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	Manitoba Co-operatorDennis Lange Archives - Manitoba Co-operator	</title>
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	<description>Production, marketing and policy news selected for relevance to crops and livestock producers in Manitoba</description>
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		<title>Dry bean breeding has paid off for farmers</title>

		<link>
		https://www.manitobacooperator.ca/crops/dry-bean-breeding-has-paid-off-for-farmers/		 </link>
		<pubDate>Wed, 18 Feb 2026 18:28:47 +0000</pubDate>
				<dc:creator><![CDATA[Miranda Leybourne]]></dc:creator>
						<category><![CDATA[Crops]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Pulses]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[beans]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Dennis Lange]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[dry beans]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[edible beans]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[gene editing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Genetics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Manitoba]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[North Dakota State University]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[pinto beans]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Research]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Seed]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Variety development]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[yields]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.manitobacooperator.ca/?p=236800</guid>
				<description><![CDATA[<p>Experts say they&#8217;ve seen the payoff in yield and farmer profit as better dry bean varieties have hit the scene in Manitoba and surrounding regions. </p>
<p>The post <a href="https://www.manitobacooperator.ca/crops/dry-bean-breeding-has-paid-off-for-farmers/">Dry bean breeding has paid off for farmers</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.manitobacooperator.ca">Manitoba Co-operator</a>.</p>
]]></description>
								<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Dry beans, on balance, are giving Prairie farmers much better returns than decades past. Today’s varieties have better yields, less harvest cost and can be grown in new areas of Western Canada.</p>
<p>According to experts, farmers can thank genetic improvements for a lot of those gains.</p>
<p><strong>WHY IT </strong><strong>MATTERS:</strong> <em>Manitoba dry bean acres saw <a href="https://www.manitobacooperator.ca/crops/manitoba-dry-beans-hit-20-year-high/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a two-decade high in 2025</a> and a record area of pinto beans </em><em>planted</em>.</p>
<p>Juan Osorno, a dry bean breeder and geneticist at North Dakota State University, has seen the positive yield effects just south of the international border, even with today’s higher risks and tighter margins.</p>
<p>“In the last 80 years, we pretty much doubled it. We’re producing twice as many beans in the same acre,” he said. “Sixty per cent of those gains can be explained by better varieties.”</p>
<div id="attachment_236803" class="wp-caption alignnone" style="max-width: 927px;"><img fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" class="wp-image-236803 size-full" src="https://static.manitobacooperator.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/18103657/261564_web1_JuanOsorno.jpg" alt="Juan Osorno, a dry bean breeder and geneticist at North Dakota State University. Photo: Joyana Baumann" width="917" height="606" srcset="https://static.manitobacooperator.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/18103657/261564_web1_JuanOsorno.jpg 917w, https://static.manitobacooperator.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/18103657/261564_web1_JuanOsorno-768x508.jpg 768w, https://static.manitobacooperator.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/18103657/261564_web1_JuanOsorno-235x155.jpg 235w" sizes="(max-width: 917px) 100vw, 917px" /><figcaption class='wp-caption-text'><span>Juan Osorno, a dry bean breeder and geneticist at North Dakota State University. Photo: Joyana Baumann</span></figcaption></div>
<p>That lines up with trends provincial pulse specialist Dennis Lange has seen in Manitoba fields. New <a href="https://www.manitobacooperator.ca/crops/soybeans-edible-beans-shuffle-variety-preferences-in-manitoba/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">bean varieties</a> are ready to harvest sooner and handle all kinds of Manitoba weather, making them easier for local farmers to grow, he said.</p>
<p>“Over the years, we’ve seen those maturities kind of become earlier and more widely adapted to Manitoba,” he noted.</p>
<p>Equally important, breeders were able to push the boundary of those maturity windows without taking big hits on performance. Once the purview of southern Manitoba, dry beans have crept into new regions of the province.</p>
<p>Central Manitoba remains king for dry bean acres, but some farmers are putting them in the ground in the west and northwest. Last year’s data (as reported by <em>Yield Manitoba</em>), showed about 3,900 acres in crop insurance risk zones 6 and 7, regions north of Brandon and along the Yellowhead Highway. In the risk areas around Dauphin, directly north of Riding Mountain National Park, and even further north — north of the Duck Mountains and along the Saskatchewan border — MASC reported a collective 5,300 acres.</p>
<p>There are also yearly efforts to <a href="https://www.manitobacooperator.ca/crops/dry-bean-trials-try-to-hone-varieties-for-manitoba/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">further localize seed choice</a>. Most dry bean growers in Western Canada do rely on U.S. genetics. Local trials from the Manitoba Pulse and Soybean Growers strive to narrow the list of varieties that work best in local fields.</p>
<h2>Dry beans standing tall</h2>
<p>Modern breeding tools, such as genomic selection and field-based sensors, are speeding up and improving decisions in crop development.</p>
<p>“Now we have technology that allows to No. 1: screen or evaluate more material in our breeding program, and No. 2: be more efficient at the selection process,” Osorno said, noting these advancements bring practical benefits to the farm, offering better-performing bean varieties with improved traits.</p>
<p>One of the most significant changes for farmers has been the shift from traditional, low-growing bean plants to upright varieties.</p>
<div id="attachment_236801" class="wp-caption alignnone" style="max-width: 1210px;"><img decoding="async" class="wp-image-236801 size-full" src="https://static.manitobacooperator.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/18103652/261564_web1_soybeans-hit-with-iron-deficiency-chlorosis-Lange.jpeg" alt="Juan Osorno, a dry bean breeder and geneticist at North Dakota State University. Photo: Joyana Baumann" width="1200" height="900" srcset="https://static.manitobacooperator.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/18103652/261564_web1_soybeans-hit-with-iron-deficiency-chlorosis-Lange.jpeg 1200w, https://static.manitobacooperator.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/18103652/261564_web1_soybeans-hit-with-iron-deficiency-chlorosis-Lange-768x576.jpeg 768w, https://static.manitobacooperator.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/18103652/261564_web1_soybeans-hit-with-iron-deficiency-chlorosis-Lange-220x165.jpeg 220w" sizes="(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px" /><figcaption class='wp-caption-text'><span>Dennis Lange of Manitoba Agriculture, shown here speaking at Manitoba Ag Days.</span>
            <small>
                <i>photo: </i>
                <span class='contributor'>File</span>
            </small></figcaption></div>
<p>“Back in 1997, ’98, ’99 … the main way farmers would harvest would be your traditional undercutting and windrowing, and now that’s changed through genetics,” Lange said.</p>
<p>Today’s more upright beans can be harvested with the same combine as farmers used for corn, soybeans or other row crops, Osorno said, resulting in reduced physical labour, lower fuel usage and fewer beans left uncollected in the field.</p>
<p>The change has allowed farmers to better integrate dry beans into more diverse crop rotations, particularly during tight harvest windows.</p>
<p>“It allows them for more flexibility in the timing of the harvest operation,” Osorno said. “So your production costs go down, which means your return on investment also goes up.”</p>
<h2>Seed quality to match market demands</h2>
<p>Farmers are paying a lot more attention to seed quality these days, thanks to what buyers and the market are asking for, said Lange. Genetics have helped tackle problems like beans darkening in storage, especially for pintos.</p>
<div id="attachment_236802" class="wp-caption alignnone" style="max-width: 1210px;"><img decoding="async" class="wp-image-236802 size-full" src="https://static.manitobacooperator.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/18103655/261564_web1_Dennis-Lange-morden-aafc-dry-bean-tour-August-2024-dn.jpg" alt="Dennis Lange, provincial pulse and soybean specialist with Manitoba Agriculture, says he’s seen the positive impact of better dry bean genetics in Manitoba. Photo: Don Norman" width="1200" height="900" srcset="https://static.manitobacooperator.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/18103655/261564_web1_Dennis-Lange-morden-aafc-dry-bean-tour-August-2024-dn.jpg 1200w, https://static.manitobacooperator.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/18103655/261564_web1_Dennis-Lange-morden-aafc-dry-bean-tour-August-2024-dn-768x576.jpg 768w, https://static.manitobacooperator.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/18103655/261564_web1_Dennis-Lange-morden-aafc-dry-bean-tour-August-2024-dn-220x165.jpg 220w" sizes="(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px" /><figcaption class='wp-caption-text'><span>Dennis Lange, provincial pulse and soybean specialist with Manitoba Agriculture, says he’s seen the positive impact of better dry bean genetics in Manitoba. Photo: Don Norman</span></figcaption></div>
<p>“We want varieties that have slow darkening capability, meaning pinto will last longer in the stores,” he said. “All those are through genetic improvements.”</p>
<p>If a farmer’s beans come in looking too dark, they end up getting docked at the elevator, which hits them right in the pocketbook, Osorno said.</p>
<h2>Value-added traits mostly untapped</h2>
<p>Even with all of the genetic progress, many value-added traits, like better nutrition and quicker-cooking beans, haven’t really caught on as priorities in the industry yet.</p>
<p>“I’ve been talking about those things at every opportunity, every meeting I go to, trying to spread the word, because I think it’s a really good thing,” Osorno said. “I don’t think the industry is taking advantage of that as much as they could.”</p>
<p>Looking ahead, both Osorno and Lange said continued genetic improvement will be key to maintaining dry beans as a competitive crop on the Prairies, particularly as weather variability and market expectations increase.</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://www.manitobacooperator.ca/crops/dry-bean-breeding-has-paid-off-for-farmers/">Dry bean breeding has paid off for farmers</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.manitobacooperator.ca">Manitoba Co-operator</a>.</p>
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				<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">236800</post-id>	</item>
		<item>
		<title>VIDEO: How to use Seed Manitoba to choose your seed variety in 2025</title>

