New target:Former Dauphin MP Inky Mark has been elected by acclamation Manitoba director of Canada’s National Firearms Association. Mark served as Conservative MP for Dauphin-Swan River-Marquette for 13 years until last September when he retired from federal politics. He has also served as mayor of Dauphin. “Inky is a valuable addition to our team,” said NFA president Sheldon Clare. “His political experience and understanding of Canadian firearm laws and the legislative process, will serve us well.”

– Staff Looks like ice cream, but is it?Dairy Farmers of Canada (DFC) is warning Canadians to avoid being fooled by “frozen desserts” made from edible vegetable oils pretending to be real ice cream. Consumers can look for the 100 per cent Canadian Milk symbol on the package as a guarantee they are buying the real thing. DFC is also directing ice-cream lovers to visit www.realicecream.ca to get the real scoop.” Just because something looks like ice cream, doesn’t mean it is ice cream,” says DFC spokesman Solange Heiss.

– Staff Forecast cut:The International Grains Council has cut its forecast for the 2011-12 global wheat crop by five million tonnes to 667 million, citing adverse weather in the EU and the U.S. The crop remains larger than the prior season’s 649 million but is slightly below anticipated wheat consumption in 2011-12 which was seen at 669 million.

Global corn (maize) production in 2011-12 was upwardly revised by one million tonnes to a record 848 million, well above the prior season’s 812 million but still shy of forecast 2011-12 corn consumption of 853 million.

First quarter down:Farm cash

receipts in Manitoba were down for the first three months of 2011 and so far the rest of the year doesn’t look much better.

Manitoba farm cash receipts totalled $1.378 billion, four per cent lower than for the same period in 2010, Statistics Canada reported last week. This contrasts with an 8.8 per cent increase in cash receipts across Canada so far this year.

Manitoba and British Columbia are the only two provinces to report a drop in farm cash receipts during the first quarter of 2011. B.C. had a 2.2 per cent decline. – Staff Official critics:Malcolm Allen, the MP for the Niagara-region riding of Welland since 2008, has been named the party’s agriculture critic, replacing Castlegar, B.C.-area MP Alex Atamanenko as the New Democrats step into their new role as the official Opposition next month.

Atamanenko had been the party’s critic on the agriculture and agri-food file since he was first elected in 2006. Manitoba MP Pat Martin, whose inner-city riding of Winnipeg Centre includes the CWB’s Main Street headquarters, remains lead critic on the Canadian Wheat Board.

– Staff

Flooding worsens:Authorities

rushed last week to complete levees to hold back historic flooding on the Missouri River in North and South Dakota, and urged many residents to evacuate their homes, possibly for two months. Heavy rains in May coupled with a deep melting snowpack left reservoirs near capacity on the Missouri River and levels high across the basin and nearby river systems. Flooding along the Souris River, a Red River tributary, has forced a mandatory evacuation for up to 12,000 Minot, North Dakota, residents – more than one-quarter of the city.

A refreshing success:

Organic Meadow Kéfir was recently named Best New Product by the Manitoba Food Processors Association. The product is produced locally by Organic Meadow at Notre Dame Creamery Ltd. in Notre Dame de Lourdes. Launched September 2010, Kéfir has proven popular among health-savvy consumers and retailers alike.

The versatile dairy product is a drink, can be poured over cereal or used in baking. It features 10 added cultures and is made with one per cent organic milk.

– Staff Re-elected:Allen Oberg was re-elected as chair of the Canadian Wheat Board board of directors at its regularly scheduled meeting in Winnipeg on June 2. Oberg is an elected farmer director from Forestburg, Alberta who serves from District 5, where he runs a grain and cattle operation. He was first elected to the CWB board of directors by producers in his district in 2002 and re-elected in 2006 and 2010.

– CWB Bulletin Going public:TheSt. Jean Baptiste-based Roy Legumex Group has joined with Tisdale’s Walker Seeds and Pacific Coast Canola of Seattle, Washington to create Legumex Walker Inc., LWI.

LWI has filed a preliminary prospectus with the securities regulators about a proposed public offering.

The company also has plans to expand into canola processing with the construction of a 1,100-tonne-per-day canola oilseed-processing facility in Washington state through its 85 per cent interest in Pacific Coast Canola. – Staff