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Provincial agricultural education programs see enrolment boom Post-secondary agriculture programs are drawing more female and urban students every year

By Jennifer Blair af staff / red deer

I

f you’re looking for late admittance to an agriculture program at one of Alberta’s colleges and universities, you may be out of luck.

As of late September, six of Olds College’s agriculture programs were at capacity with waiting lists, while others were nearing capacity, said Jen Donofrio, director of strategic enrolment management.

“We’ve had an increase in the school of about seven per cent from last year,” said Donofrio.

“We’ve had, in the last couple of years, strong numbers in that school, but it’s just an indication that we continue to grow even stronger.”

Olds School of Agriculture dean, Tanya MacDonald is pleased by the growth, particularly in the agricultural management diploma program.

“We’re seeing great enrolment this year,” said MacDonald. “For our agricultural management diploma, we have 74 first-year students this year. Most years, we would be fairly consistent around the 60 to 65 number, so 74 is up there for us.”

Enrolment is also up at Lakeland College. “Our enrolment numbers in our agriculture programs are quite strong and have been increasing every year,” said Josie Van Lent, dean of Agricultural

enrolment } page 6

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inside » International farm photography Winners in agricultural journalists competition

OCTOBER 14, 2013 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

livestock

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Goats — Start with the foundation

NFU fears seed domination

columNists Bernie Peet

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Carol Shwetz Are feed supplements necessary for horses?

Whither canola futures?

Longtime trader says contract is doomed

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Privatization could hurt independent growers

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A first look at the IPCC report

Manure separation system wins small-business award

staff Quebec community college student has received a $4,000 award for finding a spicy solution to harmful E. coli bacteria — cinnamon.

David Drouin will receive his award at 32nd annual Ernest C. Manning Innovation Awards Gala in Calgary on Oct. 16.

Drouin was one of five recipients of the Young Canadian division of the Manning awards, which recognize Canadians who have demonstrated innovative talent in developing and successfully marketing a new concept, process or procedure. Drouin says his research demonstrated that weak concentrations of cinnamaldehyde, a major constituent of the essential oil in cinnamon, makes E. coli vulnerable to probiotic bacteria, and weakens it considerably.

“This discovery could eventually permit treatment of infections, without contributing to antibiotic resistance,” Drouin says in an abstract of his research. The 2013 winners, from British Columbia, Ontario and Nova Scotia, share $145,000 in prizes. The 2013 Young Canadian Award winners from Ontario and Quebec share $16,000 in prizes.

Other winners included a social innovation from Halifax; a device for hearing aid that reduces loud and sharp sounds; a safety device to keep wheel nuts attached and “heads-up display” technology being added to ski/snowboard goggles and athletic sunglasses.

Calgary company’s system separates nutrients and produces potable water

By Helen McMenamin af contributor

R

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oss Thurston says he’s impressed by modern hog and dairy operations, but thinks there’s one thing missing.

“In these big operations, I see highlevel management, high-tech genetics, the most modern feeding and nutrition, up-to-the-minute cropping.

Everything is really hightech, except for manure management.”

Thurston is president of Livestock Water Recycling Inc., a Calgary company which has developed a process to separate manure slurry into potable water, a liquid nitrogen solution and high-phosphorus solids.

Last month LWR won the top spot, and a $100,000 cash prize, in the Small Business Challenge contest sponsored by Telus Corp. and The Globe and Mail. The company was among four semi-finalists chosen from more than 1,000 entries.

“This technology is most of all a water-conservation initiative.”

Ross Thurston

LWR’s system takes effluent from the barn and runs it through a screw-press system that separates off the larger particles, which contain most of the phosphorus (P) from the manure. Next, fine particulates are removed as sludge by passing the liquid through a special screen system. The sludge contains most of the P. The solids 9/26/13

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Daniel Bezte

Student develops spicy solution to E. coli infections

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Danish experience with group sow housing

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contain organic nitrogen (N), P and most of the organic matter. It’s easy to store and spreads well. It has only a slight odour.

The liquid remaining in the system is purified using a special polymer medium that acts as a filter to separate N and K as a more concentrated solution. The N is stabilized by being converted to ammonium sulphate. This N,K, and S solution can be surface applied as liquid fertilizer or used for “fertigation” through an irrigation system.

A reverse osmosis process delivers potable water that meets drinking water standards and ensures delivery of clean water free of solid particles and pathogens.

Three sizes

The 68x25-foot system must be inside a building to ensure pipes don’t freeze. It draws considerable power — Thurston has seen power costs between $1,200 and $4,000 a month depending on the electricity price. But Thurston says that cost is more than repaid by the value of crop nutrients.

LWR makes its system in three sizes geared to slurry volumes from five million to 25 million gallons, so his customers run hog operations over 600 sows or dairy operations with 800 or more cows. So far, most customers are in the U.S., where livestock operations are bigger and often do not have sufficient land to spread manure.

Such operations have to deal with social and environmental controls, but Thurston sees benefits beyond meeting regulations.

“Water is our greatest resource,” he says.

“And within 20 years, maybe less, we’re going to value it much more highly. This technology is most of all a water-conservation initiative.”

The water separation also means lower manure application cost, and less compaction because there is less truck traffic and less liquid to apply.

16

LWR’s system takes effluent from the barn and runs it through a screw-press system that separates off the larger particles, which contain most of the phosphorus (P) from the manure.

The lower storage volume also allows a farmer to apply nutrients at the ideal time for the crop, or to sell the nutrient solution.

Nutrient retention

Thurston says the LWR system retains much of the N that would escape from stored slurry. The solids generated in the LWR unit contain 80 to 90 per cent of the P in manure. It can be applied as is or composted to ensure pathogens are inactivated. He says there’s also no smell and no greenhouse gas emissions, and that it allows better management.

“Manure management hassles rob operators of control and time,” he says.

“Our system closes the feed-manurenutrient loop and relieves manure issues so management can focus on key issues.

“Manure management is a truly sustainable environmental initiative. We are able to create value from all parts of the manure. Environmental regulators become allies rather than inspectors.”

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ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • OCTOBER 14, 2013

Burger chain A&W taps demand for hormone-free beef

By Rod Nickel

winnipeg / reuters

P

rivately owned Canadian hamburger chain A&W will buy only beef from cattle raised without added growth hormones or steroids, a move that adds costs but taps into growing consumer interest in how food is prepared.

Vancouver, British Columbiabased A&W Food Services of Canada, known for its Teen Burger, dancing bear mascot and root beer, launched its “Better Beef” promotional campaign this month.

“What we’ve observed from our customers is there is a lot more interest in the food they’re eating, where it comes from,” A&W chief marketing officer Susan Senecal said in an interview Sept. 27.

“We’ve discovered that things like no hormones, no steroids are very, very important to our customers, remarkably so.”

Privately held A&W, which has annual sales of about $850 million, said it is the only national burger restaurant in Canada to source only hormone-free beef. Its burger rivals include McDonald’s Corp., Burger King Worldwide Inc. and The Wendy’s Co. A&W calls itself Canada’s second-biggest burger chain with 791 outlets. It is separate from the U.S. restaurants that operate under the same name and it licenses the A&W trademarks from A&W Revenue Royalties Income Fund.

A&W’s campaign comes as the way food is produced becomes an increasingly prominent issue for restaurants, grocers and consumers. Denver-based burrito chain Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc. is one

of the most well-known restaurant companies that uses organic ingredients and antibiotic-free meat when possible.

“You see more and more companies trying to go that route,” said Steve West, a restaurant industry analyst at ITG, based in St. Louis. “We’ve seen hamburger chains in the past like Hardee’s and Jack In The Box realizing, ‘we can’t compete with McDonald’s and Burger King on this low-quality, cheap food — we’ve got to take it up a notch.’”

Growth promotants help ranchers and feedlots raise more beef using less feed.

The company has worked on its plan for 18 months, lining up suppliers in Canada, the United States and Australia. Senecal said A&W’s beef costs will climb, but it has no plans to raise burger prices.

“I think we’ll get lots more customers and sell lots more burgers,” she said.

But West said A&W will have to raise prices at some point to reflect its higher costs unless it’s willing to absorb a slimmer margin, which is unlikely.

Canada is the world’s 11th biggest beef pro-

Canadian Luge Team powered by Alberta beef Ranching family steps forward to support Olympians

T

staff

he Canadian Luge Association says an Alberta ranching family, the Barnerts of Pin to Point Gelbvieh from Calgary, are the first to step up and respond to the association’s recently announced “For sale” campaign.

The new official beef supplier of the Canadian Luge Team announced it is contributing one cow, nearly 600 lbs. of high-end Alberta beef, that will be divided amongst each of Canada’s six luge athletes (Sam Edney, Alex Gough, Kimberly McRae, Arianne Jones, Tristan Walker and Justin Snith) that placed in the top 10 at the 2012 World Championships.

“Our family heard about the team’s recent sponsorship struggles, and we thought ensuring the athletes have access to highquality beef could be a small way to contribute to the campaign and their performance goals,” Mark Barnert said in a release.

“We are thrilled to help out, and I challenge other organizations across Canada to take a

step back and think about how they may also be able to connect themselves to this inspiring group of Canadian role models.”

“We know it takes a community to build a medal-winning athlete, and are grateful to the Barnerts for recognizing everyone can play their part in this exciting ride to the podium,” said Sam Edney, a two-time Olympian and veteran of the Canadian Luge Team.

In February 2009, the Canadian Luge Team launched its original For sale campaign on top of a community toboggan hill in Calgary, showcasing the grassroots of the sport in Canada.

The initiative netted an immediate response and financial commitment of a little more than $200,000 per year from the organization’s first-ever title sponsor.

“We are not looking for millions or freebies, but we now have a massive financial hole in our program that we need to fill to provide athletes with the resources they require to fully prepare and win,” said Tim Farstad, executive director, Canadian Luge Association. “This partnership today is one small step forward in accomplishing our goal.”

ducer, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture data.

The Canadian Cattlemen’s Association says all Canadian beef is “safe, wholesome and nutritious.” In a statement, it said Canadian ranchers have used growth promotants for more than four decades, and the products are

approved by the country’s Health Department.

“Science shows that the amount of hormone in a serving of meat from a treated animal is virtually indistinguishable from the amount of hormone in an untreated animal,” said CCA spokeswoman Gina Teel.

The decision is aimed to satisfy a consumer preference, and A&W makes no claims that beef without added hormones or steroids is more healthy or nutritious, Senecal said.

Meat processors have also been examining how cattle are raised.

Tyson Foods Inc., the largest U.S. meat processor, and Cargill Inc. said in August that they would halt purchases of cattle fed the growth enhancer Zilmax. Tyson said it was worried about cases of cattle with difficulty walking.

4

OCTOBER 14, 2013 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

EDITOR Will Verboven Phone: 403-697-4703 Email: will.verboven@fbcpublishing.com

Reporters Alexis Kienlen, Edmonton (780) 668-3121 akienlen@fbcpublishing.com

Are plant size limitations a reality in biotechnology?

Jennifer Blair, Red Deer (403) 396-2643 jennifer.blair@fbcpublishing.com

PRODUCTION director Shawna Gibson Email: shawna@fbcpublishing.com

Director of Sales & Circulation

Perhaps the future of biotechnology is not focused as much on increasing yields but on continuing to reduce production costs

Lynda Tityk Email: lynda.tityk@fbcpublishing.com

CIRCULATION manager Heather Anderson Email: heather@fbcpublishing.com

By will verboven

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Alberta Farmer | Editor

James Shaw Phone: 416-231-1812 Fax: 416-233-4858 Email: jamesshaw@rogers.com

W

e have all heard the popular cliché about size being important but it’s a question that seems missing in the ag biotechnology debate — specifically plant size limitations. Speakers at a recent agriculture biotechnology conference spoke at length about how GM plants and other high-tech agronomic practices had increased yields for many crops by up to 40 per cent. They noted that significant increase was critical in meeting the everincreasing demand for food as the world population continues to grow by billions.

One presenter boldly stated that if commercial agriculture today was still using 1960s yields and technology there would be widespread hunger in the world today. Be that as it may one wonders how much more yields can be increased to keep up with the pace that has been set.

Plant scientists point to the corn plant as the glowing example of what biotechnology and genetics can do to increase yields. The stats are eye popping indeed. I recall in the 1960s achieving yields of 100 bushels of corn per acre was considered a real goal. Today we are seeing regular yields of 200 bushels per acre with some well on their way to the 300 goal. It’s been done but weather and agronomic conditions have to be perfect.

One could get mesmerized by all the hype surrounding ever-increasing yields and they are certainly realistic for many cereal crops that have yet to see any significant GM genetic development. But what about the future yield potential of the corn plant? Can this plant get any bigger to carry even more giant ears of corn to reach those yields? Are we looking at a possible three-foot-long ear of grain corn?

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Somehow I suspect the corn plant is nearing the limit of its size potential. But then its come a long way since the early days of hybridization in the 1920s — so anything may still be possible.

One could apply the same perception to cereal plants — is there a size limitation or can they be bred into the size of corn plants?

Certainly at their present stage there is room for improvement by means of larger plants with bigger seed heads. But at what point do huge heads cause the plant to fall over? Is 100-bushel wheat and 150-bushel barley the limit no matter what level of biotechnology and agronomy you apply to the production practice?

Perhaps the future of biotechnology is not focused as much on increasing yields but on continuing to reduce production costs.

Maybe future GM varieties will require no pesticides or herbicides and very little fertilizer. That would help grower profitability but it’s not going to help feed the billions of mouths that will need to be fed in the future.

Some observers have noted that perhaps we need to face the reality that high-tech western commercial agriculture may not be able to feed as much of the world in the future. That does seem unlikely in the immediate future as we see regular surpluses and low-price markets. They note that the focus should not be as much on expanding yields in the food-exporting countries but in dealing with some obvious resolutions that could relieve famines almost immediately.

The most immediate seems to be in resolving wastage and storage problems in logistics and distribution in food-recipient countries.

Some stats indicate that up to 30 per cent of food aid is wasted, spoiled, lost or stolen before it gets to those who need it most. If that were true it would behoove donor agencies and countries to spend considerable effort and money in resolving such a huge loss.

If that were occurring on an annual basis it would soon add up to some shocking numbers. But one hears little of efforts to stem such losses — perhaps it’s just factored into the cost of food aid.

Another observation about accepting yield limitations is that rather than spending more money on what may become dubious results perhaps dealing with the problem at its source is a better approach. Agronomists have noted that many of the countries that are most famine prone also have some of the better potential for feeding themselves. They note the problem isn’t as much agronomy as it is political, cultural and religious.

It’s been said that Africa may well be the greatest failure in small-scale organic agriculture in the history of the world. Zimbabwe is used as the classic example of where a thriving commercial agriculture industry was destroyed for political reasons. It turned a country that once exported food to one begging for food aid and became an economic basket case. Only African countries like South Africa, Kenya and a few others are able to feed themselves and export ag products.

Cynics are right to note that western commercial agriculture will never thrive on a continent that is so rife with political problems. Besides there is the overwhelming problem of what you do with the people who are on the land now. Modern commercial agriculture even in North America means fewer people are needed to grow more crops. Driving ever-more people off the land in Africa just to have to grow more crops to feed those same people as they are jammed into ever-increasing mega-cities seems pointless.

Having said that, better-yielding crops in Africa are a necessity but there it’s not as much about genetic limitations as it is about human limitations.

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A&W is giving consumers what they want: a connection to primary food production

By Jennifer Blair af staff / red deer

S

“

afe” is such a sticky word in agriculture these days.

More and more, it seems consumers want to know that their food is “safe” (whatever that happens to mean at any given moment), and producers want consumers to know their food is safe, regardless of how it’s produced.

For consumers, though, it’s all about perception, and they seem to equate “safe” with small, local farms that follow a certain set of production practices.

As a result, we’re seeing growing demand for “ethically raised” meat and poultry, despite the fact that stringent government regulations guarantee the safety of the animals. We’re seeing growing demand for a return to the “small family farm,” despite the fact that most farms in Canada have been built and are managed today by

families. We’re seeing growing demand for “local foods,” despite the fact that you can’t drive a few miles out of any town or city without hitting a farm.

Producers are justifiably concerned about these contradictions. It’s frustrating to see consumers drawn in by misinformation and fearmongering.

But consumers are right to be concerned as well. Most farms in Canada have a great track record when it comes to things like quality and safety, but once that product leaves the farm, it’s out of the farmers’ hands. In some cases, that means a whole product — like lentils — is exported overseas, repackaged, and then sold back to Canadians as a product of another country. In other cases, it means that people get sick or even die from eating improperly handled beef or vegetables or dairy products.

For consumers who want to know where their food comes from, the process that brings

their food from farm to fork can be, at best, confusing and, at worst, alarming. As a result, some consumers — not all, not even the majority, but some — want to know the person behind the product.

I would argue that’s good for business.

And I think some would agree.

McDonald’s and Ocean Spray have been using farmers in their commercials for years. Even Alberta Beef Producers used personal stories of local ranchers beautifully through their Raised Right campaign a few years back.

I may not agree with their methods, but A&W is giving consumers the connection to primary producers that they crave. By sourcing beef from only three operations, A&W is standing behind their products in a way that few other fast-food joints have ever done. And while there may not be anything “better” about A&W’s beef, consumers respond to that kind of confidence.

How, then, can the agriculture industry create that same kind of confidence in consumers?

Well, getting angry won’t do it. Calling for boycotts won’t do it either. Defensiveness doesn’t instil a whole lot of trust.

There’s no simple answer for this. As an industry, we need to advocate for science-based decisions — but we can’t do it in response to a marketing campaign. We need to advocate for the safety and quality of the food we produce — but we can’t do it at the expense of businesses or farmers who have chosen a different way of doing things for their operations. We need to advocate for our farms and our industries — but we can’t do it to defend our farms or industry.

Only then can we create a meaningful dialogue with the fellow Canadians we, as an industry, work to feed. jennifer.blair@fbcpublishing.com

5

ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • OCTOBER 14, 2013

Indian Head tree nursery program rooted in uncertainty This opinion piece by Gord Howe, a former manager of the Agroforestry Development Centre at Indian Head, first appeared in the Oct. 3 Manitoba Co-operator.

Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz’s response appears at the end of the piece

By Gord Howe

I

n April 2012, the federal government announced that it was axing the very popular Prairie Shelterbelt Program.

To date, the government has received more than 20,000 letters, phone calls and hundreds of petitions from upset tree planters. MPs have received numerous complaints as well.

Tree planting on the Prairies has always been a joint effort between landowners and the federal government. The government provides the tree seedlings and the farmer pays the shipping, planting and maintenance costs and provides the land. Landowners see few benefits for the first few years, but over the 50- to 100-year lifespan of the trees, shelterbelts benefit many generations and ultimately all people in Canada.

Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz and his departmental bureaucrats keep saying that trees have no value and aren’t needed anymore. Yet every schoolchild knows the multiple benefits of trees. In our carbon-fuelled society, trees are more important than ever. Although the role of trees in agriculture has changed over time, they are valuable for watershed protection, wildlife habitat, farmstead protection and snow management.

For the past year, a group of concerned citizens has tried to get the government to reconsider its

decision. The group has collected petitions, done media interviews, set up displays at trade shows, met with politicians, bureaucrats and farm groups.

A coalition of agricultural associations from across the Prairies has formed and asked the government to lease the operations at the Indian Head Agroforestry Development Centre.

Although the role of trees in agriculture has changed over time, they are valuable for watershed protection, wildlife habitat, farmstead protection and snow management.

On May 3, Minister Ritz met with the coalition in Regina to discuss a lease arrangement and to arrange a smooth transition. Ritz stated that the Indian Head tree nursery would run as a viable operation to Dec. 31, 2013. He said applications would be received, summer and fall seeding would occur, and fall harvest would be done, while the coalition prepared a business plan and acquired funding.

However, a bureaucrat was sent out to negotiate a lease and all

Ritz’s promises flew out the window. While politicians appear to be attempting to solve the “shelterbelt problem” that is causing so much grief, the senior official in charge of assets and other bureaucrats are just interested in selling off the tree nursery, not trying to ensure a smooth transition.

The past spring, five million seedlings were planted by 10,000 landowners. In addition, thousands of applicants never received the trees they requested, probably due to shortages of stock. Maybe the government is now recognizing how valuable and popular the tree-planting program was to Prairie people.

Field staff that are left at the nursery are trying valiantly to keep the seedling crops tended with the hope that the centuryold operation will have a new life next year.

But what will happen?

Will the coalition be able to put together a viable business case?

Will Ritz keep the promises he made May 3?

Will the bureaucrats deliver on what the minister has promised, or will they continue to look to dump the property with no intention to assist in a successful longterm transition?

For the sake of future generations, let’s hope that everyone co-operates and a successful transition to a non-profit coalition occurs and this wonderful service to Prairie people continues for years to come.