		<link>
		https://www.manitobacooperator.ca/news-opinion/news/how-to-use-seed-manitoba-to-choose-your-seed-variety-in-2025/		 </link>
		<pubDate>Mon, 02 Dec 2024 17:13:30 +0000</pubDate>
				<dc:creator><![CDATA[Greg Berg]]></dc:creator>
						<category><![CDATA[Crops]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Canola]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Dennis Lange]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[seed manitoba]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[seed varieties]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Soybeans]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Wheat]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.manitobacooperator.ca/?p=221508</guid>
				<description><![CDATA[<p>The 2025 edition of Seed Manitoba is here and it&#8217;s full of all the cereal, oilseed and pulse varieties that can help Manitoba growers set up a successful growing season in 2025. Among all of its 116 pages, there is a lot of trial and yield comparison data that could be daunting to interpret. In</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://www.manitobacooperator.ca/news-opinion/news/how-to-use-seed-manitoba-to-choose-your-seed-variety-in-2025/">VIDEO: How to use Seed Manitoba to choose your seed variety in 2025</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.manitobacooperator.ca">Manitoba Co-operator</a>.</p>
]]></description>
								<content:encoded><![CDATA[
<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<iframe title="How to Use Seed Manitoba 2025 Seed Guide to Select Best Varieties" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/4WU6BQFTVzk?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
</div></figure>



<p>The <a href="https://www.seedmb.ca/digital-edition/seed-manitoba_2024-12-19/">2025 edition of <em>Seed Manitoba</em></a> is here and it&#8217;s full of all the cereal, oilseed and pulse varieties that can help Manitoba growers set up a successful growing season in 2025. Among all of its 116 pages, there is a lot of trial and yield comparison data that could be daunting to interpret. In order to help navigate this, Dennis Lange, provincial pulse and soybean specialist with Manitoba Agriculture, has come up with a simple and effective method called, &#8216;the highlighter test,&#8217; that can help you narrow down the seed choices best suited for your farm. So, grab a coffee, kick back and have a look!</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://www.manitobacooperator.ca/news-opinion/news/how-to-use-seed-manitoba-to-choose-your-seed-variety-in-2025/">VIDEO: How to use Seed Manitoba to choose your seed variety in 2025</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.manitobacooperator.ca">Manitoba Co-operator</a>.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
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				<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">221508</post-id>	</item>
		<item>
		<title>Finding sweet spot for soybean seeding</title>

