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Rancher’s Beef plant set to reopen under new management

under watchful eyes

Industry leaders say they are optimistic the new Harmony Beef plant will not just increase kill capacity but offer access to premium niche market

By Jennifer Blair af staff / red deer

R

ich Vesta is about to buy himself another beef plant.

The former president of JBS’s U.S. beef division spent the ’90s buying slaughterhouses to grow capacity at his company, Packerland Packing, and now he’s set his sights on the deserted Rancher’s Beef plant east of Balzac.

“It’s an excellent plant,” he said of the $40-million facility, set to be renamed Harmony Beef. “As I’ve looked at plants across the nation and North America, there’s not a lot of plants that match up to this one in terms of food safety, work safety, and HACCP plans.”

The deal with the plant’s current owner, Sunterra Farms, is expected to close Nov. 1, but Vesta will need to invest over $18 million to bring the plant back into operation after its six-year closure.

“We’ve got an awful lot of work to do on the inside. We anticipate we’ll start production on the first of June next year.”

Once the work is completed, Vesta expects to run between 725 and 775 head a day through the facility.

The beef industry is just glad that the plant will be up and running again.

“I think it will do us more good open and killing cattle than it did shut,” said Brent Chaffee, chair-

AWARDED

man of Alberta Cattle Feeders’ Association. “Although it won’t solve all the ills in the industry, it’s a really good step in that direction.”

Western Stock Growers’ Association president Aaron Brower also hailed the deal.

“It’s been a long time coming,” he said. “I think it’s going to be an advantage for the whole industry here.”

“I think it will do us more good open and killing cattle than it did shut.”

Brent Chaffee ACFA

“From a producer perspective, it’s going to add another bidder to our selling,” added Doug Sawyer, chairman of Alberta Beef Producers.

“Any time you get more competition, it’s always positive. It adds capacity to the Canadian industry.

“We’re exporting live cattle into the U.S., and any time we export a live animal, we’re also exporting the processing of that live animal

A great horned owl is perfectly camouflaged among an aspen grove, its yellow eyes also matching the golden aspen leaves. This great horned owl, which happens to be Alberta’s official bird, was perched in a grove on a farm near Millarville, Alta. It is a young bird, not yet dark in colour. Photo: Wendy Dudley

see RANCHER’S BEEF } page 6

GM pioneers honoured with World Food Prize } PAGE 3

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news » inside this week

inside » Transport logjam boosts oat prices Frustrated buyers bid up old-crop supplies

OCTOBER 28, 2013 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

livestock

crops

columNists

transport program goes national

Night-only aeration can be risky

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Grandma proven right scientifically — oats are healthy staff

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ats may deserve the well-earned status of “supergrain,” according to research presented at the recent American Association of Cereal Chemists International annual meeting.

According to an AACC rel e a s e , Y i Fa n g C h u , a researcher with the Quaker Oats Center of Excellence, said there is evidence to show that oats are even more complex than previously thought.

They possess a wide spectrum of biologically active compounds including carotenoids, tocols (vitamin E), flavonoids and avenanthramides, a class of polyphenols.

“The polyphenols, avenanthramides, are unique to oats and have been widely used in skin-care products because of their anti-inflammatory and anti-itching effects,” said Chu. “As scientists continue to link inflammation to chronic diseases, they are also investigating whether bioactivities produced by the polyphenols in oats can be as beneficial from within the body as they are on the skin.”

Oats and oat-containing products that meet a minimum level of oat beta-glucan are allowed to bear a U.S. Food and Drug Administration-approved health claim for cholesterol-lowering benefits. Studies also suggest oats can enhance satiety — the feeling of fullness — and may also help reduce the risk of other Salford_SFM13-10_02-10.25x3-AFE.qxd chronic conditions.

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Fiji needs agriculture for prosperity

Roy Lewis Fall vaccination — prevention is cheaper than cure

One plus one equals more than two Intercropping provides a boost for both crops

brenda schoepp

Bernie Peet Voluntary program teaches livestock handling

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People, not systems, key to group housing

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Real cowboys show their everyday ranch skills at Heritage Ranch Rodeo Rodeo participants don’t have to hold practices — their roping, riding and cattle-sorting skills are honed every day at work

By Alexis Kienlen af staff / edmonton

I

f you want to see real cowboys in action, head to the Heritage Ranch Rodeo at Edmonton Northlands.

Sixteen teams of genuine cowboys from across Western Canada will showcase their roping, milking and sorting skills during the Farmfair International event held Nov. 3-5.

The rodeo, in its ninth year, features six events — team sorting, team branding, team doctoring, wild cow milking, wild horse racing, and bronc riding. Each team participates in three events the first night and three more the following night, with the top teams going on to the finals.

“It’s pretty well attended and is gaining popularity,” said Amanda Frigon, Heritage Ranch Rodeo event manager with Northlands. “It’s nice because it’s in cohesion with Farmfair, and Canadian Finals Rodeo is right after it, so that works well.”

The event helps keep western heritage alive and showcases real-life ranching skills, she said. Participants range in age from 16 to 60 years.

Kirk Thomson is team captain of last year’s winning team — the North Fork Grazing Co-op — along with Nolan Pharis, Bruce Christie and Mike Nelson. They hail from 9/26/13

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The event helps keep western heritage alive and showcases real-life ranching skills. PHOTo: thinkstock north of Pincher Creek and have competed for six years.

Last year they won handmade silver bits, coats and other merchandise.

“Our team is made up of local guys who all have cattle in this grazing co-operative,” said Thomson. “It’s all friends and neighbours.”

Team members bring horses that are best suited for each event.

“Everybody on our team specializes in different events and we have horses that we use in different events,” said Thomson.

Pharis is a skilled horseman, while Thomson’s and Christie’s strengths lie in roping.

Nelson rides the broncs and milks the wild cows.

“Every year, it’s a big reunion,” he said. “We get to see guys we know from all over Western Canada and rekindle friendships. It’s a real social thing, as well. It’s very competitive, but it’s friendly.”

All the skills featured at the rodeo are used in everyday ranch work, such as branding and treating cattle.

“It’s mostly riding and roping skills and cattle sorting.

This is all stuff we do every day,” said Thomson. “We just get to go to town and show people what we do.”

It’s a good idea for the public to get to see the way things are done on a ranch, he said.

The “perception is that everything is done with quads in feed pens, but it isn’t,” he said. “We like to show people how stuff is done out on the open range, and how we treat cattle, sort cattle and brand cattle.”

Branding is the most challenging event, he said.

“You have to know your cattle, work the pen properly, and be able to rope as well,” he said.

“It’s horsemanship and cowmanship and you have to take everything that you know to be good in the branding pen.”

Team members develop their skills by helping each other out in their regular operations throughout the year.

“All the guys on our team work together on and off all year round,” Thomson said.

“Just neighbours helping each other out more than anything.”

Most of the teams that participate in the event come from larger, heritage ranches.

The North Fork Grazing Co-op has been in existence since the turn of the century. For ticket information go to http://farmfairinternational.com/eventinfo/tickets. akienlen@fbcpublishing.com

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ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • OCTOBER 28, 2013

Genetically modified crop pioneers honoured with World Food Prize Talk of protesters baffles local farmers and residents of this Midwestern city

by Laura Rance

Co-operator editor /des moines, iowa

A

s he pulled away from the airport, our driver tells us he’s been warned to keep an eye out for the protesters that gathered the day before to picket against the recipients of this year’s World Food Prize.

“And I’m thinking, like, how could anybody protest food?” said Larry, the affable pastor’s son who was born in Tennessee, raised in British Columbia, took his military training in Texas and now drives for an executive car service in Iowa.

Larry’s puzzlement didn’t last long as he proceeded to fill us in on how this relatively small Midwestern city has become the headquarters for the country’s biggest insurance companies, Wells Fargo and seed giant Pioneer Hi-Bred.

And how it gets cold here, cold enough that he and his wife have considered moving elsewhere. The rest of Iowa is all about corn, soybeans and raising pigs. “That’s what it’s known for,” he said.

“It always amazes me at how people are accepting of the latest thing when it comes to cellphones and gadgets for our houses, but they won’t accept technology when it comes to the crops we grow.”

Roger Zylstra Iowa Corn Growers Association

But his question lingered as I took a late-afternoon walk up the six blocks from the hotel to see the Dr. Norman E. Borlaug World Food Prize Hall of Laureates, a magnificent building surrounded by carefully manicured gardens in the city’s centre. Even the World Food Prize, an award celebrating individuals who have contributed to world food security, has become mired in the murky controversies surrounding agriculture and food.

I’m here for the week, tagging along on tours organized for foreign journalists by CropLife International and listening in on the Borlaug Dialogues, a confab to discuss world food security involving hundreds of delegates from all over the world held each year in the days leading up to the UN’s World Food Day Oct. 16.

GM developer recipients

This year’s food prize laureates, who will be honoured at a special ceremony later in the week, are three scientists who pioneered genetically modified crops: Marc Van Montagu, the founder of the Institute for Plant Biotechnology Outreach, Mary-

Dell Chilton, founder of Syngenta Biotechnology Inc., and Robert Fraley, the chief biotechnology officer for Monsanto.

“Their work has made it possible for farmers in 30 countries to improve the yields of their crops, have increased incomes, and feed a growing global population,” says the citation.

It was an unpopular choice among those opposed to this approach to crop improvement.

The Des Moines Register reported about 50 protesters organized a March Against Monsanto to kick off a “a week of Occupy World Food Prize events” coinciding with what’s come to be known as the Nobel Prize of Agriculture.

Protesters were quoted as saying they don’t like being “lab rats,” and they want foods made from GM crops, which include pretty much anything that contains corn and soybeans, to be labelled. But biotechnology has also become the lightning rod for growing concerns about corporate control over the food supply and big farming in general.

Farmers baffled

None of this makes any sense at all to the farmers who remain unwavering in their support for this technology since they first embraced it in the mid-1990s.

“It always amazes me at how people are accepting of the latest thing when it comes to cellphones and gadgets for our houses, but they won’t accept technology when it comes to the crops we grow,” Roger Zylstra, an area farmer and director of the Iowa Corn Growers Association. “I’m a little baffled by that.

“We see the advantages of this technology, we see it in the seed’s ability to grow a crop in the conditions we get,” he said, noting Iowa went from crippling drought to excessively wet spring planting conditions within months. “This technology is really one of the things that helps us stay competitive as producers.”

Gordon Wassenaar, who grows corn and soybeans on 1,500 acres on his farm located about one hour east of Des Moines, said genetically modified crops that offer better weed control are part of a bigger package that includes continued improvements in agronomic and yield genetics. But combined, they’ve had a huge effect on his farm’s productivity.

“In my lifetime, we’ve almost doubled the yields,” he said.

Jeff Wolt, who heads up the Biosafety Institute for Genetically Modified Agricultural Products at Iowa State University, said people and organizations opposed to GM crops often cite the risks, even though scientific consensus is clear that they pose no unreasonable risks to the health of humans, animals or the environment.

“There are very well-trained, very knowledgeable experts who work for activist organizations that go throughout the world and sow seeds of distrust and fear in terms of this technology. That’s just the way it is,” Wolt said.

“I think there are probably as many different reasons as you

Gordon Wassenaar said yields on his farm have doubled during his lifetime. Photos: Laura Rance

Roger Zylstra says he is baffled by opposition to genetically modified crops.

Downtown Iowa is decked out with banners celebrating the World Food Prize.

could count. Some of them have very honest concerns about the technology, some of them might be anti-multinational companies, others might hold very traditional views, others just might like — some people make their living doing that. It’s no one thing which is why it is so difficult to address.”

But Wolt said the debate is

muddied by issues that are “what I consider to be the natural outcome of cropping systems and management.”

Issues such as herbicide-resistant weeds would have existed with or without genetically modified crops, yet are frequently used to condemn them.

“Even if there wasn’t GM crops… we have to deal with pests

and the fact that pests build resistance,” he said.

