News & Opinion & Farming Articles - Manitoba Co-operator

Forage producers have a new tool to help them pick and manage their seeding choices.

Forage tool aims to make the perfect match

A new online tool promises to tailor forage choices for a producer’s field conditions and planned use

By Alexis Stockford July 8, 2020

Developers of a new interactive online tool say it will allow producers to pick and choose the best forage species for their farm. The Saskatchewan Forage Council, along with Beef Cattle Research Council, Alberta Beef, Forage Grazing Centre, federal government, government of B.C., among others, launched Forage U-Pick earlier this month. Why it matters: Forage

Livestock producers say AgriStability doesn’t fit their sector because beef and pork producers have few eligible expenses to trigger payment. file photo

Livestock, News

Livestock producers say BRMs a poor fit for sector

Cattle and pork producers say the programs simply don’t understand the business model of their sectors

By D.C. Fraser July 8, 2020

Canadian livestock producers say existing risk management programs aren’t working for their operations. In particular, representatives from the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association and the Canadian Pork Council singled out AgriStability during recent meetings of the parliamentary Agriculture and Agri-Food committee. AgriStability largely operates based on reference margin limits, but many cattle and pork producers have low eligible expenses,

As Manitoba farmers take off their first forage cut, a new report offers them hope this crop could soon be more insurable.

Forages, News, Other

Forage insurance review offers hope to producers

Issues with the program prevented widespread adoption, but that could now change

By Alexis Stockford July 7, 2020

The first word is in on possible forage insurance changes, and it largely reflects concerns voiced by producers. On June 19, Manitoba Agriculture and Resource Development released the findings of the awaited forage insurance review, announced last fall in the wake of critically low hay harvests. The report called for a hard look on how

News, Pulses

Recent trends offer many options for pulse products

Pulse industry is expanding its market reach beyond direct consumer products

By Glen Hallick - MarketsFarm July 7, 2020

Things have changed a great deal in the global pulse industry over the last 15 to 20 years. “We’ve changed from being a direct consumer product to being a product that can be used as an ingredient in many different areas,” said Carol Brown, president of the Global Pulse Confederation board of directors. Brown spoke

News

‘New’ Cereals Canada selects Alberta farmer Todd Hames as chair

June 1 Cereals Canada and Cigi merged and held its first annual meeting June 22

By Allan Dawson July 7, 2020

Alberta farmer Todd Hames was elected the chair of the recently reconstituted Cereals Canada at its first annual meeting June 22. The ‘new’ Cereals Canada was created June 1 when it and the Canadian International Grains Institute (Cigi) amalgamated after two years of discussions and the approval of their respective boards April 13. Hames, who

News, Weather

MASC hail claims so far just slightly higher than 2019

By Allan Dawson July 7, 2020

Manitoba farmers have filed 150 hail claims so far this season with the Manitoba Agricultural Services Corporation (MASC). Just over 100 of those came from a June 20 storm that hit the Lowe Farm, Rosenort and Steinbach areas. That’s slightly more than the 127 hail claims MASC received as of June 28, 2019, but far

A pedestrian crossing in front of the World Trade Organization headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland in 2019.

News, Other

Trade woes prompt ministerial discussion

Bibeau speaks to EU counterpart as WTO reports stark trade drop

By D.C. Fraser July 7, 2020

Trade – or the lack of it – was at the top of the agenda during a June 23 discussion between federal Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau and her European Union counterpart, Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development Janusz Wojciechowski. According to the federal government, the two discussed the importance of the Canada-EU relationship and reiterated

Op/Ed, Opinion, Other

Opinion: Conservative front-runners both ag supporters

There are, however, important policy distinctions between Peter MacKay and Erin O’Toole

By D.C. Fraser July 6, 2020

A new leader of the Conservative Party of Canada (CPC) is expected to be crowned in August. For non-members of the party, this news might be easy to miss. COVID-19-related news has dominated headlines for months and it has been easy to disregard the leadership race that could determine who will be Canada’s next prime

Farmers are finding a mixed bag during first-cut hay harvest.

Forages, News

First cut hay harvest a mixed bag

Yields are average at best, which is worrying for a sector with exhausted feed stocks and stressed pastures

By Alexis Stockford July 6, 2020

[UPDATED: July 7, 2020] There won’t be any bumper yields from Manitoba’s first hay cut and, despite storms that have left parts of Manitoba waterlogged last, not everywhere in the province has seen enough rain. June saw the province’s first hay harvests, although most fields cut by the third week of the month were either

Crops, News, Other

Canadian, U.S. farmers diverge on dicamba spray issues

While U.S. farmers have been devastated by dicamba drift, it’s been a non-issue in Canada

By Allan Dawson July 6, 2020

Canadian farmers haven’t experienced the same dicamba drift debacle their U.S. neighbours have — but that doesn’t mean they won’t also pay a price for this high-profile failure. Spray expert Tom Wolf says a cooler climate and differences in the way the product is used here have spared Canada the worst immediate effects. The bill

Daily Network News

India, Japan canola crops to be steady in 2026/27 – USDA

ICE Weekly: Trade waits for canola to break out

Advance Payments Program interest free limit set at $250,000 for 2026

News & Opinion