Response by Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz

R

egarding the Oct. 3 opinion piece “Tree nursery rooted in uncertainty” our government has been clear that we are ending our involvement in Prairie Shelterbelt Program

by Dec. 31, 2013 and that any future tree nursery operations need to be self-sustaining and not based on financial support from the federal government.

We have seen a number of interested parties come forward with their own business models for using the property to serve western Canadian producers and rural landowners, including a number of local agricultural associations.

While all acquisitions of government land are bound by Treasury Board processes, a short-term arrangement with the RM of Indian Head remains a viable option that would allow for ongoing harvesting and distribution in 2014 and fall planting.

All of these steps are being taken to ensure that all viable options remain on the table during the divestiture process. We will continue to work with groups that are serious about taking ownership of the facility at Indian Head.

Industry is taking action to protect bees W e would like to respond to the many articles in the media recently regarding the use of pesticides and their interaction with honeybees. While most media to date has been bringing a clear message that nothing is being done or not enough is being done, we would like to commend a few stakeholders on recent announcements.

Health Canada has released a notice of intent seeking input from the various stakeholders, including the beekeeping industry, as well as already placing some requirements for the 2014 seeding season. I believe this is a very positive action.

DuPont has announced a neonicotinoid-free seed option for corn and soybean seed — but only in Canada.

Once again, we believe this is a positive action by the seed-pesticide industry.

Bayer CropScience has introduced a new class of chemistry as an alternative to imidacloprid. The active ingredient is flupyradifurone. It is marketed as a “bee-friendly” product with no bloom (application) restrictions. It will be registered in 2015.

As well, Bayer is working on an alternative lubricant. The new Bayer fluency agent — made of a polyethylene wax substrate — was shown to

significantly decrease dust and emissions during laboratory testing.

Bayer has been actively involved in finding solutions to improve honeybee health for more than 25 years.

Its Bee Care Program includes initiatives designed to further bee health research, engagement and discussion and bring Bayer’s extensive experience and knowledge in bee health under one platform.

There seems to be good progress being made on reducing the risk and exposure of possibly harmful chemicals to bees.

As a lot of the public is being told nothing is being done, we would beg

to differ. Thanks to a combined effort from the Canadian Honey Council (the national beekeepers’ trade organization) along with other stakeholders, and the effort to have meaningful discussion, it would seem progress is being made.

The Alberta Beekeepers Commission would like to thank these organizations for the efforts to have a sustainable beekeeping industry in today’s ever-changing agricultural climate.

Gertie Adair General manager Alberta Beekeepers Assoc.

6

Off the front

October 14, 2013 • Albertafarmexpress.ca

enrolment } from page 1 Sciences and Human Services for the college. “We’ve doubled our numbers in the last seven years, and this is probably one of our strongest years for enrolment in a 20-year period.”

Nat Kav, the University of Alberta’s associate dean of Agricultural, Food, and Nutritional Science, credits the school’s growth over the past five years to the B.Sc. in Animal Health program, which has been at capacity for the past two years.

“Over the last five years, we have observed a significant increase and substantial growth,” Kav said. “We created a new B.Sc. in Animal Health, with a view of attracting more urban students into these programs, and that program has done extremely well.”

Demographic shift

As enrolment has increased, each of the schools has also seen a change in demographics.

“We are seeing more women interested in the program, but we’re also seeing a demographic shift in more applicants coming from urban backgrounds, not necessarily off the farm,” said MacDonald. “That would still be

Six of Olds College’s agriculture programs are at capacity with waiting lists. the majority of our students, but we only used to get a few students that weren’t from the farm, and now we’re seeing a few more of those each year.”

Lakeland College has also seen an increase in students who don’t come from traditional agriculture backgrounds. Van Lent thinks this growing interest in agriculture is a direct result of a strong overall agriculture industry.

“Projections are that the industry will remain quite strong for a number of years in order to fulfil the demand for food as the world population continues to grow, and as young people hear that, it renews their interest in the industry because they know long term that there should be some good job opportunities,” she said.

MacDonald agrees. “It’s a really

positive environment right now, and I think that has translated into the increase in our enrolment that we’re seeing this year.”

While many students still take their post-secondary education back to their own farming operations, MacDonald feels that students are seeing the abundance of agricultural industry jobs as well. “There are so many different areas you can work in

the industry now, and I think that’s partly what’s driving more interest.”

Lakeland College has also seen strong opportunities for its grads, something Van Lent suspects will continue as baby boomers retire.

“I’m pleasantly surprised by how some of our grads from the past seven years have done, how quickly their career opportunities have grown,” Van Lent said. “They start in entry-level positions and quickly move up into stronger job opportunities. I think that’s enticing for students.”

The schools will be looking to meet that growing demand through new programs, continuing education courses and online learning, especially in areas such as agronomy, entrepreneurship, and animal health.

But any growth in programming at Olds College will not come at the expense of a positive student experience, says MacDonald. “We pride ourselves on a very hands-on learning environment, and we want to ensure we have a quality experience for the students that are here. For now, we’ll be capping our program at 75.” jennifer.blair@fbcpublishing.com

ADM wants to keep headquarters in Illinois It is seeking a tax credit from the state

By Tom Polansek chicago /reuters

A

rcher Daniels Midland Co. wants to locate a new global headquarters in its current home state of Illinois, Ray Young, the agribusiness company’s chief financial officer said Oct. 1.

ADM said last week it was scouting locations for a new corporate headquarters because the company has become more global. Its headquarters have been located in Decatur, Ill., about three hours south of Chicago, for the past 44 years.

To stay in the state, ADM is seeking access to an income tax incentive that would save it about $1.2 million a year for the next 15 to 20 years, company officials said at a legislative hearing in Chicago. The company dropped plans to seek a separate credit on utility taxes that would have saved it more money.

Lawmakers at the hearing grilled ADM over its pursuit of the income tax incentive, which would save the company roughly $20 million. ADM earns $1 billion to $2 billion a year, Young said.

“We have to be mindful of our costs,” he said. “This has been a very, very cost-conscious company.”

ADM has said it plans to relocate about 100 existing jobs to its new headquarters and create a technology centre at the location that will add about 100 new jobs over several years. Chicago is seen as the front-runner for the new headquarters.

About 4,400 employees will continue to work in Decatur, which will become ADM’s North American headquarters.

7

ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • OCTOBER 14, 2013

University students develop agriculture education program Intended to correct misperceptions about animal agriculture, and highlight career opportunities

BY ALEXIS KIENLEN AF STAFF /EDMONTON

W

e often hear the complaint that urban kids these days aren’t getting the facts about animal agriculture. Four students from the University of Alberta are doing something about it.

“We’re creating a hands-on learning project for Grade 9 students to give them experiences with animal agriculture, to increase their awareness level and to develop leaders and critical leaders,” said Hilary Baker, a 25-year-old animal science student.

“We’re hoping that this project will turn out kids who will go home, hear something in the media and say, ‘OK, I went into a barn and saw this and it’s not true.’”

The four team members are in a fourth-year research course in Animal Science and Animal Health in the faculty of agriculture. They refer to their program as an “agriculture immersion experience.”

depend on the support we get, and volunteers.”

Ideally, the teens will come for a Friday night sleepover on Nov. 8 and stay in residence at Lister Hall, with all of the agricultural immersion activities on Saturday. The classmates are hoping to take the students to Northlands to expose them to both Farmfair and the Canadian Finals Rodeo.

“We have had a lot of interest to take classes on tours, so we could even do tours of south campus at this point,” said student Erinn Backer, 23.

Grade 9 target

The students developed their project after talking with Frank Robinson, their professor and

mentor. They decided to target Grade 9 students because this age group can still be influenced, but is old enough to make and develop their own opinions.

“We looked at the programming that was available and in high school, there was a big gap,” said Baker.

The four classmates say there are many misperceptions around agriculture. “We’re just hoping that maybe people will be aware that what they are hearing is not true. And maybe people aren’t forming their own opinions, but they’re regurgitating opinions that they’re hearing on the news,” said Baker.

Another goal is to show young teens that agriculture is an active and viable industry with lots of

possibilities for both involvement and employment. “There are extracurricular and post-secondary programs that you can get involved with in agriculture,” Backer said.

The classmates have spoken with 4-H and other industry groups, including Alberta Milk, Alberta Beef Producers and Alberta Agriculture. They are in the process of creating a business plan and a budget, and will ask for funding from Alberta Livestock and Meat Agency and United Farmers of Alberta.

“We’re hoping to involve all aspects of industry and be unbiased towards them as well,” said Theresa Liddell, a 21-year-old student. “We want to talk about every aspect.”

The students have started a Twitter account and an active blog, (agimmersion.blogspot. ca) which includes the project overview.

The project is part of the Capstone project, which is designed to fill a knowledge gap in the agriculture industry. The students are hoping that the Institute for Free Range Learning will be able to take over the program after they graduate. They hope the program will be sustainable and carried on by others.

Anyone who is interested in participating in the program or learning more can contact the group at agimmersion@gmail. com. akienlen@fbcpublishing.com

“We’re just hoping that maybe people will be aware that what they are hearing is not true.”

HILARY BAKER U OF A STUDENT

Participants will be able to visit the poultry, swine and dairy barns on the University of Alberta’s south campus and have a hands-on experience with animal production. They’ll be able to milk cows, see swine housing and collect eggs.

The group hopes to host 10 to 20 urban students from the Edmonton area, depending on funding.

“So far there’s been a lot of interest for bringing whole classes in,” said Baker. “It will

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OCTOBER 14, 2013 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

Limited demand leads to stalemate in lentil market Farmers are holding lentils and selling other crops instead

By Brandon Logan

commodity news service canada

A

photo: thinkstock

lack of demand for western Canadian lentils and reluctance from growers to sell at current prices appears to have led to a stalemate.

“Talking to the buyer side of things, there really isn’t any room for prices to move any higher at this moment,” said Shawn Madsen, operations manager for Southland Pulse at Estevan, Sask.

“Neither party seems to want to budge or be able to budge. Nobody is panicking either, because the buyers

don’t have a whole lot of demand to fill, and the farmers are not interested in selling, so nothing is happening.

“It’s not a stalemate where people are angry, it’s just a stalemate.”

The stalemate has caused growers to sell their other crops instead, while they hold on to their lentils until prices strengthen.

“They’re trying to move what they can,” Madsen said. “They have been selling green peas, because they have decent value and got good yields on that. I’m sure they’re moving canola and other cereals too.”

According to Prairie Ag Hotwire, f.o.b. farm Laird No. 2 as of Oct. 3 were

topping out at 18 cents per pound, half a cent lower than a month earlier; f.o.b. farm crimson No. 2 lentils were priced at 19 cents/lb., down a cent from a month earlier.

Saskatchewan Agriculture’s weekly crop report released Oct. 3 said harvest was 97 per cent complete, with one per cent of the lentils ready to be combined, and two per cent of the crop still standing.

“Yields are OK, but I’m curious to see where we end up in quality overall,” Madsen said. “There were some lentils with moisture and weather issues and we haven’t seen a whole lot of samples in yet.”

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9

Albertafarmexpress.ca • october 14, 2013

U.S. farm law expires again with lawmakers split on new bill USDA has lost authority to run agricultural export, global food aid and livestock disaster relief programs

By Charles Abbott washington / reuters

O

vershadowed by the government shutdown, the U.S. farm subsidy law expired for the second time Oct. 1 with lawmakers still deadlocked over how to confront cuts in food assistance programs for low-income Americans.

Analysts say Congress is more likely to revive the farm law for another year or two, the path it took when the law expired a year ago, than agree on a new bill.

“They don’t even have the process in place to get it done,” Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said in a speech

Oct. 1 to United Fresh, a trade group for produce growers and processors.

The Democratic-run Senate has proposed $4.5 billion in loophole closing for food stamps. The Republican-controlled House wants to cut $40 billion over 10 years through tighter eligibility rules that would disqualify four million people.

With expiration, the Agriculture Department lost authority to run agricultural export, global food aid, livestock disaster relief and some conservation programs. Crop subsidies, crop insurance and food stamps, the big-ticket programs, are permanently authorized and remain in business.

Congress took two procedural steps in the past four days toward negotiations on a final version of the Farm Bill, but the Republican-controlled House must name its negotiators before talks can begin.

The new five-year Farm Bill could cost $500 billion with food stamps accounting for threequarters of the spending.

On Oct. 1, the Senate formally asked the House for a “conference” on the farm bill and appointed the same 12 negotiators it named in August. The reappointments were necessary because the House merged separate farm subsidy and food stamp bills into one bill over the weekend.

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NEWS » Markets

10

OCTOBER 14, 2013 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

Britain’s wheat quality rebounds

Ukraine 2014 wheat drop

The quality of Britain’s wheat harvest this year was broadly in line with pre-2012 averages and much better than last season, according to provisional results of a survey issued by the Home-Grown Cereals Authority. Rains ruined the quality of last year’s crop and wrecked autumn plantings, but generally favourable weather in the harvest period this summer improved the outlook, according to crop analysts. Hagberg falling numbers, a measure of milling quality, were particularly high this year with an average of 319 seconds, a 13-year peak. Protein content averaged 12.3 per cent, below last year’s 12.5 per cent but above the 2009-11 average of 11.8 per cent. — Reuters

Ukraine’s wheat harvest could be down by a third to about 15 million tonnes in 2014 from around 22 million tonnes this year because heavy rains will cut the sowing area, the agriculture minister said Oct 4. Mykola Prysyazhnyuk said the area sown for the 2014 winter wheat harvest could fall to 6.2 million to 6.3 million hectares from the initially expected 7.0 million hectares because of a prolonged spell of wet and cold weather. Prysyazhnyuk said the wheat reduction could lead to a further increase in corn area next season. Ukraine sowed 4.8 million hectares of maize this year, up from about two million 10 years ago. — Reuters

Trade sees canola crop beating StatsCan’s expectations Canada’s forecast wheat crop also limited U.S. wheat gains

CGC announces details of proposed insurance-based security plan

By Allan Dawson staff

T

PHOTo: thinkstock

By Terryn Shiells

I

CE Futures Canada canola contracts moved lower during the week ended Oct. 4, and the November future settled only about $5 per tonne higher than the contract low of $472.40 per tonne.

Canola futures were looking like they would end the week higher, as traders were covering short positions due to ideas that Statistics Canada wouldn’t show the full size of the canola crop in its report.

Values moved lower, though, following the release of StatsCan’s report, as the speculative buying dried up.

The report was neutral for the market, as StatsCan pegged Canadian canola production for 2013-14 at 15.96 million tonnes, which fell in line with expectations between 14.8 million and 17.5 million.

Continued pressure from advancing harvest activities was a bearish influence during the week, though there were some delays due to wet, rainy weather in all three Prairie provinces.

But with improved weather

forecasts for the second week of October, harvest should be back in full swing, which will likely mean canola prices continue to drift lower.

It’s also expected the actual size of the Canadian canola crop will be even larger than StatsCan’s latest estimate, due to reports of record-large yields in many regions.

There is still strong demand for the Canadian canola crop out there, but the crop is expected to be so large that the path of least resistance in canola is still pointed lower.

Values haven’t hit a bottom yet, and it is expected that they could drift down to the $450-pertonne level before seeing a corrective post-harvest bounce.

Soybeans down

Though all of canola’s own fundamentals and technicals are important and will help dictate what happens in the market, it will ultimately continue to follow the action in Chicago soybean futures.

Chicago soybean futures moved lower during the week, with harvest pressure and reports of better-than-expected

yields in the U.S. undermining values.

The path of least resistance for soybeans is lower and prices could move as low as US$11.75 per bushel before the end of harvest. Once the entire crop is in the bin, traders will start focusing on export demand for soybeans and the South American crop.

Expectations that export demand for U.S. soybeans will be robust for the first half of the crop year will provide some measure of support. But South America is also expected to grow a record-large soybean crop, with Brazil anticipating to produce more soybeans than the U.S. for the first time ever.

Chicago corn futures were weaker as well and will likely drift down to US$4-$4.25 before seeing some recovery due to continued harvest pressure weighing on values.

Wheat in demand?

All three U.S. wheat futures, including the CBOT, MGEX and KCBT, bucked the trend and moved higher during the week.

Talk that export demand for U.S. wheat continues to be strong

helped to support prices, though with the U.S. government shutting down, it’s difficult to know how much actual demand there has been recently.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture closed as part of the U.S. government shutdown, which meant no weekly export sales report was released during the week. If the shutdown is short lived, it won’t have a big impact on markets. But if it lasts more than a couple of weeks, there could be some volatility once USDA is back up and running, as it will likely release a slew of reports all at once.

Gains were limited in U.S. wheat futures by confirmation of a very large Canadian wheat crop in StatsCan’s Oct. 4 crop production report. StatsCan pegged all Canadian wheat production for 2013-14 at a recordlarge 33.03 million tonnes, up from its previous estimate of 30.56 million and 27.21 million in 2012-13.

Terryn Shiells writes for Commodity News Service Canada, a Winnipeg company specializing in grain and commodity market reporting.

he Canadian Grain Commission (CGC) is proposing to replace its current security program with an insurance scheme as early as Dec. 1.

Citizens have until Nov. 4 to submit their views on the regulatory changes the federal government says will save the CGC and grain sector money.

“While the current model has been relatively successful, it is expensive for both licensees and the CGC to administer,” the government says in the Canada Gazette.

Now grain companies are supposed to post bonds or letters of credit to cover money owed to farmers for the grain they’ve delivered.

But sometimes when companies go broke their security falls short.

Farmers are also covered by the CGC plan for up to 90 days after delivering to a licensed grain company.

They have 30 days to cash grain company cheques before being ineligible for protection.

Under the new proposal farmers who aren’t paid would have to notify the CGC within 45 days to qualify for coverage and will have 30 days to submit a claim to the CGC for what they were owed.

There would also be a five per cent deductible, which the government says will encourage farmers to protect themselves.

“The purpose of this change is to transfer the concept of moral hazard found in the current model in each business transaction to the aggregate structure of the proposed new model.”

The government says the CGC has consulted with grain companies and farmers and they generally support the proposal.

The current security plan will remain in place until the new one takes effect.

The program has paid an annual average of about $723,000 (inflation adjusted) in losses from failures to pay farmers during the last 32 years, the government says.

11

ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • OCTOBER 14, 2013

Producers urged to test for ergot It isn’t only in wheat — ergot affects other cereals and forages Agri-News

E

rgot contamination is proving to be an issue of concern as this year, not just wheat, but oats, barley and triticale are testing positive for ergot. And, not just grain, but ergot is a concern in some mature forage crops as well.

It is more important than ever to be aware of this problem and do the necessary testing when sourcing feed grain.

“Ergot is a plant disease caused by the Claviceps purpurea fungus and this year has been found in rye, triticale, wheat, barley, brome grass, wheat grass, bluegrass, quack grass, orchard grass, meadow foxtail and wild rye,” says Barry Yaremcio, beef and forage specialist with Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development. “Ergot is most easily recognized by the hard, black bodies that replace the kernels on the seed head.”

Ergot overwinters as black, grainsized fungal structures. In the spring, these germinate and form mushroom-like structures that produce spores which are carried by the wind to flowering cereals and grasses. Cool, damp weather in late spring and early summer increases ergot infection due to the longer flowering time of cereals and grasses in these environmental conditions.

“Ergot contains seven toxic alkaloids that negatively affect the health of livestock,” says Yaremcio.

“A few things to think about are the use of commercial screening pellets or grain screenings you can buy from the local seedcleaning plant.”

Barry Yaremcio

“General symptoms of ergot poisoning include lameness, excitability, belligerence, loss of appetite, pneumonias, weight loss, hair loss, foot rot and hoof sluffing. It can take two to eight weeks for these symptoms to become visible.

“The upper feeding limit of ergot in older, non-pregnant cattle was previously set at 0.1 per cent by weight of feed consumed. Some new research coming out of the University of Saskatchewan is causing this one-in-1,000 kernels ratio to be re-evaluated, and it is suspected that the 0.1 per cent is too high. Health issues have occurred when there were four ergot bodies in 10,000 kernels of grain (approximately one pound).

Breeding animals susceptible

Preliminary testing at the University of Saskatchewan has established that the alkaloid content in Western Canada ergot samples are much higher than the values cited from research done in the southern U.S. So, always try to feed ergot-free feed to all your cattle. Pregnant, breeding and lactating animals are the most sensitive to ergot — they should not be fed any ergot at all.”

It is difficult to provide an answer to what amount of ergot can be safely fed to livestock. Three fac-

tors come into play — the type of animal being fed. Young animals versus older animal; animal condition and overall health status, how much grain is fed on a daily basis, the amount of ergot in the sample and concentration of the alkaloids present in the ergot.

If ergot is present, a representative sample should be submitted for testing before it is used. For a list of where to send feed grain and forage for testing, contact the AgInfo Centre toll free at 310-FARM (3276). Cost of analyzing feed is $63 through the University of Saskatchewan.