		<link>
		https://www.manitobacooperator.ca/news-opinion/news/finding-sweet-spot-for-soybean-seeding/		 </link>
		<pubDate>Wed, 31 May 2023 00:58:55 +0000</pubDate>
				<dc:creator><![CDATA[Don Norman]]></dc:creator>
						<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Canada soybeans]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Daryl Domitruk]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Dennis Lange]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Manitoba Agriculture]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Manitoba Pulse and Soybean Growers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Manitoba soybean]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[MB soybean specialist]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Soybean]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[soybean seeding]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.manitobacooperator.ca/?p=201992</guid>
				<description><![CDATA[<p>Manitoba Agriculture pulse and soybean specialist Dennis Lange says the window for seeding soybeans is getting wider. “In the past, one of our big concerns was planting soybeans too early,” he said. “That was our initial discussion a few years ago.” WHY IT MATTERS: Late May is historically the prime time for planting soybeans, although</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://www.manitobacooperator.ca/news-opinion/news/finding-sweet-spot-for-soybean-seeding/">Finding sweet spot for soybean seeding</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.manitobacooperator.ca">Manitoba Co-operator</a>.</p>
]]></description>
								<content:encoded><![CDATA[
<p>Manitoba Agriculture pulse and soybean specialist Dennis Lange says the window for seeding soybeans is getting wider.</p>



<p>“In the past, one of our big concerns was planting soybeans too early,” he said. “That was our initial discussion a few years ago.”</p>



<p><strong>WHY IT MATTERS:</strong><em><strong> </strong>Late May is historically the prime time for planting soybeans, although that timeframe has been creeping earlier.</em></p>



<p>Soybeans are susceptible to frost, and historically, the risk of frost has been significant into the third week of May in many parts of the province.</p>



<p>“That risk of frost has definitely diminished,” said Lange.</p>



<p>As a result, farmers have been planting soybeans earlier. As of May 16, nine per cent of the projected acres had already been planted in the province, according to Manitoba Agriculture’s weekly crop report. The window has opened in the other direction as well.</p>



<p>Last year, Manitoba crop insurance deadlines for seeding soybeans and several other crops were extended to account for late seeding due to spring storms. At the time, Manitoba Pulse and Soybean Growers executive director Daryl Domitruk said it was time to look at those deadlines anyway because improvements in early-maturing varieties have changed the game.</p>



<p>“It was clear that it was time to look at these seeding dates, and that’s what crop insurance did,” he said.</p>



<p>The 2023 insurance deadlines for seeding soybeans range from May 30 in Area 4 to June 8 in Area 1. While the window is wider, Lange says the ideal time to plant is still the last week of May in most areas.</p>



<p>“There’s no real issue planting right up to the end of May,” he said.</p>



<p>Since soybeans are a heat-loving crop, they are more susceptible to disease if they linger in cold soil too long. Soil temperature is often cited as one of the determining factors when seeding the pulse.</p>



<p>“Once we get some good warm conditions, the soybeans will come out of the ground really quick,” said Lange. “In seven to 10 days, we start to see beans popping up, and that’s what you want to see.”</p>



<p>Planting depth is an important consideration, he added.</p>



<p>“A good target to work with is in the range of three-quarters of an inch to an inch and three-quarters. Ideally, you’d want to be in that mid-range, so about an inch and a quarter into good moisture.</p>



<p>“The deeper you go, the colder the soil is, and the slower they’re going to come up. There have been some years when it’s been a drier spring and growers have had to go down to two inches. That’s not something I typically would recommend.”</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" width="1000" height="667" src="https://static.manitobacooperator.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/24194220/dennisLange2_DON_NORMAN_cmyk.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-201995" srcset="https://static.manitobacooperator.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/24194220/dennisLange2_DON_NORMAN_cmyk.jpg 1000w, https://static.manitobacooperator.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/24194220/dennisLange2_DON_NORMAN_cmyk-768x512.jpg 768w, https://static.manitobacooperator.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/24194220/dennisLange2_DON_NORMAN_cmyk-235x157.jpg 235w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Provincial pulse and soybean specialist Dennis Lange.</figcaption></figure>



<p>Lange said soil moisture is looking good this year across the province, but there hasn’t been much rain lately so conditions can change quickly.</p>



<p>He cautioned against planting shallower than the recommended range. He has seen farmers plant in the half-inch range when rain is in the forecast, hoping to get beans out of the ground sooner.</p>



<p>“If you don’t get that rain, there may be enough moisture for the seeds to germinate, but you may have higher levels of desiccation of the seeds and a poorer stand just because that seed imbibed some moisture, but then dries off because it’s not enough for continuous growth.”</p>



<p>Seeding rates are another consideration.</p>



<p>“You want to have a stand establishment of between 140,000 and 160,000 plants per acre,” said Lange. “That’s the range where you’re going to maximize your yield.”</p>



<p>Gauging how to end up with that stand will depend on seeding method and seed quality.</p>



<p>Lange noted that solid seeding — anything narrower than 10-inch rows — may result in higher seed mortality from air seeder damage. In such cases, farmers may want to aim rates a little higher.</p>



<p>“So they should be planting at that 200,000 seeds per acre range to get that 140,000 to 160,000 plants per acre,” he said.</p>



<p>On the other hand, planting in the 170,000 to 180,000 seeds per acre range should be sufficient to reach target density.</p>



<p>“Regardless of row spacing, your target range still stays the same. If you’re noticing a lot of splits in the seed, or if you know the seed is very dry and you’re putting it through a system that could damage that seed a little bit, you want to compensate your seeding rate for that just to make sure you’re in that target range,” Lange said.</p>



<p>“I have seen years where growers are in a bit of a rush and they put it through the air seeder, and all of a sudden, instead of having 140,000 plants, you’re under 100,000 plants.”</p>



<p>The final consideration for a good stand is weed control.</p>



<p>“We’re starting to see a lot of the weeds start to pop through,” said Lange. “It’s important to control some of those weeds while they’re small.”</p>



<p>While that’s true for most crops, it’s even more critical for soybeans because they’re planted in black soil and it takes a while for the plants to cover the ground.</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://www.manitobacooperator.ca/news-opinion/news/finding-sweet-spot-for-soybean-seeding/">Finding sweet spot for soybean seeding</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.manitobacooperator.ca">Manitoba Co-operator</a>.</p>
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				<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">201992</post-id>	</item>
		<item>
		<title>VIDEO: Bean development in Manitoba</title>