“There are a host of things that are important culturally and economically, but they do not relate to whether these products are going to harm you or I or the environment,” he told a group of journalists. laura@fbcpublishing.com

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OCTOBER 28, 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

Beef industry sees some rays of hope in two areas

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

PRODUCTION director Shawna Gibson Email: shawna@fbcpublishing.com

Director of Sales & Circulation

Trade deal with Europe may produce some significant benefits for beef sector — if they are real

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By will verboven

Alberta Farmer | Editor

O

ne thing for sure about the cattle and beef industry — you don’t have to wait long for news on some issue or other, and it can vary from hopeful to depressing.

For months, the industry has been troubled with fallout from the country-of-origin labelling (COOL) law battle with the U.S. The market consequences are becoming real as some plants near the border are planning to stop importing Canadian fed cattle. However, a resolution to that issue seems far off as it crawls through the U.S. court process and WTO appeal protocols.

Then there is the controversy that erupted surrounding a fast-food chain’s decision to engage in mischievous advertising that could reflect negatively on Canadian beef.

Then there was another E. coli outbreak attributed to burgers in Ontario.

But then some rays of hope appeared that could dampen some of the bad news — at least in the long run.

One hopeful development is the acquisition of the defunct Rancher’s Beef plant in Balzac by an American buyer. That plant can process 800 head per day and could become a significant medium-size cattle buyer in the Alberta market. No doubt feedlot operators would welcome any competition in a market dominated by the two big dogs. When the Balzac plant was originally opened there was a lot of hope, as it was financed mainly by cattle producers and feedlot operators.

However, it faltered and closed as it encountered capitalization and liability concerns.

Those problems seem to bedevil almost every packing plant scheme in Canada that involves significant investment from cattle producers. I expect there is a message in that perspective. However, the new owner of the plant seems to be backed by private investment and has considerable experience in the meat-packing business. I am sure producers wish him every success.

On another positive front, a deal has been struck to finalize the Canada/EU free trade agreement. Considerable mention was made that additional market access for Canadian beef and pork has been achieved,

but at the expense of the domestic cheese industry. If new beef exports can be attained that could help mitigate some of the losses that COOL is inflicting on Canadian cattle and hog exports to the U.S. However, as with most complex trade agreements, the devil will be in the details.

From past experience, the initial suspicion is that crafty EU negotiators will lay technical and logistical traps that will effectively derail or stall any significant increase in Canadian

Another concern is how the impending U.S./EU free trade discussions will ultimately impact the Canada/EU deal.

beef imports. A previous deal on more EU quota access was ultimately proven unusable when logistical tactics by some market players made any beef exports to the EU too costly for Canadian exporters. So it may be premature to celebrate new beef market access that will later be thwarted by clever EU bureaucratic roadblocks.

The most obvious hurdles would be to erect onerous and complex labelling, tracing and testing standards. The fear is that Canadian negotiators in their eagerness to achieve an agreement have left too much detail to be settled later by protectionist EU bureaucrats.

Another concern is how the impending U.S./EU free trade discussions will ultimately impact the Canada/EU deal.

The Americans will also be seeking vastly increased beef and pork quota access to the EU. It’s almost guaranteed that those clever Yankee traders will not be getting less than Canada. I expect further complications will arise and it may take a long time to resolve.

One hopes for the best for the beef export sector with the EU deal. But for pork, it may not be as great an opportunity. Unlike beef production, the European pork industry is

large, sophisticated and robust. The Danes and Dutch invented intensive hog production and are big worldwide exporters. New EU member states such as Poland have the ability to significantly modernize and increase pork production. However, much of the EU is a high-cost production area with onerous environmental regulations.

That may offer an advantage for Canadian pork exporters.

The downside for agriculture in the deal is that EU cheese imports could well increase significantly as tariffs are decreased and quotas increased. But trade-offs were inevitable and all sides were well aware of that reality. Cheese and other processed dairy products were the one food export that the EU could increase. However, I expect new quotas will be carefully managed and hopefully used as a stick to make sure that the EU realistically allows actual Canadian beef exports to occur, and not be derailed by devious protocols. Also, as EU cheese tends to be high end and expensive to produce, I expect the majority of our cheddar and processed cheese production will be mostly unaffected.

Not much has been said about how GM commodities like corn, canola and soybeans will be treated in the Canada/EU trade deal.

There are exceptions in place for some corn varieties, but the EU prohibits GM canola imports. Curiously, under certain circumstances canola meal and canola oil that has been processed from GM canola can be exported to the EU. Go figure.

The GM prohibition may well continue as EU countries have the unilateral ability to make such prohibitions. That issue may have been put aside for another day. I expect the U.S. will be pursuing the GM commodity access issue in their upcoming free trade talks with the EU. I also expect producer and industry apprehension and suspicion will continue until the Canada/EU trade details are fleshed out and exports actually happen. The underlying fear is that further wrangling and scheming over the details is sure to follow.

And least I forget, the EU has that nasty habit of using thinly disguised export subsidies to get rid of surplus products. Will this deal stop that scheme? I guess for now we can be hopeful.

All’s fair in the burger war

A

recent marketing campaign by the A&W hamburger chain has seen the beef industry express some exasperation with what seems like misleading advertising. The chain is promoting its burgers as not having any added hormones or steroids, which implies competitors’ burgers do have such added products, and so there may be a health risk.

Industry organizations have questioned and even condemned this slight-of-mind advertising approach, as there is no scientific proof burgers are better or worse with minuscule levels of added hormones or steroids. They also contend it puts some doubt in consumers’ minds about beef in general.

The science folks at the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association note claims about hormone-free beef are typically based on production practices and rarely come with proof of testing. That’s because testing for hormone levels in meat is a costly

and lengthy process. A similar approach is taken by organic certification where the process is certified — but little or no testing is done to guarantee actual product purity.

It’s an accepted practice by government regulators, so the A&W promotion is on pretty good legal ground. It’s similar to claims about “Angus” beef burgers — it would be fairly difficult and costly to prove through testing the cattle breed ancestry of any hamburger.

To add insult to injury, the A&W TV commercials show hamburger eaters stating that the alleged lower-hormone/steroid burgers are delicious — implying competitors’ burgers with the added products must taste worse.

It’s all marketing mischief, of course.

Clearly any consumer saying otherwise would not be in the A&W commercial.

It should be noted many folks in such endorsement-type commercials are paid a sliding fee according to a union scale

and the broadcasting schedule (a relative of mine was once in such a commercial).

So it’s fair to assume that these same folks would make the exact same delicious statements about a competitor’s burgers if given the opportunity. That’s just the way advertising works — all is fair in the market share war.

Still, it makes you wonder about the motives of A&W in this campaign beside getting a perceived merchandising advantage over competitors. I suspect that this may have something to do with the cost of raw hamburger. Few Australian cattle are fed in feedlots where hormone implants are used. I expect cunning marketing guys at A&W saw this win-win situation — being as their competitors generally buy more expensive Canadian beef for their burgers.

Add into that some fearmongering about hormones and you are two steps ahead of the competition. As I said, all is fair in the hamburger market share war

5

ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • OCTOBER 28, 2013

Is farmer ownership of the CWB a reality, or another smokescreen?

The board is offering farmers equity but not full control of the privatized Canadian Wheat Board

By Dean Allen Harder

T

he appointed board of Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz’s CWB (formerly the Canadian Wheat Board) has finally made a move in this saga known as a transition towards privatization.

It says it will give farmers a $5 stake in the “new company” for every tonne of wheat they sell through the CWB in the 2013-14 season.

As a farmer, I have to say that I am captivated by the idea that perhaps I will once more be allowed a voice in the say of the state of the CWB, which I had only two years ago when democratically farmerelected representatives still ran the former CWB. Does this $5 fix mean that the Ritz appointees want to finally put control back into the hands of farmers by turning it into a co-operative?

After all, Ritz earlier stated: “(The new CWB) could be a business corporation, a producer co-op, or a not-for-profit corporation.

The business model will be for the board and farmers to decide.”

Or was this another smokescreen?

A $5 share for an entire tonne of grain gives a farmer as much control as playing “Roll up the Rim” at Tim’s.

Sources are saying the CWB board is only interested in giving farmers minority control of the organization while still seeking majority private control to increase their war chest. Of course if they used their imaginations, they could find a strong amount of capital through a “new-generation” co-operative model where farmers take equal majority control and investor shares are kept separate. Instead, this feels like another example of the big boys making sure this “farmers working together” thing doesn’t get out of hand.

We cannot forget that this five-person board is not a group of elected farmers, as was the case before Bill C-18. This board

is appointed by, and is solely accountable to Minister Ritz.

That’s right, the same Gerry Ritz who said he respects the vote of farmers but then ignored the 62 per cent who wished to keep the single desk intact as a farmercontrolled entity.

So why would the CWB bring in equity shares if it isn’t moving towards a co-operative model?

Some possibilities: • They need more farmers to sign up in order to pay the bills.

• The $17.5-billion farmer-driven class-action lawsuit is still going through the courts. Prime Minister Harper and Mr. Ritz want to blow as much smoke as they can over the reality that farmers have lost big money with the federal decapitation of the CWB. • Partnerships with grain companies aren’t working out as planned.

• Pinup girls, ignoring the support base, advertising ploys and football pools just aren’t attracting business.

• When the CWB buys grain at port from grain companies and then tries to sell it for a higher price across the ocean, it just looks bad to farmers if they don’t have any ownership in the process.

• Giving private companies all the earnings and assets of the CWB might be hard for the Competition Bureau to swallow all at once.

A $5 share for an entire tonne of grain gives a farmer as much control as playing “Roll up the Rim” at Tim’s.

At the end of the day, we’re getting a sense from Gerry Ritz and his five stooges that they think farmers do not have the mental capacity to be given majority or co-operative control of a grain company. Or even worse, that he’s taking direction from the private grain companies and doesn’t want to ruffle those major Conservative supporters.

It’s time for the Ritzappointed CWB board and the Conservatives to change face and stop offering up the CWB as a golden calf to private companies, as was done in Australia. That is a recipe for failure.

It hurts on-farm sustainability and it weakens long-term rural community development by handing control over to international players.

Stop the smokescreens, Mr. Ritz. It’s time to clear the air.

Dean Allen Harder farms at Lowe Farm, Manitoba.

Biotechnology — whose voice should be heard?

Biotech pioneers won this year’s World Food Prize, but the ‘Frankenfood’ debate still rages on in North America

By Laura Rance

editor, manitoba co-operator

I

t was hard not to smile when one of our African colleagues on a CropLife International tour at the World Food Prize event in Des Moines, Iowa asked a presenter to address rumours that clothes made from genetically modified (GM) crops will make a man bald and impotent.

After all, after nearly 20 years of growing GM crops, the “Frankenfood” angle on the debate in our part of the world is long over. Or is it?

The latest Prevention magazine, a mainstream publication targeting aging baby boomers, contains a four-page advertorial sponsored by a company selling organic products. It coincides with campaigns for mandatory labelling in several U.S. states and makes a pretty convincing pitch through an “all-star panel of GMO experts — a passionate filmmaker and father, a concerned mother and food activist, a registered dietitian, and the founder of an independently run organic food manufacturing company.”

The filmmaker, who is making a film called “GMO OMG”, discusses the “systematic corporate takeover of and the potential loss of humanity’s most precious and ancient inheritance:

seeds.” The registered dietitian worries that there is no long-term health data and promotes a GM-free diet, for which labelling would be necessary.

The mother/food industry analyst said labels would make it easier to trace whether allergies are related to conventional soybeans or the GM varieties. And the founder of Nature’s Path, the corporate sponsor of the advertorial, opines that everyone has the right to know what’s in their food.

Who do you think the average consumer is going to believe — corporate scientists (some of whom happen to be bald) who say there is no proof GMOs do any harm, or dietitians, mothers and filmmakers who say there is no proof that they don’t?

