Winter wheat acres reseeded due to winterkill

Weekly Provincial Summary  Producers made good seeding progress over the past week in many areas of Manitoba. Seeding is estimated to be 75-80 per cent complete in the Southwest Region, 80 per cent complete in the Northwest Region, 70-85 per cent complete in the Central Region, 85 per cent complete in the Eastern Region and

New ad campaign promotes vegan lifestyle

An animal rights group that made headlines last year with an undercover video of a Manitoba hog barn is now urging Canadians to think of farm animals as pets and stop eating meat. “Pigs, cows, and chickens are remarkable beings just like the animals we shower with affection and consider family,” said Stephane Perrais, director


Seeding gets off to a cool start, but soil moisture is generally good

Weekly provincial summary Seeding of spring wheat, barley, oats, canola, potatoes, and grain corn has occurred in various areas across Manitoba. There has been limited seeding completed to date. Winter wheat and fall rye crops are being assessed for winter survival and establishment; winterkill and injury is being reported in some fields. In most cases,

People concerned about future flooding on Lake Manitoba protest at the Manitoba legislature.  

Government says no new compensation for old flood

The federal government is saying no to paying for the same flood 
twice but the province is continuing to seek a solution

The federal government says it will not contribute to additional compensation for farmers around Lake Manitoba who continue to suffer losses from the 2011 flood. “AgriRecovery is not intended to pay for the same event more than once. AgriRecovery was never intended to provide long-term compensation for situations that have affected the production capacity of

Ice breaking top priority in flood fight

Dry soil and low river and lake levels will help — but a quick melt and more precipitation are the big worries now

The provincial government says flooding shouldn’t be as bad as in 2011, but in many areas it may come down to the effectiveness of its ice-breaking efforts. “We could be into a very rapid melt during which that American water, or water in our tributaries, could meet up against solid ice,” said Steve Topping, director


Wheat is hot, oats are not as farmers load up for spring seeding

There is renewed interest in spring wheat, but growers are worried about the state of winter wheat already in the ground

Seed growers across Manitoba say wheat sales are up this year, while oats and barley are moving more slowly. “Our area is showing a renewed interest in spring wheat with some new lines that performed well in 2012 and better pricing relative to other cereal options,” said Craig Riddell of Warren-based Riddell Seed Company. “In

Major pork processor to ditch gestation stalls

Quebec-based Olymel becomes the latest major processor to bow to consumer pressure to change how it houses pregnant sows

Another major Canadian pork processor has announced it will ban the use of gestations stalls in the coming years. The Quebec-based Olymel says it will phase out gestation stalls over the next decade. “We’ve been thinking about this for a long time, we’ve been talking to our partners and reading expert opinion,” said Olymel spokesman

1992 April Fool’s spoof no joke in 2013

The following contains excerpts from a Manitoba Co-operator editorial about “Europeanized” pigs running wild in rural Manitoba that ran as an April Fool’s spoof in 1992. While the anecdotes contained in the article are fabricated, it turns out they aren’t that far out in today’s context. According to news reports, Manitoba Conservation officials shot four


Minor to moderate flood risk for province this spring

April showers could bring more than May flowers in Manitoba this spring, 
as a heavy snowpack elevates the potential risk of spring flooding in some areas

Manitoba’s flood forecasters say there is a risk of minor to moderate flooding in some areas of the province this spring, including along the Red River, the Souris and Assiniboine rivers, as well as in the Interlake region. Although the actual 2013 flood forecast is still some weeks away, Manitoba’s minister of infrastructure and transportation

Finance minister to attend flood meeting

Producers still feeling the effects of the 2011 flood hope a public meeting will give them answers on compensation

After a year of promises and tours by officials, producers in the Lake Manitoba region say they have been left adrift in the flood of 2011 — alone and without proper compensation. On Feb. 22, the Lake Manitoba Flood Rehabilitation Committee will host a public meeting at the Meadow-Lea Hall near Marquette in an attempt