		<link>
		https://www.manitobacooperator.ca/crops/bean-development-in-manitoba/		 </link>
		<pubDate>Tue, 23 Jul 2019 20:09:31 +0000</pubDate>
				<dc:creator><![CDATA[Greg Berg]]></dc:creator>
						<category><![CDATA[Crops]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Farmit Manitoba]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Pulses]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Crop Diagnostic School]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Dennis Lange]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[dry beans]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Hail]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Soybean]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Weather]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.manitobacooperator.ca/</guid>
				<description><![CDATA[<p>So, how are soybeans and dry beans faring in Manitoba this crop season? At the recent Crop Diagnostic School, Dennis Lange, provincial pulse crop specialist with Manitoba Agriculture, offers what he’s seeing in terms of crop development in the province, the impact that weather has had for growers so far this year, and what options</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://www.manitobacooperator.ca/crops/bean-development-in-manitoba/">VIDEO: Bean development in Manitoba</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.manitobacooperator.ca">Manitoba Co-operator</a>.</p>
]]></description>
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<p>So, how are soybeans and dry beans faring in Manitoba this crop season?</p>
<p>At the recent Crop Diagnostic School, Dennis Lange, provincial pulse crop specialist with Manitoba Agriculture, offers what he’s seeing in terms of crop development in the province, the impact that weather has had for growers so far this year, and what options are available to producers if they’re looking to help plants recover from hail damage to stem blight, and what recent studies have shown when it comes to any benefit for yields.</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://www.manitobacooperator.ca/crops/bean-development-in-manitoba/">VIDEO: Bean development in Manitoba</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.manitobacooperator.ca">Manitoba Co-operator</a>.</p>
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				<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">105323</post-id>	</item>
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		<title>Advice on green-seeded soybeans</title>

		<link>
		https://www.manitobacooperator.ca/crops/oilseeds/pulse-specialist-offers-advice-on-green-seeded-soybeans/		 </link>
		<pubDate>Mon, 10 Sep 2018 20:22:58 +0000</pubDate>
				<dc:creator><![CDATA[Allan Dawson]]></dc:creator>
						<category><![CDATA[Local news]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Oilseeds]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Dennis Lange]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Manitoba Agriculture]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Soybean]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[soybean harvest]]></category>

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				<description><![CDATA[<p>Grade-lowering levels of green seed is showing up in some of the soybeans being harvested in Manitoba. Manitoba Agriculture’s pulse crop specialist Dennis Lange is advising farmers who haven’t harvested to take samples to see if they have the problem and how bad it is. Those with green seeded soybeans should consider delaying harvest a</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://www.manitobacooperator.ca/crops/oilseeds/pulse-specialist-offers-advice-on-green-seeded-soybeans/">Advice on green-seeded soybeans</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.manitobacooperator.ca">Manitoba Co-operator</a>.</p>
]]></description>
								<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Grade-lowering levels of green seed is showing up in some of the soybeans being harvested in Manitoba.</p>
<p>Manitoba Agriculture’s pulse crop specialist Dennis Lange is advising farmers who haven’t harvested to take samples to see if they have the problem and how bad it is. Those with green seeded soybeans should consider delaying harvest a bit.</p>
<p>Delaying harvest has reduced the percentage of green seeds in Ontario fields, Lange said at press time Monday.</p>
<p>Lang also recommends farmers with green seeded soybeans consult with their buyers. The green seed tolerance in No. 2 soybeans is three per cent, Lange said.</p>
<p>“Some farmers have five, eight and even up to 20 per cent green seed,“ he said.</p>
<p>This is a new problem for Manitoba soybeans and is different than the puffy, soft green seeded soybeans that sometimes show up, Lange said.</p>
<p>The puffy, green seeds are immature with a high moisture content and the green in those seeds typically disappears in storage.</p>
<p>The green colour in mature, dry soybeans doesn’t disappear in storage, Lange said.</p>
<p>The problem was caused by this year’s hot, dry weather much of the growing season, he said.</p>
<p>In addition to green seeds, many Manitoba soybean growers are experiencing below normal yields, mostly due to insufficient moisture during July and August.</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://www.manitobacooperator.ca/crops/oilseeds/pulse-specialist-offers-advice-on-green-seeded-soybeans/">Advice on green-seeded soybeans</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.manitobacooperator.ca">Manitoba Co-operator</a>.</p>
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				<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">98810</post-id>	</item>
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		<title>Manitoba soybean maturity two weeks earlier than normal</title>

		<link>
		https://www.manitobacooperator.ca/crops/manitoba-soybean-maturity-two-weeks-earlier-than-normal/		 </link>
		<pubDate>Thu, 06 Sep 2018 16:10:40 +0000</pubDate>
				<dc:creator><![CDATA[Allan Dawson]]></dc:creator>
						<category><![CDATA[Crops]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Local news]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Dennis Lange]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Harvest]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Soybean]]></category>