All this explains why CropLife International invited 40 journalists from 23 countries to attend tours and World Food Prize events in Des Moines, Iowa, all expenses paid. (We participated in the tour, but paid our own travel and accommodation.)

The tour was well organized and informative, although it goes without saying we heard a lot about how biotechnology will help double production to feed nine billion people by 2050 and the important role journalists play in countering misinformation spread by “activists.” In other words, giving a voice to those who oppose GM crops is tantamount to

condemning the world to perpetual hunger and environmental degradation.

But the outrage over this year’s choice of World Food Prize recipients isn’t limited to the ragtag cluster who demonstrated at the event. It includes scientists, authors and food-security advocates, many of whom challenge the focus on a single technology to solve a problem as multi-faceted and complex as world food security.

My science versus your science

The latest World Food Prize laureates tried to stake out the moral high ground with statements that biotech crops have been proven unequivocally safe. Yet a coalition of 90 scientists, physicians and academics — including a former World Food Prize winner — countered with a statement saying no such consensus exists. Both proponents and opponents accuse each other of incomplete or outright “bad” science.

So much for “science-based decision-making.”

From this desk, we’ve seen no compelling evidence that the traits on the market today have resulted in harm to humans or livestock. We’ve seen the amazing capacity of biotechnology tools to accelerate crop improvement, with or without GMOs. On the environmental front, we’ve

seen this technology compound the existing problem of resistant weeds, because it further consolidates weed control around herbicide solutions. It further consolidates the food system period.

But mostly, we’ve been critical of the biotech industry for failing to recognize that ultimately, it is food buyers — not farmers — who are its customers. That failure has resulted in the backlash, the ongoing push for labelling and the extraordinary proposition that people living in the world’s hungriest places aren’t at all sure that they help in this way.

We’ll say this again. The customer is always right, even though not always rational. The only way of determining value in a market-driven economy is by what people can be convinced to buy. Thus, food marketing is more about perception than it is about science. If it were purely based on science and nutrition, there would be only one brand of yogurt, one type of bread and no need for big-box stores.

World Food Prize winner Robb Fraley, Monsanto’s chief biotechnology officer, had some insightful comments. He suggested that maybe the industry finally gets it. But it has a lot of catching up to do. laura@fbcpublishing.com

6

OFF THE FRONT

RANCHER’S BEEF  from page 1 to the U.S. If we can keep those jobs and that infrastructure here in Alberta, that’s positive.”

Chaffee said he hopes the plant will also offer producers greater access to niche markets.

“I think it’s not only holding more value added in Canada but will also hopefully give some additional market access to some of

the niche players that don’t have the capacity to supply markets that they’ve been going after just because of the kill volumes that are available,” said Chaffee.

As a smaller player, Harmony Beef may be able to develop markets in the EU, China, and Japan, he said.

The trick will be meeting the demand in those markets, according to Sawyer.

OCTOBER 28, 2013 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

“We’re struggling with our really small plants to be able to service some of the markets that are out there,” he said.

The domestic market will be the first priority, but Europe is on his radar, Vesta said.

“As I understand, this is the largest EU-approved plant in Canada, so I’m sure that will be a big part of our focus,” said Vesta.

Although he doesn’t yet have

any firm marketing plans in place, Vesta said he will draw on his nearly 50 years of experience in meat.

“In terms of capital, expertise, and know-how, we think we’re the right people to do this, and we’re excited about the opportunity,” said Vesta. “We look forward to marketing Alberta beef.” jennifer.blair@fbcpublishing.com

Feedlot owners will welcome another buyer for fat cattle.

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BRIEFS Competition offers trip to FarmTech in Edmonton Farm Management Canada is sponsoring a crossCanada competition for young farmers to attend the FarmTech Conference in Edmonton in January.

To enter, contestants must be young farmers and produce a video, one minute or less, that demonstrates, “What does your generation bring to the farm table?”

Submissions must be received by Dec. 2. Winners will be announced Dec. 16.

The winners will receive an all-expenses-paid trip to attend the FarmTech conference. While at FarmTech, winners will report from the conference through social media. All winners will be required to work the FMC and sponsor booths for two hours each day.

John Deere and the Canadian Fertilizer Institute are assisting with sponsorship of the competition.

Upon return, the winner is required to write one article and produce an additional one-minute video to share insights on their experience. Winners may also be called upon to speak at FMC and/or sponsor events.

For more information visit www.fmc-gac.com/ content/y-we-farm-youngfarmer-video-competition.

Rothsay takeover clears Competition Bureau

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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. Pioneer® and the Trapezoid symbol are registered trademarks of Pioneer Hi-Bred. 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.

The 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 Aug. 17 that 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.

7

ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • OCTOBER 28, 2013

Meat and grain representatives welcome trade deal, but…

There is still no text available, and negotiations could continue for another two years

European cheese and wine producers are happy about a free trade deal with Canada.

BY ALEX BINKLEY

AF CONTRIBUTOR / OTTAWA

W

hile a flock of exportoriented farm commodity groups quickly issued statements endorsing the proposed Canada-Europe free trade deal, other organizations and opposition politicians tempered their support with a caution to wait until all the details are known.

The Canadian Cattlemen’s Association, Canadian Pork Council, Grain Growers of Canada and the Canola Council of Canada led the way in noting the deal could eventually lead to a $1.3-billion increase in livestock, meat and crop exports to Europe. Meanwhile dairy farmers and the National Farmers Union saw negatives in the deal from an increase in subsidized European competition.

“The CETA offers tremendous potential for Canadian producers and food processors to grow exports to the EU,” said Lisa Skierka, chair of the Canadian AgriFood Trade Alliance.

“We believe the CETA could increase total agri-food exports to the EU by $1.3 billion a year,” added CAFTA executive director Kathleen Sullivan.

“Even in the case of beef and pork, where the EU is particularly sensitive, the CETA could be worth $1 billion a year.”

Text not available yet

It may be months before the final text is available and Canadians finally find out what the government has committed to.

The government provided little additional information other than saying compensation would be available for any sectors hurt by the deal.

However, the EU went further, releasing a limited analysis of the impact of tariff cuts on shipments to Canada. “The agreement will rapidly — largely at entry into force — eliminate duties on agriculture. By the end of the transitional periods, Canada and the EU will liberalize, respectively, 92.8 and 93.5 per cent of trade lines in agriculture,” the analysis said.

“On prepared agricultural products (PAPs) more specifically, which are a major EU export interest and where the EU has a major export surplus with Canada, the outcome is particularly ambitious,” it said.

It particularly noted the benefit for wines and spirits. The EU already supplies about half of Canadian wine imports and as the EU is Canada’s major import source of wine — about half of its imports — the agreement would “significantly improve access.”

NDP Trade Critic Don Davis said New Democrats welcomed progress towards a comprehensive deal with Europe, but noted the text had not been released.

PHOTO: THINKSTOCK

“The NDP will wait until the final deal is released, analyze its contents and engage in wide consultations with a diverse range of stakeholders — including business, labour, local and provincial governments, Aboriginal peoples, and others — to determine if the deal is, on balance, a good deal for Canada,” Davis said.

Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau said his party is “broadly supportive of CETA, though we have yet to see its details, as this is only an agreement in principle.”

John Manley, head of the Canadian Council of Chief Executives, welcomed the deal but noted it will take time to fully analyze it.

Richard Dearden and Wendy Wagner of the Ottawa law firm Gowlings cautioned that once a final text has been agreed to it will go through a “legal scrub,”

“Those of us who have been close to the negotiations think that there is outstanding access to be had for the Canadian beef sector.”

JOHN MASSWOHL CCA

Fly with a Leader.

be translated into 28 languages and then ratified by Canada and the EU. The ratification process could take 18-24 months.

Meat versus dairy

Spokesmen for the meat industry also noted a lack of details, but welcomed the deal. Canada wins duty-free access for up to 80,000 tonnes of pork a year, up from an existing quota for 6,000 tonnes, and 65,000 tonnes of beef.

“We don’t have the details but we believe the relationship holds great potential to enhance our sector’s export opportunities through meaningful access to the EU market,” said Gary Stordy, spokesman for the Canadian Pork Council.

John Masswohl, vice-president of the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association said, “Those of us who have been close to the negotiations think that there is outstanding access to be had for the Canadian beef sector. We calculate that potential exports of beef to the EU could exceed $600 million under the CETA.” However, the dairy industry expressed concern over the increase in quotas for European cheese.

European dairies will be able to ship an additional 16,000 tonnes of cheese and 1,700 tonnes of industrial cheese tariff free annually, giving European producers some eight per cent of Canada’s cheese market.

“If this deal proceeds, the Canadian government will have given the EU an additional exclusive access of 32 per cent of the current fine cheese market in Canada, over and above the existing generous access,” said Dairy Farmers of Canada president Wally Smith.

“This deal would displace our local products with subsidized cheeses from EU and risk our small businesses being shut down or put out of business,” he said. “This is unacceptable.”

The new cheese quotas are on top of Europe’s existing quota of 13,500 tonnes, which already accounts for two-thirds of Canada’s cheese imports, said Therese Beaulieu, spokeswoman for Dairy Farmers of Canada.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper said Ottawa would still compensate dairy farmers who may be hurt by the deal.

The NFU said the deal amounts to a sellout of Canada to foreign corporations. “Canadians are losing the fundamental tools of economic policy. We cannot restrict the movement of capital, which makes us vulnerable to wild currency fluctuations.

Except for six-month terms during emergencies, we cannot take measures to influence our balance of payments. This is disastrous for our economic sovereignty,” said president Terry Boehm.

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8

OCTOBER 28, 2013 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

Ontario farmer earns top award in world cheese competition Lancaster, Ontario’s Glengarry Fine Cheese has been in the cheese-making business since the 1990s

BY LORRAINE STEVENSON STAFF

N

ewly crowned the winner in a global cheese competition, a small Canadian company is proving it doesn’t take centuries to perfect a fine cheese.

Lancaster Ontario company Glengarry Fine Cheese walked away with the top prize in the prestigious Global Cheese Awards held this fall in Somerset, England, the birthplace of cheddar.

Glengarry’s Lankaaster aged loaf, a hard Gouda-style cheese aged just two years when entered in the competition, was named Global Supreme Champion at the competition. The traditionally shaped cheese is meant to be sliced and eaten directly on bread as Dutch farmers do.

It has a unique profile due to the specific starter culture the plant uses to create a cheese typical of those made on Dutch farms ear-

lier in the century, according to the company’s website.

“You eat a piece of it and you want to go in a closet alone and keep eating it. It is a cheese that you will never forget the taste of,” cheese maker and company owner Margaret Peters-Morris is quoted as saying in a recent Globe and Mail article.

She has been making cheese only since the early 1990s. The milk comes from Peters-Morris’s farm; the dairy is located across the road from the cheese plant. A family of Dutch heritage, Gouda was their first choice when selecting a cheese to start producing, according to Glengarry Fine Cheese website.

The firm now additionally produces two types of blue cheese, two hard cheeses including the Lankaaster, plus another called the Glengarry Fen, as well as three washed-rind cheeses, and one soft lactic bloomy.

One of Glengarry’s two soft blue

cheeses, called the Celtic Blue, earned a bronze at the same competition this fall.

“The overall love of cheese in our family propelled Margaret’s interest to add more varieties to the repertoire with trips abroad to learn more about farmstead cheese making and eventually developing recipes that are the basis of the varieties produced in the plant today,” the company’s website says. “To have an artisan plant was Margaret’s dream and is now her life’s vocation, to be on a farm making cheese in the county where she grew up.”

The Canadian cheese stood out in a competition featuring 167 categories of the world’s finest cheeses.

The Global Cheese Awards, formerly called the Frome Cheese Show, has showcased top artisanal cheeses and their makers since 1861. lorraine@fbcpublishing.com

The traditionally shaped cheese is meant to be sliced and eaten directly on bread as Dutch farmers do.

