wheat and barley stalks

Winter Cereals Manitoba ponders plant breeding

End-point royalties are unlikely to be popular with farmers and are viewed as unfair and inefficient

Winter Cereals Manitoba members are grappling with how farmers can best fund development of new wheat and barley varieties. It’s part of a sector-wide soul searching for checkoff-funded wheat and barley groups across the Prairies, prompted by the ongoing need for new varieties and the changing funding landscape following the move to an open market.



While overall beer consumption is seen as flat, the amount of craft beer produced in North America has been rising.

Craft brewing gives malt barley prices a hop

Acres are seen rising by about five per cent this spring

The craft brewing industry appears to be providing the fastest-rising demand for malt barley, which has been steadily pushing prices higher — but overall reduced demand for beer and increased acres could keep a lid on that strong pricing. “Many maltsters are either 100 per cent craft, or moving the percentages up all the time

Manitoba Wheat and Barley Growers Association director Dean Harder explained proposed new voting options at the association’s annual meeting during Crop Connect in Winnipeg Feb. 11. The changes, which would allow for advance voting, were part of a bylaw change members approved.

Manitoba Wheat and Barley Growers Association introducing hybrid voting

Farmers will have the option to cast their votes in advance through a 
mail-in or electronic ballot or in person at the association’s annual meeting

There will be three options for voting in Manitoba Wheat and Barley Growers Association (MWBGA) director elections: an advance mail-in ballot, an advance electronic ballot or voting at the association’s annual meeting. Members voted in favour of a bylaw containing the changes Feb. 11 at the MWBGA’s annual meeting in Winnipeg during Crop Connect. “This


wheat

Prairie wheat growers wanted to assist in gluten strength study

Farmers can get some valuable data about their wheat, and potentially help boost returns for the whole class

Scientists investigating the effect weather, agronomics and genotype have on milling wheat quality are appealing to farmers across the Prairies to participate in their study. The goal is to improve the quantity, quality and consistency of Canada Western Red Spring (CWRS) wheat and in so doing increase returns to farmers. In return participating farmers will

Western Grain Research Foundation announces five years of funding for AAFC wheat, barley breeding

The money will provide Agriculture Canada with stable funding despite changes in 
wheat and barley checkoffs coming next year

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) will get steady funding for wheat and barley breeding over the next five years through the Western Grains Research Foundation (WGRF). The WGRF is investing $21.4 million — $20 million and $1.4 million for wheat and barley, respectively, up until 2020, it said in a news release Feb. 8. The


How should farmers collect money for cereal varietal development — checkoffs, end point royalties or both?

How should farmers collect money for cereal varietal development — checkoffs, end point royalties or both?

Some farmers benefit from research without supporting it

For every dollar invested in wheat varietal development there’s a $20 return, says a study conducted several years ago by University of Saskatchewan agricultural economist Richard Gray and his colleagues. So why aren’t farmers investing more? “Because checkoffs are refundable. They can free ride. Full stop,” Gray said in an interview Jan. 14. Those who



Elaine Sopiwnyk (l) and Ashok Sarkar have completed a year-long project looking at how to co-mill wheat and barley.

Cigi looking to expand barley’s role

The ability to make barley-related health claims is helping drive the development of new, healthier flours

The term ‘barley sandwich’ is about to get a whole lot more literal. The Canadian International Grains institute, better known as Cigi, has completed a year-long project examining how blending barley into traditional wheat flour could improve both nutritional properties and milling performance. On its own, barley can be difficult to mill, often clumping and

Former federal agriculture minister Gerry Ritz.

Ritz explains quick end to CWB monopoly

He learned from former ag minister McKnight and Mayer he had to move fast or it might not get done

Most western Canadian farmers will remember Gerry Ritz as the agriculture minister who ended the Canadian Wheat Board’s marketing monopoly. It wasn’t a secret in 2011 what the newly elected Harper majority government had in store for the farmer-run board — ending the monopoly was an election promise and one of Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s