Op/Ed & Farming Articles - Manitoba Co-operator

Editor’s Take: True leadership on display in Morden

By Gord Gilmour July 2, 2021

Over the past few decades, there’s been a decided decline in leadership throughout the political spectrum. Leadership once meant exactly that — leading. These days however, it’s come to mean watching public opinion polls and blowing with the wind, or triangulating amongst special-interest groups. In both cases, the goal appears to be power for the

Op/Ed, Opinion

Fraser: Expectations should be low for Food Systems Summit

By D.C. Fraser June 30, 2021

global The emerging international consensus is unlikely to please the Canadian ag sector

The emerging international consensus is unlikely to please the Canadian ag sector Canadian producers should prepare for disappointment at the upcoming United Nations’ Food Systems Summit. Planned to take place in New York this September, the summit will look to launch new strategies to deliver on the UN’s 17 development goals. In Canada, dialogues have

Editorial, Op/Ed

Editor’s Take: A few bad apples

By Gord Gilmour June 24, 2021

Years back, I sat in a first-year university economics class where the guest lecturer insisted that the concept of a ‘labour shortage’ didn’t really exist in a market economy. You had, he explained, a few different options, including two major ones. You could invest in technology that improved productivity. Or you could sweeten your offer

Bill 37 sets out a solid framework for economic growth by creating a mechanism for ensuring that development decisions are timely and consistent across Manitoba.

Comment, Op/Ed, Other

Comment: Fair process, fewer appeals with Bill 37

The Manitoba Municipal Board will provide clarity and transparency

By Jeff Bereza June 23, 2021

There has been much discussion around Bill 37, The Planning Amendment and City of Winnipeg Charter Amendment Act, in recent weeks. This legislation sets out a solid framework for economic growth by creating a mechanism for ensuring that development decisions are timely and consistent across Manitoba. Critics have suggested this legislation will erode the democratic

Editorial, Op/Ed, Other

Editor’s Take: The court of public opinion

By Gord Gilmour June 17, 2021

It could be a case of be careful what you wish for. In recent days, many in the Manitoba agriculture sector have been lauding the passage of two pieces of provincial legislation intended to protect farm operations. There’s the enhanced trespassing laws that remove the requirement to confront trespassers and limit liability if a trespasser

Markets, Op/Ed

Speculators’ bullish corn and soy views fall to a 2021 low

By Karen Braun June 14, 2021

Reuters – Chicago-traded corn and soybean futures ended May more than 10 per cent off the month’s highs, and speculators had established their least bullish views of the year. In the week ended May 25, money managers reduced their net long position in CBOT corn futures and options to 268,091 contracts from 291,025 a week

‘It’s no surprise that the industrial cheeseburger is no longer sustainable and is no longer competitive,’ said a U.K.-based consultant during a recent webinar on the Future of Food.

Editorial, Op/Ed

Editorial: Disruptive change is coming to our food sector

By Laura Rance-Unger June 10, 2021

Farmers are no stranger to new technology and are usually quick to adopt developments that can increase production, or at the very least reduce the risk of losses. Most are well aware that the digital age is likely to bring transformative change to agriculture and food — even if they aren’t quite ready to fully

June bugs are an important food source for many other insects.

Comment, Op/Ed

Comment: June bugs. The ‘crouton of the sky’

Widely thought a pest, these creatures deserve a second look

By Paul Manning June 9, 2021

Many people grit their teeth in anticipation of the arrival of June bugs. You might already have had your first run-in with one. Perhaps you heard one clumsily bounce off your window? Maybe you saw one loop around the porch light? Possibly, you felt one tangle its six sticky legs into your hair? June bugs,

A report suggests that increasing soil carbon levels is one way to limit greenhouse gas emissions that exacerbate climate change.

Op/Ed, Opinion, Other

Opinion: IEA report has consequences for agricultural producers

By D.C. Fraser June 9, 2021

The International Energy Agency’s (IEA) widely publicized report on reducing greenhouse gas emissions to achieve global targets further bolsters the case more needs to be done in agriculture to combat climate change. Producers, as the report notes, can’t be excluded from that effort. Released this month, the report lists 400 actions that will need to

“Maybe we don’t want a system that requires $300 million of money going into charitable food banks in order to be resilient to the next shock.” – Evan Fraser.

Comment, Op/Ed

Comment: Is food ok?

Widely diverging views on the pandemic’s impact on food supply are a pickle for the casual observer. What lessons can we learn?

By Geralyn Wichers June 8, 2021

It’s a jarring read on a morning scroll through Twitter: “Plant all the food you can… we’re headed this season and next several into some massively different circumstances for food availability.” Around Manitoba, early-planted crops are sprouting. In grocery stores, prices feel a little higher but the shelves are full. Is doom really coming, as

Daily Network News

Moroccan fertilizer maker OCP expects output to drop 30 per cent in Q2, sources say

Feed Grain Weekly: Demand rises despite war uncertainty

How farmers can manage stress, anxiety during spring seeding

Op/Ed