WHAT’S UP Send agriculture-related meeting and event announcements to: will. verboven@fbcpublishing.com October 29: Cover Crops & Alternative Forage, Ag Society Arena 10:00 am, Valleyview.

Call: Monika: 780-836-3354 October 29: Cover Crops & Alternative Forage, Ag Society Arena 5:30 pm, High Prairie.

Call: Monika: 780-836-3354 October 30: Swine Tech Workshop, Sheraton Hotel 8:30 am, Red Deer. Call: Bernie 403-782-3776 October 30: Cover Crops & Alternative Forage, Battle River Ag Bldg 5:30 pm, Manning. Call: Monika: 780-836-3354 October 31: Cover Crops & Alternative Forage, Ag Building 12:00 pm, Rycroft. Call: Monika: 780-836-3354 November 1/2: Building a Community Land Ethic, Augustana Campus, Camrose.

Call: SOTL 780-679-1562 November 2: Ag for Life Harvest Gala, Northlands 6:00 pm, Edmonton. Call: Agfl 888-931-2951 November 3/10: Farmfair International, Northlands Expo Centre, Edmonton. Call: Northlands 780-471-7210 November 6: Building Food Safety, Agri-Food Centre 9:00 am, Leduc. Call: Krista 800-661-2642 November 12/14: Introduction to Risk Management, iHotel, Red Deer. Call: Heather 780-781-2840 November 13: Building Food Safety, Ag Centre 9:00 am, Airdrie. Call: Krista 800-661-2642 November 14: Alberta Wheat Commission, Community Hall, Rycroft. Call: Kristina 780-718-5023 November 14/15: Green Industry Show & Conference, Northlands Expo, Edmonton.

Call: Valery 780-489-1991 November 15: Alberta Wheat Commission, Community Hall, Westlock. Call: Kristina 780-718-5023

SOME SEED REPS STAND BY THEIR PRODUCTS. WE PREFER TO GET WAIST-DEEP IN THEM.

If you’re looking for your local Pioneer Hi-Bred sales representative, try the nearest farm.

You see, we’re always out walking the fields, talking to our neighbours and checking the crops.

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Pioneer® brand products are provided subject to the terms and conditions of purchase which are part of the labeling and purchase documents.

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9

Albertafarmexpress.ca • october 28, 2013

Olds College launches cutting-edge entrepreneurship curriculum and iPad app The college is pioneering a gamified curriculum for its new entrepreneurship course with the goal of teaching students how to spot an opportunity and ‘make it happen’

By Jennifer Blair af staff / red deer

O

Olds College wants to see if the ‘gamified’ app can help promote rural entrepreneurship. PHOTo: thinkstock

lds College students will need to add “video-game skills” to the list of things they need to graduate, thanks to the recent launch of the college’s Spirit of Entrepreneurship iPad app.

“Everything at Olds College is hands on, so we knew we wanted entrepreneurship to be hands on,” said Toby Williams, the college’s director of entrepreneurship and international development. “And (mobile technology) is like the new hands-on. It’s a really different way of learning.”

Different is right: This app is the first of its kind in North America.

“It takes a certain innovative, risk-

taking college to do this, because it’s so cutting edge,” Williams said.

“Because it’s so new, there’s not a ton of research on the results.”

Over the course of its five-year licence for the app, the college hopes to learn whether gamified curriculums engage and teach students more than other online options. And so far, students seem to be on board with this type of coursework.

“We launched it to 700 students, and 511 students have already downloaded the game and started to play. That at least demonstrates interest in it.”

Developed by the GoForth Institute and Robots and Pencils, the free app has a curriculum of 12 units, complete with quizzes, that focus on the things a success-

ful entrepreneur needs to know, including assessing business ideas, choosing a location, finding financing, working with employees, and building a business plan. But the real learning comes in the form of the app’s game, where students apply their newfound knowledge to build a virtual business — in this case, a lemonade stand.

“You actually take what you learn in the content and apply it to the game,” she said. “You get to be very strategic about where you put your lemonade stands in the community, how you market, how many people you want to hire.

And it keeps driving you back into the content.” The game is “kind of addictive,” she said.

“What we’ve found is that students tend to do this between 10 o’clock at night and 1 o’clock in the morning.”

The course is not just intended for would-be entrepreneurs.

“These kinds of skills in entrepreneurship… are helpful, whether you’re running your own business or you’re working for someone else.”

Toby Williams

T:10”

“These kinds of skills in entrepreneurship — where you can spot an opportunity and then pull together the people and money and resources you need to make it happen — are helpful, whether you’re running your own business or you’re working for someone else,” she said. “It’s really just the ability to spot an opportunity and make it happen.” The app is part of a bigger mobile strategy and entrepreneurial focus at the school.

“It’s not just this app, although the app is a big cornerstone,” said Williams. “All of the instructors have iPads, and they’ve been asked to think about how they would integrate iPad use into all of their courses here.”

To accommodate the new devices and heavy use, the college has upgraded its bandwidth.

“We’re what’s called a one-gig college. We have the highest bandwidth of any college in Canada.”

The school is also placing a greater emphasis on building entrepreneurial skills through its learning enterprises, including its new microbrewery, butcher shop, and greenhouse.

“Students not only learn how to make the stuff and how to produce it, they’re also involved in the sales and distribution,” said Williams.

“It’s an opportunity once again to practise entrepreneurship skills while you’re at school.” The hope is that approach doesn’t end with graduation.

“That’s why we called it the Spirit of Entrepreneurship. It’s kind of an attitude — a mindset — and young people get it.”

conditions. That way, we can help our partners get the best yield possible. It’s this kind of passion that’s helped Pioneer Hi-Bred people become leaders in the seed business and in their communities.

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10

NEWS » Markets

OCTOBER 28, 2013 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

USDA to release reports

Argentina to correct wheat estimate Argentina would issue a new 2013-14 wheat harvest estimate, a spokesman for the Agriculture Ministry said last week, after publishing an erroneous forecast of 8.8 million tonnes a week earlier. “There will be a correction in the coming days, because the number that was given was a partial estimate,” the spokesman said. Argentina produced 8.2 million tonnes of wheat in the previous season, according to official data. The U.S. Department of Agriculture expects Argentina to produce 12 million tonnes of wheat this season, 53.5 million tonnes of soybeans and 26 million tonnes of corn. — Reuters

A top U.S. Agriculture Department official said key monthly crop reports will continue to be released during CME Group trading hours, despite complaints from the grain industry. Since last year, when the USDA began releasing its key monthly crop reports while the CME grain markets were open, hedgers have complained bitterly that high-speed traders armed with algorithms and super-fast data feeds have distorted the price-discovery function of the markets. Previously, the reports were released when the markets were closed. — Reuters

Canola continues trading in a narrow $15 range What happens with soybeans in the U.S. and South America could be the catalyst that breaks canola out of its range

Photo: thinkstock

By Phil Franz-Warkentin

ICE Futures Canada canola contracts held rangebound during the week ended Oct. 18, with November contract keeping well within the roughly $15 range it’s found itself in for most of the past month.

While a few fields are still remaining, the bulk of the canola harvest is finished for the year. The crop is generally expected to have ended up record large, although just how large remains to be seen. At the same time, demand also remains solid, with domestic crushers running at nearly 90 per cent capacity and talk of fresh export demand from China circulating the market during the week.

Overall, canola will likely need a push from outside to break out of its recent range. On the one hand, any attempts at moving higher are bound to be met

with good producer selling and a backing away of end-user bids, as both sides are aware of the large supplies that will need to be moved this year. On the other hand, farmers can easily shut the doors on their bins if prices move too low. Bargain hunting will also pick up on any moves lower, as canola remains attractively priced compared to other oilseeds.

With that being the case, what happens with soybeans in the U.S. and South America could be the catalyst that breaks canola out of its nearly month-long range. Soybeans at the Chicago Board of Trade also remain rangebound overall, although the market managed to move higher during the week, with soyoil seeing the largest gains of the soy complex. Tightening U.S. soyoil supplies despite a betterthan-expected domestic crush pace accounted for some of the strength in that market.

U.S. farmers are still in the midst of harvesting this year’s crop, and yield reports have generally been topping expectations. The improving yield prospects are potentially bearish for the futures, but export demand has also picked up recently, with China believed to have made some large purchases under the radar while the U.S. was in shutdown mode. The resumption of the USDA’s reporting should confirm that business. Meanwhile, South American farmers are in the early stages of planting their soybean crop, which will make weather conditions there an important factor in the futures.

Wheat gyrations

For the grains, U.S. wheat futures saw some wide price swings during the week, but eventually turned higher as worries over freezing temperatures in Argentina provided the catalyst for a bounce in all three U.S. wheat futures contracts.

Weather issues delaying winter wheat seedings in the Black Sea region have also underpinned the U.S. futures recently, although actual acreage reports from Russia and Ukraine have varied widely.

Corn futures in the U.S. moved off of three-year lows during the week, but held rangebound overall. While the cheaper prices have brought in some bargain hunting, the advancing U.S. harvest and generally improving yield prospects may see corn retest its nearby lows sooner rather than later. The contract low of US$4.32 per bushel is seen as nearby support in the December contract, with resistance holding at US$4.50.

Phil Franz-Warkentin writes for Commodity News Service Canada, which specializes in grain and livestock market reporting.

11

ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • OCTOBER 28, 2013

Grain industry reacts to CGC’s insurance-based security scheme The plan is generally supported but KAP is disappointed protection won’t be extended to feed mill sales

BY ALLAN DAWSON STAFF

R

esponse to the Canadian Grain Commission’s (CGC) proposal to replace its current producer security program with an insurance scheme is mostly positive.

But support is contingent on the new program being cheaper than the current one — something the CGC says will be the case, even though no figures have been released yet.

Manitoba’s Keystone Agricultural Producers (KAP) wants nonlicensed grain buyers, including feed mills, to be covered too.

That’s not going to happen when the new scheme is implemented in December or early next year, said CGC spokesman Rémi Gosselin.

However, the CGC might consider it in the future, he added.

National Farmers Union president Terry Boehm said the insurance scheme will mask the problems that cause grain buyers to fail, such as poor transportation service or some other factor.

Currently CGC-licensed western Canadian grain companies must post security to cover what they owe farmers for the grain they’ve delivered.

“While the current model has been relatively successful, it is expensive for both licensees and

the CGC to administer,” the CGC says in a web document discussing the proposed changes. “The current model is based on a costly reporting structure and results in a high volume of work duplication. A high volume of security shortfalls can occur, and there are no efficiencies of shared cost and shared risk.”

Deductible

Under the proposed program all grain company defaults to farmers would be covered up to an annual maximum of $100 million, with a five per cent deductible.

The deductible, which doesn’t exist now, is intended to encourage farmers to be more careful who they deliver to.

Company premiums will be based on how much they buy and their risk of going broke.

“We are still uncertain on how the costs will come out exactly,” said Wade Sobkowich, executive director of the Western Grain Elevator Association, which represents the major elevator companies.

“It will be superior if we can keep our costs down.”

Premium costs will soon be available to companies, Gosselin said.

KAP is disappointed the new program includes a deductible.

“My message to members is to take more time to see who is qualified to buy their grain,” said KAP president Doug Chorney.

Manitoba’s Keystone Agricultural Producers wants the protection extended to feed mills, after farmers were left owed more than $1 million following the failure of Puratone last year.

KAP also wants farmers to have as much time to report a default as they do now, which is 90 days, or 30 days after a cheque has been issued.

A cheaper security program will save grain companies money, which they can use to bid on farmers’ grain, Chorney said.

The combination of recent changes to CGC user fees and converting to an insurance-based security scheme will cut grain company licensing fees to $3,000 a year instead of $6,000, Gosselin said. Savings will come through reduced administration costs.

“Part of the work is being done by the insurance company (Atradius Credit Insurance, which is running the insurance scheme with CGC oversight),” Gosselin said.