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				<description><![CDATA[<p>Dennis Lange started rating various soybean varieties for maturity Aug. 20 and the same day he heard some soybeans were harvested near Roland. “On average I would say we’re about two weeks earlier than normal based on when I normally start maturity ratings in the plots,” Lange, Manitoba Agriculture’s pulse crop specialist, said in an</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://www.manitobacooperator.ca/crops/manitoba-soybean-maturity-two-weeks-earlier-than-normal/">Manitoba soybean maturity two weeks earlier than normal</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.manitobacooperator.ca">Manitoba Co-operator</a>.</p>
]]></description>
								<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Dennis Lange started rating various soybean varieties for maturity Aug. 20 and the same day he heard some soybeans were harvested near Roland.</p>
<p>“On average I would say we’re about two weeks earlier than normal based on when I normally start maturity ratings in the plots,” Lange, Manitoba Agriculture’s pulse crop specialist, said in an interview Aug. 29. “Usually I will start just before the (September) long weekend, so I always end up doing maturity ratings on the long weekend.”</p>
<p>Lange suspects the soybeans harvested near Roland were an early variety produced for seed.</p>
<p>“And on top of that you have dry conditions,” he said. “When you have dry conditions that does hasten maturity.</p>
<p>“It can also shorten up the yield quite a bit too.”</p>
<p>The Roland soybeans yielded around 32 bushels an acre. As of last week Lange estimated Manitoba’s soybean crop will average 28 to 30 bushels an acre, down from an average of 34 bushels last year.</p>
<p>The 10-year average for crop insured average for soybeans is 36.</p>
<p>The record, set in 2016, is 42.</p>
<p>There will be fields that yield much better than 30 bushels and acre, he said.</p>
<p>“I know because I’ve seen fields that look way better than that,” Lange said. “But also there are fields that I’ve seen that have large saline areas that prematurely killed soybeans off almost two weeks prior, making it almost three or four weeks earlier. You’re not going to get much yield out of those. The fields I think will probably do the best, you may not have a lot of pods on the plants, but what you will have is a consistent number of pods and consistent number of plants — corner to corner.</p>
<p>“When you see plants corner to corner it makes up for not having as many pods on a plant. I’m thinking the later-season ones are probably going to have a bit better yield this year because they’re just hanging on longer.”</p>
<p>Two years of dry weather have added to salinity issues as evaporating soil moisture brings salts closer to the soil surface, Lange said.</p>
<p>“I am hearing from some of the western growers and some of my colleagues out west that fields with a lot of salinity that’s really hitting the soybeans hard,” he said. “We might get some 40s in the Altona region on some good clay ground that caught a few extra rains, but by the same token we’re probably going to see some 20 to 25s this year too, which we haven’t seen in a few years.”</p>
<p>The worst average soybean yield in recent years was 26 bushels an acre in 2011, Lange said.</p>
<p>“That was a dry year, but it was a dry year in pockets where growers were getting 15 to 20 bushels (an acre) in that Starbuck area where other areas weren’t as bad and we didn’t have as many soybeans out west — only five per cent of our acres,” he said.</p>
<p>Higher-than-expected soybean yields are possible, Lange added, noting how oat, wheat and canola yields exceeded expectations given the hot, dry growing conditions.</p>
<p>“I don’t think we’ll be as bad as 2011 (for soybean yields),” he said. “I think we’ll be less than last year. There are some nice looking fields around. We’ll see when it’s all said and done.”</p>
<p>Lange accurately predicted soybean yields the last two years, but said he’ll be pleased if yields exceed his forecast.</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://www.manitobacooperator.ca/crops/manitoba-soybean-maturity-two-weeks-earlier-than-normal/">Manitoba soybean maturity two weeks earlier than normal</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.manitobacooperator.ca">Manitoba Co-operator</a>.</p>
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				<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">98752</post-id>	</item>
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		<title>Manitoba soy growers likely face light yields</title>

		<link>
		https://www.manitobacooperator.ca/daily/manitoba-soy-growers-likely-face-light-yields/		 </link>
		<pubDate>Thu, 23 Aug 2018 07:55:36 +0000</pubDate>
				<dc:creator><![CDATA[GFM Network News, Terry Fries]]></dc:creator>
						<category><![CDATA[Crops]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Weather]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Dennis Lange]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Frost]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Manitoba]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[moisture]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Rain]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Soybeans]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Yield]]></category>

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				<description><![CDATA[<p>CNS Canada &#8212; Manitoba soybeans will be ready for harvest well ahead of normal, provincial pulse crop specialist Dennis Lange said, fresh from fields where he was conducting maturity ratings. He said he was out around Morris on Tuesday and some soybean varieties there are already nearing full maturity. Throughout Manitoba, farmers could be taking</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://www.manitobacooperator.ca/daily/manitoba-soy-growers-likely-face-light-yields/">Manitoba soy growers likely face light yields</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.manitobacooperator.ca">Manitoba Co-operator</a>.</p>
]]></description>
								<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><em>CNS Canada &#8212;</em> Manitoba soybeans will be ready for harvest well ahead of normal, provincial pulse crop specialist Dennis Lange said, fresh from fields where he was conducting maturity ratings.</p>
<p>He said he was out around Morris on Tuesday and some soybean varieties there are already nearing full maturity.</p>
<p>Throughout Manitoba, farmers could be taking off their soybean crops in two weeks, if the weather holds.</p>
<p>The size of this year&#8217;s crop remains in question until farmers can get more of it harvested, but yields are likely to go down, due to the dry summer.</p>
<p>&#8220;We&#8217;ll definitely be lower than last year, that&#8217;s a given.&#8221;</p>
<p>Lange expects yields will be about 28-30 bushels per acre on average across the province.</p>
<p>&#8220;That&#8217;s my early indication right now, but we might be a little lower, depending on the weather.&#8221;</p>
<p>Future showers at this point will do nothing to boost yield prospects, so downgrading factors are all that remain that might yet affect yields. Those include too much moisture during harvest, and the chances for autumn frost.</p>
<p>Lange, who said he doesn&#8217;t conduct pod counts and instead believes he can get a more accurate count by looking at overall podding and plant stands, compared this growing season to 2011.</p>
<p>That year, Manitoba farmers generated 26.5 bushels per acre on average, although only 580,000 acres that year were planted to soybeans.</p>
<p>This year, Manitoba farmers planted 1.9 million acres, down from 2.3 million last year. The crop yielded 34 bushels per acre on average in 2017, about 17 per cent more than this year&#8217;s expected yield.</p>
<p>In 2016, Manitoba soybean growers harvested a record-high 42 bushels per acre.</p>
<p>&#8220;Sometimes longer-season varieties might have a bit of an advantage, just because they hang on a little longer,&#8221; Lange said. However, he added, if timely rain doesn&#8217;t come, it&#8217;s not going to make a difference.</p>
<p><strong>&#8212; Terry Fries</strong><em> writes for Commodity News Service Canada, a Glacier FarmMedia company specializing in grain and commodity market reporting</em>.</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://www.manitobacooperator.ca/daily/manitoba-soy-growers-likely-face-light-yields/">Manitoba soy growers likely face light yields</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.manitobacooperator.ca">Manitoba Co-operator</a>.</p>
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				<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">149160</post-id>	</item>
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		<title>Discount reports put a new focus on soybean protein</title>

		<link>
		https://www.manitobacooperator.ca/crops/oilseeds/discount-reports-put-a-new-focus-on-soybean-protein/		 </link>
		<pubDate>Thu, 05 Apr 2018 16:12:04 +0000</pubDate>
				<dc:creator><![CDATA[Alexis Stockford]]></dc:creator>
						<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Oilseeds]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Dennis Lange]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Soybeans]]></category>

