Two dry years in a row doesn’t mean Manitoba sunflower growers can skip scouting for moisture-loving diseases. Producers should always be on the lookout for sclerotinia and rust, Holly Derksen said at the recent Manitoba Special Crops Symposium. “When we do have a wet year, those are ones to watch for,” said Derksen, a plant
Scout your sunflowers, expert urges
Finance minister to attend flood meeting
Producers still feeling the effects of the 2011 flood hope a public meeting will give them answers on compensation
After a year of promises and tours by officials, producers in the Lake Manitoba region say they have been left adrift in the flood of 2011 — alone and without proper compensation. On Feb. 22, the Lake Manitoba Flood Rehabilitation Committee will host a public meeting at the Meadow-Lea Hall near Marquette in an attemptNeedle-free injection urged for swine
Manitoba Pork Council and Maple Leaf Foods urge pork producers to switch to needle-less injection system after needle fragments found at Brandon plant
Hog producers are being urged to consider needle-less injection systems following the discovery of needle fragments at Maple Leaf Foods’ Brandon pork plant. “I think we’re going to look at pushing that technology more and more, because the issue of food safety is very important,” said Mark Fynn, an animal care specialist with the ManitobaPork producers urged to be open about what happens in their barns
Pro-industry advocacy group says consumers have ‘woken up’ and are concerned about modern livestock practices, but willing to listen to farmers’ side of the story
Farmers may have a lot of good science in their corner, but facts alone won’t restore public trust in the food system, according to the head of an industry advocacy group. “People are asking ethical questions and we’re giving them science-based answers, because we’re not comfortable talking about the ethics,” said Terry Fleck, executive directorHarvest losses bedevil sunflower growers
Sunflowers pose challenges during harvest as drier conditions lead to increased shatter and seed loss
Drier temperatures can help once sunflower seeds are in the bin, but are a challenge when they’re still in the fields. “It’s getting to be more of an issue every year,” Bud Pittenger told producers during the annual Special Crops Symposium in Winnipeg. “The sunflowers are drying down so much faster nowadays … there isFarmers don’t want their research dollars to boost fortunes of big corporations
Head of Western Grains Research Foundation is studying the idea of a farmer-owned breeding company, but says any decision is a long way off
Grain producers want their research dollars to benefit them, and not big corporations in the post-single-desk world. “At what point are we going to stop funding research and selling it off and paying for it again and again,” Rob Brunel asked at the recent Keystone Agricultural Producers annual general meeting. He said he doesn’t wantBattered Manitoba hog sector hopes better days are coming soon
Don’t expect the hurt to disappear overnight, Manitoba pork producers are being warned. The U.S. drought sent feed prices soaring last year, and it’s no wonder, Andrew Dickson told attendees at the annual Manitoba Swine Seminar. “You can’t have three billion bushels of corn disappear out of the feed grains industry and not have an
KAP delegates urged to ‘get the word out’ on agriculture’s many accomplishments
If you can’t see the silver lining, take a closer look. There are plenty of positive stories in the farming world, and you don’t have to look far to find them, delegates were told at the annual general meeting of Keystone Agricultural Producers (KAP). Agriculture has created 62,000 jobs in Manitoba alone, said KAP president
4-H courting urban, Aboriginal youth to boost enrolment
Facing declining membership, 4-H Manitoba hopes to draw in urban and First Nations youth as it heads into its second century
Times are changing, farms are changing, and so is 4-H. Since its inception in the southern Manitoba village of Roland, a century ago, the venerable youth organization has been dedicated to instilling agricultural knowledge and universal life skills in rural youth. But looking to the future also means looking to urban centres for growth. “We’reAgriStability changes unwelcome
Opinions on the effectiveness of AgriStability may differ, but most feel farmers are getting shortchanged
Producers will have to take a close look at their farm’s finances before deciding if AgriStability is the right program for them in the coming years, say Prairie farm leaders. Last fall, changes were made to how program payouts are triggered. For some producers these changes will come into effect in 2013. “It’s all over
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