China trip boosts food industry

Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s trade mission to China seems to have opened doors for major Canadian agri-food exporters. Now they’ll have to translate those agreements into orders. The beef, pork, pulse and canola sectors all received special attention during the visit and the Canadian Wheat Board got to remind everyone it isn’t going out of



Where’s the beef?U.S. consumption is in decline

For the past decade, cattle ranchers and meat packers watched with despair as America’s beef consumption steadily declined, ceding ground to leaner meats as well as vegetarian trends among the health conscious. Most recently, high unemployment in the world’s wealthiest nation had cash-strapped Americans avoiding restaurants where beef is a common entree and had them

Recipe Swap Feb. 9, 2012

There’s a point where winter seems on the wane, yet endless. Customary complaining doesn’t seem quite right this year, though. It’s been one of the mildest winters on record, a “non-winter” by Prairie standards, that Environment Canada last week admitted never saw coming. Even so, by early February most of us are at that point



South Korean beef ban lifted

Cattle producers across Canada celebrated the news that South Korea had lifted its eight-year ban on Canadian beef aged 30 months or younger Jan. 20. South Korea will begin accepting Canadian beef imports immediately. The South Korean government published its approval of the import health requirements (IHRs) and notified the Canadian government that all certification


Briefs Jan. 5

Doug Connery passes Well-known Manitoba vegetable farmer and industry leader Doug Connery died Dec. 15 after suffering a heart attack. The 56-year-old owner of Connery Riverdale Farms near Portage la Prairie was a director of Peak of the Market, past president of the Vegetable Growers Association of Manitoba, past president of the Canadian Horticultural Council

Experts cautiously bullish on prospects for Canadian cattle producers

The future holds both opportunities and risks for Canadian cattle producers. “In this economic environment, for those who are flexible and willing to look around the corner in their decision-making… there will be opportunities,” U.S. beef market expert Jim Robb told ranchers attending the Manitoba Forage Council’s recent grazing school in Winnipeg. Overseas demand, particularly


Doug Connery passes

staff / Well-known Manitoba vegetable farmer and industry leader Doug Connery died Dec. 15 after suffering a heart attack. The 56-year-old owner of Connery Riverdale Farms near Portage la Prairie was a director of Peak of the Market, past president of the Vegetable Growers Association of Manitoba, past president of the Canadian Horticultural Council (CHC),

MBP Votes To Stay Out Of KAP

CO-OPERATOR STAFF / BRANDON Manitoba Beef Producers shot down a resolution at its recent annual meeting calling on the board to rejoin Keystone Agricultural Producers. Minto farmer Bill Campbell spoke in favour of the resolution, which was conditional on MBP being treated as a full member with full representation on KAP s board of directors.