Grains Act amendments get good grade but could be higher

Proposed changes to the Canadian Grain Commission grade well with national farm groups, but they say the results could be even better. The commission’s operating costs “must be driven down through a more comprehensive streamlining of operations than the current amendments facilitate,” said Gordon Bacon, CEO of Pulse Canada and spokesman for the Canadian Special

Canola futures see downward price action

Canola futures on the ICE Canada platform experienced some weakness during the week ended November 9 with the bearishly construed USDA supply-demand balance tables for soybeans encouraging some of the downward price action. A larger-than-anticipated U.S. soyoil ending stocks estimate from the USDA added to the bearish sentiment in canola. The unloading of positions by



Russia to face milling wheat, rye deficit

Reuters / Russia’s miller’s union said it has asked the government to ease conditions for importing wheat from Kazakhstan and rye from Germany this spring to cover a shortage after drought slashed grain crops. Russia, historically the world’s No. 3 global exporter, was hit by hot and dry weather this year, which slashed its wheat


KAP demands Ottawa improve meat inspections

It wasn’t farmers who screwed up at the XL Foods plant, but they’re the ones paying the price. That was the view of farmers attending the recent Keystone Agricultural Producers’ General Council meeting. “We feel it’s the producers who are paying for someone else’s mistakes along the way,” said Minto farmer Bill Campbell. KAP passed

Aster yellows doesn’t strike often — but when it does…

Yes, 2012 was a bad year for aster yellows in canola, but we have to keep this disease in perspective. Sclerotinia and blackleg are potential threats each year, and remain the top two most important canola diseases. Aster yellows has had only four bad years on the Prairies to date: 1957, 2000, 2007 and 2012.


Why have hens in your backyard?

I spent my earliest years growing up in the north end of Winnipeg on Alfred Ave. My memories of that time are of a rich and vital neighbourhood life. We lived next door to Mrs. Lomow’s grocery store, which in addition to stocking fresh produce, seemed to a young boy to be a centre of



Fall calf volumes lower than last year

Manitoba’s cattle auction yards were busy once again during the week ended November 9, as the fall run continued at full speed. Prices held relatively steady for the most part, although top-end bids for many classes of cattle were mostly lower, rather than higher, in many instances. “We’re at the peak of the fall run

KAP calls for review of crop insurance to address deductibles, other concerns

Crop insurance will be increasingly important to Manitoba farmers because of recent cuts to Agri-Stability and AgriInvest, says Keystone Agricultural Producers vice-president Dan Mazier. The Manitoba government needs to understand that, he said at KAP’s General Council meeting last month. Delegates passed a resolution calling for a review of crop insurance. While most Manitoba farmers