Farm Aid Highly Political

Why should governments top up crop insurance coverage in a year where there’s a widespread disaster when they wouldn’t likely have the same response if the problem was regional? Amazingly, last week’s annual meeting of federal and provincial agriculture ministers concluded with a detailed program announcement for flooded Prairie farmland. Rarely do governments act so

Excess Rain Leaves 700,000 Acres Unseeded

“We’re in the middle of making payments and we’re doing them as quickly as we can. Our adjusters are going like crazy.” – DAVID VAN DEYNZE, MASC About 700,000 acres of Mani toba cropland was too wet to seed this spring, which will trigger $29 million to $30 million in payments to waterlogged farmers through


Duff Roblin (1917-2010): Manitoba Crop Insurance Pioneer

“Farmers at the time were not insurance oriented at all.” – HAYDEN TOLTON To most Manitobans, former premier Duff Roblin’s main legacy will always be Duff’s Ditch – the floodway diverting spring run off from the Red River around Winnipeg that has saved the city many times. But Roblin, who died last week at 92,

Mcpa Pushes Cattle Price Insurance

Manitoba cattle producers have renewed their call for a national cattle price insurance program based on a model operating in Alberta. MCPA officials made the pitch during an April 18 meeting with Manitoba Premier Greg Selinger and Agriculture Minister Stan Struthers, who responded “very favourably,” said general manager Sheila Mowat. “They’re very aware of it,”


Farm Buildings Require Proper Lighting

Planning the construction of a farm building means considering a lot of variables. But a big part in determining how useful it will be is how well it’s lighted, and windows don’t count. That means coming up with a detailed lighting plan ahead of time, taking all possible uses into account. And to help come

Mobile Phones Bring Insurance To Kenyan Farmers

Kenyan farmers can now insure some of the costs of growing crops against bad weather by using mobile phone technology that links solar-powered weather stations to an insurance company. Farmers can cover the cost of seeds, fertilizers and pesticides at local agricultural supply shops by paying an extra five per cent of their value. If


New Program Proffered To Improve AgriStability

“It would be a bilateral agreement between the producer and the national government.” – BRYAN FERRISS Aproposed new farm income stabilization program developed for the Manitoba Pork Council is being touted as a solution to chronic problems with existing programs. The insurance-based program would incorporate production costs in the payment formula to help compensate for

AgriStability Plus In The Works

The Manitoba Pork Council is seeking producer feedback on a proposed companion top-up program to AgriStability. AgriStability Plus is based on a full cost-of-production model of the farm instead of being margin based. As a companion to AgriStability, it would be an insurance-based program. Producers would be responsible for the full cost of premiums but


2009 Corn Crop Insurance By The Numbers

Corn farmers insured: 560 Insured corn acres: 161,500 Total corn coverage: $51.5 million Corn premium collected: $9.6 million (Farmers paid 40 per cent or $3.8 million, the federal government paid 36 per cent or $3.5 million and Manitoba paid 24 per cent or $2.3 million.) Average probable (long-term average) corn yield: 88.8 bushels an acre

New Program Insures Pastures For Grazing Days

“This is a good step forward for the industry.” – GREG JOHNSON, MCPA Anew crop insurance program announced Jan. 19 will give Manitoba cattle producers an innovative way to protect their livestock from feed shortages. The program will insure pastures for a guaranteed number of days for grazing. Manitoba Agricultural Services Corporation will launch a