Lower cost

The CGC will continue to conduct field audits of grain companies, track annual grain company purchases and collect and audit their financial statements, he said. However, the companies will no longer have to report monthly to the CGC how much they owe farmers.

The CGC says small companies spend 21 hours a month preparing those reports, while medium and large firms average 13 hours a month. Assuming 24 hours of preparation at $150 an hour it costs companies $3,600 a month, the CGC says.

Under an insurance program companies will no longer have to collectively post around $1 billion to cover farmer liabilities. That will also save companies money.

Annual farmer payouts under

the CGC program have averaged $723,000 (inflation adjusted), over the last 32 years, the CGC says.

The biggest payout was $6.75 million (inflation adjusted), in 1981. Sixty per cent of the time there was a year with at least one default.

Actuaries estimate the annual loss due to grain company defaults is $3.6 million a year. That’s higher than the historical average, but also includes the possibility of a large company failing.

Add a five per cent deductible and limit the annual total payout to $100 million and the annual loss estimate drops to $2.6 million, the CGC says.

There have been calls for changes to the CGC’s security program on and off for years, in part because of the headaches and liability it creates for the CGC. Several years ago Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz, pointing to payout shortfalls, said the program didn’t work well. He suggested farmers create and administer their own program. Farm groups said there should be no changes until an acceptable replacement was up and running.

A 2009 study prepared by Scott Wolfe Management concluded there are several viable options, including insurance as well as the current program. allan@fbcpublishing.com

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Talk to your DEKALB® dealer today, or visit DEKALB.ca ALWAYS FOLLOW IRM, 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.

12

OCTOBER 28, 2013 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

Big buildup in corn stocks seen overwhelming prices Some see a low of $4.20 but say breaking that level would lead to further sharp declines

BY SAM NELSON CHICAGO / REUTERS

A

ctive harvesting of a recordlarge U.S. corn crop likely will keep a lid on Chicago Board of Trade corn futures prices well into next year despite improving demand for the world’s chief feed grain due to the current lower price level, analysts said.

Bellwether CBOT December corn, the first contract reflecting the newly harvested crop, had already plunged over $2 per bushel or over 35 per cent the past year to a three-year low of $4.32 per bushel earlier this month.

During the same time frame, U.S. corn production prospects have jumped nearly 30 per cent from last year’s drought-reduced crop leading to an expected supply buildup from a 17-year low this year to an eight-year high next year.

“I am looking at building world inventories and weaker prices into the next 18 months,” said Roy Huckabay, analyst for The Linn Group, a Chicago trade house. “I see a huge U.S. corn crop that can easily be 14.1 billion to 14.3 billion bushels so there is not much rally potential,” Huckabay said.

China purchases

The lower corn prices have increased the demand for U.S. corn with China recently buying significant volumes — reportedly over a million tonnes of U.S. corn in October. But analysts are skeptical enough fresh demand will surface to counter the price-depressing buildup of corn supplies.

Additionally, demand for corn to process into ethanol is seen levelling off in the coming year as oil companies are hitting up against the current “blendwall” — the upper amount of ethanol it can blend into the U.S. fuel supply.

Today, about 40 per cent of the U.S. corn crop is used to produce about 13 billion gallons of the renewable fuel.

“The big supply is still trump-

ing big demand. I’d be surprised if we break out of the $4.20 to $4.80 range any time soon,” said Jeff Thompson, analyst for ED&F Man Capital.

There are several factors that may keep corn prices from falling much further than current levels and also allow for the potential for at least a modest rebound of prices.

“I have felt this fall that the $4.20 level would hold the corn market,” said Arlan Suderman, analyst for Water Street Advisory.

Suderman said there are several technical layers of long-term support that cross near or just above the $4.20 level “most important of which is trend line support that has held the market since 2005.”

Hedge fund traders already had sold the corn market heavily short

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s latest forecast for U.S. corn production is a record 13.843 billion bushels, above the previous record 13.1 billion set four years ago. PHOTO: THINKSTOCK through the summer and early autumn when it became evident U.S. farmers were likely poised to produce a record crop.

“I believe speculative fund managers, who are believed to be holding large short positions, are reluctant to add to those positions so close to such significant support,” Suderman said.

However, Suderman cautioned that if the key $4.20 support level was broken the market could possibly fall below $4 to the $3.75 to $3.80 area.

“Such a flush would likely be short lived, with end-users seeing it as a tremendous opportunity to extend coverage; both domestically and globally,” he said.

Also, farmer selling would nearly dry up at the lower price levels, leading to a likely rebound of prices.

“Farmers have little incentive to sell at these prices or lower, at least not until they begin to run out of money, which could be a while,” Suderman said.

“I am looking at eventual lows in corn of $3.50 to $3.80 but suspect that will happen well into next year, maybe in March.”

ROY HUCKABAY THE LINN GROUP

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s latest forecast for U.S. corn production is a record 13.843 billion bushels, above the previous record 13.1 billion set four years ago.

The huge crop is being harvested later than usual due to the record-late planting season and late-maturing crop.

“Seasonal trends in years with late harvest show a tendency for corn to make a new lower low into December delivery. First downside objective is $4.26, but that may not hold if the crop really is 13.8 billion bushels,” said Bryce Knorr, senior editor for Farm Futures Magazine, referring to the Dec. corn contract delivery period that runs the first two weeks of December.

But output may exceed the 13.8-billion-bushel level since yield reports from the autumn harvest have been above expectations, according to analysts, agronomists and other cash grain sources.

“I am looking at eventual lows in corn of $3.50 to $3.80 but suspect that will happen well into next year, maybe in March. The crop is just too big and the export demand is not so good once you get past China,” Huckabay said.

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13

ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • OCTOBER 28, 2013

Scientist finds way to ‘skip 50 million years’ and create diesel from animal fat University of Alberta scientist David Bressler uses crop and animal byproducts to produce a fuel identical to petroleum

BY ALEXIS KIENLEN AF STAFF / EDMONTON

S

oon enough, your car could be running on a diesel created from animal fats and vegetable oils, thanks to the work of Alberta researcher David Bressler.

“Dr. Bressler’s technology is revolutionary,” said University of Alberta chancellor, Ralph Young.

“Ethanol or other first-generation biofuel are products that require blending with petroleum-based fuels for us to be able to use them in our cars, planes and various industrial plants. The technology Bressler developed produces a fuel that does not need to be upgraded with hydrogen, nor does it need to be blended with petroleum-based fuels.”

Bressler has spent a decade refining a method he discovered that converts animal fats, beef tal-

low, seed oil, and restaurant grease into fuel. He is the scientific lead for Forge Hydrocarbons Inc., a spinoff company created to commercialize the research. It has been operating a small-scale pilot plant for years and is now in the process of creating a pre-commercial plant in Agri-Food Discovery Place on the University of Alberta’s south campus capable of producing up to 200,000 litres of fuel a year.

The technology creates “drop-in” fuels that can be put directly into a car, airplane or industrial engine.

Young predicts use of this type of next-generation fuel is poised to soar, as they reduce greenhouse gases emissions by 90 per cent compared to traditional petroleum fuels. The process uses hightemperature chemistry to heat feedstock — typically animal fat or crop seed oil — to produce fatty acids and water. The fatty acids are

then heated to release oxygen and create a hydrocarbon that’s processed into gasoline, natural gas, jet fuel, and diesel.

“The long story short is you go from the same fats and oils, you get rid of the carbon dioxide early, you get a higher-density energy and produce a product that’s going to be much more compatible with our hydrocarbon system,” said Bressler.

There are no guarantees yet, but it’s hoped this fuel will eventually create a revenue stream for producers who need to dispose of their animal fats.

Forge Hydrocarbons CEO Tim Haig said he’s enthused about Bressler’s work because it produces a molecule identical to petroleum.

“You have to remember that petroleum is really just agricultural residue that has been captured in the Earth’s crust for 50 million

Scientific adviser Dr. David Bressler (l) and Tim Haig, CEO of Forge Hydrocarbons Inc., (r) accept a TEC Edmonton University Spinoff Achievement award from Michelle Rempel, minister of Western Economic Diversification, at an event celebrating the launch of Forge Hydrocarbons Inc. PHOTO: ALEXIS KIENLEN years,” he said. “David just came up with a way to skip 50 million years.”

Three levels of government, the University of Alberta, industry associates and researchers supported the project. Forge Hydrocarbons

Inc. received a TEC Edmonton University of Alberta Spinoff Achievement award when it announced its launch as a company. akienlen@fbcpublishing.com

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China goes big in October corn buy BEIJING / REUTERS China, the world’s secondlargest corn consumer, bought about 20 cargoes of the grain, equivalent to nearly 1.2 million tonnes, from the U.S. in October, according to a report by an industry website. The volume reported by Shanghai JC Intelligence (JCI), an influential private agricultural consultancy, is higher than the roughly 12 cargoes reported by Reuters. Chinese companies have stepped up purchases of U.S. corn because prices have fallen to the lowest level in three years due to a bumper harvest.

Some cargoes may not be able to be shipped to China because actual arrivals will depend on the allocation of import quotas, JCI said in a report posted on its website (www.chinajci.com).

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by China, already the world’s top buyer, past the record 3.16 million tonnes imported in 2010, analysts said, with one predicting exports of four million tonnes. A bumper U.S. corn crop and increased ethanol production is pushing up supply.

14

OCTOBER 28, 2013 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

FALL HARVEST

The first week of autumn arrived with fields busy with threshing equipment, as farmers try to finish their harvest before frost and the first snowfall, especially in these fields high in the foothills northwest of Black Diamond, Alta. PHOTO: WENDY DUDLEY

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heat planting in China’s major growing areas have been hampered by persistent drought, the Agricultural Ministry said Oct. 15, adding to expectations that imports could surge.

Severe drought has affected about half of the total area of central China’s Henan province, which supplies around a quarter of the country’s total wheat output, the ministry said in a report posted on its website.

Any continuation of the drought could threaten the planting of winter wheat, the report said. Winter wheat, due to be harvested in June next year, accounts for more than 90 per cent of the country’s total output.

The Henan government has local farmers to do their utmost to maintain wheat acreages at last year’s level, official news agency Xinhua said in a separate report.

No rain is forecast for the province until Oct. 20, it said.

Dry weather in parts of Shandong, China’s second-biggest wheat-producing province, has also slowed down planting, and in areas without artificial irrigation, wheat cannot be planted at all, the Xinhua report added.

China’s wheat harvest this June was hit by excessive rain, which damaged quality in some major growing areas like Henan, leading to predictions that imports to the world’s top wheat consumer would rise to their highest level in a decade.

Tightening supplies have also pushed domestic wheat prices to a record high.

Beijing has raised its minimum purchase price for the 2014 harvest by 5.4 per cent to 2,360 yuan (US$390) per tonne, but it remains far below the current market price of 2,500-2,680 yuan per tonne for standard grades.

15

ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • OCTOBER 28, 2013

Shortcut through the Amazon jungle expected to boost Brazilian soy exports It’s not fully paved and sinkholes abound, but upgrades to BR-163 has made it a ‘viable roadway’ and opened a new gateway for soybean exports

BY GUSTAVO BONATO AND CAROLINE STAUFFER SAO PAULO / REUTERS

A

new northern front is opening in the battle for a share of Brazil’s burgeoning soy and corn exports as a highway decades in the making finally opens, offering a shortcut through the Amazon jungle to northeastern waterways.

The BR-163 connects Mato Grosso state’s Soy Belt to two key river ports and will boost grain exports by three million tonnes next year, offering a bit of relief to congested ports in the southeast.

One of those northern ports boasts a new Bunge terminal and another is a decade-old facility run by rival Cargill, which is angling to quadruple exports through the area.

Both look set to face even more competition as other companies make plans to build terminals across the sprawling northern waterways, using a mix of road and barge logistics to get Brazil’s expanding harvests to market.