Four syndromes

“There are four specific syndromes caused by ergot: gangrenous ergotism, convulsive/nervous ergotism, reproductive ergotism and hyperthermic ergotism. The gangrenous and nervous forms are most common.”

• Gangrenous ergotism is associated with longer-term ingestion of

ergot. Ergot alkaloids cause small blood vessels to constrict, reducing the blood supply to limbs, tails, teats and ears. If blood flow is restricted for long periods of time, the tissues become oxygen deprived and die.

Hooves can slough off and, in cold weather, ears freeze off.

Convulsive, or nervous ergotism is more common in horses and sheep, and is the acute form of ergotism. Symptoms include dizziness, drowsiness, convulsions, paralysis and death. These symptoms usually disappear about three to 10 days after the ergot is removed.

• Reproductive ergotism is caused by high levels of estrogen in the ergot bodies. This can lead to abortions or lowered fertility due to abnormal cycling. Once the ergot is removed, it takes a long time for estrogen levels to return to normal.

• Hyperthermic ergotism results from long-term exposure to ergot.

It is made worse on hot and humid

Normal wheat kernels with ergot bodies alongside. Photo: CGC days with no shade. Animals pant and lose weight.

“A few things to think about are the use of commercial screening pellets or grain screenings you can buy from the local seed-cleaning plant,” says Yaremcio. “Ask if there

is ergot present in the product you are purchasing. Levels in these screenings can be very high. If ergot is present, it may be necessary to dilute these feeds with clean grain to reduce the amount of alkaloids consumed on a daily basis.”

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12

OCTOBER 14, 2013 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

Charts gave early indications of a downturn in the canola market MARKET OUTLOOK  It is important to note that despite a market’s fluctuations,

prices are often contained between areas of resistance and support

BY DAVID DROZD

T

he price of canola on the nearby weekly futures contract has declined $178 per tonne or the equivalent of $4 per bushel since May 2013. With basis levels deteriorating, cash prices have fallen further – as much as $5 per bushel.

Tight ending stocks at the end of the 2012-13 crop year and reduced acreage for 2013-14 had starry-eyed bulls looking for higher prices. It’s not unusual to hear bullish news at the top of a market, but this unfortunately causes some farmers to hold off selling in anticipation of higher prices.

Technical analysts rely on charting to cut through the news (noise). Charting and technical analysis are proven methods

of catching a turn in the market, especially when the news is incredibly bullish. It is important to note that despite a market’s fluctuations, prices are often contained between areas of resistance and support.

Support and resistance

Support and resistance are terms used to describe a price level where the buying or selling of futures contracts is expected to noticeably increase and at least temporarily halt the current direction of the market. These areas appear as well-defined price ranges within which the market will fluctuate. The greater the amount of time spent and the number of contracts bought and sold in this range, the greater will be the potential for support or resistance in the future.

Bins to the

A specific example of prices rallying into an area of resistance appears as (A) in the accompanying chart. Occurrences such as these are commonplace on futures charts and are extremely important, as they illustrate where future rallies and declines are likely to fail. Support and resistance levels define the parameters of the major trend.

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Market psychology

Support and resistance areas evolve because equilibrium is reached between buyers and sellers. The market attracts buying around the bottom of the range and selling in the top portion. If prices break down through the lower boundary (B), then all recent buyers are holding losing positions. Any return move back to this zone (C) subsequently represents

BRIM? Big crops can mean limited delivery opportunities.

CANOLA

an area in which to liquidate a long position at break-even or with a reduced loss.

Those who sold in the upper portion (A) of the trading range now have profits and may utilize the rally (C) to sell more contracts.

The concept of support/resistance and the market’s reaction when it moves into a support or resistance area are among the most interesting facets of chart study. Where a classic formation may not appear on a chart for several months, one can be reasonably sure that there is always a support or resistance area not very far from the market. This is important because it can help one formulate expectations of future price action.

It is important to watch for reversal patterns when prices are challenging key areas of resistance. As illustrated in the accompanying chart, a two-week reversal developed when prices were challenging the stiff area of resistance at $650 per tonne.

A two-week reversal indicates a change in trend and exemplifies a sudden change in sentiment.

On the first week the longs were comfortable and confident as the market closed higher and their expectation was for the market to have further gains.

However, the second week’s activity is a complete turnaround from the preceding week and quickly erodes the confidence of those who are still long the market. The longs respond to weakening prices by exiting the market. This is referred to as long liquidation and regardless of how bullish the news may be, it is often responsible for the sudden shift in a market’s dynamics and subsequent sell-off.

The fundamental news didn’t become bearish until $650 was a distant memory. Declining vegetable oil prices and record canola yields across all three Prairie provinces have been weighing on prices. With a record canola crop in the making, producers should be taking measures to manage their pricing risk.

Send your questions or comments about this article and chart to info@ag-chieve.ca.

David Drozd is president and senior market analyst for Winnipeg-based Ag-Chieve Corporation. The opinions expressed are those of the writer and are solely intended to assist readers with a better understanding of technical analysis. Visit Ag-Chieve online at www.ag-chieve.ca for information about grain-marketing advisory services, or call us toll free at 1-888-274-3138 for a free consultation.

13

ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • OCTOBER 14, 2013

Retaining good staff is about more than just money People want to be part of a group and feel they are valued as individuals

I

t would be so simple if “money” was the answer to the questions managers ask about how to retain staff. But, there is more to retaining staff than the wages they receive.

Wages and benefits are what get new staff in the door, but it’s not what causes them to stay. If it were, the company that won the bidding war would have all the employees it needs — until someone else bids higher. But that’s not how things work. Money doesn’t buy loyalty. To get people to stay, a workplace must offer more than just money.

“The person most able to earn employees’ loyalty is their immediate supervisor,” says Alan

Saputo making white-knight play for Australian dairy firm Montreal dairy giant to offer C$378M agcanada.com

A major Australian dairy processor fending off an unwanted suitor at home has turned to Canada’s biggest dairy firm as its white knight.

Saputo Inc. announced an allcash bid of A$7 per share (about C$387 million) for all outstanding shares of publicly traded Warrnambool Cheese and Butter Factory, one of Australia’s biggest dairy companies.

Warrnambool, which processes cheese, butter, butter blends, milk, cream and other dairy ingredients for domestic and export markets, became the target Sept. 12 of an unsolicited cash-and-stock bid from another major Australian processor, Bega Cheese.

Bega’s offer of 1.2 Bega shares and A$2 cash equals about A$6.30 per Warrnambool share, Saputo said. Warrnambool’s board has recommended shareholders instead accept Saputo’s offer “in the absence of a superior proposal.”

Montreal-based Saputo’s offer would be subject to conditions such as foreign investment approval and a minimum tender condition of greater than 50 per cent, the company said, adding it expects its offer to close “around early December.”

Warrnambool’s holdings include two processing plants in South West Victoria and South Australia, employing over 420 people.

Warrnambool, headquartered near the city of the same name about 250 km southwest of Melbourne, late last month urged shareholders not to accept Bega’s bid, describing it as “inadequate” and “highly opportunistic” in timing. The cooperative, which formed in the early 1900s and went public in 2008, now bills itself as Australasia’s largest cheese-cutting and -packaging company. It bought full control of fellow dairy processor Tatura Milk, Australia’s biggest domestic maker of infant formula, in 2011.

Dooley, agriculture labour recruitment specialist with Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development.

“By what they say and do, supervisors influence whether employees stay or leave, despite the fact that supervisors seldom have any control over what employees earn.”

To understand this, we can look at the hierarchy of human needs, a theory first advanced by Abraham Maslow. He said that humans have an inborn order of needs that we pass through in stages. We progress to the higher stages only after our more basic needs are satisfied.

The most basic of these needs is for food, clothing and shelter — the need that motivates many of us to look for a job in the first place. The second need is for safety and security. These primary

“The No. 1 reason people quit their job is not money. People quit because they feel unappreciated.”

Alan Dooley AARD

needs are usually met by having a regular paycheque (enabling the purchase of food, clothing and shelter), a safe workplace and access to health care.

Once these needs are met, people’s focus shifts to higher needs. While immediate supervi-

sors have little control over their employees’ financial income, they can have an impact on their “emotional” income, which meets the needs for social interaction and self-esteem. People want to be part of a group and feel they are valued as individuals and appre-

ciated for what they do. As 19th century American philosopher and psychologist William James wrote, “The deepest principle in human nature is the craving to be appreciated.”

“The No. 1 reason people quit their job is not money,” says Dooley. “People quit because they feel unappreciated. The source of this lack of appreciation is usually the employee’s immediate supervisor. Supervisors can create a work environment where people want to be by frequently acknowledging employees for their contributions.”

For more information on retaining staff, visit the Agri-Industry Workforce Development website and check out the webinars, resources and grant funding information.

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Agri-News

9/30/13 7:03 AM

14

OCTOBER 14, 2013 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

FALL COLOURS AT FALL ROUNDUP

The Shapka family took advantage of good weather to move their 240 head back to the ranch at Wasel on the weekend of Oct. 5-7.

PHOTO: JAMIE SHAPKA

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THURSDAY

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Agrium says potash under pressure from Russian ‘soap opera’ Russian departure from sales partnership now a diplomatic row

BY ALLISON MARTELL REUTERS

T

he Russian potash “soap opera” could weigh on prices until demand rises substantially or producers shut some capacity, the chief executive of Canadian fertilizer company Agrium Inc. said Oct. 8.

Prices for the crop nutrient have slipped since midsummer, when Russia’s Uralkali OAO quit its export partnership with Belaruskali, owned by the Belarus government, saying it would seek to boost volume.

The business dispute quickly turned into a diplomatic row after the CEO of Uralkali was detained in August while visiting Belarus, which depends on income from Belaruskali.

“The soap opera in Russia, and I think that’s the best way to characterize it... I don’t know how it’s going to play out,” said Agrium CEO Mike Wilson at the company’s investor day in New York.

Wilson said the structure of the market has to go back to where it was, and some producers need to shut capacity, or demand has to soar above 60 million tonnes. Otherwise, he said, prices will be under pressure.

In June, the International Fertilizer Industry Association forecast 2013 potash demand of about 33 million tonnes.

“I am a little more cautious than some of our competitors,” said Wilson, but added that he was optimistic over the long term. “There’s huge barriers to entry.”

Agrium is aiming to complete an expansion at its Vanscoy, Saskatchewan, potash mine by the end of 2014. The company has said repeatedly the project still makes sense at current prices.

15

ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • OCTOBER 14, 2013

Report details emissions from feeding operations Unit completed the development of a new emissions inventory for CFOs in 2012 AGRI-NEWS

T

he Air Quality Unit within the Environmental Stewardship Division of Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development is committed to working proactively with the livestock industry, government and non-government partners to address air quality concerns associated with livestock production in Alberta.

“Over the past five years, the Air Quality Unit has been involved in the development and the implementation of a series of recommendations outlined in the Clean Air Strategic Alliance (CASA) Confined Feeding Operations (CFO) Strategic Plan,” says Atta Atia, PhD, P Ag, livestock air quality specialist with the Agriculture Stewardship Division, Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development. “This series of recommendations is entitled ‘Managing Air Emissions from Confined Feeding Operation in Alberta.’”

In March 2012, the unit completed the development of a new emissions inventory for CFOs, namely Ammonia and Particulate Matter Emissions Inventory for Confined Feeding Operations in Alberta (APMEICA). The information in this inventory was based on 2006 Statistics Canada census data and 2006 semi-annual and quarterly agricultural survey data for cattle, sheep and swine obtained from Alberta Agriculture. In March 2013, APMEICA 2006 was updated using Statistics Canada 2011 census data and 2011 semi-annual agricultural survey data for cattle, sheep and swine obtained from Alberta Agriculture.

“In September 2013, the Air Quality Unit completed the second edition to the APMEICA 2006 report,” says Atia. “The second edition highlights the differences between the 2006 and 2011 emission inven-

tories. A drastic drop in emissions of ammonia (NH3) and particulate matter (PM) from swine in Alberta occurred in 2011 due to the sharp decline in the number of pigs. The number of pigs fell by approximately 33 per cent between the two periods.

More information on the analysis and comparison between the 2006 and 2011 emission inventories is contained in the second edition of the report.”

This report can be viewed on the Alberta Agriculture website.

For further information or if you have questions or feedback on the second edition of the report, contact Atta Atia at 780-427-4215 or Ike Edeogu, technology development engineer with Alberta Agriculture’s nutrient management section, at 780-415-2359.

A drastic drop in emissions of ammonia (NH3) and particulate matter (PM) from swine in Alberta occurred in 2011 due to the sharp decline in the number of pigs.

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16

OCTOBER 14, 2013 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

WEATHER BOOST FOR ARGENTINA

RAIN TO CUT RUSSIA’S WINTER GRAINS

Ample showers forecast for last week are expected to speed seedings of corn in Argentina, local meteorologist said last Monday. Prime corn-planting season in Argentina, the world’s No. 3 exporter of the grain, is from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15, but relatively little corn had gone into the ground so far this year as growers waited for rain. Argentine farmers are expected to seed 3.46 million hectares of 2013-14 corn, the Buenos Aires Grains Exchange said earlier, paring its previous estimate of 3.56 million hectares due to dry conditions.

Rain will cut the area Russia sows for winter grains by one-fifth compared to the official forecast, the Agriculture Ministry said last Monday, fuelling speculation that 2014’s winter wheat crop could fall and put pressure on global supply. Winter grains for the 2014 crop were sown over 8.7 million hectares, or 53 per cent of the planned area as of Oct. 7, compared with 12.8 million hectares at the same date a year ago, according to Agriculture Ministry data last week. Russia will sow about 13 million hectares of winter grains, instead of the 16 million hectares previously planned, Agriculture Minister Nikolai Fyodorov said.

Extremely likely warming is human caused, panel says The IPCC report wasn’t just quickly slapped together by a few people

BY DANIEL BEZTE

I

have to start this article off with a bit of a correction. In the article I wrote a couple of weeks ago, I mentioned that the Northwest Passage was not open this year. What I should have said was that the Northwest Passage was not ice free this year. According to the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC), for an area to be declared ice free it has to have less than 15 per cent of the water surface covered in ice.

At no point in its data records did the Northwest Passage have all areas meet these criteria this year. So, while the Northwest Passage was not ice free this year, that doesn’t necessarily mean it wasn’t navigable, a fact that was quickly pointed out to us. The bulk cargo ship Nordic Orion (an ice-strengthened bulk carrier) successfully made the transit this year, making it the first such ship to do so.

Now on to the main topic for this issue, the latest release by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). The first thing I want to point out about this report is that it’s intended to be a summary — if you can say that considering the total report is apparently over 3,000 pages long — of the research that has been done of the last five or so years on the state of the Earth’s climate. The report comes out in pieces over the next year, with the first piece being a short “Summary for Policy Makers” which was released in late September.

It is put together by a large group of scientists and government officials from around the world and is meant to summarize the current state of knowledge on climate change. The scientists working on these reports are not paid for their IPCC work and they use or cite over 9,200 scientific papers, but do not present any original work of their own. Once the report was written it was reviewed by over 1,000 experts in 55 different countries before being reviewed by government representatives from 38 different nations. The Summary for Policy Makers, which was just released, had to go through a week-long review process and required approval of all 195 member nations of the IPCC. I guess what

I am trying to point out is that this document is not something that is just quickly slapped together by a few people. The IPCC reports probably have the most detailed and elaborate review process of any scientific report.

The main question most people have about climate change and global warming is, “How much has the planet actually warmed and what is causing it?” According to the IPCC, the Earth has warmed about 0.85 C over the last 130 years, with the majority of this warming (0.6 C) occurring since 1950. The report points out that since 1950, there have been no natural explanations for warming and in fact, it appears the Earth should have cooled slightly due to natural influences. The report also states that it is extremely likely (over 95 per cent) that the warming we are seeing is human caused.

The range of warming that is to be expected if carbon dioxide (CO2) levels double has changed slightly. The values range from a low of 1.5 C to a high of 4.5 C. Even if the lowest value occurs, that would still be almost a doubling of the warming we have seen so far. Current trends in CO2 indicate we’ll easily see double the CO2 levels well before the projections used in the IPCC report.

GLOBAL WARMING

Interpretation

A lot of attention from skeptics lately has talked about the fact that the rate of warming over the last 10 to 15 years has slowed and the explanations for this from climate change scientists have been weak as they simply state it is natural climate variability. I think the best way to look at this is by examining the graphics I’ve included here, which show two ways to interpret the same climate data. I’ll let you decide which way you want to interpret it.

I also want to include a quote made on Dr. Jeff Masters’ blog at Weather Underground: “Physics demands that the massive amounts of heat-trapping carbon dioxide humans have dumped into the atmosphere must cause significant warming, but the chaotic complexity of the system is expected to obscure the magnitude of the long-term trend on time scales of a few years to a decade. The attention being to this latest ‘speed bump’ on the

These images from skepticalscience.com show the average of NASA’s GISS, NOAA’s NCDC and the U.K. Met Office’s HadCRUT4 monthly global surface temperature departures from average, from January 1970 through November 2012, with linear trends applied to the time frames January 1970 to October 1977, April 1977 to December 1986, September 1987 to November 1996, June 1997 to December 2002, and November 2002 to November 2012. Climate change skeptics like to emphasize the shorter-term fluctuations in global temperatures (blue lines) and ignore the long-term climate trend (red line). The global surface temperature trend from January 1970 through November 2012 (red line) is +0.16 C (+0.29 F) per decade.

highway of global warming is a direct result of a well-funded PR effort by the fossil fuel industry.

One has to look at the total warming of the atmosphere, oceans, land, and ice to judge the true progress of global warming, not just the surface temperature.

There has been no slowdown in total global warming when we regard this entire system, as I argued in a post earlier this year.

More than 90 per cent of the energy of global warming goes into the oceans, and the reason for the relative lack of surface warm-

ing this decade is that more heat than usual is being stored in the oceans. That heat will be released to the atmosphere at some point, removing the ‘speed bump.’”

I’m almost out of room for this week, but we’ll look at this report some more in upcoming issues.

17

ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • OCTOBER 14, 2013

CALL FOR ACPC DIRECTOR NOMINATIONS

STAFF

T

he National Farmers Union is warning that the privatization of seed inspection in Canada starting next year will hurt seed growers and farmers, while making multinational seed companies even more powerful.

“Independent seed growers will find themselves phased out as the seed crop inspection system, along with other essential seed-related systems such as plant breeding and variety registration, become progressively more dominated by private companies,” NFU president Terry Boehm said in a news release.

“The growers will find it increasingly difficult to maintain their independence because the entire seed system will be controlled by a few major players. When that happens, farmers will have very little choice about where they get their seed or what kind of seed they can buy.”

Ottawa announced last year the Canadian Food Inspection Agency would stop inspecting pedigreed seed crops in 2014, and turn the business over to the private sector. The agency charges 75 cents an acre to inspect pedigreed seed fields, but that only covers about half of the cost. It’s expected fees will triple or quadruple under the private system.

The NFU argues government inspection offers societal benefits, including maintaining Canadian food quality and safety, reducing the spread of crop pests and

ensuring varietal purity. And it says private inspectors have an inherent conflict of interest.

“To maintain a customer, the (inspection) company may wink at violations and wield its authority on a personal basis,” a paper issued by the NFU states.

Checks and balances

The paper raises some legitimate concerns, but the seed industry is working to address them through checks and balances, said Dale Adolphe, executive director of the Canadian Seed Growers Association (CSGA).

“One of those checks is CFIA doing 10 per cent check inspections,” to verify the private inspectors’ work, he said.

Not doing a proper job could cost the inspector his or her inspection licence, Adolphe said, while a company employing poor inspectors might be prohibited from offering inspection services.

The federal government has been regulating pedigreed seed production since 1928 and seed growers mostly supported the system. The CSGA had no say in the government’s decision to privatize.

“We were basically told the decision has been made, it’s not up for debate,” said Adolphe, adding his association is now focused on designing a private system that will work.

Adolphe also concedes the NFU has a point in arguing higher fees could drive some smaller, or more remote, seed growers out of business.

“What some seed growers are telling us is they’re not going to speculate on their seed acres as much

Canadian Seed Growers Association president Dale Adolphe says the seed industry is working to ensure the integrity of the pedigreed seed system is not compromised.

National Farmers Union president Terry Boehm warns privatizing pedigreed seed inspection will be bad for seed growers, farmers and the country. PHOTOS: ALLAN DAWSON

anymore if the inspection rates are significantly higher,” Adolphe said.

However, higher inspection fees won’t greatly affect seed prices and will add only a few pennies to the cost of a bushel, Adolphe said.

Initially, the new inspection system will be conducted by a third party. But there’s talk of going to first- or second-party inspection, which the NFU says will be worse.

First-party inspection is when a seed company is also the seed grower and inspector.

Under second-party inspection a seed company inspects its seed grown by a seed grower with the seed assigned to that company.

