In Brief… – for Nov. 5, 2009

Trade SWAT team needed: The federal government should form a “SWAT team” to aggressively nip protectionist trade actions against Canadian farmers in the bud, the president of Keystone Agricultural Producers says in a recent release. Ian Wishart said the government needs to be more aggressive fighting market disruptions caused by technical trade barriers affecting canola,

Changes To Canola Registration System Proposed

“I think companies will only take this path (interim registration) if they know for sure they’re going to pass in the second year.” – JOANNE BUTH The Canola Council of Canada (CCC) says its proposal to change the canola registration system will get improved varieties to farmers faster while still safeguarding them and processors from


Gene Shuffling Technology Yields New Trait

DuPont has received full Canadian regulatory approval of its proprietary herbicide tolerance trait, Optimum GAT, in corn and soybeans for cultivation, feed, and food. “The Optimum GAT trait combined with our industry-leading genetics and other complementary technologies will help growers maximize yields and allow noticeably cleaner fields through harvest,” said Paul E. Schickler, vice-president and

Not A Good Year For Corn At MZTRA Farm

“Are we there yet as an industry for growing grain corn in the cooler climates? The answer would be no. Is it coming? Yes, it is.” – BARRY CHAPPELL Corn likes heat, and lots of it. Unf o r tuna t e l y, i n Manitoba this spring, there wasn’t much of that. A


Corn Moving West

Pioneer Hi-Bred, one of the world’s leading corn seed companies, has opened a new research centre here aimed at making corn a mainstream crop in Western Canada. “We have a vision,” Pioneer Hi-Bred president Ian Grant said in an interview Aug. 6, before the grand opening of Pioneer’s Carman Research Centre. “Even if you could

Breakthrough Genetic Solution For Clubroot Registered

Pioneer Hi-Bred, a DuPont business, has received registration for new hybrid that provides a genetic solution for clubroot, a major problem spreading quickly across Alberta. Pioneer brand 45H29, the first and only hybrid in the marketplace to provide genetic resistance to clubroot, demonstrates similar yield potential to leading commercially available hybrids as well as strong


Monsanto Exceeds Profit Expectations

Monsanto Co., the world’s biggest seed company, posted better-than-expected profit April 2 as revenues grew in its key corn and soybean seed businesses and it benefited from a low tax rate. Monsanto, a leader in the development of genetically altered crops, said net income was $1.092 billion, or $1.97 a share for the second quarter,

Biotech Giants Battle For Better Corn Seed

Competition is heating up in the lucrative U. S. corn market, as seed industry leaders Monsanto Co. and DuPont Co.’s Pioneer Hi-Bred race to win over farmers with an array of new seed products. For both, corn is king. It is the largest crop grown in the United States, and is a critical component not


In Brief… – for Mar. 5, 2009

Streamlining farm subsidies: European Union ministers are considering changing the way farmers receive subsidies. The Czechs plan to launch a debate on how the EU’s complex farm payment system might be altered for the next seven-year budget period, which starts in 2013, Czech Agriculture Minister Petr Gandalovic said. Average levels of direct farm payments vary

New Corn Yield Competition Record

It took 10 years, but a new record yield was set in the 2008 Manitoba Corn Grower Association’s (MCGA) yield competition. Niverville-area farmer Lorne Loeppky’s Pioneer 39D96 yielded 252.95 bushels an acre just barely exceeding the previous record of 252.61 set by Ken and Merley Wiebe in 1998. In 2008, a new record average yield