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				<description><![CDATA[<p>Calvin Penner suddenly has a new risk to contend with — the possibility his soybeans could be discounted or even outright rejected for low protein levels. Penner, who farms southeast of Elm Creek, says the threat’s a new one and makes him more aware than ever of the clauses contained within the contracts he signs</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://www.manitobacooperator.ca/crops/oilseeds/discount-reports-put-a-new-focus-on-soybean-protein/">Discount reports put a new focus on soybean protein</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.manitobacooperator.ca">Manitoba Co-operator</a>.</p>
]]></description>
								<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Calvin Penner suddenly has a new risk to contend with — the possibility his soybeans could be discounted or even outright rejected for low protein levels.</p>
<p>Penner, who farms southeast of Elm Creek, says the threat’s a new one and makes him more aware than ever of the clauses contained within the contracts he signs every year. He also hopes better production conditions in the coming season could mean the problem fades.</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.manitobacooperator.ca/news-opinion/news/low-protein-manitoba-soybeans-in-spotlight/"><strong>Low-protein Manitoba soybeans in spotlight</strong></a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.manitobacooperator.ca/news-opinion/news/canada-ip-program-for-non-gm-soybeans-worlds-best/"><strong>Canada IP program for non-GM soybeans world’s best</strong></a></li>
</ul>
<p>“I’m thinking it’s just a one-off as far as years go,” Penner said. “It’s never been an issue before in the 20 years that we’ve been growing soybeans.”</p>
<h2>Growers concerned</h2>
<p>Producers, particularly those reliant on soybeans to drive profit, had a sudden shock in February after reports that Viterra had introduced discounts on low-protein soybeans, something that came as a rude surprise in a commodity more focused on yield.</p>
<p>Francois Labelle, executive director of the Manitoba Pulse and Soybean Growers (MPSG) said they have heard from “quite a few” growers concerned by the discounts.</p>
<p>“We are trying to get a handle on what is causing the lower protein more than anything else,” he said. “This is a big unknown why 2017 in particular was a problem on low protein. We’re all aware that our soybeans in Manitoba and in Western Canada are lower protein. Our protein curve is lower than it is in Iowa over the last number of years. But, for some reason in 2017 the protein was lower, not only here, but in other areas of North America as well.”</p>
<p>Dennis Lange, Manitoba Agriculture pulse specialist, says protein ranged across the province with spots of low protein.</p>
<p>As-is protein from Manitoba Agriculture trials ranged from 31 per cent to 35 per cent, with the lowest protein reported near Melita. In other regions, though, protein was comparable or even higher than 2016.</p>
<p>At the same time, protein has emerged as a wider topic among producers across Western Canada and into the U.S.</p>
<p>Brazil has overtaken the U.S. in soybean exports to China, something that was widely blamed on lower protein content in the United States when it made headlines early this year.</p>
<p>The topic also came up last winter at an MPSG meeting, with the organization noting that buyers had begun to express concern over low protein content.</p>
<h2>Uncertainty for farmers</h2>
<p>News of the discounts have raised concern that other companies may follow suit, although Lange says he has only confirmed discounts from Viterra.</p>
<p>“From my conversations with different companies at this point, they’re aware that our protein content has been lower this year, but they’ve been able to make it work with the markets they’ve been working with,” he said.</p>
<p>Viterra did not respond to requests for an interview as of press time. The company has not confirmed discount amounts or clarified if the discounts are temporary or a long-term measure.</p>
<p>Local farmers, however, say they have been told that protein contents below 33 per cent will have a $6-per-tonne discount, while beans below 32.4 per cent will face discounts up to $9 a tonne and price cuts become prohibitive below 32 per cent, an account that matches statements from the Manitoba Pulse and Soybean Growers. Other sources report that soybeans below 32 per cent could face outright rejection.</p>
<p>Farmer Calvin Penner expects renewed calls for seed companies to focus on protein in their breeding programs.</p>
<p>“If that’s what the buyers are going to want and that’s what the importers and other countries are going to need, which I can understand, then it’s something that we’re going to have to address,” he said. “But at this point, we don’t have any protein (data).”</p>
<p>That means when farmers select the varieties they intend to grow, they have no idea if it’s a low- or high-protein variety, Penner said, which means they can’t plant to avoid the problem. He also added the industry was going to need to take the initiative to get to the bottom of things even if the problem does become less pronounced in the upcoming season.</p>
<p>“That issue will probably go away and come back and bite us another year,” he said.</p>
<p>The reported discounts add a sour note to a commodity that, until now, has enjoyed exponential growth over the last decade, reaching 2.3 million acres in Manitoba last year.</p>
<p>Lange expects those numbers to fall to two million acres this year, largely driven by the dry season and drop in yields through 2017.</p>
<h2>Shifting priorities</h2>
<p>Farmers have had to make an abrupt about-face in light of the discounts.</p>
<p>“Protein has not been an emphasis (for) a lot of people in the soybean industry for seed, for varieties and that type of thing,” Labelle said. “We haven’t paid attention to it. We’ve paid attention to bushels, early growing varieties and that type of thing and now all of a sudden this requires us to refocus on the protein side and try and get a good understanding on it.”</p>
<p>MPSG has not heard of any producers moving away from soybeans because of the discounts, Labelle said, but added that producers are looking for ways to bolster protein as the 2018 season approaches.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, according to Lange, there is no easy agronomic solution to that problem and genetic solutions will be years down the road.</p>
<p>No variety has come out significantly ahead in protein, he said.</p>
<p>“I think what you need to do as a producer is you need to follow your best management practices for growing a crop, choosing a variety that is suited for your own growing region that is going to perform well for you, looking at the yield data, maturity data, looking at IDC scores to produce a really good healthy plant,” he said.</p>
<p>Weather has the bigger impact on protein content, he said, arguing that last year’s dry conditions were a factor in the low protein that came off the field.</p>
<p>Likewise, there is little the producer can do to boost protein through nutrition, Lange said.</p>
<p>Research from Manitoba Agriculture in 2011 showed limited protein benefit from nitrogen. Taking a field without inoculation, researchers found that nitrogen application had to climb to 100 pounds an acre at either flower or pod fill before finding any significant protein jump (36.5 per cent protein when nitrogen was applied at flower and 36.9 per cent at pod fill, compared to 32.8 per cent protein in the unfertilized check).</p>
<p>Those levels are uneconomical at the farm level, Lange said. Spring applications also show little impact, he argued, as protein is set later in the season.</p>
<p>Lange encouraged producers to ask companies about protein requirements when entering a forward contract and to consider whether they can make those numbers work.</p>
<p>“At the end of the day, if you had discounts on your soybeans you have to realize that you’re going to have years like that when weather conditions play a major role on what protein content is like and there’s really not a lot you can do about it,” he said.</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://www.manitobacooperator.ca/crops/oilseeds/discount-reports-put-a-new-focus-on-soybean-protein/">Discount reports put a new focus on soybean protein</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.manitobacooperator.ca">Manitoba Co-operator</a>.</p>
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		<title>VIDEO: Rating soybean maturity with pulse crop specialist Dennis Lange</title>