First- and second-party seed inspection companies could drive third-party ones out of business by subsidizing inspection fees to their seed grower clients or by forcing them

to use their company’s inspection services, the NFU says. The result would be fewer independent seed growers and increased power for the six multinational corporations that dominate global agriculture, it says.

The group argues Monsanto, DuPont, Syngenta, Bayer, Dow and BASF already control 75 per cent of private plant-breeding research, 60 per cent of the commercial seed market, 100 per cent of the transgenic seed market, and 76 per cent of global agro-chemical sales.

“If these policy and regulatory changes are allowed to proceed, global agribusiness corporations will control the entire seed system,” the NFU paper states. “If they control seed, they control our farms, our food and our lives.”

The

BY ALLAN DAWSON

TM

Farm group argues change will eventually spell the end for independent seed growers and hand control of seed production to multinationals

proving ground.

NFU fears private seed inspection will mean company domination

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18

OCTOBER 14, 2013 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

Warm weather brings mustard yields to highest in a decade Despite the high yields, prices have remained fairly good

By Brandon Logan

commodity news service canada

W

estern Canada’s mustard crops are producing their best yields in a decade, says Walter Dyck, mustard buyer with Wisconsin-based Olds Products, noting warm weather in July and August really helped the development of crops across the Prairies.

“We are just receiving samples from our contract growers, but based on the initial samples that have been received, we’re looking at definitely above-average yields for Canada,” he said. “We probably are going to have the best yields in 10 years by quite a margin.”

CanAccording to Statistics SEC_CAR11_T_MC.qxd 8/26/11 ada, yields are expected to be

1,045 pounds per acre for 201314, which would be the highest yields seen since the 1999-2000 crop, which produced 1,001 pounds per acre.

Despite the high yields, prices have remained fairly good for Canadian growers. As of Oct. 4, Prairie Ag Hotwire had f.o.b. farm yellow mustard at 38 to 38.5 cents per pound, 36 to 37 cents per pound for brown mustard, and 27 cents per pound for the oriental variety.

“I think they are good prices,” Dyck said. “There’s no doubt, even looking at the big yields and the 37- to 38-cent-a-pound price that it still pencils out very well for growers.”

Looking ahead to new-crop pricing in January, he said prices shouldn’t drop too much.

“The thing 4:23 PM one Page 1 that Canada and the U.S. did not receive was

a big number of acres this year, so even with the higher yields, our carry-out in 2014 is not going to be that much higher,” he said.

“We’re going to have to have some very honest prices going into new-crop pricing, so I think prices aren’t going to drop that much.”

Steady export demand, despite some competition from the Black Sea region, has also kept prices from declining further due to the seasonal harvest pressure, Dyck said.

“On brown mustard, Canada continues to be the main supplier, regardless of where it’s grown in Europe,” he said.

“Our big yellow market is still the U.S., and that market is very stable. Canada continues to be the leader as far as quality goes, so demand isn’t going to go away.”

Canadian brown mustard continues to be the quality leader in Europe.

PHOTo: thinkstock

Food safety group demands U.S. probe in tainting of alfalfa crop

AC® Carberry

The farmer purchased the contaminated seed before the USDA granted full approval for genetically modified alfalfa in 2011

Setting the pace.

food safety advocacy group has demanded that the U.S. government investigate how a Washington state alfalfa crop became tainted with a genetically modified trait that was illegal when the seed was purchased.

The Center for Food Safety said it was basing its legal petition on evidence that the seed used by farmer Joseph Peila to plant the crop was purchased in the year before the biotech variety was granted final regulatory approval by the U.S. Department of Agriculture in 2011.

In August, an exporter to Asia rejected Peila’s hay crop because it tested positive for the genetically engineered trait, developed by Monsanto Co., found in “Roundup Ready” alfalfa. Many foreign buyers will not accept crops that contain the modification.

“Not only was the presence of GE alfalfa in... Peila’s alfalfa seed unlawful, the contamination exposes (him) and other farmers to huge potential losses,” said George Kimbrell, a lawyer with the centre.

“USDA regulations make it clear that any level of contamination from unapproved GE plant material is unlawful.” The discovery of the contamination has highlighted the difficulties of keeping conventional and organic seed supplies free of biotech traits, say critics of U.S. regulatory policies on genetically modified crops. It has also heightened concerns that the USDA is not doing enough to stop such contamination.

The USDA said on Sept. 17 it would not take any action in Peila’s case because the Roundup Ready alfalfa is now an approved crop.

But Peila — one of the first U.S. farmers to make a public complaint

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about alfalfa contamination — said he had purchased the seeds before the USDA granted final approval in 2011. To back up his contention, he has provided Reuters with documents including a 2010 sales receipt, bag labels and independent and state testing results.

“This seed was planted in 2010.

It should have never been contaminated, period,” the 40-yearold Peila said. “My whole management practice and marketing (are) thrown out the window. This scares me to death.”

The Roundup Ready alfalfa seed was initially approved by regulators in 2005, but a lawsuit by the Center for Food Safety led to a Federal Court injunction keeping it off the market from 2007 to 2011, when the USDA granted final regulatory approval.

The incident comes at a time when the U.S. government is trying to establish protocols for what it calls “coexistence” of biotech crops with conventional and organic crops. The aim, it says, is to protect the purity of supplies.

But it revives claims from critics that coexistence is impossible, and allegations that agricultural regulators are failing to protect farmers who want to ensure the purity of their conventional or organic crops.

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced late last month that the department was seeking public comment on how to achieve the coexistence goal. A USDA advisory committee is trying to set standards for compensating farmers whose crops are contaminated, and mitigation techniques to minimize gene flow between crops.

“USDA supports all forms of agriculture and wants each sector to be as successful as possible providing products to markets in the United States and abroad,” the USDA said as part of Vilsack’s announcement.

19

ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • OCTOBER 14, 2013

Big yields, imports ease supply concerns for U.S. canola crushers Super yields make up for acres that were left unplanted due to poor spring conditions

By Rod Nickel

winnipeg / reuters

B

ig canola yields in the northern Plains have eased earlier supply concerns for U.S. processors, who also look to tap a binbusting harvest in Western Canada.

U.S. farmers planted 1.3 million acres of canola in 2013, but unfavourable weather prevented them planting the crop on 426,711 acres, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture Farm Services Agency data. A year earlier, under better conditions, they planted 1.7 million acres of canola, and were unable to plant on only 6,000.

Yields in North Dakota, however, look to make up for lost acres after favourable summer weather, industry officials say.

“We were a little concerned early in the crop year because the acres were disappointing,” said Neil Juhnke, chief operating officer of Northstar Agri Industries, which runs a canola-crushing plant at Hallock, Minnesota. “But the yields we’re seeing around the plant and in the core of the North Dakota canola-growing region have just been spectacular.

“We think there’s about the same amount of canola available this year as there was last year.”

Juhnke said yields ranged in the main North Dakota canola-growing area from 50 to 70 bushels per acre, about double the usual yield.

U.S. farmers are a small producer of canola, which is used mainly for vegetable oil in food processing and as a protein source in livestock rations. But U.S. plantings in the shadow of No. 1 grower Canada have crept higher in the past decade and the yellow-flowering oilseed has proven to be a useful rotation crop from winter wheat in Oklahoma, southern Kansas and north Texas, as well as a profitable summer crop option in northern states.

Crushers like Legumex Walker Inc. are counting on farmers’ fondness for canola growing. The Canadian processor of legume crops like peas and lentils opened a canola-crushing plant in Warden, Washington late last year, well away from the main U.S. canola-growing states.

“We will source as much western (U.S.) canola as we possibly can, but until we see what the growers actually plant and grow, we don’t know that percentage,” said Legumex Walker chief executive Joel Horn. The company is encouraging Pacific Northwest farmers to plant non-genetically modified canola seed to tap strong demand.

photo: thinkstock Legumex’s goal is to source all of its canola from the Pacific Northwest, but for its first full year of commercial production in 2014, it could get more than half from Western Canada and North Dakota.

Northstar, which has processed canola at Hallock for about 18 months, will rely as usual on Canada to supply about 40 per cent of its canola, Juhnke said.

Canada shipped 320,000 tonnes of canola seed to the United States in the previousB:10.25” 2012-13 crop year, according toT:10.25” Canadian Grain

Commission, less than a year earlier due to tight supplies.

U.S. buyers are also eager to buy Canadian canola meal, a product that is a cheaper but less proteinrich livestock feed option than soymeal. Before harvest started, soybean futures were priced at the highest relative premium to canola since the record notched in 2008.

But the logistical challenges of importing Canadian canola meal limits supplies, said a feed dealer who sells soymeal and canola meal to Ohio livestock producers.

“Demand has been consistent but the supply is spotty due to the rail networks,” said the dealer, who spoke anonymously because he was not authorized by his company to speak publicly.

ICE Canada canola futures lost nearly eight per cent in September, sagging as new supplies replenished tight carry-over stocks from the previous harvest.

Canadian farmers are set to harvest a record-large canola crop this autumn, shattering the previous high-production mark after an almost ideal mix of rain and cool and hot temperatures at the right growing stages.

U.S. canola’s growth is limited somewhat by the recent ability of farmers in northern areas to grow corn and soybeans due to climate change, said Dale Thorenson, assistant director of the U.S. Canola Association.

U.S. canola production is on course for 870 million tonnes this year, down from last year’s 1.1 million, but higher than the previous five-year average, according to USDA. Other U.S.-based canola crushers include Archer Daniels Midland Co. in North Dakota and Kansas, and Producers Cooperative Oil Mill in Oklahoma City.

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20

OCTOBER 14, 2013 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

Canola growers oppose ban on insecticide Risks to bees associated with insecticide use on soybeans and corn aren’t the same for canola

BY ALEX BINKLEY AF CONTRIBUTOR

C

anola farmers oppose calls for a ban on neonicotinoid insecticides because there is no scientific evidence linking its use in planting their crop with harm to bee populations, says Cheryl Mayer, director of policy development with the Canadian Canola Growers Association.

“Any action taken should be based on science and there has not been evidence of a risk in canola,” she said. Mostly grown in Western Canada, canola seed and oil is a leading agri-food export.

Last month, Health Canada said bee deaths experienced in Ontario and Quebec during the last two springs were “unsustainable.” It proposed additional rules to curb bee deaths during the planting of corn and soybean crops. The department will collect reaction to its plan until December and make a final decision before next spring.

The move was sparked by tests that showed up to 70 per cent of dead bees collected in Central Canada for laboratory examination had traces of neonic insecticide.

Ontario and Quebec beekeeper groups want the neonic insecticides banned as has been proposed in Europe. The insecticide is coated on the seed before the planting to protect it from pests in the soil. The machines used to plant corn and soybeans emit dust laced with enough of the insecticide to harm bees, the beekeepers say. A neonic insecticide is also used in fruit and vegetable production.

Bee health is a crucial issue for Canadian agriculture...

Grain Farmers of Ontario and the Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association also oppose any ban, saying seed companies and farm manufacturers are taking steps to reduce the release of dust during planting and the amount of insecticide in that dust.

“The canola industry has been following the issue closely,” Mayer said. “There has not been evidence of a similar risk with canola planting. That said, pollinator health is important to canola and canola growers are committed to using the technology in a sustainable and responsible manner. CCGA and the canola industry have been working closely with stakeholders such as the Canadian Honey Council in an effort to ensure pollinator health as well as the responsible use of pesticides.”

Bee health is a crucial issue for Canadian agriculture because Canada has seen rapid growth in pollination-dependent crops such as fruits and vegetables. About $2 billion of agricultural production relies on bees.

Mo r e t h a n t w o - t h i r d s o f Canadian beehives are west of the Ontario-Manitoba border and haven’t been plagued with the level of bee deaths seen in Central Canada, says the Canadian Honey Council.

It also opposes a ban on neonic insecticides.

The bee industry also faces major challenges from Verroa mites and a fungal disease that decimates bee colonies.

Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne says her government is waiting to see what measures Health Canada introduces while it pursues “science-based solutions to ensure a healthy bee population.”

The Canadian Honey Council also opposes a ban on neonic insecticides.

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ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • OCTOBER 14, 2013

Ritz talks up free trade with Europe Minister says European industry is on side with an agreement

BY BRANDON LOGAN

COMMODITY NEWS SERVICE CANADA

C

anadian Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz spoke via teleconference from London, England last Tuesday about his trade mission in the United Kingdom, Ireland and Germany, but the focus of questions remained on the ongoing free trade talks between Canada and the European Union.

“When I talked to the ministers that I met through ANUGA (the world’s largest food show), state by state they all agreed that there’s a lot more strength in Canada and Europe completing this,” he said. “When I talked to European industry, they’re excited by the fact that Canada will be a strong ally with them in trade negotiations.”

A big focus of the talks has been on beef, because the European Union wants their beef imports growth hormone free. With most Canadian meat being produced with hormones, the quota for beef must be big enough for Canadian producers to set up hormone-free herds.

“There’s still a demand around the world for beef that has had those type of injections, but having said that, anybody who’s wanting to get good, solid access into the European Union, will make that decision based on what’s in their own best interests,” Ritz said.

“The product we were cooking at the trade show was hormone free and supplied by a number of different operators in Canada, and it was going over extremely well.

“The bottom line for us is it has to be commercially viable,” Ritz said.

Gerry Ritz sampled hormone-free beef while at the world’s largest food show.

FILE PHOTO

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he Canadian Grain Commission has launched a website that helps producers identify more than 50 species of insects recognized as pests of stored grain in Canada.

“Our insect keys are an effective, easy-to-use tool for insect identification. Once you know the insect you’re dealing with, you can make the appropriate decisions for management,” Brent Elliott, infestation control and sanitation office at the Canadian Grain Commission said in a release. To use the keys, you choose which of a pair of images and descriptions best matches the insect being identified. The process continues until you are able to identify the insect.

The insect keys are some of the first sections of the Canadian Grain Commission’s website that have been redesigned to follow Government of Canada standards for web design, including new standards on usability and optimizing websites for mobile devices. A usable and accessible website ensures Canadians are able to easily find information and services using a variety of devices, including mobile devices.

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22

OCTOBER 14, 2013 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

Whither canola futures?

One trader says it’s doomed, but others say the contract still has a good future

BY ALLAN DAWSON STAFF

W

ICE Futures Canada CEO Brad Vannan says the canola contract is still healthy despite a recent decline in open interest.

hile western Canadian farmers are harvesting their biggest crop of canola ever, a veteran grain trader is warning the Winnipeg canola futures contract they rely on for price setting is in decline and could disappear.

“In the end all of the futures contracts (traded in Winnipeg) that have gone before have been delisted and there’s no reason that it (canola) isn’t going to be delisted as well,” says Brent Futz, who has traded futures on the ICE Futures Canada exchange and its predecessor, the Winnipeg Commodity Exchange, since 1983.

Futz says the canola futures con-

tract, created in 1963, is in decline because there are fewer grain elevator companies in Western Canada.

“There comes a point where you just can’t trade with yourself anymore,” he said in an interview Oct. 1.

“The only ones benefiting from it (a decline in the future contract) are the line companies and we really aren’t much different than we were 100 years ago,” Futz said.

Consolidation is a concern, but the canola contract is healthy, said Brad Vannan, president and CEO of ICE Futures Canada.

“One thing we agree on is that you can’t take the market for granted,” said Vannan, who has spoken to Futz about his concerns.

They also agree losing the canola contract would hurt farmers by making prices less transparent.

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Company support

Grain company officials say the contract is a useful risk management tool they intend to keep using.

“I don’t think canola is going down,” Aaron Anderson, Richardson International’s assistant vicepresident for western grains said.

“There’s enough volume, there’s enough liquidity, there’s enough activity in the canola contract and bottom line, it’s reflective of the cash trade. We will continue to support it.”

In an email, Cargill AgHorizons’ oilseed manager Neil Sabourin said: “Cargill believes that the ICE canola futures bring value as they are a good risk management tool for all participants in the marketplace.”

Anderson said most of the other futures contracts that died, including flax, peas, feed wheat and feed barley, were much smaller with less domestic and international demand. But grain companies aren’t trading the ICE’s new future contracts for milling wheat, durum and barley, Futz said.

“That’s a very bold statement on their part from my perspective,” he said. “They’re saying ‘we don’t need to.’”

Open interest plunges

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Futz points to the drop in open interest — canola futures contracts yet to be offset — to around 100,000 in July versus 240,000 in July 2012, as a sign of the contract’s decline.

Last year was an anomaly reflecting what was occurring in the cash canola market, Vannan said. Over the last 10 years open interest and the volume of trade have increased, he added. To encourage more trading the Winnipeg Commodity Exchange introduced electronic futures trading in 2004, Vannan said.

As grain companies get bigger they can do things internally to reduce marketing risk other than using futures, such as matching grain purchases from farmers with sales to exporters or crushers, Futz said.

“Glencore is well situated throughout the world and they don’t really need the futures market to tell them where the price is and to offset their risk,” he said. “They have traders throughout the world being able to place their canola purchase (from farmers) overnight.”

Viterra, which is owned by Glencore, didn’t make anyone available to comment by press time.

Grain companies can offset some of their risk internally but they still need futures markets, Anderson said. “When China comes in and buys two or three cargoes it’s 180,000 tonnes,” he said. “I’ve got to be in the (futures) market. You still need an active, viable futures contract to hedge on a daily basis.”

The potential for less canola price transparency worries Ed Rempel, president of the Manitoba Canola Growers Association. The industry needs to keep the canola contract viable, he said.

More trading is the answer, and farmers can help in that regard, Vannan said. But according to Futz, grain company participation is the key. Vannan is optimistic about canola and the canola contract.

Western Canadian farmers are reaping a record 16-million-tonne canola crop. It has been farmers’ highest-grossing crop, and Vannan says futures contracts have played a critical role in that success.

“Canola was able to grow because the market was extraordinarily efficient because it manages risk so efficiently.” allan@fbcpublishing.com

Alberta Farmer.indd 1

9/13/2013 9:50:34 AM

23

ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • OCTOBER 14, 2013

CN Rail ready to move large Canadian grain crop Railway CEO calls for co-operation across the supply chain

By Commodity News Service Canada

R

ecord-large Canadian grain and oilseed crops will put extra stress on the country’s grain-handling system in 2013-14, making collaboration along the supply chain essential to move the crop efficiently, said Claude Mongeau, president and CEO of CN Rail in a news release.

Total western Canadian crop production is now estimated at over 60 million tonnes, which has caused grain companies to raise their export forecasts, said CN. “The current grain crop is now forecast to be among the largest

North Dakota canola crop ‘phenomenal’ However, acreage is only half of the previous year

in history. This is very good news for all of us involved in the business,” said Mongeau.

The large crops will “clearly challenge the entire supply chain,” said Mongeau. As a result, “meeting this challenge successfully will require all supply chain partners to come together in order to maximize end-toend throughput on a consistent basis. Prompt car loading in the Prairies, steady railway movements from the country to port, and efficient car unloading at port terminals will be critical to solid hopper car fleet velocity so that the cars can be brought back to the countryside to meet new orders in a timely way.”

Participants along the supply chain “will have to up their game to move the crop to market on time, and on spec,”

added Mongeau. For their part, CN is focused on port terminal unloading performance on the waterfront, maintaining a fluid

rail operation, and sizing its hopper car fleet capacity at the level required to help keep the supply chain synchronized.

A $100-million investment in increased rail capacity in the Edmonton-Winnipeg corridor this year will also help CN handle strong volumes of grain and other commodities over the fall and winter seasons, said Mongeau.

“True collaboration and information sharing along the entire supply chain will be the foundation for our joint success. CN is ready to play its role as a key supply chain enabler, helping Canadian farmers and our customers bring this record crop to world markets efficiently.”

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C

anola acres may have been down in North Dakota this year, but good growing weather throughout the year is reported to have resulted in a “phenomenal” crop overall.

Area planted to the crop in the major canola-growing state came in at only 850,000 acres, which compares with the nearly 1.5 million acres seeded the previous year.

However, while acres were down, Barry Coleman, executive director of the Northern Canola Growers Association at Bismarck, N.D., said he wouldn’t be surprised if average yields topped a record 2,000 pounds (45 buhels) per acre.

Average yields only reached 1,425 lbs./ac. in 2012 and the previous record topped out at about 1,811.

“We’ll definitely break that record by several hundred pounds,” said Coleman. He said cooler weather in July helped canola see a long flowering period, which boosted yields overall.

A lack of problems with aster leafhoppers aided production as well, said Coleman.

From a pricing standpoint, he said the large crop wouldn’t necessarily depress prices, as much of the direction will continue to come from soybeans. Increasing demand from domestic crushers in the state was also expected to underpin values.

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24

OCTOBER 14, 2013 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

Got allergies? Move to the country The immune system benefits from life in the countryside STAFF

A

dults who move to farming areas where they experience a wider range of environmental exposures than in cities may reduce the symptoms of their hypersensitivities and allergies considerably.

