The Manitoba government will work with the Keystone Agricultural Producers to introduce a more efficient system for collecting its annual membership fees, Agriculture Minister Ralph Eichler announced at Ag Days Jan. 17. The National Farmers Union wants in on stable funding too.

Province to discuss new stable funding formula for KAP

KAP welcomes the initiative and the National Farmers Union says it wants in too

The Manitoba government has promised less red tape — including how the Keystone Agricultural Producers (KAP) collects membership fees. “The current funding structure creates needless and excessive administration costs for farmers and KAP and purchasers of agricultural products,” Agriculture Minister Ralph Eichler said while speaking at Ag Days Jan. 17. “A review of the system

eichler

Manitoba crops, livestock branches now under one umbrella

Positions have been eliminated in Manitoba Agriculture, but no cuts: Eichler

Manitoba Agriculture has amalgamated its livestock and crops branches as it looks for cost savings in the department. “First of all, there was no cuts, there were efficiencies found within the department,” said Agriculture Minister Ralph Eichler during an unrelated press conference. He also confirmed three director positions have been eliminated, though the individuals who


The Manitoba government will work with the Keystone Agricultural Producers’ to introduce a more efficient system for collecting its annual membership fees, agriculture minister Ralph Eichler announced at Ag Days Jan. 17.

Manitoba government to consult with KAP to make its checkoff more efficient

The current system is often frustrating to farmers and farm product buyers and costly to KAP

The Manitoba government is going to change the Keystone Agricultural Producers’ (KAP) refundable funding checkoff, Agriculture Minister Ralph Eichler announced at Ag Days Jan. 17. “The current funding structure creates needless and excessive administration costs for farmers and KAP and purchasers of agricultural products,” Eichler said. “A review of the system is something that the

overhead view of farmland

Manitoba farmland in demand, Eichler says

Most upward pressure on prices appears to come from established producers looking to expand, he told the Senate ag committee

The demand for Manitoba farmland from existing large farms is pushing prices up, although the rate of increase has eased during the last few years, says provincial Agriculture Minister Ralph Eichler. “Crop production land has been mainly purchased by local producers expanding their operations as they bring in the next generations of farmers to the


According to the Manitoba Beef Producers, as of January 2016, the province had 485,000 cows, including dairy cows.

What will it take to expand the herd?

Throughout its fall district meetings, the Manitoba Beef Producers has been polling its 
membership for input on what it will take to expand the provincial herd

When Manitoba’s new agriculture minister spoke up this July, during a tour of the Manitoba Forage and Beef Initiative, he made a bold statement. He said he wanted to see the provincial cattle herd hit pre-BSE numbers inside of a decade, a goal that would see the number of cattle in Manitoba roughly double. “When

Agriculture isn’t often on the agenda, or radar, at City Hall in Winnipeg. Councillor Brian Mayes is trying to change that.

Winnipeg councillor seeks to promote Grain Innovation Hub

Farmers are doing more than just feeding cities, they are also filling their coffers

Agriculture isn’t usually an agenda item when it comes to City of Winnipeg committee meetings, but one city councillor is trying to change that. Last week St. Vital Councillor Brian Mayes proposed that the city use some of the cash earmarked for innovation to promote the province’s Grain Innovation Hub, created in 2014 to bring


Manitoba Beef Producers’ district meetings begin

Director elections and input on herd expansion needs top the agenda

The Manitoba Beef Producers has begun its annual fall district meeting series. The first of 14 district meetings kicked off Oct. 24 in Ashern and signals the start of an important time for directors and staff as they meet with members to discuss the organization’s activities on their behalf, says MBP president Heinz Reimer. “We

Good grain transportation is vital to Manitoba farmers and their customers, Manitoba Agriculture Minister Ralph Eichler told the 21st annual Fields on Wheels grain transportation conference Oct. 21.

Farmers pay the freight

That’s the message Transportation Minister Marc Garneau heard two weeks before he unveils a plan to revamp Canada’s transportation system

Western farm leaders’ meeting with Transportation Minister Marc Garneau in Saskatoon Oct. 20 appears to have been just in time. Garneau is scheduled to present his strategic plan for the future of Canadian transportation Nov. 3 in Montreal to the Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan Montreal. The plan, which follows a review of the Canada


John Penner and his daughter Lorissa at Penner Pumpkins near Steinbach.

Helping city people reconnect with the farm

Agritourism operators like John Penner are a growing link between rural and urban

Ask John Penner what he considers his mission in life and he’ll say he’s a middleman between farmers and city folk. What he wants to do is help urbanites disconnected from the farm understand where their food comes from. “I want them to know that an egg comes from a chicken, not Safeway, that pumpkins

Manitoba’s Deputy Minister of Agriculture 
Dori Gingera-Beauchemin announces location 
of ABIC 2017.

First-ever Agricultural Biosciences International Conference comes to Winnipeg

Organizers of international bioscience conference promise 
to include women speakers in their 2017 conference

The Agricultural Biosciences International Conference (ABIC) is coming to Winnipeg for the first time next year. Speaking to bioscience researchers and industry leaders at this year’s conference in Fargo, North Dakota, Manitoba’s Deputy Minister of Agriculture Dori Gingera-Beauchemin said her department was excited to have partnered with the Life Sciences Association of Manitoba to host