Smithfield Foods, the world’s biggest pork processor, said workers cannot be socially distant in all areas of its plants, in response to U.S. senators who pressed meat packers on COVID-19 outbreaks in slaughterhouses. Meat packers are under mounting pressure to protect workers after more than 16,000 employees across 23 U.S. states were infected with COVID-19
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PhiBer’s Triple Cutter scoops AIM award
PhiBer Manufacturing out of Crystal City, Man., is no stranger to innovation; it is, in fact, one of the things…
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Self-guided 4R tour brings new research in era of COVID-19
Soil fertility specialists from the University of Manitoba brought the latest “4R” research to the public while keeping a healthy…
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BASF’s ‘novel’ wireworm seed treatment makes pitch to PMRA
BASF hopes Teraxxa F4, its new cereal seed insecticide for wireworm control, will be available in Western Canada next year.…
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Local honey farm wins big in London
A Manitoba-Saskatchewan honey farm has brought home high honours from the 2020 London Honey Awards. Wendell Estate Honey, which practises both…
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Three more COVID-19 cases confirmed at Brandon pork plant
There have been three more cases of COVID-19 at Brandon’s Maple Leaf Foods pork plant, according to the union representing…
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Soil society modifies its Aug. 12 summer tour
The Manitoba Soil Science Society (MSSS) has replaced its annual summer bus tour with an event Aug. 12 at three…
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Stories from our other publications
‘Spread out? Where?’ Smithfield says not all plant workers can be socially distanced
InVigor canola genetics get an upgrade
BASF points to yield, pod-shatter resistance of canola hybrids
BASF promoted two of its new 300 Series InVigor canola hybrids — L340PC and L357P — during a July 22 webinar. “L340PC contains both first-generation clubroot resistance as well (as) BASF’s patented pod-shatter technology,” Wade Stocker, BASF’s manager of canola seeds and traits, told the webinar. “It’s a high-yielding hybrid that was 107.8 per cent
Winter cereal harvest continues, rain seen as benefit to remaining crops
Manitoba Crop Report and Crop Weather report for August 11
Southwest Region An EF-2 tornado touched down near Scarth on August 7, destroying a farm property and causing loss of life. Wind speeds reached 190km/hr at the time of storm. Overall, the preceding week was windy and dry in the Southwest region, advancing crops in their growth stages quicker than normal. Scattered showers fell over
Contingency plans tentatively in place for Brandon pork plant closure
No plans to close Maple Leaf Foods plant in Brandon despite COVID-19 cases, union calls to do so
“Every effort” will be made to find processing capacity for hogs if Brandon’s Maple Leaf Foods plant closes due to a cluster of COVID-19 cases there says Manitoba Pork. “I want to emphasize there is no plan being put in place to shut down the plant in Brandon,” Manitoba Pork general manager Andrew Dickson told
Groups call for international response to African swine fever
Joint initiative launched on ASF
Two international organizations are calling for global action to stop the spread of African swine fever (ASF). In a joint news release, the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) called on countries to join forces against the disease. The organizations warn ASF may cause
PhiBer’s Triple Cutter scoops AIM award
At up to 54 feet per pass, PhiBer Manufacturing’s Triple Cutter tool bar promises far faster haying and far less fuel
PhiBer Manufacturing out of Crystal City, Man., is no stranger to innovation; it is, in fact, one of the things it’s built its brand on. Now, the company says its latest dive into haying equipment promises to vastly improve the speed of haying, while saving up to three-quarters of the fuel a producer would normally
Manitoba Pork Council seeking new general manager
Andrew Dickson will step down in six months from the job he’s held for the last 15 years
The Manitoba Pork Council is looking for a new general manager. Andrew Dickson, who has had the job since early 2005, is stepping down Jan. 31, 2021. “You get to a point where you’ve got to quit sometime, so 68 (years of age) is a decent time to quit,” Dickson said in an interview July
Self-guided 4R tour brings new research in era of COVID-19
Through video, University of Manitoba researchers presented new research on increasing nitrogen use efficiency in grain corn
Soil fertility specialists from the University of Manitoba brought the latest “4R” research to the public while keeping a healthy distance, thanks to an innovative self-guided field tour July 23-25 near Carman. “The beauty of a self-guided tour is that people can do it at their leisure,” soil ecology professor, Mario Tenuta told the Manitoba
BASF’s ‘novel’ wireworm seed treatment makes pitch to PMRA
Teraxxa could be available in Western Canada next year if approved by Canadian regulatory authorities
BASF hopes Teraxxa F4, its new cereal seed insecticide for wireworm control, will be available in Western Canada next year. Health Canada’s Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) is reviewing Teraxxa and must approve it before it can be used commercially in Canada. The seed treatment is now in the public consultation period after getting handed
Unsolicited seed prompts U.S., CFIA warnings
Reuters – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is warning Americans not to plant unsolicited packages of seeds that appear to be arriving from China. States stretching from Washington to Virginia have also told residents not to put the seeds in the ground, after they arrived in the mailboxes of people who did not order
With roots going back to 1925, each weekly issue of the Manitoba Co-operator contains production, marketing and policy news selected for relevance to crops and livestock producers in Manitoba.