This is the result of new research from Aarhus University published in the online periodical The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.

Researchers found that the immune systems of people who work in farming are frequently exposed to a wide range of bac-

teria, fungi, pollen and other irritants which may trigger a response that protects them against hypersensitivity. Working in a farming environment may therefore serve to prevent or dampen hypersensitivity to the most widespread plant allergens: grass and birch pollen.

The positive effect on the immune system is seen both in people who have lived in urban environments and in adults who were born and raised in farming areas. Adults benefited as much as children, much to the researchers’ surprise.

“Previously, the assumption was that only persons who had lived in farming areas while grow-

ing up would benefit from the environment’s protective effect on the immune system. But now we can demonstrate that it’s not too late simply because you are an adult,” says post-doctoral student Grethe Elholm.

It is, in other words, possible to affect the immune system and thereby the hypersensitivity which may cause allergy and allergic asthma − and what is more, this can be done at a much later point in life than previously assumed.

This knowledge is now bringing researchers closer to discovering how to prevent allergies. The assumption is that the absence of environmental exposure does not

protect against hypersensitivity. In fact, living in an environment with a much higher level of environmental exposure than you are used to can actually be good for your health.

In general, exposure to the farming environment dampens the entire immune response to the environment because it stimulates the immune system.

“We cannot, however, simply recommend that people who suffer from allergies and hypersensitivities move to farms. Because they may also suffer

from lung diseases such as asthma and would therefore become more ill due to the high concentrations of dust and particles found in stables and in agriculture in general,” stresses Elholm.

*Source: 2012 Field-Scale Canola Performance Trials Always follow grain marketing and all other stewardship practices and pesticide label directions. Details of these requirements can be found in the Trait Stewardship Responsibilities Notice to Farmers printed in this publication. ©2013 Monsanto Canada, Inc.

25

ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • OCTOBER 14, 2013

Agri-Trade announces Ag Innovations winners New category for mobile apps this year

T

he 2013 Ag Innovations winners have been determined for the 30th anniversary edition of Agri-Trade, Nov. 6-9.

“Our panel of four judges from the industry looked at all the entries, and judged them according to a point’s matrix. The more information given by the entrants on their innovation, the better,” Rod Bradshaw, Ag Innovations committee chair said in a release.

“The scores were very close. We also added a new category this year. With all the mobile technology used by farmers, we also sought out the best ag app.”

The six winners are: 1. John Deere — return to position.

This is a loader that can be pre-programmed to return to set positions and angles, saving time for jobs like silage loading. (Booth #PKL0511) 2. Devloo Roto mud scrapers.

These rotating mud scrapers help keep seeding operations accurate by removing built-up mud (Booth #SAL0103) 3. Gatco Manufacturing — cross-flow aeration.

For grain bin aeration (Booth #AGE1202)

4. Westfield Industries — STORM seed treater.

On-farm seed treatment at the auger for better application accuracy (Booth #PRA0102) 5. FarmLead — FarmLead Marketplace.

An application which allows farmers to market grain, and track and see prices (Booth #PRA1800) 6. Farmers Edge — geospatial yield mapping.

An enhanced yield mapping system that allows for data to be applied in different manufacturer’s equipment (Booth #SAL0110)

It’s all tied up.

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Along with the six winners, two finalists were also announced. Flexxifinger (Booth #CUL0146) was recognized for its corn harvest pans, as well as Pro-All International Manufacturing (outside Booth #67) for its Jiffy mid-duty harrow.

Taking the new ag app category was Farm At Hand (Booth #SAL0117), an app which allows farmers to have the farm at their fingertips, by allowing them to keep track of everything from grain bins, to equipment to fields and more on their smartphone.

26

OCTOBER 14, 2013 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

does your yield measure up?

AWARD-WINNING FARM PHOTOGRAPHY FROM AROUND THE WORLD

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hese are the entries from this year’s winners of the annual International Federation of Agricultural Journalists Star Prizes for photography in three categories, people, nature and production. The overall prize went to Australia’s Peter Risteviski for the photo above captioned “I won’t abandon you.” The contest is sponsored by DeLaval.

Production category distinguished recognition: Dean Hougton (USA), “Loading pigs”

Production category distinguished recognition: Johan Norval (South Africa), “Dust and shadows in red soil”

Nature/Landscape category winner: Theuns Botha of South Africa “Arabian Horse at Sunrise”

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Production category winner: Tait Schmaal (Australia), “Leap to freedom”

27

ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • OCTOBER 14, 2013

Good crops could lead to plentiful supply in years ahead Analysts say global stocks of key commodities should reach 80 days with another year of good crops

BY KARL PLUME REUTERS

F

or much of the past six years, the global grain markets have lurched from one crop crisis to the next, keeping inventories low and food prices high.

Now, as harvest machines across the U.S. Midwest prepare to reap the nation’s biggest corn crop in history, a sea change seems imminent, one that could transform the market. No longer will a constant fear of scarcity drive prices.

Instead, traders will be battling for market share instead of scrambling for supplies.

But, warn experts, we are not there yet. At least one more trouble-free global growing cycle is necessary to safely put the past few years of uncomfortably high food prices behind us. Global stockpiles, while recovering, are still far from the 80 or so days’ worth of demand that will keep panic at bay.

Chief among their concerns is that demand for cash crops could accelerate now that prices for things like corn and wheat have fallen by as much as half.

Meanwhile, still-elevated costs for inputs like fertilizer, seeds and fuel may dampen some farmers’ enthusiasm to keep the production throttle at maximum.

“We’re not out of the woods at all,” said John Baize, president of John C. Baize and Associates, an international agricultural trade and policy consultant.

“We’re getting to where we have to have big crops almost every year or we’ve got problems because demand is just growing so fast.”

This autumn’s U.S. bounty follows massive crops in other key

growing and exporting regions of the globe including South America and the Black Sea region, which have recovered from recent severe droughts that rattled international grain markets and fuelled unrest in several import-dependent nations. The United States itself is just a year removed from its worst drought since the dust bowl days of the 1930s.

Bumper crops, still-tight stocks

For grain traders, the focus is firmly on USDA projections that this year’s largest-ever global corn, soybean and wheat crops will result in a significant gain in next year’s end-of-season inventories.

Soybean stocks are in the best shape despite a smaller-thananticipated U.S. crop, thanks to record crops in South America.

Global stocks by the end of the 2013-14 marketing year are projected at about a 69-day supply taking into account domestic use and exports, USDA data showed.

End-of-season stocks over the past five years averaged just slightly less at 64 days.

World corn inventories were expected to thin to just over a 53-day supply by the end of the current season, about unchanged from the five-year average, while wheat inventories were estimated to be 10 days smaller than the fiveyear average at about a 75-day supply, the data showed.

Despite the improvement, however, inventories are still far from what would be deemed “comfortable” by historical standards, said Ashmead Pringle, president of Greenhaven Group.

Only when inventories reach the equivalent of 20 to 25 per cent of annual global demand — at least

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Tall feed corn is harvested on a warm summer day in Coatsville, Maryland in August. an 80-day reserve — will consumers be able to rest easier.

World wheat stockpiles hovered above a 100-day supply between 1997 and 2003, when benchmark prices were between 35 and 50 per cent of today’s prices.

“You need to really have at least another good year to be a bit more comfortable with the supply,” said United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) chief economist, Abdolreza Abbassian.

Forward buying

Most global grain importers are resting easier now than just about any time in at least the past three years — a period that featured a

U.S. drought that cut corn exports from the world’s top supplier to a 37-year low and a worst-in-a-century drought in Russia that shut off exports for nearly a year.

Importers are now gradually shifting from their hand-tomouth buying strategies to more forward buying as prices for corn, soy and wheat have all fallen from near-record highs to multi-year lows as the U.S. autumn harvest neared.

U.S. soybean sales to all destinations for delivery in the 201314 (September-August) marketing year have risen four per cent from a year ago, while corn sales are up 31 per cent and wheat

PHOTO: REUTERS/GARY CAMERON

sales are up 38 per cent, USDA data showed.

Resources-hungry China currently has 28 per cent more U.S. soybeans on the books than it did a year ago and more than three times as much U.S. corn.

Phones on U.S. grain export desks are ringing more now than they have in at least a year. The most likely catalyst: grain prices are a good value.

“We spent the last three years in a high-price environment and we’re now seeing the impact of what a low flat-price environment does to our industry,” said a veteran U.S. grains exporter, who asked not to be named.

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28

OCTOBER 14, 2013 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

Severe lack of rural firefighters a cause for concern Small towns need firefighters. Consider signing up

BY ALEXIS KIENLEN AF STAFF

“Most people who do it, they get fulfilment and the fulfilment is that they have helped somebody.”

W

hen there’s an emergency, firefighters are often the first on the scene, and not only when there’s a fire. In rural areas, they deal with vehicle accidents and other emergency calls, so a shortage of firefighters can be a serious concern.

Firefighters in rural areas perform essential services, but they have other jobs. Over 10,000 of the 13,500 firefighters in Alberta are volunteers.

In 2009, the Alberta Fire Chiefs and Department of Municipal Affairs conducted a study and found a severe lack of volunteers in the seven different regions outlined in the Alberta Emergency Management Guidelines.

“We found that there was a real lack of numbers. In many cases, there were not enough members to respond to an emergency call,” said Bill Purdy, executive director of the Alberta Fire Chiefs Association and deputy chief of the Wabamun fire department. “What would happen is that they would advertise that there would be no 9-11 services available from the morning until whatever time in the evening.”

The Alberta Fire Chiefs collaborated with Volunteer Alberta to develop recommendations and has received funding from Municipal Affairs to create educational campaigns encouraging people to join their local departments.

Firefighters receive training and funding from their municipalities.

“Most of the municipalities in Alberta are very supportive of the volunteer firefighter system,” said Purdy. “A number of the municipalities are also paying their volunteers a paid on-call fee.”

Volunteers take a module of courses approved by the National Firefighters Association. Unlike professional firefighters who take the full module in six months, volunteers can take several years to complete the courses.

“Once they get the modules that show the techniques and the fundamentals of fighting fire and the proper use of protective equipment and self-contained

BILL PURDY

Bill Purdy, executive director of the Alberta Fire Chiefs Association and deputy chief of the Wabamun fire department. PHOTO: SUPPLIED breathing apparatus, then we can start using these people in an active role,” said Purdy.

Volunteer firefighters with a substantial number of hours receive a small tax credit for their efforts.

Retention is another issue for volunteer fire departments. If volunteer firefighters are recruited after the age of 24, they will stay with the departments for a long time, as they are more likely to remain in the community.

“Most of the volunteers, especially from rural Alberta, may come out of high school, have a job in one of the communities and they may stay there for five years. Afterwards, they may get a promotion and move on or they set their sights on something else,” he said.

Actual fires only make up 20 per cent of the emergencies handled by firefighters. Firefighters handle medical aid calls, vehicle accidents and water rescue.

Purdy acknowledges that firefighting is a tough job, and that some fire-

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fighters quit because of traumatic experiences.

Gordon Graves is a cattle rancher and volunteer fire chief at Iron River, population 500. Graves is one of the founders of the Iron River fire department, established in 1989. He started as an officer and worked his way up.

“We didn’t have fire coverage and we did anything and everything to get it,” he said. “Our response was out of Bonnyville and if you were lucky, it took 40 minutes, but in most cases, it was an hour plus.”

Local residents petitioned the region to establish the fire department. His volunteers respond to security system alarms, wildfire, land, vehicle and farm machinery fires. Fire departments within regions have mutual aid agreements with other local fire departments as well as partnerships with the Bonnyville Regional Fire authority and firefighters from Sustainable Resource Development. Graves also has partnerships with some of the oil companies in the area.

“I can call on them to bring me some tankers if I need,” he said.

The Iron River fire department currently has 34 volunteers. Some of these volunteers can only offer evening or weekend hours.

“I’ve got a good mix of my regulars and what I call my secondary line, whom I call on whenever they’re available,” he said.

Volunteers include acreage owners, oilpatch workers, retirees, farmers and stay-at-home mothers.

Some of the volunteers have developed a high level of skill, while others have limited expertise and can only drive the fire truck.

Rural firefighters have an additional challenge because they have a higher likelihood of knowing the people they are assisting in an emergency.

“There are some mental issues that come with that,” said Graves, who has helped family members and close friends. He’s taken a few courses about the emotional stress of dealing with traumatic situations and is careful to discuss these issues with his firefighters.

The Alberta Fire Chiefs Association has started a website http://www. albertavolunteerfirefighters.ca to provide information to potential volunteers.

“Most people who do it, they get fulfilment and the fulfilment is that they have helped somebody,” said Purdy.

STAFF / Dairy Farmers of Canada (DFC) has received $12 million from the federal government to finance a research cluster focusing on sustainable milk production, dairy genetics and genomics, and the nutrition of milk products.

DFC is working closely with the Canadian Dairy Network and the Canadian Dairy Commission to invest over $6 million in addition to the federal funding. The research will also help bring innovative and competitive dairy products with health benefits to the market.

“Research continues to be a strategic investment priority for dairy farmers,” said Wally Smith, DFC president in a release. “Our research

priorities are focused on driving innovation and increased productivity on the farm while contributing to the health and well-being of Canadians. We welcome the investment of the federal government, which leverages farmers’ investment in the dairy cluster, our network of dedicated industry and academic researchers who are committed to Canadian dairy excellence.”

High injury rates in livestock raising and processing A new report by Allsup, a U.S. disability insurance provider, puts livestock raising and slaughtering among the top 11 industry groups with the highest serious injury rates nationwide.

The report is based on data obtained from the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics. The top 11, based on job transfer or restriction per 100 workers in 2011, include: • Amusement parks and arcades — 3.2 cases • Animal slaughtering and processing — 3.1 • Beverage manufacturing — 2.7 • Foundries — 2.7 • Nursing care facilities — 2.6 • Beer, wine, and distilled alcoholic beverage merchant wholesalers — 2.4 • Motor vehicle body and trailer manufacturing — 2.3 • Hog and pig farming — 2.2 • Motor vehicle manufacturing — 2.2 • Community care facilities for the elderly — 2.2 • Poultry and egg production — 2.2

29

ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • OCTOBER 14, 2013

Harvesting Alberta’s peat moss resource Alberta’s peat harvest accounts for about $69 million in annual sales

BY ALEXIS KIENLEN AF STAFF

M

any people have dipped their hands into the dark, earthy soil known as peat moss, but few have thought about the industry’s contribution to Alberta.

Peat moss, also known as sphagnum peat moss, is a natural, organic soil conditioner. It absorbs high amounts of moisture, acting as a sponge to release water as plants need it. It can be used to prevent leaching, aerate heavy clay soil or bind sandy soil.

Peat is a decomposing material created from sphagnum moss in bogs. As the sphagnum moss dies, it builds up faster than it decomposes. This happens due to the slightly acidic nature of the peat and the cold northern climate. The material builds up at a rate of .5 to one millimetre a year.

Peat moss is used to grow bedding plants, in seedling production and in forest nurseries. The material is slightly acidic, and very low in minerals. Growers can add nutrients to peat and customize blends to amend soils.

In its natural state, peat is light, spongy and fibrous with colour varying from pale to dark brown to black, depending on the carbon content.

About 80 per cent of domestic production is used by commercial growers and 20 per cent by domestic growers.

Commercial harvesting

Alberta started harvesting peat in the 1960s. Current sales value is about $69 million. About 80 per cent of production is exported to the U.S., and some goes to Japan.

Alberta accounts for only about 17 per cent of the country’s production, even though the province has about 12 million hectares of peatland.

Fewer than 1,000 hectares of Alberta’s peatlands are harvested and only about 4,000 hectares have been affected since the industry’s inception in the province. The province’s peat is in the central and northern boreal areas.

“The industry is rural based so it helps to offset incomes for folks in northeastern Alberta,” said Paul Short, president of the Canadian Sphagnum Peat Moss Association, based in St. Albert.

“Our industry is small, but the resources are large and there are expressions of interest for expansion from the East to the West,” said Short.

The province’s peat industry faces challenges because of relative distance to markets and cost of operations.

“It’s hard to compete in Alberta in terms of manpower requirements,” Short said.

About 160 are employed full time in Alberta’s peat industry, with another 70 seasonal during harvest between April and October.

Active sites are in the Wandering River area, the Athabasca area and the Seba Beach/Wabamun area. There are also sites near Valleyview, Newbrook and Vilna.

Three companies, Premier Tech

horticulture, Sun Gro horticulture and Alaska Peat, harvest the material and package the material in plants in Seba Beach or Airdrie.

Once a site is selected for harvest, it is enclosed with a peripheral ditch that lowers the water table. After the top vegetative living material is removed, the area is harrowed two inches deep to expose the peat material to dry conditions. Once dry, the peat is collected using a vacuum harvester.

Short said the peatland industry in Alberta is responsibly and reasonably managed. Harvesting is highly regulated through the Public Lands Act. Short and others involved in the industry see the importance of responsibly managing peatlands.

“We value these resources,” said Short. “Our associations are committed to restoring these peatlands post-harvest. “ akienlen@fbcpublishing.com

Fewer than 1,000 hectares of Alberta’s peatlands are harvested and only about 4,000 hectares have been affected since the industry’s inception in the province.

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Peat moss, also known as sphagnum peat moss, is a natural, organic soil conditioner. PHOTO: WARREN WALKER, SUN GRO HORTICULTURE

Monsanto Company is a member of Excellence Through Stewardship® (ETS). Monsanto products are commercialized in accordance with ETS Product Launch Stewardship Guidance, and in compliance with Monsanto’s Policy for Commercialization of Biotechnology-Derived Plant Products in Commodity Crops. This product has been approved for import into key export markets with functioning regulatory systems. Any crop or material produced from this product can only be exported to, or used, processed or sold in countries where all necessary regulatory approvals have been granted. It is a violation of national and international law to move material containing biotech traits across boundaries into nations where import is not permitted. Growers should talk to their grain handler or product purchaser to confirm their buying position for this product. Excellence Through Stewardship® is a registered trademark of Excellence Through Stewardship. ALWAYS READ AND FOLLOW PESTICIDE LABEL DIRECTIONS. Roundup Ready® crops contain genes that confer tolerance to glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup® brand agricultural herbicides. Roundup® brand agricultural herbicides will kill crops that are not tolerant to glyphosate. Genuity and Design®, Genuity®, Roundup Ready® and Roundup® are registered trademarks of Monsanto Technology LLC, Monsanto Canada, Inc. licensee. ©2013 Monsanto Canada Inc. Proven® Seed is a registered trademark of Crop Production Services (Canada) Inc. CPS CROP PRODUCTION SERVICES and Design is a registered trademark of Crop Production Services, Inc.

30

BRIEFS Richardson opens Europe, Asia offices WINNIPEG / REUTERS Privately held Richardson International Limited, one of the two biggest grain handlers in Western Canada, said Oct. 1 that it is opening marketing offices in Singapore and Geneva.

Richardson, based in Winnipeg, said it is aiming to ship more Canadian farm products overseas.

The company’s grain volumes have grown in the past year, after the Canadian government ended the Canadian Wheat Board’s grain-marketing monopoly in Western Canada and Richardson acquired additional grain facilities from Glencore Xstrata PLC .

There’s an app for Dekalb seed

STAFF Dekalb has become the first in Canada to put its seed guide into an app that can be downloaded on devices made by Apple. The company says in a release the new tool will provide corn, soybean, and canola farmers with the 2014 seed guide, including full product information.

Once downloaded, farmers will have the ability to access the entire list of products, with respect to the chosen crop, for the 2014 season.

In addition to seeking product information, users of the Dekalb Seed Guide App are able to navigate through hybrid information as well as yield performance, seeding rate calculators and yield estimators.

There are also options to explore Genuity traits, and Acceleron seed treatments and inoculants information. Users will also be able to access Dekalb videos through the Dekalb YouTube Channel, and view up-to-date harvest results.

Two Albertans receive Deere scholarships The Canadian 4-H Council has announced the 15 recipients of the 2013 John Deere Canada 4-H Scholarships. Each will receive $2,000 toward their postsecondary education this fall. The funding for these scholarships was made possible by John Deere Canada and the participating dealerships’ commitment of $30,000.

Alberta recipients and sponsoring dealerships are Rachel Glatt of DeWinton (Cervus Equipment) and Emma Van Loon of Tiger Lily, (Martin Deerline).

OCTOBER 14, 2013 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

DINNER’S COMING

A wren has a bill full of food, as it prepares to feed its fledglings. It is displaying the species’ unique long tail, often held upright.

They prefer a mix of open and tangled brush, making them a common sight around hedgerows and farms. They are cavity nesters, using nest boxes, old woodpecker holes and other natural crevices. PHOTO: WENDY DUDLEY

31

ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • OCTOBER 14, 2013

Canola tonnage poised to top industry’s 2015 target Challenge is now to find markets for this year’s bumper crop AGCANADA.COM

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escribed as an ambitious plan on its release, the Canola Council of Canada’s 2007 initiative “Growing Great 2015,” to see Canada produce 15 million tonnes of canola per year by 2015, may now have come in ahead of time.