To be sure, BR-163, long behind schedule, offers only modest relief for the moment. The 1,385-kilometre stretch of road won’t be entirely paved for a few more years and sinkholes already abound, making it a fraught journey, even for truckers accustomed to Brazil’s rutted roads.

“Many farmers have been waiting for the BR-163 to be paved for more than 30 years...”

to the far southern port of Rio Grande. To solve the problem, in May Congress passed legislation to allow private firms to invest in public ports.

No one knows the area’s potential and challenges better than Cargill.

Until recently, it trucked almost all of its soy west from Mato Grosso, away from the eastern seaboard, 1,500 kilometres to the small river town of Porto Velho, Rondonia, where it is loaded on barges that then sail east to Santarem, and on to the Belem port on the coast.

But the BR-163 will give the company a more direct route north to Santarem.

“The BR-163 has some traffic, even though 400 kilometres still need to be paved,” said Clythio Buggenhout, Cargill’s

port director. “The road is now relatively viable.”

Usually, Cargill moves about 1.3 million tonnes of grains through Santarem, but in 2014 that amount could be about two million tonnes due to the increase in road capacity from Mato Grosso, he said. The eventual goal is five million tonnes, one-fifth arriving directly by road and the rest barged from a port south of Santarem, which shaves nearly 300 kilometres off the drive.

For Mato Grosso’s farmers, the opening of new routes next year is a long overdue sign of hope.

“It’s not going to solve the problem because this is just the beginning — but the important thing is that shipments are definitely being made through the north of the country,” said Favaro of Aprosoja.

The road has some traffic, even though 400 kilometres still need to be paved. PHOTO: THINKSTOCK

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But it is now considered passable, and for the first time in years, Brazil’s overstressed transport grid has a new route.

“We’ve been exporting through the wrong route, to Santos and Paranagua,” said Carlos Favaro, president of Mato Grosso’s soybean association Aprosoja, referring to the ports on the southern coast. Ships there had to wait for 60 days to load grains last year and some frustrated buyers cancelled orders.

Northern flows are already gathering pace. In August, 14 per cent of the corn shipped from Mato Grosso, or 280,000 tonnes, left through the Port of Santarem on the Amazon River according to Mato Grosso state’s farm research institute, up from next to nothing in all of 2012.

The benefits are easy to calculate — a journey that’s 600 kilometres shorter and a freight savings of 40 reais (C$19) per tonne.

Cargill advantage

Many farmers have been waiting for the BR-163 to be paved for more than 30 years, and the government has acknowledged that shipping through the southeast is no longer viable. Last year roads were so clogged that some chose a 1,600-kilometre detour

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OCTOBER 28, 2013 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

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17

ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • OCTOBER 28, 2013

ALBERTA CROP INSECT REPORT 2013

Night-only aeration not the best approach, three experts conclude The trick is knowing when the air can remove moisture and when it’s adding it

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The final Alberta Crop Insect Update 2013 has been posted on Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development’s website. “The noctuid family takes top billing of insect issues for 2013 in Alberta crops,” said Scott Meers, AARD insect management specialist. “Bertha army worm was once again an issue in central Alberta and parts of the Peace River region. Army cutworms also were a concern in southern Alberta. “Wheat midge has made major inroads in the southeastern part of the Peace River region. Cereal leaf beetle continued to show up in new areas and increased in severity in parts of its established range. In all, it was another eventful insect year in Alberta.” — Agri-News

BY ALLAN DAWSON STAFF

F

armers who need to reduce the moisture content in their grain should steer clear of advice to run their aeration fans only at night, three grain-drying experts say after comparing different methods.

Chandra Singh and Ronald Larson of OPI Systems Inc., in Calgary and Digvir Jayas, the distinguished professor and Canada Research chair in stored grain ecosystems at the University of Manitoba say the “fan on only at night” strategy has been promoted at a number of farm meetings this year.

“My main concern is that if farmers start using that approach sooner or later someone will have spoiled grain because their moisture was too high and aeration alone will not do the drying,” Jayas said in an interview. “And then they’re going to say, ‘Why did no one warn me?’”

Farmers need to know the difference between aeration and grain drying.

“Grain is a biological material,” he said. “You need to understand many complex factors. We should not confuse aerating the grain with drying the grain. Those are two very different terms and have different objectives. Aeration is for cooling the grain and removing a little bit of moisture and drying is really what removes the moisture and requires optimization of many parameters.”

Ideally aeration fans should be turned on when the air being pushed through the grain removes moisture and turned off when the air adds moisture. Even then there are

Farmers should understand the different objective for aeration and drying, say two researchers. exceptions, since that approach can result in excess drying, especially of grain in the bottom of a bin. Since drier grain is lighter, there are fewer tonnes to sell.

The trick is knowing when the air can remove moisture and when it’s adding it.

Natural air drying is governed by the principle of equilibrium moisture content (EMC), which is the moisture content grain will attain if exposed to air at a specific relative humidity and temperature for a long enough period of time.

“If the EMC of the air delivered to the grain (plenum EMC), including fan and heater warming, is lower than the grain moisture content, moisture will be released from the grain to surrounding air (which results in) drying (the grain),” the paper says.

There are charts and other tools farmers can use to determine when aeration will remove or add moisture to their grain.

There are also automated systems that use in-bin sensors and a computer program to do the job.

Ideally farmers will calculate when to operate their fans, but rather than just guessing it’s better to leave them on, Jayas said. At times moisture will be added, but often the bottom layer of grain is overly dried. Continuously running the fan will result in more uniform moisture levels throughout the bin, he said.

For an aeration system to work, the right size of fan needs to be used, based on the moisture content of the grain, Jayas said. If the fan is undersized, one option is to put less grain in the bin.

“We found that the fan ‘on during night only’ control strategy gave very poor drying results in comparison to other control strategies, especially the inability to complete the drying cycle in the time required,” the research paper said.

The goal should be to complete grain drying by Nov. 15, he said, because by then the air is usually getting too cold to do much drying.

Cold air holds less water vapour.

“A low temperature would help in keeping the grain safer, just like we put food in the fridge, but the challenge is if in the springtime you have not completed the drying then the top layer (of grain) will be wet, the temperature would increase and that’s where the spoilage would occur,” he said. allan@fbcpublishing.com

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18

OCTOBER 28, 2013 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

Former South African miner Elliot Belem stands among his orange trees in South Africa’s Eastern Cape province October 10, 2013. Belem, 56, said farming his 2.5-hectare plot was better than life in the gold mines, where he was a first aid worker. PHOTO: REUTERS/ED STODDARD

does your yield measure up?

Fruit farming offers escape from South Africa’s mining gloom Former subsistence farmers grow fruit for sale instead of staple crops

BY ED STODDARD

NOQHEKWANA, SOUTH AFRICA / REUTERS

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eter Somakhephu’s life has followed a pattern familiar to many black South African miners: he exchanged a marginal existence of peasant farming in his home village for low-paid labour underground before being forced back onto the land.

His life has come full circle but he has broken the cycle of grinding subsistence by moving from staple crops for family consumption to small-scale fruit production for commercial sale, a business that was, until recently, far out of reach.

His example may hold promise for some of the tens of thousands of miners set to lose their jobs in coming years, a new wave of unemployment that will fuel tensions in the countryside and in the grim shantytowns that ring the mines.

Anglo American Platinum’s (Amplats) move to cut 3,300 jobs to restore profits sparked a 13-day strike by miners desperate for work in a country where four out of 10 adults, and more than half of the youth, have none.

It ended Oct. 10 after Amplats agreed to give the workers voluntary severance packages instead of laying them off.

This means they will get more compensation, though the amounts were not immediately specified. The company had already rowed back from a target of 14,000 jobs under pressure from the government and unions, underscoring the gravity of the issue.

The social consequences of mine job losses are widespread because the typical worker in the industry has eight dependants often in two separate families, one near the mines and the other back in their rural villages.

The African National Congress (ANC), in power for almost two decades, is likely to win next year’s election, but more radical political forces are circling and Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe has called youth unemployment a “ticking time bomb.”

Resentment runs deep. Somakhephu, an ex-platinum miner, says the fruits of his labour owe nothing to the industry, which has not lived up to public expectations for a wider redistribution of wealth since white minority rule ended in 1994.

“I built these from farming, not from mining,” said Somakhephu, a sprightly 61-yearold, as he gestured to the set of five small but sturdy houses that crown his rural homestead in the rugged hills of South Africa’s Eastern Cape province.

Behind him to the east neat rows of orange trees sloped to the valley floor, to the west stood lush banana plants.

Somakhephu’s neighbour Elliot Belem, 56, standing among his orange trees, said farming his 2.5-hectare plot was better than life in the gold mines, where he was a first aid worker.

“It’s better to be a farmer than a miner.

I have no supervisor, I am self-employed,” he said.

They are part of a project that has seen 5,200 households plant more than 110,000 crop trees since 1999, according to South Africa’s Agricultural Research Council, a

“It’s better to be a farmer than a miner. I have no supervisor, I am self-employed.”

ELLIOT BELEM

state agency, and Is’Baya Development Trust, the NGO behind the initiative.

The project, which has received no funding from the mining industry, aims ultimately to form co-ops to help with marketing and distribution in a sector still dominated by white commercial farmers whose industrialscale operations have made South Africa the world’s second-largest citrus exporter after Spain.

The fledgling fruit farmers still face many obstacles — not least a perception in the region that agriculture here is still largely a peasant and not commercial activity, unlike in other regions, where white farmers predominate.

In the town of Lusikisiki, about 50 kms (30 miles) from Somakhephu’s groves, Monica Nduli, a middle-aged woman selling fruit on the roadside, said she sourced her produce from KwaZulu-Natal, 150 km (90 miles) away.

“In Transkei? Never! It’s only in KwaZuluNatal that we get such fruit,” she told Reuters.

19

ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • OCTOBER 28, 2013

Alberta-based mushroom company taps into ‘wild’ trend Michelle and Eric Whitehead say they can’t keep up with demand for morel mushrooms and other forest foods are also increasing in popularity

BY TONY KRYZANOWSKI AF CONTRIBUTOR

F

or many Albertans, a bowl of wild morel mushrooms in a cream sauce has become a rite of spring.

And turns out there is a large worldwide demand for these tasty fungi.

“The world supply of morels has never met world demand,” says Michelle Whitehead, co-owner of Alberta-based Untamed Feast, which sells non-cultivatable wild mushrooms and mushroom-based products.

“They are the most desired wild mushrooms in the world next to French truffles. I think it’s also just because they are rare, they look different, they taste different, and their texture is quite unique.

People really respond to them.”

Her husband and business partner, Eric Whitehead, has expert knowledge about all sorts of natural forest commodities, including many varieties of edible and non-cultivatable mushrooms. He is also a registered herbalist and an adviser to a group called The Rural Opportunities Network. He spends considerable time in the bush harvesting the raw products that the young couple from St. Albert has turned into a growing business.

The couple has been harvesting wild mushrooms from forests throughout Western Canada and the Northwest Territories for 13 years, and began selling them six years ago. Their big seller is the highly sought-after morel mushrooms, which are sold in dried form, and this year they sourced their entire supply in Alberta. Eric, who grew up in B.C.’s Chilcotin region, came to appreciate the value of wild forest products — and where to find them — while working in the forestry sector. He also helped his father to harvest the highly valued pine mushroom, or matsutake, when it was selling for $100 per pound. Michelle was also used to harvesting edible forest foods such as mushrooms and berries while growing up on a Prairie farm. They began working at the business casually in 2007, it grew to become their primary income and last year, they worked full time in the business.

“We started selling to high-end restaurants,” says Michelle. “Then we got into food and craft shows as a way to get people to start eating these foods in their own kitchens. There is a demand for it and people are interested.”

Finding enough morel mushrooms in one location to make a trip worthwhile takes considerable planning and evalu-

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“First it was organic, and then it was local, and we do believe that wild is the next trend.”

MICHELLE WHITEHEAD

ation of forest fire maps, as the mushrooms tend to grow in fire burns the year after a fire.