		<link>
		https://www.manitobacooperator.ca/crops/rating-soybean-maturity-with-pulse-crop-specialist-dennis-lange/		 </link>
		<pubDate>Mon, 11 Dec 2017 20:57:37 +0000</pubDate>
				<dc:creator><![CDATA[Allan Dawson]]></dc:creator>
						<category><![CDATA[Crops]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Oilseeds]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Allan Dawson]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Dennis Lange]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Environment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Person Career]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Province/State: Manitoba]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Soybeans]]></category>

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				<description><![CDATA[<p>Seed Manitoba 2017, available now at Manitoba Agriculture offices, has a variety of valuable information – such as soybean maturity – to help farmers decide which soybean varieties to grow. Last September, Manitoba Agriculture’s pulse crop specialist Dennis Lange talked with reporter Allan Dawson about how soybean maturity ratings are made.</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://www.manitobacooperator.ca/crops/rating-soybean-maturity-with-pulse-crop-specialist-dennis-lange/">VIDEO: Rating soybean maturity with pulse crop specialist Dennis Lange</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.manitobacooperator.ca">Manitoba Co-operator</a>.</p>
]]></description>
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<p><em>Seed Manitoba 2017</em>, available now at Manitoba Agriculture offices, has a variety of valuable information – such as soybean maturity – to help farmers decide which soybean varieties to grow. Last September, Manitoba Agriculture’s pulse crop specialist Dennis Lange talked with reporter Allan Dawson about how soybean maturity ratings are made.</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://www.manitobacooperator.ca/crops/rating-soybean-maturity-with-pulse-crop-specialist-dennis-lange/">VIDEO: Rating soybean maturity with pulse crop specialist Dennis Lange</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.manitobacooperator.ca">Manitoba Co-operator</a>.</p>
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				<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">92398</post-id>	</item>
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		<title>Southwest boosters continue to pitch soy plant</title>

		<link>
		https://www.manitobacooperator.ca/news-opinion/news/local/local-group-continues-to-pitch-for-global-soybean-processor-in-manitoba/		 </link>
		<pubDate>Mon, 04 Dec 2017 20:31:54 +0000</pubDate>
				<dc:creator><![CDATA[Alexis Stockford]]></dc:creator>
						<category><![CDATA[Crops]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Local news]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[canola oil]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Dennis Lange]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Manitoba Pork Council]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Soybean]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Vegetable oils]]></category>