“Farmers across Canada work hard and take risks in order to bring in a crop, and when they succeed as they have this year, that’s cause for celebration,” council president Patti Miller said in a release. “And hats off to Canada’s canola growers who broke all previous production records by a long shot.”

The council’s statement responds to Statistics Canada’s release of its September estimates for production of principal field crops.

StatsCan’s survey found, despite a lower harvested area in 2013 compared to 2012, Canadian canola growers expect an overall 15.9 per cent increase in canola production, to 16 million tonnes — which would translate to a 31.3 per cent rise in yield to 36.9 bushels per acre.

Saskatchewan’s canola production alone is expected to rise 24.2 per cent this year to a record 8.1 million tonnes, StatsCan reported, based on an average yield forecast of 35.2 bu./ ac., up from 25.1 bushels in 2012, on harvested area of 10.1 million acres, down 11.4 per cent.

Manitoba, meanwhile, expects a

24.5 per cent production increase to 2.6 million tonnes, on a 44.8 per cent gain in average yield. Alberta’s canola production is expected to rise to 5.2 million tonnes, up 2.3 per cent from 2012, StatsCan said.

The 2007 “Growing Great 2015” plan set industry targets not only for production but for seed exports and domestic crushing (7.5 million tonnes each), as well as a 45 per cent average oil content from seed and a 10 per cent increase in energy content (kcals/kg) for canola meal.

To get there, the council said at the time, the industry was to “focus on those markets for which canola’s primary attributes — high oil yield and low saturated fat — will create superior value and benefit human and environmental health.”

The canola council’s target of 15 million tonnes of production was based on Canada’s 2006 canola production of nine million tonnes.

“Our industry in 2007 set a target of 15 million tonnes of sustainable canola production by 2015 and we have blown past that target two years early,” council chairman Terry Youzwa, a producer at Nipawin, Sask., said in the release.

That said, he noted the 2015 industry target of 15 million tonnes applies both to production and demand.

“About 85 per cent of our production is bound for export markets and the canola council has worked very diligently to ensure that the markets are there,” he said.

Canadian canola growers expect an overall 15.9 per cent increase in production this year. PHOTO: THINKSTOCK

Rothsay takeover clears Competition Bureau U.S. firm Darling Int’l to buy Maple Leaf’s rendering arm for $645M AGCANADA.COM

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he biggest rendering firm in the U.S. has been granted the go-ahead from Canada’s Competition Bureau to buy Canada’s top rendering company.

Toronto food-processing giant Maple Leaf Foods announced Oct. 3 its $645-million deal to sell Rothsay to Texas-based Darling International will be allowed under Canada’s Competition Act. Maple Leaf now expects the sale, first announced in August, to close on Oct. 28, “subject to satisfaction of remaining conditions.”

Darling would then get Guelph-based Rothsay’s six rendering plants in Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec and Nova Scotia and its biodiesel facility in Quebec. In all, Rothsay’s operations employ about 550 people who, it’s expected, would transition to work for Darling.

Maple Leaf reiterated that proceeds from the deal will “initially be used to pay down debt.” The company has been in streamlining mode in recent years, aiming to focus on its prepared meats and packaged foods businesses.

Once Maple Leaf carries out its prepared meats strategy, it said it will consider “appropriate deployment of excess capital” from the sale, such as reinvesting in the consumer packaged food businesses or “returning excess capital to shareholders.”

32

OCTOBER 14, 2013 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

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33

ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • OCTOBER 14, 2013

BIODIVERSITY INSTITUTE MEETING

WHEAT QUALITY: WHY IT MATTERS?

The Alberta Biodiversity Monitoring Institute (ABMI) is hosting an inaugural speaker series “Better Environmental Management Through Monitoring 2013” in Edmonton on Oct. 23.

Presentations include: Alberta’s Ecosystems in a Changing Climate: Past, Present and Future (Rick Schneider); Monitoring Ecological Recovery of Reclaimed Wellsites in Alberta (Anne McIntosh); Forecasting the Future of Alberta’s Birds: Why we need broad-scale distributional information to be successful (Erin Bayne). For more information and to register, email Delinda Ryerson, delinda@ualberta.ca.

An Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development video, “Wheat Quality: Why it Matters?”describes the importance of tracking protein spreads, price premiums and discounts as well as identifying steps producers can take to maximize their returns. As well as the wheat quality video, five other new farm business and marketing videos covering various topics are available on Alberta Agriculture’s YouTube channel.

Record blizzard kills S. Dakota cattle, gov’t shutdown slows aid At least five per cent of the roughly 1.2 million cattle in the western third of South Dakota likely perished

BY MICHAEL HIRTZER REUTERS

D

isaster aid will be slow to come for South Dakota ranchers who lost as many as 60,000 head of cattle during an historic blizzard over the weekend, industry officials said Oct. 8.

Cattle died of hypothermia or suffocated under snowdrifts after a “perfect storm” brought rain, then record snow-

fall and strong winds to the portion of the state west of the Missouri River, said Silvia Christen, executive director of the South Dakota Stockgrowers Association.

“It’s anyone’s guess how drastic this loss will be. The cattle were soaked to the bone. Then the wind and really heavy snow started — it just clung to them and weighed them down,” Christen said.

“Many of them just dropped where they were walking,” she said, adding that at least five per cent of the roughly 1.2 million cattle in the western third of

South Dakota likely perished.

South Dakota is the sixth-largest U.S. cattle producer with about 3.8 million head. The United States has about 89 million head of cattle — its smallest herd in 61 years.

The state’s ranchers could apply for disaster relief under the Livestock Indemnity Program that would pay them a portion of the animal’s market value. But the program is part of the 2008 Farm Bill extension that expired Oct. 1 — the first day of the U.S. govern-

Parts of Colorado and Wyoming also saw heavy snowfall during the storms that also brought more than a dozen tornadoes to Iowa and Nebraska. PHOTO: THINKSTOCK

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ment shutdown over a budget impasse.

And with the U.S. Agriculture Department shuttered, livestock producers also were unable to file paperwork detailing their losses with USDA’s Farm Service Agency.

“Those (FSA) offices are furloughed and there are no employees there. They are unable to help us even though they desperately want to,” Christen said.

Last week, snow was melting, exposing herds of dead cattle that had sought shelter in creek bottoms and valleys or along fencelines. The carcasses will eventually be hauled away to rendering facilities, often at the farmer’s expense.

In Rapid City, in the west-central part of the state, 19 inches (48 cm) of snow fell, smashing a nearly 100-year-old record for accumulation in October, according to the National Weather Service.

Parts of Colorado and Wyoming also saw heavy snowfall during the storms that also brought more than a dozen tornadoes to Iowa and Nebraska, injuring at least 15 people, damaging homes, closing schools and knocking down power lines.

For the cattle, the storms came too early in the season for the animals to grow their heavier winter coats. Many of the dead included young calves ready to be marketed as well as cows pregnant with calves that would have been born in the spring.

“A lot of folks are still trying to assess the damage and losses and regroup after the storm,” said Jodie Anderson, executive director of the South Dakota Cattlemen’s Association.

Anderson said livestock farmers should document their losses with pictures and identification tags in the event the government reopens and a Farm Bill is passed.

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34

OCTOBER 14, 2013 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

Mosaic, PotashCorp disband U.S. phosphate export group Second fertilizer trade consortium to break up this year

BY ROD NICKEL REUTERS

T

PHOTO: ISTOCK

he U.S. phosphate export association PhosChem has disbanded, a spokesman for U.S. fertilizer company Mosaic Co. said Oct. 2, making it the second fertilizer trade consortium to break up this year.

The 39-year-old Phosphate Chemicals Export Association Inc. handled U.S. exports of the crop nutrient on behalf of Mosaic and PotashCorp.

Minnesota-based Mosaic, which supplied 93 per cent of PhosChem’s export volume, confirmed in an email to Reuters from spokesman

Rob Litt that the export association had disbanded.

A spokesman for Saskatoonbased PotashCorp could not immediately be reached for comment.

The disbanding of PhosChem, which had net sales of US$1.3 billion for the year ended May 31, follows Uralkali OAO’s departure from the Belarusian Potash Co. (BPC) in July.

PhosChem, however, is not nearly as dominant a player as BPC or its North American potash exporting rival Canpotex Ltd. PhosChem supplied 60 per cent of North American phosphate exports and 10 per cent of global seaborne trade, said Scotiabank analyst Ben Isaacson in a note

to clients, adding that the news should not affect the valuations of Mosaic and Potash.

Mosaic’s decision this year to form a phosphate joint venture with Saudi Arabian mining and metals company Ma’aden and petrochemical company Saudi Basic Industries Corp JSC (SABIC) is likely the reason for the move, Isaacson said, as Mosaic would likely supply India with phosphate from Saudi Arabia rather than Florida.

The move is also logical given that PotashCorp had started directly selling its phosphoric acid, and its sales via PhosChem have dwindled, said BMO Nesbitt Burns analyst Joel Jackson.

French crop growers say farm reform to threaten exports

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rance’s decision to shift European Union subsidies to less well-off livestock farmers will lower aid for crop growers and hit their competitiveness inside and outside the bloc, growers said Oct. 3.

In a speech at a livestock show in central France this week President Francois Hollande said nearly one billion euros ($1.4 billion) of mainly EU farm subsidies per year would be used to improve the revenues of livestock farmers who had faced high feed costs and low prices for several years.

Many crop growers, who benefited from higher prices in recent years, could lose out in the reform, mainly those with large farms after Hollande decided to give a subsidy bonus to smaller farms, which mainly covers livestock farms.

Grain growers reacted angrily to the plan, saying the loss of subsidies could cut their margins by 15-20 euros a tonne.

A tonne of milling wheat on the European futures market traded at around 195 euros ($270) on Thursday.

35

ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • OCTOBER 14, 2013

Asia grain mountains swell as governments fret over food security Governments want to ensure adequate buffers against food crisis

BY NAVEEN THUKRAL SINGAPORE / REUTERS

T

owering grain mountains in Asia, already large enough to feed China for eight months, are set to grow even bigger as governments persist in shoring up their safety buffers against hard times.

Haunted by a 2008 food crisis that sparked unrest and panic buying, states will keep piling grain into reserves despite the strain on their finances and storage problems, buoying prices that have been hit by expectations of bumper harvests.

“The most populated countries, especially in Asia, will be very reluctant to see their inventories go down,” said Abdolreza Abbassian, senior economist at the United Nation’s Food and Agriculture Organization in Rome.

“Lessons learnt during the ’90s and 2007-08 have convinced policy-makers that the international market is important but it cannot be relied on 100 per cent for food security.”

With hoarding the name of the game, Asia’s top grain-buying states have accumulated a whopping 100 million tonnes of rice and 90 million tonnes of wheat since a combination of high energy prices, bad weather and growing demand for biofuels sent grain prices soaring in 2008.

India halted rice exports at that time, when global prices for the staple grain jumped to an all-time high of $1,050 a tonne, triggering similar restrictions from other suppliers and panic-buying in importers such as the Philippines.

“Higher grain stocks reflect the government’s priority of having a more-than-sufficient buffer to avoid any shortage and to run its welfare food programs,” said N.R. Bhanumurthy, a professor at the National Institute of Public Finance and Policy in New Delhi.

India was forced to start exporting grains in 2011 after scenes of wheat and rice rotting in open fields grabbed international headlines. But half-hearted attempts to sell grains have not had much impact on stockpiles.

India’s rice stocks at government warehouses stood at 21 million tonnes on Sept. 1, against an official target of 9.8 million tonnes, thanks to four consecutive years of good monsoon rains. It had 38 million tonnes of wheat against a target of 17.1 million tonnes.

All eyes on exporters

Asian nations with large populations to feed will not reduce their stockpiles unless they see inventories rising in top exporting countries such as the United States, Australia and Russia.

“I don’t think people are comfortable with grain supplies just

ered with just tarpaulin sheets, will see up to 30 million tonnes of rice added to its stocks by the end of the year.

Airport hangars?

A worker carries a ladder past sacks filled with wheat at a Food Corporation of India (FCI) warehouse in Morinda in the northern Indian state of Punjab. Fear of shortages has prompted Asian countries to stockpile grain. PHOTO: REUTERS/AJAY VERMA yet,” said one Melbourne-based analyst. “As of now, stockpiles have merely shifted from producers to buyers.”

World supplies have been tight in the last six years, as the global grain market lurched from one crop crisis to another, including a devastating drought in the United States, Brazil and Argentina in 2012.

In contrast to Asia’s giant

reserves, the United States — the world’s main corn exporter — ended the marketing year in August with its lowest stocks in 16 years.

And the grain storage situation in Asia is only going to worsen with near-perfect weather likely to boost stocks.

India, which already has some 12 million tonnes of rice and wheat stored in the open, cov-

In Thailand, the government is extending its controversial rice intervention scheme for a third year. The scheme supports farmers by paying them above market rates, making supplies uncompetitive and costing the country its title as the world’s biggest rice exporter.

The populist move will add about 10 million tonnes by yearend to existing stocks estimated at 16 million currently, or roughly half of annual global trade. With warehouses bursting at the seams, Thai officials are considering renting air force airport hangars for storage.

Although wheat stocks in China have fallen in the last few years, the country is seen emerging as the world’s No. 1 importer as it rebuilds depleted reserves and meets a shortfall in domestic supplies.

China is expected to buy around 9.5 million to 10 million tonnes of wheat in the year to June 2014, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture and traders.

In addition to piling up reserves, the Philippines is striving for selfsufficiency in rice supply by the end of 2013.

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36

OCTOBER 14, 2013 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

Florida sues Georgia to protect oyster farmers in water dispute Georgia is accused of siphoning off too much water upstream, threatening oyster beds in Apalachicola Bay

By Bill Cotterell

tallahassee, fla.,/reuters

F

lorida filed a lawsuit Oct. 1 asking the U.S. Supreme Court to reduce neighbouring Georgia’s use of water from the Chattahoochee River that feeds the oyster beds and fish-spawning areas of Florida’s Gulf Coast.

“Georgia has refused to fairly share the waters that flow between our two states,” Florida Governor Rick Scott said in a statement explaining his reasons for the lawsuit, the latest chapter of a decades-old feud over water rights.

“Generations of Florida families have relied upon these waters for their livelihood, but now risk losing their way of life if Georgia’s actions are not stopped,” he added.

The governor and local officials say the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has allowed Georgia to impound water upstream in large reservoirs, at the expense of oysters beds in Apalachicola Bay. Low water levels in the bay have resulted in higher salinity, increased disease and predators in the oyster beds.

Georgia, Alabama and Florida have been discussing agriculture, industry and recreational uses of the Chattahoochee and Flint rivers, which form the Apalachicola River about 50 miles north.

A spokesman for Georgia Governor Nathan Deal called Florida’s lawsuit “frivolous.”

“Florida is receiving historically high water flows at the state line this year, but it needs a bogeyman

to blame for its poor management of Apalachicola Bay,” the spokesman, Brian Robinson, said in a statement.

“This lawsuit is political theater and nothing more,” Robinson added.

The metro Atlanta area gets most of its water — 360 million gallons a day — from the Chattahoochee River and Georgia’s consumption is expected to nearly double by 2035, Florida says.

... families have relied upon these waters for their livelihood, but now risk losing their way of life...

Shannon Hartsfield, president of the Franklin County Seafood Workers Association, said workers, who used to get six or eight 60-pound bags of oysters a day from the bay, are now lucky to get two or three.

He said “it’s going to get worse” for the local economy, with many boat owners leaving the Florida Panhandle in search of work.

“I’m just worried that the lawsuit is going to take a long time,” he said. “I’d like to see the governors get together and work out a solution.”

U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL), (l to r) Governor Rick Scott and U.S. Representative Steve Southerland of Panama City, enjoy some Apalachicola Bay oysters after a field hearing by the Senate Commerce Committee on water levels in the world-famous oyster beds in Apalachicola, Florida, August 13, 2013. Scott has announced plans to sue the state of Georgia in the U.S. Supreme Court for cutting the flow of water that feeds the famous oyster beds and fish-spawning areas of Apalachicola Bay. Photo: REUTERS/Bill Cotterell

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Call for Nominations: Directors for Regions 1,4,7,10 Who may become a director of the Alberta Canola Producers Commission (ACPC)?

Anyone who has paid the ACPC a service charge on canola sold since August 1, 2011 is an eligible producer and can stand for election as a Director. An eligible producer can be an individual, corporation, partnership or organization. Eligible producers must produce canola within the defined region in order to be nominated, but do not have to reside within the region. For detailed descriptions about the ACPC regions where elections are being held visit www.canola.ab.ca or call the ACPC office at 1-800-551-6652. Nomination forms are available from the ACPC office.

Nominations for the position of Director must be filed in writing at the ACPC office #170, 14315-118 Avenue, Edmonton, Alberta, T5L 4S6 or by fax 780-451-6933 on or before October 31, 2013.

For more information contact Ward Toma, ACPC General Manager at 1-800-551-6652

37

ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • OCTOBER 14, 2013

China at a crossroads as industrialization and mega-projects fuel water crisis Decades of poor water-resource management has caused massive problems

BY DAVID STANWAY BEIJING / REUTERS

F

or China, global warming has become something of a convenient truth.

Beijing blames climate change for wreaking havoc on scarce water resources, but critics say rapid industrialization and huge hydro projects are just as responsible.

Rising temperatures are likely to speed ice cap melting in the Himalayas, which could bring first floods and then severe drought, with diminished seasonal melts unable to replenish China’s rivers, including the mighty Yangtze.

This year, China published a national “water census” showing that as many as 28,000 rivers logged in a government database had vanished since the 1990s, leaving just under 23,000.

The census gave no reason for the disappearance, but China’s weather bureau said several major rivers, including the Yellow River, a massive northern waterway linking nine provinces, have been dwindling since 1970 and the trend was likely to continue.

But rising temperatures are only part of the problem — aggressive industrialization and elaborate engineering schemes to irrigate crops are also to blame.

“China’s water shortages stem more from problematic urbanization and water-resource management, rather than the scapegoat of climate change,” said Zhou Lei, a fellow at Nanjing University who studies how industry affects the environment.

“In my hometown in Jiangxi, the water system consisted of underground springs, ponds, wetlands, brooks, streams, and seasonal rivulets. But all these have been totally ruined in the last 20 years due to a catastrophic urbanization plan, a construction mania and transport mega-projects.”

Wringing china dry

China has vowed to spend trillions of yuan to boost supplies, clean rivers and protect water tables.

But even if supplies remain steady, water resources per person — now at 2,100 cubic metres, which is just 28 per cent of the global average — will decline further as the population grows.

At the same time, Beijing still needs to feed its growing food, energy and industrial demand.

But continuing on the old path is increasingly difficult. For example, hundreds of rivers have already vanished in northwestern Gansu, one of the country’s driest regions.

In the town of Minqin, the nearby Shiyang River disappeared two decades ago when a vast upstream reservoir was built to irrigate a large farm.The reliance on megaprojects to solve shortages has created a vicious circle, channelling water to state-owned farms, giant

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industrial plants or hydropower stations, diverting natural flows and leaving surrounding areas more parched than before.

Even flood-prone southwestern provinces have suffered from droughts once regarded as unthinkable.

In Yunnan, dozens of rivers have been dammed to generate power, and complex canal systems built to improve irrigation. This has made shortages more severe — several rivers have vanished in the last decade, and in April, hundreds of wells and streams dried up, creating a crisis for thousands of farmers.

“China is looking always at megaprojects rather than addressing the root causes,” said Zhou.

“They experiment with technologies to treat the problem, like the water transfer projects being done right now, but they are draining resources in a very wrong way.”

The remains of an abandoned farm are seen near the dried-up Shiyang River on the outskirts of Minqin town, Gansu province September 19, 2013. Rivers are vanishing due to aggressive industrialization and climate change. PHOTO: REUTERS/CARLOS BARRIA

S ALL M SERIE

38

OCTOBER 14, 2013 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

Nothing ‘abnormal’ about producing hormone- and antibiotic-free beef A young family has taken a different approach to establishing their beef herd in an effort to meet growing consumer demand for hormone- and antibiotic-free beef

BY JENNIFER BLAIR AF STAFF / RED DEER

F

or fourth-generation rancher Rachel Herbert, raising hormone- and antibioticfree beef is different, but not abnormal.

“All the stuff we’re doing isn’t abnormal,” Herbert says of the grass-fed, grass-finished beef operation she and her husband Tyler operate near Nanton. “Most ranchers are following really excellent protocols and doing a lot of the same things we’re doing.

We’re just hormone and antibiotic free and grain-free as well.”

The Herberts decided to take a different approach to their operation when they began establishing

their own cow herd at Trail’s End Ranch eight years ago.

