Few details on new ag policy framework flow for ag minister meeting

Canada’s ag minister hopes to put the finishing 
touches on the next ag policy framework in September

Federal and provincial agriculture ministers met last week in Gatineau, Quebec to discuss a new agricultural policy framework, but didn’t provide much insight into what it would look like when it takes effect next April 1. Federal Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz told reporters that the ministers agreed the new framework will focus on investments in

Briefs, March 29, 2012

Safeway to stop buying “pink slime” beef filler washington / reuters Safeway, the No. 2 U.S. supermarket operator, will stop buying the ammonia-treated beef filler critics call “pink slime” because of widespread customer concern. The halt is a fresh blow to use of the ground beef filler, also known as lean, finely textured beef, which


Round drags on WTO strength

The 153 members of the World Trade Organization agree on two things: We’re in a hole. And we must keep digging. The hole is the Doha Development Round, a decade-old negotiation that was billed as the next stage of trade liberalization after the creation of the WTO itself. After repeated failures to clinch a deal,

Hiring uninsured contractors on the farm risky

Hiring contractors who are not covered by your province’s workers’ compensation might save a little money but it could ruin your farm business. Helping farmers and ranchers reduce the risks in their operations is the core message of the theme Plan • Farm • Safety, a three-year focus for the Canadian agricultural safety campaign. In


No Money, No Sale, Says MBP Resolution

co-operator staff / Brandon Three resolutions aimed at protecting ranchers in the event of a dealer bankruptcy were the subject of debate at the recent Manitoba Beef Producers annual general meeting. The first, which called on MBP to lobby for laws making the transfer of ownership of cattle or commodities incomplete until payment is made

Record AgriInsurance Payouts Forecast For 2011

Manitoba farmers can expect record crop insurance payouts this year after an exceptionally wet spring followed by dry conditions most of the summer. Farmers will also pay higher crop insurance premiums next year to build up the program s reserves, drawn down by big payouts for the second year in a row. Craig Thomson, vice-president


Clarify Ownership Regulations, Meeting Told

The alleged non-payment of a cattle buyer who went bankrupt earlier this year sparked calls for more stringent regulation of provincial bonding and licensing practices at a Manitoba Beef Producers annual district meeting. Lyleton-area rancher Tim McMechan, who was never paid the $50,000 value for a load of 36 cattle he sold to a buyer

In Brief… – for Jul. 14, 2011

La Nińa – the sequel: The La Nińa weather anomaly blamed for one of the worst droughts in the southern United States could revive this autumn, the U.S. Climate Prediction Center forecast July 7. The CPC said wind circulation consistent with La Nińa was persisting in the central Pacific Ocean where the anomaly is usually


Flood Victims Out Of Luck On Insurance Coverage

Residents of Slave Lake were recently devastated by forest fires which swept through the northern Alberta community, destroying hundreds of homes. But they have one consolation. The damage is most likely covered by insurance. Not so for people in flood-ravaged Manitoba who will have to rely on government disaster assistance to help compensate for damage

Pasture Days Insurance Enters Second Year

Wet weather limited Dane Guignion’s ability to harvest hay last summer – and the time his cattle spent grazing on pasture. Guignion had crop insurance contracts for both hay production and days on pasture. He didn’t get paid for the first one. He did for the second. The reason? The hay was there but Guignion