“There is a tremendous amount of preparation months in advance of the spring season to figure out where those morels are going to be,” says Michelle.

“It’s not a guarantee but a forest fire is definitely a strong indicator... we’re really quite nomadic in the sense that we are always hunting.”

A key part of their marketing strategy is emphasizing their mushrooms are wild food, which makes a difference in their nutrient content, flavour and aroma. The company’s product line has expanded to include other wild mushrooms such as dried, smoked, and aged chanterelles; dried porcini; and a forest blend consisting of several edible mushroom varieties. They also sell mushroom-based products such as mushroom gravy, porcini risotto, wild mushroom soup, morel coconut rice, and chanterelle arroz.

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Untamed Feast co-owner, Eric Whitehead, spends considerable time walking western forests in summer searching for valuable, edible wild mushrooms that the company sells. heat to dry its mushrooms, which the couple says helps to differentiate their product from freeze- or flash-dried mushrooms.

Interest in wild foods is taking off, they say.

“First it was organic, and then it was local, and we do believe that wild is the next trend,” says Michelle. “We’re very proud to be part of it. We really believe that the food is so good for you, it really is the most sustainable way to eat, and we are leaving such a small environmental footprint. We’re not disturbing the soil.”

The business has exceeded their expec-

tations and their vision has grown dramatically, she says.

“We want to be a patron of all things wild,” says Michelle. “We’re not just going to stop with mushrooms. We’re going to get into berries, and stinging nettle is already in some of our mushroom-based products.”

They sell their products directly through farmers’ markets and online, and use both home and gourmet cooks in their marketing efforts. All of their products come with recipes and their website (untamedfeast. com) has cooking demonstrations and mushroom-hunting videos.

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20

OCTOBER 28, 2013 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

Research finds two crops can be better than one in forage production By overcoming the production challenges of intercropping, cattle producers can reap the benefits of a pea-barley intercrop for forage

BY JENNIFER BLAIR AF STAFF / RED DEER

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ising feed costs have some livestock producers taking a closer look at a widely used, 1,000-year-old cropping practice that hasn’t yet found a foothold in Canadian agriculture.

Intercropping — the practice of growing two or more different crops together — boosts yields and improves land-use efficiency, but the real benefits can be seen in grazing operations, said Sheri Strydhorst, agronomy research scientist with Alberta Agriculture.

“What we find in temperate climates is intercropping is really most successful when it’s used for forage production compared to grain production,” she said.

In 2004 and 2005, Strydhorst looked at intercropping faba beans, lupins, and peas with barley for forage production.

While lupin wasn’t competitive enough for forage, both pea and faba bean worked “relatively well,” with pea outperforming faba bean in terms of yield, she said.

“We did get higher yields with the pea-barley intercrop,” she said. “I think part of that is maybe pea is just a more competitive pulse compared to faba beans, and it’s just, in that way, a little better suited to the intercrop.”

The research found intercropping any pulse with a cereal will increase protein yield and improve forage nutritive value.

“When we had the pulse-barley intercrop, they had 40 per cent higher protein yields than a full barley crop,” Strydhorst said. “What that’s equivalent to is a quality and nutritive value similar to alfalfa at pre-bloom or early-bloom stage. Where we had barley grown alone, it was similar to having alfalfa at mid-bloom.”

Logistical challenges

Despite these benefits, Strydhorst doesn’t see many producers intercropping peas with cereals for forage, and the logistical challenges may be the reason.

“You’re growing two very different crop types together, so growers need to give a lot of thought to what their fertilizer recommendations are.”

Producers should fertilize for the pulse crop’s needs, but not for the barley crop, she said. A pre-seed burn-off with glyphosate is also recommended, but there are only a few products that can be used for in-crop weed control.

“Weed control in crop is certainly one of the concerns, but it’s not a hindrance when it’s for forage production because you can be harvesting those weed seeds before they drop and become a big problem,” said Strydhorst, who recommends seeding into a clean field.

areas — specifically, the reduced need for nitrogen fertilizer.

“There certainly are increased seeding costs with this because you are seeding your peas at that higher seeding rate, plus adding in the barley,” she said. “But producers have to remember that they’re not spending money on nitrogen fertilizer, so it’s not necessarily a downside.”

Producers may also see extra nitrogen in the soil and a yield boost in the year following a pulse-cereal intercrop — but not to the extent that a sole pea crop would produce.

“That cereal crop is actually using up a lot of that nitrogen.”

Considering how the two different crops will share resources is

the real trick to successful intercropping, Strydhorst said.

“You’re trying to have two crops growing at the same time that are using resources at different times,” she said. “You do want very, very different species so that they make better use of the water and nutrients to improve the productivity.” jennifer.blair@fbcpublishing.com

Seeding rates

Correct seeding rates for both the pulse crop and the cereal crop are also critical.

“A lot of the intercrops done with peas and barley where things don’t work out as ideally as they could is when too high of a seeding rate is used for the barley and too low of a seeding rate is used for the pulse.”

Strydhorst’s research found seeding at a quarter-rate of barley and 1.5 times the recommended pea seeding rate worked best.

“That was equivalent of targeting 53 barley plants per square metre and about 11 pea plants per square foot,” she said. “That really gives you that good mixture at the end of the day.”

Producers can use a seed drill with multiple tanks, or if they don’t have that capacity, the peas can be seeded first at the right seeding depth, and then the barley can be cross-seeded at a shallower depth. Intercropping this way usually comes with a bigger seed bill, but Strydhorst said it balances out with reduced input costs in other

A pulse-barley intercrop had 40 per cent higher protein yields than a full barley crop.

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An oats-barley intercrop in Manitoba. In Alberta tests, a pulse-barley intercrop had 40 per cent higher protein yields than a full barley crop.

21

ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • OCTOBER 28, 2013

Yields good, but canary seed prices follow general downtrend Despite the good yields, production is still expected to be significantly lower than 2012-13

By Brandon Logan

commodity news service canada

D

espite harvest nearing an end, canary seed prices continue to downtrend due to reports of huge yields across Saskatchewan, however, Kevin Hursh, executive director for the Canaryseed Development Commission of Saskatchewan, said prices still compare favourably versus other crops.

As of Oct. 17, Prairie Ag Hotwire had f.o.b. farm canary seed at 23 to 24 cents per pound, which is one cent per pound lower than two weeks earlier.

“People are talking about tremendous yields (for most cereals), and when you start doing

the math at current prices, canary seed is comparing very favourably with cereals,” he said. “I would suggest it is more profitable than other cereals for this harvest.”

Those tremendous yields are also true of the canary seed crop as well, Hursh said.

“I think yields will be higher than the five-year average and it’ll probably be one of the better ones of all time,” he said. “I’ve talked to some producers that have had some very good yields.”

Despite the good yields, production is still expected to be significantly lower than 2012-13.

According to Statistics Canada, 2013-14 production is estimated at 97,500 tonnes compared to 149,700 tonnes the previous season.

As of October 17, Saskatchewan Agriculture’s weekly crop report had 86 per cent of the crop combined, two per cent ready to be combined, five per cent swathed, and seven per cent still standing.

If growers find current prices for canary seed unreasonable, Hursh said the crop can be easily stored as it takes up limited bin space.

“It’s not an urgent need for producers to move it, and it is a crop that if it goes into the bin in good condition, it can be stored for years — and sometimes it is,” he said. “I think everybody is not in a tight cash situation like they maybe were six or 10 years ago, so they don’t need the funds and canary seed isn’t a bulky crop, so it isn’t taking up as much bin space T:8.125” This year’s canary seed yields may be the best ever. as some other things.”

CFIA’s shift to Health Canada oversight begins Non-food safety-related agricultural work will stay with AAFC staff

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anada’s government has kicked off a transition plan to shift the Canadian Food Inspection Agency’s food safety work to the oversight of the federal Health Ministry.

The reorganization, the government announced Oct. 9, “will strengthen Canada’s food safety system by bringing all three authorities responsible for food safety under one minister” — which today is federal Health Minister Rona Ambrose.

The three authorities now reporting to Minister Ambrose will be Health Canada, the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) and CFIA. The announcement is expected to “serve to create a stronger system with better collaboration and communication.”

A transition team of staff from Health Canada, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, CFIA and PHAC has been set up “to ensure that the transition happens as quickly and seamlessly as possible.”

CFIA, in a separate statement, said the new reporting structure and changeover will be taking place immediately, but it will take some time to complete the transition.

The statement said the federal agriculture minister, under this reorganization, will continue to be responsible for the CFIA’s nonfood safety agricultural activities, including economic and trade issues, as well as important animal health and plant protection work.

The roles of the CFIA, Health Canada and PHAC will not change under the new structure, the government said. “Having all three federal authorities report to the same minister will ensure stronger co-ordination with federal authorities and communication with Canadians.”

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22

OCTOBER 28, 2013 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

Iowa farmers look to cover crops to reduce nutrient losses A voluntary program is trying to reduce nutrient loading in the Gulf of Mexico

By Laura Rance editor, manitoba co-operator / prairie city, iowa

H

arvest is in full swing on Gordon Wassenaar’s farm — and so is seeding.

Directly behind the combine collecting this year’s soybean crop on this farm located about an hour east of Des Moines is a seeder sowing fall rye as a cover crop.

The rye won’t be harvested. It will be sprayed out in the spring as the fields are prepared for next year’s corn crop. Its value is preventing soil erosion and increasing soil fertility.

Wassenaar, 67, said he only began planting cover crops about three seasons ago, but he’s already seeing a difference.

“I am definitely seeing a reduction in the erosion and we think we’re seeing an improvement in yields,” Wassenaar said.

The rye not only anchors the soil, the roots pull up nutrients that are then gradually released back into the soil as the crop residue breaks down. “The plants look healthier — it’s just a better growing environment for the plant,” said Wassenaar, who also practises zero tillage.

Ahead of regulations

That he is noticing a benefit on his farm is a bonus, because the

Workers on Gorden Wassenaar’s farm fill a seeder with rye seed for use as a cover crop following soybeans.

PHOTo: Laura Rance

real push behind the strategy is an effort by Iowa corn farmers to get ahead of the regulatory curve when it comes to reducing nutrients flowing into the so-called “Dead Zone” in the Gulf of Mexico.

Planting cover crops is seen as one management practice that can help keep the soil and nutrients on the land where they do good instead of harm.

“One of the reasons that we’re doing this is we have the challenges with the hypoxia (lack of oxygen) in the Gulf of Mexico which they are blaming on fertilizer run-off in states like Iowa,” said Roger Zylstra, a local farmer and director for the Iowa Corn Growers Association.

“So Iowa has started what is actually a voluntary program — we are dedicated to finding watersheds

where we can go in and get as many practices as we can in place to show that we can make a difference.

“We are trying to head off the fact that EPA might come in and say, ‘This is the way you are going to farm now,’” Zylstra said.

Late last year, the Iowa state government formalized voluntary efforts such as Wassenaar’s into a state-wide nutrient reduc-

tion strategy that identifies critical watersheds and promotes a series of best management practices to reduce nutrient loss.

The state’s strategy grew out of a Hypoxia Action Plan the federal government released in 2008, which called on 12 states along the Mississippi River to cut nutrient loads to the Gulf.

The provincial Agriculture Department worked with Iowa State University over two years to develop the strategy, which is based on using scientific assessments to identify and model the effectiveness of specific practices to reduce nitrogen and phosphorus run-off.

Zylstra said it’s important to find local solutions to the larger problem and avoid one-size-fits-all approaches. “Because we know what works in this area may not work 100 miles north of here,” he said.

In addition to cover crops, producers are working more with nitrification inhibitors that could be used for fall and spring nitrogen applications, he said. Filter strips, terraces and grass waterways are also being explored.

