CWB funds U of M fusarium work:Chami Amarasinghe of the University of Manitoba will get $58,000 over three years toward her study of new strains of fusarium that appear to produce higher levels of the DON mycotoxin, and whether fungicides can have an impact on DON production. She aims to uncover the “genetic basis” of the shift and how the new strains affect wheat plants. Her grant, announced Sept. 1, is funded by the Canadian Wheat Board’s postgraduate awards program. Stefanie Fryza, a U of M agricultural economics student, will get $25,000 from the CWB to study farmer marketing strategies. FCC backs farm safety work:Charitable or not-for-profit organizations providing safety training related to agriculture may qualify for funding from the new $100,000 FCC Ag Safety Fund, Farm Credit Canada said last week. Applications will be accepted from Sept. 13 until Oct. 27. The fund is meant to help groups deliver safety training to farmers in Canada or to help train those who’ll train others. Proposed projects with a local or provincial scope can get up to $10,000 in funding, while those with a national scope can get up to $25,000. Longer Russian ban spurs volatility:Russia’s plan to extend its grain export ban destabilizes markets but does not mean a repeat of the 2007-08 food crisis, a United Nations economist said Friday. Prime Minister Vladimir Putin puzzled analysts when he said Sept. 2 the export ban, expected to last to the end of this year, will be extended until late 2011. Abdolreza Abbassian of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization told Reuters he still hoped there was “something lost in translation,” and hoped Putin meant to say the ban could be extended if Russia’s drought situation worsened. China seeks help in PotashCorp play:Alberta’s public-sector fund management firm says it’s been approached by Chinese sovereign wealth funds and others about participating in a takeover bid for Saskatchewan’s PotashCorp, to rival a $39-billion hostile offer from major mining firm BHP Billiton. AIMCo CEO Leo de Bever said Sept. 2 a “variety of parties” have approached the fund manager, but participating in a deal at this point is unattractive to AIMCo. The cost of capital for Chinese sovereign wealth funds is a lot lower than for a Canadian pension fund or fund manager, he said.

The post In Brief… – for Sep. 9, 2010 appeared first on Manitoba Co-operator.

The full report is available at: Award winner: Westfield Industries (Westfield) was presented with the 2010 Manitoba Export Award by the local division of the Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters March 25.

Westfield has grown over the past 60 years to become a leading manufacturer in portable grain-handling equipment. From its base in Rosenort, Manitoba and with additional manufacturing space in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Westfield’s employees produce an extensive line of portable grain augers. – Westfield release

Generosity recognized:

The Manitoba Pork Council has presented Gerry Friesen, former pork industry leader, with its Friend of the Industry Award for 2010. Friesen, who is now a mediation consultant, was honoured for his “outstanding contributions to the pork industry in providing emotional support and expertise to help farmers cope with financial and emotional stress during their darkest days. Earl Funk of Earl’s Meat Market in Steinbach was awarded the Community Builder Award in recognition of his work to help pork producers help feed the hungry. – MPC release No burning: The Manitoba Conservation Fire Program and the Office of the Fire Commissioner is reminding Manitobans that open fires are prohibited from April 1 to Nov. 15, except under a burning permit or in enclosed approved fire pits. Many areas of the province have experienced localized brush fires as the ground dries out. Winds can push flames at a rapid pace, igniting large areas of land and spreading to forests. Anyone with information on forest or brush fires in Manitoba is asked to call 1-800-782-0076 (tollfree).

The post In Brief… – for Apr. 22, 2010 appeared first on Manitoba Co-operator.

MCPA leader passes:

Bob Munroe, a longtime cattle producer and prominent figure in the Manitoba cattle industry, died June 6 at the Stonewall Hospital. He was 76. Munroe farmed his entire life at the family farm near Stonewall. He was an early driving force behind the Manitoba Cattle Producers Association, serving as president. He was also a major figure in attempts to organize the Ranchers Choice Beef Co-operative. A proud Scot, Bob belonged to and served the Lord Selkirk Association. A funeral service was held June 11 at the Warren United Church.

Century of co-operation:

More than 200 co-operative and credit union leaders from across Canada and around the world will gather in Ottawa June 16-19 to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the organized Canadian co-operative movement, hear from high-profile speakers and discuss issues ranging from Canada’s economic future to gender-intelligent retailing.

CCA’s predecessor, the Co-operative Union of Canada, was founded in Hamilton, Ontario in 1909. Farm protest: French farmers protesting against margins earned by supermarkets on everyday food products blocked retail warehouses across France June 12. Farmers blocked access to around 40 out of some 60 distribution centres that supply French supermarkets as part of a 48-hour protest, France’s main farm union, the FNSEA, said.

Farm Minister Michel Barnier said a new committee charged with monitoring margins along the food chain is ready to publish its first findings – relating to pork prices – but the FNSEA says progress has been too slow.

The post In Brief… – for Jun. 18, 2009 appeared first on Manitoba Co-operator.

Buhler – which has rebranded the Conveyair line it markets under licence from Winnipeg’s Thor Manufacturing and given it a red colour scheme – is marketing the new vacuum as a high-efficiency cleanout unit for trucks or bins, with handling capacity of up to 4,000 bushels per hour for barley or corn, or up to 3,700 bph for canola.

The PTO-driven unit includes a redesigned control panel, heavy-duty positive-displacement blower, quick-connect camlock couplers on its six-inch suction and discharge hoses, a pre-cleaner dust separation tank, and a silencer that Buhler said can cut the vacuum’s noise intensity by over 50 per cent with no loss in machine capacity.

Buhler recently reported a 76 per cent increase in first-quarter revenue, largely on sales in North America and abroad of its high-horsepower Versatile tractors. It posted $57.1 million in revenue for the quarter ending Dec. 31, and net earnings of $4.4 million.

Westfield’s “Double-Jointed” Auger Debuts

Rosenort grain auger maker Westfield Industries has officially launched its new MK Flex, a “double-jointed” low-profile auger for unloading multi-hopper grain trailers.

The company said its new unit, which comes with a hydraulic hopper mover, deals with the “common complaints” of having to run in and out of the truck cab during unloading, and a “lack of flexibility” when parking trucks and gravity wagons next to the unloading auger.

“You can unload both hoppers on a 54-foot grain trailer without repositioning your truck,” said Westfield’s Verne Rogers in a release before the auger’s official launch at the National Farm Machinery Show in Louisville, Ky.

The MK Flex is available in 13-inch tube diameter and in lengths of 71, 81, 91 or 111 feet.

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