears C-39 return
It wasn’t a good day to represent the Canadian Grain Commission. A hostile crowd gave CGC assistant chief commissioner Jim Smolik a rough ride during his appearance at the National Farmers Union annual convention Nov. 21. Smolik was there to talk about variety registration and the new declaration system for Canada’s grain industry. But NFU
Federal action urged to reopen beef markets
Canada’s livestock producers, fed up with international trade barriers, want the federal government to do much more to open up foreign markets for their products. A new industry report recommends 25 steps for Ottawa to take in gaining greater access for Canada’s agricultural exports, especially beef. That includes creating a separate bureaucracy for negotiating international
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