“My husband understood that starting from scratch with a small herd, you just don’t do as well at the auction if you’re only putting a handful of cattle in,” she said. “It just made sense to build from the ground up and go value added.”

Different management practices

This type of beef production requires a different mindset — and a bit of patience. Unlike beef that finish in a feedlot, the Herberts have their cattle on a forage and hay-based diet, which takes about a year longer to reach a high-quality beef stage.

“We butcher everything when they’re over two years old,” said Herbert. “They grow their frame all

winter, and in that second winter, they get really big, and then they get on the grass in the summer and really thrive. They’re nicely marbled and finished that way, without any hormones.”

The Herberts also forgo antibiotics, within reason. “If anything gets sick, we treat it,” she said. Any cattle treated with antibiotics are removed from the commercial sales and used by family and friends.

To keep their herd healthy, the Herberts vaccinate well in advance of weaning using the three-step Pfizer Gold program. Their management practices are designed to prevent illness as well, through the herd’s forage-based diet, non-confinement, and cross-fence weaning.

“Reducing the situations that can cause illness is what we do,”

said Herbert. And many years, she says, nothing gets sick.

More work, but more reward

Because some of the inputs are reduced, Herbert believes it probably costs about the same to produce hormone- and antibioticfree beef as it does to produce traditional beef, despite the extra year it takes to finish each animal.

“There is a lot more time invested in each of these animals, and there’s a whole extra winter of wintering and haying,” she said.

“But if you look at the price of grain, that’s a huge cost for getting conventional beef ready for finish.

I think it probably evens out.”

Marketing the beef is where the real work comes in. “That’s the work that most cattle people don’t

Multiply your operation.

Tyler and Rachel Herbert direct market beef from their operation near Nanton. PHOTO: SUPPLIED do, that extra little bit of marketing,” Herbert said.

The Herberts rely on word of mouth, social media and their website to increase their sales, and so far, it seems to be working. Their customers pay for butchering and buy products in bulk at a small premium over beef in the supermarket — an added advantage of marketing beef directly.

“We are getting a premium for all our beef, and we can set the price, so we know every year what we’re going to make,” Herbert said. “We’re not just waiting for fluctuations in the market.”

Producing and marketing their beef this way has also made the family more aware of the final product.

“We actually get to see and hear about, and consume the final product. We know from birth all the way to the carcass what kind of quality of cattle we’re producing,” Herbert said.

That knowledge helps with changing genetics, culling, and seeing how their management practices are working.

And their customers appreciate that traceability as well. More and more, they are interested in being better connected to where their food comes from, a trend Herbert thinks will continue.

“People are actively looking for grass-fed, grass-finished beef,” she said. “It’s a good way for people to feel connected to the whole process and to their ranch.”

Customer demand

This interest in primary food production was also behind A&W’s recent announcement that it would be transitioning to hormone-free beef, according to Susan Senecal, chief marketing officer for A&W. “As we started looking at consumer behaviour and preferences, Canadians have more and more interest in the food that they eat,” she said. “We discovered that beef raised without steroids or hormones was of huge interest to them, and we thought that we should take up the challenge to see if we could deliver that beef to our customers.”

Consumer response has generally been positive, but the move has earned mixed reviews from cattle producers. Senecal hopes to continue building relationships with Canadian producers as A&W expands its hormone- and steroidfree beef program.

“We look forward to having even more Canadian ranchers join with A&W as we launch into hormoneand steroid-free beef.”

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39

ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • OCTOBER 14, 2013

Sheep production course

Universities monitor pig virus

Alberta Lamb Producers has scheduled a series of sheep production courses for October and November at the Alberta Sheep Centre in Airdrie. Subjects and dates are: Setting it up: Sheep Infrastructure, instructor Tony Stolz, Oct. 26; Nutrition: Feeding Your Sheep Right, instructor Dale Engstrom, Nov. 2; Making Money from $heep, Tony Stolz, Nov. 30. For more information email admin@ablamb.ca or call 403-948-1522.

As the federal government shutdown stretched into its second week last week, veterinary labs at U.S. universities were stepping into a data gap to collect information and publish updates about an outbreak of a swine virus deadly to young pigs. University of Minnesota researchers said they plan to continue collecting the information from Iowa State, Kansas State and South Dakota State universities until the government shutdown ends and USDA staff return to work. As of the week of Sept. 22, 684 separate cases of swine virus had been reported in 17 states, with most outbreaks occurring in Iowa (191), Oklahoma (164), Indiana (85) and North Carolina (76).

Goats — use only the best in your herd Attention to udders, legs, and mouths is important for ongoing herd productivity

Good conformation and good record-keeping are important for herd profitability, says an Alberta veterinarian. PHOTo: thinkstock

By Alexis Kienlen AF staff /camrose

G

ood foundation stock kept in healthy condition make it easier to be profitable in the goat industry, says Dr. Kathy Parker, a veterinarian from Three Hills.

Speaking to the Alberta Goat Association here last month, Parker emphasized the importance of keeping animals as healthy as possible to avoid the cost of medication and vet bills. She also stressed good record-keeping, keeping track of stock with ear tags

and weighing kids at birth and every month after.

Culling goats with basic problems can go a long way towards improvement of the herd, Parker said. She culls goats with “parrot mouths” — beak-like mouths that make it difficult for them to graze.

Jaws take a long time to grow, so producers should watch for parrot mouth until the animals are mature, Parker said.

“If you select replacement animals at weaning, you’d better be looking for this when they are 18 months old. They may be good when they are babies, but they’re not so good when they’re two (years),” she said.

“Milk mouth,” also known as bulldog mouth, means the animal has a severe underbite. The heritability of these traits is not well documented.

“We tend to cull these because we just don’t know,” she said.

She advises culling the offspring of any animal with a parrot or milk mouth.

Udder selection

Parker also emphasized the importance of good udders, as this has a direct influence on the viability of kids, who need to be able to suckle easily and effectively.

“Udder selection needs to

be a deliberate act. You look at those udders when she’s fresh,” said Parker.

Sire lines contribute to effective udders. If possible, producers should try to look at the mother of a buck to check her udder as well.

“The good thing about udder selection is that when you select for good teats, good udder suspension or width you get the whole package,” Parker said. “It’s not possible to only select for teat confirmation and not get good suspension as well.”

Conformation is also important. Goats need good legs in

order to support their frames.

They should have good, straight legs and should not be bowlegged, pigeon toed or offset.

“Sore, small ruminants don’t produce,” said Parker. “They may get pregnant, but they’ll never produce or develop as well as they should when they are hurting all the time.”

Parker said that sires influence the health of their daughters. Bucks with small testicles can result in daughters with fewer eggs and smaller litters. akienlen@fbcpublishing.com

40

OCTOBER 14, 2013 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

Education at the core of Canadian cattle industry’s new online advocacy program Beef Advocacy Canada offers Canadian cattle producers, industry partners, and consumers a chance to learn how our beef gets from gate to plate

BY JENNIFER BLAIR AF STAFF / RED DEER

C

anadian beef producers are being urged to do some bragging about the safety and quality of their product.

A new online program created

by Beef Advocacy Canada aims to turn farmers into ambassadors for the Canada beef brand.

“We’re pretty excited to have this program for the entire industry,” said Annemarie Pedersen, director of industry communications for Canada Beef Inc. “Everybody will be able to benefit from this program in one way or another.”

Expected to launch early next year, Beef Advocacy Canada will blend education and key messag-

ing to help producers, industry partners, and even consumers become better advocates for the industry.

“We have all this excellent information all over the place, and we’d like to bring that together and give that information out to consumers as well,” said Jolene Noble, program director with Canadian Cattleman’s Association.

The association and Canada Beef began working on the Alberta Livestock and Meat Agency (ALMA)-funded program in January after learning about an American program called Masters of Beef Advocacy. The Canadian version adds in a consumer element.

“Similar to the American program, this program is for pro-

ducers, but we also thought that there’s an opportunity to provide information and share our story with consumers or other people who might be interested in what brings beef to your table,” said Pedersen.

The online tool, which works on either computers or mobile devices, has an overview of Canada’s cattle industry, cattle production, beef processing, beef health, cooking information, and environmental stewardship. The first part of the two-level program will provide a basic understanding of the beef industry, while the second level will include messaging about sensitive topics such as feed additives, hormones, antibiotics, and animal care. The first level is open to the public, but producers need to apply to

view the second level. The entire course should take no more than three hours to complete.

“We want our chapter content to be quite nice and concise to give a broad overview and the basic facts you need without being cumbersome,” said Noble.

A resource library will compile information from industry websites and resources to make it easier to find.

“There are a lot more questions that are being posed to our industry, and we’d like to provide those answers and that science-based information to our consumers,” said Noble.

Media training and regular industry updates will also be available to graduates of the program, including info that would be of use in the event of an industry crisis.

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“This will give us an opportunity to have a pool of advocates at our fingertips that we can send key messaging to,” Noble said.

But the ultimate goal is for people representing the cattle industry — from primary producers to the people behind grocery store meat counters — to take this course and develop a basic understanding of how beef gets to consumers.

“This is an important thing for our industry — to put these tools in the hands of producers who are our best advocates,” said Noble.

“They have their own story to tell, as well as the industry’s story, and they can make a well-rounded version out of it.” jennifer.blair@fbcpublishing.com

Goats can take pasture productivity to a whole new level Cattle and goats take advantage of different forage sources

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ou can make pastures more productive by taking grazing to a different level — literally — says Lee Sexton of Sexton Grazing and Consulting in Hanley, Sask.

Sexton told the Alberta Goat Association conference that goats and cattle don’t compete for forage, which means you can have more animals per acre. Goats stand on their hind legs and browse brush, shrubs and forbs that the cattle can’t or won’t eat.

They can also eat a high level of tannins and their diet only consists of 20 per cent grass while cattle’s diet is 70 per cent grass.

“My feeling is that anybody can feed a cow,” Sexton said. “You need some knowledge to feed small ruminants. There’s a lot more to those things than what anybody thinks.”

Goats are more selective with their lips, and can pick out individual leaves, Sexton said.

“They’re very efficient and selective at how they forage, which is why they can give the impression that they can eat anything.”

Sexton emphasized the importance of good management and record-keeping for controlling weeds on pasture. He said weeds are more likely to develop when plants are overgrazed. By the same token, intense pressure can help eliminate weeds.

“If you want to get rid of something on your land, hit it hard with a lot of numbers and hit it often.

Every time that plant starts to grow and develop its leaves and you take them off, you shorten the life cycle of that plant,” Sexton said. akienlen@fbcpublishing.com

41

ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • OCTOBER 14, 2013

Dane suggests five essentials for successful group sow housing PEET ON PIGS  Danish producers had from 1999 to

January 1, 2013 to convert from sow stalls to group housing

BY BERNIE PEET

T

here are five essential components for successful group sow housing, says Lisbeth Ulrich Hansen, chief scientist with the Danish Pig Research Centre, who has been working on group systems for 20 years.

Speaking with me during a recent visit to Canada, she said that the key aspects included individual feeding, adequate space allowance, stable groups of sows and close daily inspection, with sufficient hospital pens for disadvantaged sows. In addition, management of the gilt prior to first mating is an important area that has not been given sufficient priority in the past.

Hansen says that the ability to feed sows individually enhances both farrowing rate and litter size compared with group-feeding systems, which is reflected in the fact that most Danish producers have installed either electronic sow feeding (ESF) or free-access stalls. No more than one-third use floor feeding or liquid feeding in long troughs.

Hansen stresses the importance of maintaining good sow condition at all times and quickly regaining any condition lost during lactation. “Our trials have shown that higher feed levels in the first 28 days of gestation improves subsequent litter size where sows are in thin condition,” she says.

Adequate space required

With regard to space allowances, Hansen points out that this is governed by law and includes requirements for both lying area and total area. Gilts in groups of up to 10 must have a total area of at least 1.9 m2, with 0.95 m2 of lying area. For groups of more than 10, the total area required drops to 1.7 m2. Space allowances for sows are also according to number of animals in the group, from 2.8 m2/sow for groups of one to four sows, down to 2.2025 m2 for groups of 40 or more. In all cases, a minimum of 1.3 m2 lying area must be provided. “Producers know that they need to provide adequate space to optimize performance,” notes Hansen.

“You need to bring gilts up to have social skills.”

LISBETH ULRICH HANSEN DANISH PIG RESEARCH CENTRE

Static groups of sows are easier to manage because they are usually based on weekly groups, although this is often not possible on smaller farms using ESF. In addition to the obvious management benefits of weekly groups, Hansen says that she prefers static groups because this does not require an automatic separation facility on the ESF feeder, which involves additional programming of the feed computer.

About one-third of Danish pig producers use free-access sow stalls.

Dealing with disadvantaged sows

In group-housing systems, prompt attention to any sows that are sick, injured or disadvantaged is essential, Hansen points out. “Ninety per cent of health problems in group housing are leg problems,” she explains. “Vulva biting is not seen provided sows are taken into the farrowing room five to six days prior to farrowing.”

She says that fresh lesions from fighting should not be seen after one week post-mixing, otherwise a wounded sow should be removed. “Thin sows may also need to be removed where there is no facility for individual rationing,” she adds.

There are more problems with floor feeding compared to individual feeding systems.

Similarly, young sows that have not eaten all their ration in ESF systems, and spend most of their time in the dunging area, need to be removed.

“Ideally, hospital pens should be located adjacent to the gestation area because, if you have leg problems, you may not be able to move the sows very far,” Hansen says. “Legislation requires a minimum of 2.5 per cent of sow spaces to be hospital pens and there can only be a maximum of three sows per hospital pen.

There has to be a soft lying area — straw or rubber mats — and the environment must be enhanced via straw or a kennel area.”

Her recommendations for percentage of the total sow

space that should be hospital and recovery pens according to system are five per cent in ESF, three to five per cent in free-access stalls and 10 per cent in floor- or trough-feeding systems.

Gilt management important

Gilt management is receiving a lot of attention from Hansen and her team.

“You need to bring gilts up to have social skills. Socializing involves understanding how to respond to other sows and must be done before mating because you don’t want stress at mating or up to 28 days of gestation,” she explains. “I’ve seen gilts brought up away from sows and then when they are introduced, they fought until they had to be separated.”

Exposure to older sows, not just other gilts, is required, although more research is needed to understand the most effective procedures.

Despite this, many producers are very positive about the concept, Hansen says. “A recent trial looked at sow exposure for two weeks before moving gilts to the breeding area,” she says. “While there was no improvement in longevity, gilts integrated better into groups with sows.”

The procedure could be carried out while training gilts in ESF systems, she suggests. Gilts would then see sows going into the feeder and copy them. Hansen advises two to three sows per 20 gilts.

Danish producers had from 1999 to January 1, 2013 to convert from sow stalls to group housing and, unlike many other EU countries, completed the transition on time. Not only that, but Denmark saw no significant drop in sows numbers as a result. The research and

advisory sectors of the industry played a major role in ensuring that the transition went as smoothly as possible.

Bernie Peet is president of Pork Chain Consulting of Lacombe, Alberta and a director of U.K.-based Pig Production Training Ltd.

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OCTOBER 14, 2013 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

Will supplementing be necessary for your horse? horse health } Bagged feeds and supplements are no substitute for good forage and regular turnout By carol shwetz, dvm

Y

our horse’s overall diet, nutrient needs, health and level of activity are key factors in determining whether or not supplementation is necessary.

A growing trend of overfeeding and oversupplementing horse’s diets is not only economically wasteful, it is often detrimental to the health of the horse. Looking to “supplementation” to resolve errors in dietary or husbandry fundamentals is a flawed progression of thought.

Long-stem forages, quality water, free-choice minerals and a natural salt source are fundamental elements in an equine diet. Well-maintained pastures and quality grass or grass-mix hays are unquestionable staples.

As a general rule horses need to consume about two per cent of their body weight in feed daily with most or all of that coming from forage. This equates to 20 pounds (nine kg) for a 1,000-pound (450kg horse). All that fibre is critical for maintaining a healthy hind-gut ecosystem. It is your horse’s major source of energy.

Many horse owners have come to believe their horses’ diets are

not nutritionally balanced unless they are fed processed grains or other supplements. This is often untrue.

Supplementation or more correctly “replacement” of fibre-rich forages by commercial sweet feeds, processed grains, and treats is generally an unhealthy praxis. The growing trend for “bagged” feeds as a replacement for natural forages parallels an ever-increasing incidence of metabolic failures, endocrine disturbances, skin diseases, generalized inflammation, laminitis, gastrointestinal ailments, leaky gut syndrome and general malaise in horses.

Remember that mental, emotional and physical well-being are integrated with a horse’s digestive health and cannot be overlooked when a nutritional program is evaluated and implemented. Access to ample freechoice long-stem forages and movement/exercise are critical for digestive health.

Superfluous supplementation/s comes is various guises. At times horse owners may feed multiple supplements giving little consideration as to the influences that combining may have. For example an excess of one mineral can indirectly decrease the

absorption of another mineral.

Oversupplementing can lead to unsettled “quirky” behaviours in horses with unusual skin ailments and/or allergies as the body uses the skin as an organ of elimination.

Owners may have a sense that a supplement would be beneficial yet they are unable to access guidance as to the appropriate supplement to meet their horse’s needs. This can often lead to a mismatch between the supplement chosen and the one needed.

Unfortunately poor-quality products do exist as many supplements are not regulated.

The ingredient necessary for the supplementation may be on the label and in the product yet its bioavailability or availability to the horse is poor. Minerals need to be presented in a manner which the body recognizes, absorbs and assimilates. Carbonates, oxides, and sulphates are all combinations of minerals that appear on labels yet are not well recognized by the horse’s body.

When well chosen, a supplement will need consistent daily administration according to label directions. This consistency is necessary to evaluate its effect. Earliest comments

on positive changes may occur as soon as the first few weeks with some products yet many supplements may require prolonged treatment to perceive effects. Knowing when to make an assessment as to the effectiveness of a supplement is important. Supplement schedules require continual assessment to be of value to the horse.

Furthermore recognize each horse to be an individual and response to products can vary tremendously.

The council of a well-informed veterinarian or equine nutritionist can be a critical component in wise supplementing offering valuable insight when health and performance concerns are present. Well-informed advice from the experts generally simplify and strengthen the basics of the diet and husbandry.

Surprisingly corrections to the diet are often made by removing what was originally thought to be good supplements. As a result of simplifying and cleaning up the diet, symptoms of ill health and poor performance can and do naturally disappear.

Carol Shwetz is a veterinarian specializing in equine practice at Westlock, Alberta.

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43

ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • OCTOBER 14, 2013

Mexican marketing campaign trumpeting quality of Canadian beef pays dividends Mexican grocer says Canada beef producers could see a high return from exporting different cuts and lower grades to his country

By Jennifer Blair af staff / red deer

O

ne of Mexico’s largest distributors of meat and dairy products has put Canada beef behind its meat counters following a successful promotion of the Canadian Beef brand.

In a bid to reserve falling exports to Mexico, Canada Beef partnered with Grupo Bafar, which manages almost 200 retail meat stores in northern Mexico. Prior to the promotion, Grupo Bafar didn’t stock Canada beef in its retail stores, Jorge Fares, CEO of the company’s retail division, said at the 2013 Canada Beef Annual Forum last month.

“We weren’t doing anything with Canada,” said Fares. “Can-

U.S. hog herd holds steady over same period last year Litter sizes were up two per cent over last summer’s record

By Theopolis Waters reuters

T

he U.S. hog herd held steady in the latest quarter compared to a year earlier, and exceeded trade forecasts, a U.S. government report showed Sept. 27.

The data showed producers held a record number of pigs per litter during the period at 10.33 head, up about two per cent compared with last summer’s record of 10.13 head.

USDA showed the U.S. hog herd as of Sept. 1 at 100 per cent of a year ago at 68.360 million head. Analysts, on average, expected 67.081 million head, or 98.4 per cent of a year earlier.

The U.S. hog herd for the same period last year was 68.172 million head.

The U.S. breeding herd was 100 per cent of a year earlier at 5.814 million head, compared with average trade expectations for 101.5 per cent, or 5.875 million. A year ago the breeding herd was 5.788 million head.

The Sept. 1 supply of marketready hogs was 100 per cent of a year earlier at 62.546 million head. Analysts, on average, expected a 1.9 per cent decline, or 61.199 million. Last summer’s market hog supply was 62.384 million.

ada Beef approached us, and we started buying Canadian beef.”

The three-month promotion — which involved radio, TV, newspaper ads, flyers, posters and instore product demos — paid off, he said.

“During the promotion, the purchase of Canada beef from our company grew 375 per cent, and in the following months, we doubled the volume of the product,” he said. “People kept coming and buying it.”

This shows the market potential for Canadian beef in his country, says Fares.

“We reached 304,000 clients who tasted the product in our stores, and we could triple that number easily in all our stores,” he said.

“Last year, we were doing three

loads a month from Canadian beef. We did 60 or 70 loads last month from Canadian beef. This is the market potential.”

