During times of war, a message of courage

During times of war, a message of courage

Our History: December 1943

The image on the front page of our December 15, 1943 issue carried a Christmas message to take courage during the bleak time of the Second World War. Among the news on the front page was that Manitoba’s total Victory Bond sales had reached $99,641,400, just short of the $100-million objective and that the Manitoba

Rich Vesta

Editorial: Beef production and the view from Alberta

The view is different out here — and it’s not just the scenery. Granted, Co-operator staff had the rare opportunity last week to visit with ranchers in and around Calgary that were specifically selected by their colleagues at Alberta Farmer Express specifically because they do things a little differently. Nevertheless, it was an eye-opener listening


vintage newspaper article

Many prizes up for grabs in “Rapeyield 30” contest

Our History: June 1976

In 1976 Elanco sponsored the Rapeyield 30 contest to encourage producers to use Treflan and shoot for a 30-bushel rapeseed yield and win watches, shotguns and a trip to Japan. The previous five-year average yield in Manitoba was 18.3 bushels. Farmers trying for that high yield would be challenged by flea beetles — we reported

shopper at a beef display in grocery store

Beef, pork producers watch home markets as exports grow

Both sectors have adopted strategies to increase domestic consumer demand

While they’re major players in overseas markets, Canada’s beef and pork sectors also want to stop losing domestic market share to imports, industry representatives told the Canadian Meat Council annual conference. “Imports continue to flow into Canada,” said Derrick Ash, director of national marketing for Canada Pork. Domestic pork consumption dropped by five per cent

Ranchers from the Oak Lake area attend the recent Manitoba Beef Producers District 6 meeting at the 
Legion Hall.  photo: Daniel Winters

Ranchers hear good and bad news on trade front

Checkoff increase proposal approved at Manitoba Beef Producers district meeting as organization deals with decline in checkoffs from shrinking cattle herd

The Lord works in mysterious ways. Imports of communion wafers are apparently one of the Canadian beef industry’s trump cards in its ongoing battle to overturn Washington’s country-of-origin labelling Law (COOL). “It’s not that the government of Canada doesn’t like Catholics,” Manitoba Beef Producers general manager Cam Dahl said at the recent District 6 meeting.


With big U.S. pork buy and diet shift, China now asks: ‘Where’s the Beef?’

With more money in their pockets, millions of Chinese are seeking a richer diet and switching to beef, driving imports to record levels and sending local meat firms abroad to scout for potential acquisition targets among beef farmers and processors. The need to feed the world’s most populous nation has seen Chinese firms gobble up

Please, let’s not win again

Traceability is a fact of life for almost every other commodity that consumers buy; yet somehow we have not embraced traceability’s potential in the world of food. I cannot buy an iPhone that does not have complete traceability back to its basic components; yet what we put into our bodies is rarely traceable to source.

Trouble on the trade front

The federal government has issued a long list of U.S. imports that could be targeted for retaliation if Canada’s biggest trading partner fails to comply with the WTO ruling on its country-of-origin labelling rules. That list of 40 or so items includes live cattle and pigs, meat products, corn, processed foods containing spent fowl, chocolate,


Accountability or wonky accounting?

By Laura Rance

The Canadian Forage and Grassland Association recently wrote to Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz expressing concerns about the state of forage breeding within the federal department. (See the letter elsewhere on this page.) If the word on the street is correct, those concerns are well founded. It appears that the Brandon Research Station, the home of