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				<description><![CDATA[<p>The Western Opportunities Leadership Group (WOLG) says Manitoba’s explosive soybean-acre growth makes a processing plant viable. The crop has spread rapidly west and north over the last 10 years, into regions traditionally considered too cold. The potential facility drew industry, university researchers, local farmers and community leaders to Brandon University Nov. 16 for a day-long</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://www.manitobacooperator.ca/news-opinion/news/local/local-group-continues-to-pitch-for-global-soybean-processor-in-manitoba/">Southwest boosters continue to pitch soy plant</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.manitobacooperator.ca">Manitoba Co-operator</a>.</p>
]]></description>
								<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The Western Opportunities Leadership Group (WOLG) says Manitoba’s explosive soybean-acre growth makes a processing plant viable. The crop has spread rapidly west and north over the last 10 years, into regions traditionally considered too cold.</p>
<p>The potential facility drew industry, university researchers, local farmers and community leaders to Brandon University Nov. 16 for a day-long conference outlining the project’s possible impact, considerations and next steps.</p>
<p>“We’re seeking to provide understanding of what the opportunity is,” WOLG chair Ray Redfern said. “Which, in its own right, validates that there is an opportunity — and not just a business proposition, but community interest and support for it and, shall we even use the word, industry support for it.”</p>
<p>Redfern said WOLG would prefer a facility in its home region, but would support any new plant in the province.</p>
<p>WOLG hopes the eventual plant will handle around 2,500 tonnes of soybeans a day and employ 40-80 people on top of over 640 jobs expected to appear in the larger community as economic benefits from the plant trickle down. At current farm production, Redfern estimated the plant would account for 800,000-850,000 acres of Manitoba’s soybeans.</p>
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<li><strong>Read more: <a href="https://www.manitobacooperator.ca/news-opinion/news/local/mpsg-clarifies-position-on-a-manitoba-soybean-crushing-plant/">MPSG clarifies position on a Manitoba soybean-crushing plant</a></strong></li>
<li><strong>Read more: <a href="https://www.manitobacooperator.ca/news-opinion/news/manitoba-soybean-acreage-now-higher-than-red-spring-wheat/">Manitoba soybean acreage now higher than red spring wheat</a></strong></li>
</ul>
<p>The group has set a broad cost range of $200 million to $450 million, or $330 million without a biodiesel plant. Likewise, a plant might take up between 40 and over 200 acres and take three to four years to build once a company has committed to the project.</p>
<p>At least five communities in western Manitoba have expressed interest in drawing the plant to their community — Brandon, Virden, Carberry, Neepawa and Russell/Binscarth.</p>
<p>“A world-scale plant of this nature, there’s really only room for one right now,” Richard Pauls of the Integral Strategy Network told the room Nov. 16. “So we believe that the first mover will have the advantage and the sooner they get in and get doing their due diligence, the more likely we are to have them located here as opposed to somewhere else.”</p>
<p><div id="attachment_92216" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 1010px;"><img decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-92216" src="https://static.manitobacooperator.ca/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/SW-soybean-plant-panel_CMYK.jpg" alt="" width="1000" height="662" srcset="https://static.manitobacooperator.ca/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/SW-soybean-plant-panel_CMYK.jpg 1000w, https://static.manitobacooperator.ca/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/SW-soybean-plant-panel_CMYK-768x508.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /><figcaption class='wp-caption-text'><span>Representatives from Soy Canada, Manitoba Agriculture, Keystone Agricultural Producers and the Manitoba Pork Council put the idea of a new soybean plant under the microscope during panel discussions Nov. 16.</span>
            <small>
                <i>photo: </i>
                <span class='contributor'>Alexis Stockford</span>
            </small></figcaption></div></p>
<h2>Soybean production key</h2>
<p>This year was another record-breaking season for soybean acres in Manitoba, with 2.3 million acres planted in 2017.</p>
<p>The growth has given life to the idea that soybean acres might eventually break three million acres, although Manitoba Agriculture pulse expert Dennis Lange says acres may level off before hitting that level. The pulse specialist anticipates acres will reach 2.5 million acres, but may then plateau.</p>
<p>“We might hit the three million acres,” he said. “That’s a good possibility to hit that, but what we also have to keep in mind is the other crops that we’re competing with.”</p>
<p>Acres next year may also dip, he noted, driven by abnormally dry conditions that hurt soybean harvest in some parts of the province this year.</p>
<p>Lange added that, as of yet, soybeans have not faced major production issues or disease threats, both things that might curb soybean appeal if those issues catch up to the exponential growth of the crop.</p>
<p>Any plant will also have to nail down soybean supply or risk shortage, guest speaker Bob Stroup, an engineering expert on soybean processing, said, and a plant of WOLG’s target size should come with 50,000 tonnes of storage to buffer against that risk.</p>
<p>Unlike some processing plants, a soybean plant like WOLG is suggesting will run 24 hours a day, most days out of the year, and will requiring a near-constant supply of source material, according to Stroup.</p>
<p>“How do you do that? Well, you could set up import channels from the United States, but you’re not going to make any money doing that,” he said. “You’re going to make the best money, the best return on the investment, by controlling the bean supply.”</p>
<p>A farmer-led co-op might help avoid supply issues, he added.</p>
<p>Also, while Manitoba’s growing acres may form baseline supply, Stroup warned that WOLG must not ignore the demand side of the equation.</p>
<p>“On a project like this, there has to be something that drives this more than just the desire of farmers to raise soybeans,” he said. “You need some other driver, and that driver is the increase in the hog production in Manitoba, and that should carry over into Saskatchewan.”</p>
<p><div id="attachment_92217" class="wp-caption alignleft" style="max-width: 160px;"><img decoding="async" class="size-thumbnail wp-image-92217" src="https://static.manitobacooperator.ca/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/SW-soybean-plant-Dickson_CM-e1512418915113-150x150.jpg" alt="" width="150" height="150" srcset="https://static.manitobacooperator.ca/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/SW-soybean-plant-Dickson_CM-e1512418915113-150x150.jpg 150w, https://static.manitobacooperator.ca/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/SW-soybean-plant-Dickson_CM-e1512418915113.jpg 702w" sizes="(max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px" /><figcaption class='wp-caption-text'><span>Manitoba Pork Council general manager Andrew Dickson gives the numbers on the pork industry and soy consumption Nov. 16 at Brandon University. Hog barns are one of the largest expected markets for the potential soy plant. </span>
            <small>
                <i>photo: </i>
                <span class='contributor'>Alexis Stockford</span>
            </small></figcaption></div></p>
<p>Soy is among the most important vegetable proteins in hog feed. The average pig will eat 105 to 150 pounds of soymeal in its lifetime, according to Manitoba Pork Council general manager Andrew Dickson. Producers in Canada are not as reliant on added protein as the U.S., he added Nov. 16, citing higher protein contents in pig-feed cereals.</p>
<p>The pork industry produces 4.8 million finisher pigs and three million piglets each year, Dickson said, and that looks set to rise with the recent legislative changes.</p>
<p>“Are you going to see more barn development? Yes, you’re going to see them around feed mills,” Dickson told the room.</p>
<p>Transporting feed is among the largest regular costs for the pork sector, making proximity to feed supply a priority, he added.</p>
<p>Dickson said Brandon’s pig-processing facility could take on anther 20,000 to 25,000 animals per week at peak efficiency, while plants in Neepawa may be able to take an extra 1.0 million to 1.2 million pigs.</p>
<p>The hog market may become a key element for any new soybean facility, Dickson said, although he warned that the product must come with cost incentive to lure producers away from their current feed providers.</p>
<p>“They need a guarantee of supply, a guarantee of quality. (That’s) the big one,” he said. “We can’t have hog rations changing up and down like a yo-yo. It’s not like it was 30 years ago. We have very precise nutrient requirements now that have to go into these pigs because it affects the quality of the meat and we’re trying to differentiate ourselves in the marketplace.”</p>
<h2>Green dream</h2>
<p>WOLG also pointed to the province’s recently announced climate and green plan, which includes a five per cent biodiesel mandate. Biodiesel has been eyed as a secondary market for soybeans and a use for oil that is extracted during processing.</p>
<p>Stroup, however, is wary. The protein market has more potential for profit while coming with less risk, he warned. Should biodiesel eventually enter the equation, he stressed, plants should take pains to guarantee oil supply.</p>
<p>Soybean oil has, likewise, been used as an agri-food product, although Stroup warned that might be hard to break into, given the ready availability and quality of canola oil.</p>
<p>“It’s another hill to climb,” Redfern said of Stroup’s comments. “We know that there’s a number of the pieces that are not in place in Canada today to allow a traditional biodiesel plant to function effectively. We think there might be signs on the horizon that, that might be changed, whether it’s the carbon tax matter or the recognition that Canada believes in this question about the environment and global warming.”</p>
<p>WOLG is looking at a number of uses for extracted oil, Redfern said, including local efforts to use the oil in the paint industry.</p>
<h2>What’s next?</h2>
<p>WOLG has begun writing up its wish list of companies it plans to approach and hopefully entice into the area.</p>
<p>Redfern says they plan to revisit their initial mercantile study and get a professional review to validate their findings and market assessments.</p>
<p>“We believe that there is an opportunity or a need to update, again, even the validity of the existing size of the soybean market in what we’re going to call Western Canada,” Redfern said.</p>
<p>The northern U.S. states may also enter into that reassessment.</p>
<p>Stroup, meanwhile, advised the group to explore a feasibility study, but added that a southwestern soybean-processing plant is very possible from what he’s seen.</p>
<p>“Every time I do a number, it looks more positive,” he said.</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://www.manitobacooperator.ca/news-opinion/news/local/local-group-continues-to-pitch-for-global-soybean-processor-in-manitoba/">Southwest boosters continue to pitch soy plant</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.manitobacooperator.ca">Manitoba Co-operator</a>.</p>
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