Quality was the key, with a growing number of consumers favouring grain-fed beef to the grass-fed variety. More than half of Mexican cattle are grass fed, and Grupo Bafar emphasized that distinction in the promotion.

“What we tried to convey to them was Canadian beef means quality,” said Fares. “We targeted the tenderness and the marbling, and it really worked wonders.”

There’s also an opportunity to market lower grades and different cuts in Mexico, he said. While Grade A beef is considered lower quality here, Mexican consumers prefer leaner beef cuts, he said.

“We reached 304,000 clients who tasted the product in our stores, and we could triple that number easily in all our stores.”

Jorge Fares

“You can try to get the best of both worlds,” said Fares. “Sell your product at a premium here and sell the other products at a premium for export. That’s what

will bring a return on investment for each cattleman here in Canada.” jennifer.blair@fbcpublishing.com

2013 Fall meeting & election schedule Zone 1

(meeting 7 p.m. stArt free supper 6 p.m.)

Zone 6

(All meetings 7 p.m. stArt free supper At 6 p.m.)

oct 23

medicine Hat, feeding comPany tBA, south sask. regional plan Brooks, BoW sloPe sHiPPing Karin schmid, ABp

oct 22

Breton, community Hall speaker tBA Ponoka, legion ryder lee, CCA camrose, regional exHiBition Brian perillat, Canfax

oct 24

Zone 2

(meeting 7 p.m. stArt free supper At 6 p.m.)

oct 28

fort macleod, auction market ryder lee, CCA

Zone 3

(All meetings 7 p.m. stArt)

oct 28 oct 30

oct 24 oct 29

Zone 7

(All meetings 7 p.m. stArt free supper At 6 p.m.)

oct 29 oct 30

HaZel Bluff community Hall mayertHorPe, legion

sundre, West country centre stratHmore, golf course Karin schmid, ABp cocHrane, rancHeHouse Doug sawyer, ABp Chair

Zone 8

(All meetings 7 p.m. stArt)

oct 28

Zone 4

(All meetings 7 p.m. stArt free supper At 6 p.m.)

oct 30

goodridge, community Hall Doug sawyer, ABp Chair kitscoty, community Hall Karin schmid, ABp WarWick, community Hall martin unrau, CCA president

oct 21

cZar, community Hall Chuck maclean, Canada Beef inc. veteran, community Hall rich smith, ABp Hanna, lions Hall martin unrau, CCA president

Zone 9

(All meetings 7 p.m. stArt with free Beef on A Bun supper At 6 p.m.)

oct 29

grimsHaW, legion Hall speaker tBA grande Prairie, stoneBridge inn rich smith, ABp HigH Prairie, Peavine inn and suites Doug sawyer, ABp Chair

nov 4

oct 23 oct 28

Zone 5 oct 29 oct 30 nov 5

(All meetings 7 p.m. stArt with free Beef on A Bun supper At 6 p.m.) sPruce vieW, community Hall martin unrau, CCA president Big valley, community Hall ryder lee, CCA leslieville, community Hall John masswohl, CCA

165, 6815 – 8 street ne Calgary, AB Canada t2e 7h7

oct 29

nov 5 nov 7

elections are Being Held in Zones 5 and 8.

tel 403.275.4400 fax 403.274.0007

44

OCTOBER 14, 2013 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

LOST LOOP

Two ranch hands near Millarville, Alta., regroup as their first attempts to throw a loop around this cow came up empty. Photo: Wendy Dudley

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Cargill to distribute Australian grass- and grain-fed beef in U.S. chicago /reuters

C

argill Food Distribution has partnered with beef processor Teys Australia to provide Australian beef from grass- and grain-fed cattle to the U.S. market, according to a Cargill statement Sept. 30.

Teys’ beef will be distributed through Cargill Food’s nine U.S. distribution centres. Teys manages six accredited export beefprocessing plants, two feedlots and is a leading exporter of Australian beef to the United States, the statement said.

“We have a long-standing business relationship with the Teys family, and believe Americans will embrace their company’s beef products when they have an opportunity to try them,” said John Neimann, president of Wichita-based Cargill Food Distribution.

Teys Australia is a 50-50 joint venture between the Teys family and Cargill Inc., the thirdlargest meat processor in the United States, according to the company’s website.

The latest U.S. Department of Agriculture import data showed Australia was the second-largest exporter of beef and veal to the United States, at 356.0 million lbs. from January to July, compared with 397.8 million a year ago for the same period, when it was the top exporter.

45

ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • OCTOBER 14, 2013

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Belarus Case/IH Caterpillar Ford John Deere Kubota Massey Ferguson New Holland Steiger Universal Versatile White Zetor Tractors 2WD Tractors 4WD Tractors Various Farm Machinery Miscellaneous Farm Machinery Wanted Fencing Firewood Fish Farm Forestry/Logging Fork Lifts/Pallets Fur Farming Generators GPS Health Care Heat & Air Conditioning Hides/Furs/Leathers Hobby & Handicrafts Household Items lANDSCAPING Greenhouses Lawn & Garden lIVESTOCK Cattle Cattle Auctions Angus Black Angus Red Angus Aryshire Belgian Blue Blonde d'Aquitaine Brahman Brangus Braunvieh BueLingo Charolais Dairy Dexter Excellerator Galloway Gelbvieh Guernsey Hereford Highland Holstein Jersey Limousin Lowline Luing Maine-Anjou Miniature Murray Grey Piedmontese Pinzgauer Red Poll Salers Santa Gertrudis Shaver Beefblend Shorthorn Simmental

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Published by Farm Business Communications, 1666 Dublin Avenue, Winnipeg, MB R3H 0H1 WINNIPEG OFFICE Alberta Farmer Express 1666 Dublin Avenue, Winnipeg, MB R3H 0H1 Toll-Free in Canada 1-888-413-3325 Phone 403-341-0442 in Winnipeg FAX 403-341-0615 Mailing Address: Box 9800, Winnipeg, Manitoba R3C 3K7 • •

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Advertisers requesting publication of either display or classified advertisements agree that should the advertisement be omitted from the issue ordered for whatever reason, the Alberta Farmer Express shall not be held liable. It is also agreed that in the event of an error appearing in the published advertisement, the Alberta Farmer Express accepts no liability beyond the amount paid for that portion of the advertisement in which the error appears or affects. Claims for adjustment are limited to errors appearing in the first insertion only.

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REAl ESTATE Vacation Property Commercial Buildings Condos Cottages & Lots Houses & Lots Mobile Homes Motels & Hotels Resorts Farms & Ranches British Columbia Alberta Saskatchewan Manitoba Pastures Farms Wanted Acreages/Hobby Farms Land For Sale Land For Rent RECREATIONAl VEhIClES All Terrain Vehicles Boats & Water Campers & Trailers Golf Carts Motor Homes Motorcycles Snowmobiles Recycling Refrigeration Restaurant Supplies Sausage Equipment Sawmills Scales SEED/FEED/GRAIN Pedigreed Cereal Seeds Barley Durum Oats Rye Triticale Wheat Cereals Various Pedigreed Forage Seeds Alfalfa Annual Forage Clover Forages Various Grass Seeds Pedigreed Oilseeds Canola Flax Oilseeds Various Pedigreed Pulse Crops Beans Chickpeas

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46

OCTOBER 14, 2013 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

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47

ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • OCTOBER 14, 2013

Spraying EquipmEnt

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1998 379 PETERBUILT, N14-460E Cummins, 18spd, w/63-in sleeper, 930,000-kms, w/36-ft Doepker grain trailer 204, shedded.

Phone (403)586-0978, (403)347-0723, AB. 1998 SPRAY AIR 13X70 swing auger, good condition, $9,000; 2001 NH 195 manure spreader, top beater, new paddles, double floor chain, location tires, good condition, $9,000. Call:(780)203-9593 or (780)963-0641, Stoney Plain, AB. 1999 CAT 460 1300 sep. hrs, rake up $83,000; 1998 AGCO 9755, 530/int electronic, 18spd p/s, 3096/hrs, 4 remotes, 540 front weights, duals, $45,500; 2005 MacDon 922, 16-ft DK, $15,000; 2000 MacDon 972, 25-ft DK, DS, pick-up reel, $17,500; Bergen swath mover, $3500.

(403)665-2341, Craigmyle, AB.

FARM MACHINERY Machinery Miscellaneous

MISCELLANEOUS FOR SALE

RON SAUER

2003 CHEVY MALIBU; INVACARE electric hospital bed; antique: wood burning stove; Southern AB history books; 6-in. swivel base bench vise; Delaval electric cream separator & bucket. (403)758-6271.

ACREAGE EQUIPMENT: CULTIVATORS, DISCS, Plows, Blades, Post pounders, Haying Equipment, Etc. (780)892-3092, Wabamun, Ab.

www.bigtractorparts.com

(403) 540-7691 ronsauer@shaw.ca

8570 JD 4WD Tractor 18.4 - 38 Duals, 3Hyd., 3200 hours, Premium Unit, Steer Ready ............... $75,000 580 B Case Extendahoe 5500 hours, New Rear Tires, Runs Good ........................................................... $9,000 31’ Flexicoil B Chisel Plow Extensions Included, Extends to 41’, 3 bar harrows, Excellent Condition ............. $12,500 Flexicoil 6 run seed treater ................................ $2,000 Wanted Flexicoil 39’ 5000 air drill, 9 or 10” spacing, rubber packers............................................................. Call 134’ Flexicoil S68XL sprayer, 2007, suspended boom, auto rate, joystick, rinse tank, triple quick jets, auto boom height, electric end nozzle & foam marker............. $39,500 130’ Flexicoil 67XL PT sprayer, 2006,trail boom, auto rate, rinse tank, hyd. pump, combo jets, nice shape.... $26,500 100’ 65XL Flexicoil Sprayer, complete with windguards, elec. end nozzles dual tips, markers ........................ $5,500 30’ 8230 CIH PT swather, PU reel, nice shape,.. $10,000 25’ 8225 CIH PT Swather, PU reel, Nice Shape ... $9,500 25ft Hesston 1200 PT swather, Bat reel, nice shape .......................................................... $5,500 30ft 4600 Prairie Star PT swather, Bat reel, nice shape. .Call 30ft Premier 1900 PT swather, Bat reel, nice shape. . Call 1069 New Holland ST Bale Wagon.......................... Call MATR (Italy) 10 wheel V-Hayrake, hyd. fold, as new.................................................................... $5,250 New Sakundiak Augers Complete with E-Kay Attachments ............................................... Call 2 Used 8” Self Propelled Sakundiak Augers .Coming In New E-Kay 7”, 8”, 9” Bin Sweeps .........................Call 1 Used E-Kay 9” Bin Sweep, with hyd., pump, motor & tank ....................................................... $1,250 Flexicoil 10”x 50’ Grain auger ......................... $2,500 7721 JD PT combine, decent cond. ....................... $5,000 7701 JD PT combine, new concaves & rub bars ..... $4,000 Jiffy Feed Wagon, like new, hardly used, shedded .....$9,250 40’ Morris Packer Harrow Bar, P30 packers, 4 bar harrows, Hyd. fold up, good condition ..................... $5,500 8” Wheat Heart Transfer Auger, as new............ $1,500 New Outback MAX & STX Guidance & Mapping...In Stock New Outback E-Drive, TC’s .................................In Stock New Outback E-Drive X, c/w free E turns ............In Stock New Outback S-Lite Guidance ................... In Stock $900 New Outback VSI Swather Steering Kit...........In Stock New Outback E-Drive Hyd. Kit, JD 40 Series ....... $1,000 Used Outback E-Drive Hyd. Kit ...............................$500

**NuVision, Sakundiak & Farm King Augers, Outback GPS Systems, EK Auger Movers, Belt Tighteners, Bin Sweeps, & Crop Dividers, Kohler & Robin Subaru engines, Degelman, Headsight Harvesting Solutions, Greentronics Sprayer Boom Auto Height**

FARM MACHINERY Machinery Wanted

Andrukow Group Solutions Inc. Wainwright, AB

(780) 842-3306 www.dseriescanola.ca Remember that story you wanted to read again from a few months back?

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- Hydraulic Drive (roll or unroll wire) - Mounts to tractor draw bar, skidsteer or bobcat, front end loader, post driver, 3pt. hitch or deck truck (with receiver hitch & rear hydraulics) - Spool splits in half to remove full roll - Shut off/ Flow control valve determines speed - Works great for pulling out old wire (approx. 3--5 minutes to roll up 80 rod or 1/4 mile) The Level-Wind Wire Roller rolls wire evenly across the full width of the spool automatically as the wire is pulled in Ken Lendvay (403) 550-3313 Red Deer, AB email: kflendvay@hotmail.com Web: www.levelwind.com

Andrukow Group Solutions Inc. Provost, AB

(780) 753-3150 www.dseriescanola.ca REAL ESTATE

Available at:

REAL ESTATE Mobile Homes CANADA SINGLE FAMILY HOME NEW 16 wide & 20 wide MODULAR HOMES at GREAT prices.

(218)751-7720 frontierhomesonline.com

SEED / FEED / GRAIN SEED/FEED MISCELLANEOUS Feed Grain BUYING ALL TYPES OF feed grain. Also have market for light offgrade or heated, picked up on the farm. Eisses Grain Marketing 1-888-882-7803, (403)350-8777 Lacombe.

HEAT & AIR CONDITIONING

SEED/FEED MISCELLANEOUS Feed Grain

The Icynene Insulation System® • Sprayed foam insulation • Ideal for shops, barns or homes • Healthier, Quieter, More Energy Efficient®

NOW BUYING OATS!

1-800-587-4711

Prompt Payment

Rycroft, AB

(780) 765-2865 www.dseriescanola.ca TRAVEL

AGRICULTURAL TOURS Midwest USA ~ Oct 2013 Kenya/Tanzania ~ Jan 2014 India ~ Feb 2014 Chile/Argentina/Brazil ~ Feb 2014 Vietnam/Cambodia/Thailand ~ Mar 2014 China ~ March 2014 Ireland & Scotland ~ June 2014 Ukraine ~ June 2014 Australia/New Zealand ~ 2015

Select Holidays

1-800-661-4326

403-304-1496

www.penta.ca

ALL GRADES Competitive Rates

Dunvegan Ag Solutions Inc.

*Portion of tours may be Tax Deductible

PAUL MOWER

DAVE KOEHN

www.selectholidays.com

403-546-0060

Available at:

Medicine Hat Coop Ltd. Medicine Hat, AB

LIVESTOCK Cattle – Simmental 40 FULL BLOOD & PB Simmental cow herd, all papered, horned & polled. 40-yrs of selection for productivity & temperament. Call Chalk Hill Simmentals, Norman & Lila Weiss:(403)638-4269.

Specialty LIVESTOCK Livestock Equipment 5’X10’ PORTABLE CORRAL PANELS, 6 bar. New improved design. Storage Containers, 20’ & 40’ 1-866-517-8335, (403)540-4164, (403)226-1722

TENDER: DAVID FIDDLER & Cecilia Fiddler, RM of Lac Pelletier No. 107 SK. SE 9-11-14 W3 (Home Qtr w/improvements) $82,800, 160.67-acs, Yd, 147-cult; SW 9-11-14 W3, $50,700, 161.51-acs, 80cult, 80 grass; NW 9-11-14 W3, $74,700, 159.26-acs, 149-cult; NE 9-11-14 W3 (dugout & dam), $89,400, 158.83-acs, 158-cult; SW 10-11-14 W3, $61,900, 159.85-acs, 60-cult, 100 grass; NE 4-11-14 W3 (dugout & spring), $51,200, 158.37-acs, 60-cult, 100 grass; NW 4-11-14 W3 (spring), $32,200, 158.93-acs, 30-cult, 130 grass.

Improvements on SE 9-11-14 W3: 1,156-sq.ft 1.5 storey house, completely remodeled w/new metal roof & siding, new bathroom w/steam shower & home spa, gas & electric heat, good drinking water, attached porch & decks, attached single car garage, upgraded septic tank & pump-out (new pump), 40x70-ft steel quonset, old barn, outdoor riding arena w/good sand, watering bowl, 40-acs of orchard & fruit trees, 2-mi of fir trees on each side of private road w/good winter access on E1/2 9-11-14 W3.

General improvements: 15.5-mi of 3 & 4 wire fence w/treated posts. All fenced area is double fence. All cultivated lands seeded to grass/alfalfa mix. Conditions: 1) Tenders must be submitted to the law firm, Anderson & Company, by 2:00pm, Tues., Oct. 22nd, 2013. 2) A cheque for the amount of 5% of the amount of the tender must accompany the tender (cheques will be returned to unsuccessful bidders). 3) Highest or any tender not necessarily accepted. 4) Tenders may be submitted on any one of the quarters, a combination, or all of them with a preference to tenders on all of the quarters. Consideration will be given to a request to subdivide the yardsite on the E1/2 9-11-14 W3. 5) Bidders must rely on their own research & inspection of the property & confirm acreage, condition or other particulars as all are just estimated. 6) No tender shall be accepted that is subject to financing. 7) Bidders may be called together to dispose of the lands. For viewing & inquiries, contact: David Fiddler of Cecilia Fiddler at (306)741-9443. Forward tender to: Neil G. Gibbings Anderson & Company, Barristers & Solicitors, 51-1st Ave NW, PO Box 610, Swift Current SK, S9H 3W4. Phone: (306)773-2891. File No. 06363-020G. We know that farming is enough of a gamble so if you want to sell it fast place your ad in the Alberta Farmer Express classifieds. It’s a Sure Thing. Call our toll-free number today. We have friendly staff ready to help.

1-888-413-3325.

Agricu

International P Rocki Upper Mississ Midwes Australia/New Kenya/Ta Indi South Am Far Ea China Ireland & S Ukraine Agricu NWT/Yukon Russian Rive

*Portion of to

Select Holid www.sel

LINDEN, ALBERTA CANADA TENDERS

LIVESTOCK

Available at:

Available at:

FEED GRAIN WANTED! ALSO buying; Light, tough, or offgrade grains. “On Farm Pickup” Westcan Feed & Grain 1-877-250-5252

www.dseriescanola.ca

Adapter available to unroll new barb wire off of wooden spool

New 30.5L-32 16 ply, $2,195; 20.8-38 12 ply $795; 18.4-38 12 ply; $789; 24.5-32 14 ply, $1,749; 14.9-24 12 ply, $486; 16.9-28 12 ply $558, 18.4-26 10 ply, $890. Factory direct. More sizes available new and used. 1-800-667-4515. www.combineworld.com

WANTED: NH 8500 ROUND bale wagon. Phone (406)883-2118

(403) 528-6609

Barb Wire & Electric High Tensile Wire Spooler

FEDERATION TIRE: 1100X12, 2000X20, used aircraft. Toll free 1-888-452-3850

MACHINERY LTD.

2009 EZEE-ON 7750 SERIES 2 Airdrill, 10-in spacing, double schute, stealth openers, 5-in rubber packers, 36 1/2-ft, cw/tow behind 3315 cart, $125,000 OBO; 2008 JD 4895 self-propelled swather, w/30-ft of honeybee header, $97,500 OBO; JD 1509 9-ft tandem disc, $7,000 OBO; 1997 JD 9400 4-whl drive tractor, 12-spd w/hi&low, $128,000; Conserva-pak 56-ft air drill, w/4400 tank, $150,000 OBO. Phone:(780)386-2220 or Cell(780)888-1278.

41-47-FT LEON CHISEL PLOW; Case 2090 w/loader; Blanchard 40-ft crowfoot packer; Morand maternity pen; 8x16 calf shelters; H1000 tub grinder, also grain grinding kit for tub grinder; BP25 bale processor, also conveyor belt kit. (780)623-1008.

TIRES

Buy and Sell

anything you need through the

1-888-413-3325

Available at:

Andrukow Group Solutions Inc. Viking, AB

(780) 336-3180 www.dseriescanola.ca

Watch your profits grow!

Advertise with AFe Classifieds Place your ad today by call

1-888-413-3325

48

OCTOBER 14, 2013 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

CELEBRATING

40 YEARS

OF AGRICULTURAL

EXCELLENCE.

Take The opporTuniTy To opTimize your operaTion!

From genetics and livestock to the latest in equipment, Northlands Farmfair International is a one-stop marketplace for producers and the industry. For 40 years, it has served as one of Canada’s top agricultural shows—a place where thousands of guests take over the Edmonton EXPO Centre to show and sell some of the very best livestock the world has to offer.

FeaTured programs: heriTage ranch rodeo - november 3-5 purebred beeF shows, including 8 naTional shows - november 5-9 genomics showcase - november 5-9 bloodsTock sale - november 6 ranch horse compeTiTion & sale - november 6 The headliner show & sale - november 8 The yards aT norThlands: commercial caTTle show & sale - november 9 alberTa supreme - november 9 Visit farmfairinternational.com for more information and join the conversation #FFi40