“It’s just the simple fact of finding the appropriate practices to put on the fields to be the most efficient in production and yet retain the nutrients in place,” Zylstra said. laura@fbcpublishing.com

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23

Albertafarmexpress.ca • october 28, 2013

Log-jam in grain movement has created a sweet spot for long oats Frustrated oat buyers have been bidding up prices on old oat reserves as new oat supplies must wait in line in the grain-movement network

By Gavin Maguire chicago / reuters

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T:21.6”

at futures have been on a tear lately, jumping more than 20 cents a bushel, or 6.6 per cent, since the start of the month on concerns logistical log-jams will stall the movement of new oat supplies for several weeks.

That’s seen many traders putting on a long oats versus short Chicago wheat spread that is expected to press aggressively higher in the weeks ahead.

The price rally has flown in the face of market expectations as supplies of the crop are actually peaking right now, thanks to the advancing harvest across the northern U.S. and Canadian Prairies.

But even as oat inventories rise, buyers are having a tough time gaining access to them, thanks to a North American agriculture logistics system that is currently working at full capacity during a bin-busting harvest.

Moreover, corn, soybeans and wheat typically get preference at rail, truck and storage depots, and forcing crops such as oats, sorghum and canola to wait in line.

And it turns out that traders expect the wait for oat shipments to extend into the winter, given that it may take several more weeks to clear the pipeline of primary crops.

For oat consumers, which include feedlots, millers and exporters, this logistical gridlock is a cause for frustration as they are forced to offer higher prices to growers and grain handlers for access to any old oat reserves as they try to keep their own supply pipeline flowing.

But for futures traders, the supply standstill offers an opportunity to establish a long grain market position at a time when harvest progress typically makes most market participants favour the short side.

It also provides small traders with a chance to put on positions contrary to what large speculators and managed money traders have been bracing for, as both those trader groups are with net short or holding only very modest long exposure in oats. As the delayed shipments of oats start to bite, those speculative traders are expected to add further lift to oat values by either buying back their short positions or adding to long exposure.

Oats could be one of the top markets to watch over the coming months.

Two-sided affair

As the main driver of oat market strength is largely superficial and temporary, few traders are merely piling up long oat market exposure.

Rather, they favour matching any long stances in oats with

a short position in other grain markets that are expected to see supplies swell at a faster pace than oats over the coming month or so.

The most popular short leg in this strategy is Chicago winter wheat, which is on the verge

of its 2013 planting season and is projected to see a substantial climb in production versus a year ago, thanks to muchimproved field conditions in top growing areas.

U.S. wheat prices are also viewed as relatively expensive currently, especially as North American wheat supplies are expected to swell considerably in the coming weeks as the U.S. spring wheat harvest wraps up and as Canadian growers gather what is potentially the largest wheat crop in that country’s history amidst worries of a rail strike.

But in time, the strike threat is expected to be alleviated, and those wheat supplies are expected to flow, which should start to apply pressure to wheat prices in the process.

This likelihood of a slide in wheat values offers traders with a chance to gain on both sides of the long oats, short wheat spread, and is why so many participants have happily piled in to that strategy in recent sessions.

It is also a reason why oats could be one of the top markets to watch over the coming months, and not a mere flash in the pan.

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She is the glue and her job description is endless. She does it all: chief cook, bottle washer, nurse, housekeeper, disciplinarian, groundskeeper, grandmother, babysitter and part-time truck driver. But ask her and she’ll say she just makes sure everyone’s been looked after.

24

OCTOBER 28, 2013 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

Swedish equipment firm buys Seed Hawk Saskatchewan company’s minority owner buys full control, with eye on U.S. market

BY DAVE BEDARD AGCANADA.COM

A

small hamlet in southeastern Saskatchewan will be the base for a prominent Swedish planting and tillage equipment maker to set itself up in the North American ag market.

Vaderstad-Verken AB on Oct. 17 announced it will buy full ownership of Seed Hawk, the Langbank, Sask.-based air seeder manufacturer in which it’s held a minority stake since 2006. Financial terms of the deal between the two privately held companies, won’t be

disclosed, Seed Hawk co-founder Pat Beaujot said in an interview.

In a release, Vaderstad CEO Christina Stark described the deal as a strategically important decision for the company, as a local presence on the North American market is “necessary for success” here.

“We are convinced that continuing growth on the world market is necessary,” she said.

“Through this acquisition, we achieve geographical, technological and commercial expansion, as well as positive synergy effects.”

All aspects of Vaderstad’s North American sales, distribution and R+D will be handled from Langbank, about 150 km south of

Yorkton, Beaujot said. The North American operations will be operated as a sister company to Vaderstad rather than as a daughter company, he added.

Seed Hawk will remain a separate company, with its head office and plant at Langbank. Its current general manager, Peter Clarke, will become CEO of Seed Hawk.

Beaujot and Seed Hawk cofounder Brian Dean, meanwhile, will remain on the Seed Hawk board and work on “strategic product and market development,” the company said. Stark said the continued presence of the Seed Hawk founders was “a very important part of the deal.”

“We are convinced that continuing growth on the world market is necessary.”

Beaujot added it will be “business as usual for Seed Hawk customers, dealers and suppliers as Seed Hawk will continue to be

run with its core management team.”

Seed Hawk began with a prototype seeder and opener, built for zero-till use at the Beaujot farm at Langbank in 1992 and displayed that summer at the Farm Progress Show in Regina.

The company was incorporated that fall, named in “tribute to the hawks that follow the seeder looking for mice.”

Apart from its current expansion in progress, the company now operates on over 75,000 square feet of manufacturing space at Langbank and employs over 190 people, selling zero-till seeding systems in Canada, the U.S., Europe and Australia.

*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 28, 2013

Stress a key factor in causing bee colonies to fail Exposure to pesticides is a contributing factor but not the sole cause STAFF

N Study says that if stress levels get too high the colony will eventually fail. PHOTO: THINKSTOCK

eonicotinoid pesticides may not directly kill bees but they do have detrimental effects on how bees function, scientists from Royal Holloway University say. Researchers say the bee behaviour changes at low-level exposure and they stop working properly for their colonies.

The results showed that exposure to pesticides at levels bees encounter in the field, has subtle impacts on individual bees, and can eventually make colonies fail.

“One in three mouthfuls of our food depend on bee pollination,”

said lead author, John Bryden from the School of Biological Sciences at Royal Holloway. “By understanding the complex way in which colonies fail and die, we’ve made a crucial step in being able to link bee declines to pesticides and other factors, such as habitat loss and disease which can all contribute to colony failure.

“Exposing bees to pesticides is a bit like adding more and more weight on someone’s shoulders.

A person can keep walking normally under a bit of weight, but when it gets too much — they collapse. Similarly, bee colonies can keep growing when bees aren’t too stressed, but if stress levels get

“One in three mouthfuls of our food depend on bee pollination.”

too high the colony will eventually fail,” he said in a release.

“Our research provides important insights to the biology of pollinators,” said co-author Professor Vincent Jansen. “It is intriguing

It’s all tied up.

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that the way in which bees work together is the key to their success, but could also contribute to their decline and colony failure.”

The research was funded as part of the 10-million-pound Insect Pollinators Initiative, set up to understand the causes of pollinator declines and safeguard future pollination services.

“Pesticides can have a detrimental effect on bees at levels used in the field,” said co-author Nigel Raine. “Our research will provide important evidence for policymakers. The way we test pesticides, the way we assess their impact on bees, and the way we manage pesticides can all be improved.”

26

OCTOBER 28, 2013 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

Minister puts on the Ritz for beef purchasers

Canada Beef Inc. welcomed Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz as he cooked up Canadian beef for key purchasers at Anuga, the world’s leading food fair for the retail trade and the food-service and catering market held every two years in Cologne, Germany. About 155,000 visitors from 187 countries attended the show, which had 6,777 exhibitors. photo: Supplied

On-the-spot soil test kit for Third World countries Results can be sent by cellphone to a central website for calculation staff

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esearchers at the University of Maryland and Columbia University have developed a new soil-testing kit designed to help smallholder farmers in Third World countries.

The kit contains battery-operated instruments and safe materials for agricultural extension agents to handle in the field.

They can test for the availability of nitrogen, phosphorus, sulphur, and potassium, as well as active organic matter. The raw results are sent by cellphone to a central website. Then, calculations are made and recommendations are sent back to the extension agent.

A release from the Soil Science Society of America says the kit, called SoilDoc, was developed by soil scientist Ray Weil, who spent his 2009 sabbatical working with the Millennium Villages Project in some of the poorest areas of Africa. He started carrying common soil-testing items in his backpack, but found he needed more. Back in the U.S., he discovered items used for testing home aquariums that would also work for soil tests.

Upon returning to Africa, he adapted them with good results, carrying a larger tool kit.

A post-doctoral researcher recently trained 16 Tanzanian and Nigerian extension personnel in using the kits. The goal is to train thousands of extension agents, many with little more than a high school education, to diagnose soil fertility problems for thousands of smallholders farming less than five acres.

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ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • OCTOBER 28, 2013

IN BRIEF

Monsanto posts quarterly loss, unveils acquisition

Egypt moving ahead on ambitious wheat storage program

Purchase of climate data company said to be huge revenue opportunity

BY CAREY GILLAM REUTERS

M

onsanto Co., the world’s largest seed company, reported a deeper quarterly loss on Oct. 16 as seed sales slipped, and announced the acquisition of a high-tech climate data firm it touted as a “transformational” growth engine.

Overall, Monsanto lost $249 million, or 47 cents a share, in the fourth quarter, compared with a loss of $229 million (42 cents a share) a year earlier. Analysts on average were expecting a loss of 43 cents a share.

Sales rose to $2.2 billion from $2.1 billion, but sales of its key seeds and genomics business dropped to $1.19 billion from $1.2 billion.

Monsanto officials said in a conference call with investors that the acquisition of San Francisco-based Climate Corp. was a transformational event.

Nuffield Canada announces 2014 scholars

The deal, expected to close in the current quarter, will give the seed and chemical giant a technology platform with significant growth potential, the officials said.

“This is the entry ticket into a $20-billion market opportunity and it starts fast,” chairman Hugh Grant said on the call. “It’s an important addition. It will strengthen our growth rate over the coming decade.”

Monsanto and rival DuPont Pioneer have been racing to roll out such data-driven products to help farmers boost production.

The Climate Corp. weather data prod-

JOINT 2013 REGIONAL MEETINGS TAKE PART IN REGIONAL MEETINGS FOR UP-TO-DATE INFORMATION ABOUT CROPS AND THE COMMISSIONS THAT WORK FOR YOU.

Scholars receive $15,000 to learn about international agriculture

NOVEMBER 2013 MONDAY

TUESDAY

STAFF

T

he Canadian Nuffield Farming Scholarship Trust has announced its three recipients for 2014.

Nuffield scholarships of $15,000 are awarded to men and women who are judged to have the greatest potential to create value for themselves, their industries and their communities.

The three will begin their travels with a trip to Canberra and Sydney, Australia in February 2014 where they will meet up with the other 2014 global scholars for one week of tours, workshops, speakers and networking. From there, the scholars will travel for a minimum of 10 weeks around the world to study a chosen topic.

The 2014 winners are: Cheryl Hazenberg of Calgary, director of technical services for the Canadian Angus Association.

Her study will focus on traceability in beef and how to maximize what we have in order to meet the needs of the global consumer.

Steve Wolfgram, a veterinarian at South West Ontario Veterinary Services in Stratford, Ont. His main focus will be on factors that affect the sustainability of food animal agriculture (pork, beef, sheep) in Canada.

Daryl Chubb of Irricana, Alta. He has his own agriculture consulting firm, DeNovo Ag., and will study management techniques that increase nutrient efficiency and assess the agronomic challenges that come with increasing food production.

Applications for the 2015 scholarships are due April 30, 2014. For more information on Nuffield Canada, visit www.nuffield.ca.

ucts will be incorporated into Monsanto’s FieldScripts precision-planting platform for farmers. FieldScripts is designed to help farmers make dozens of decisions related to planting, field management and harvesting.

Monsanto plans to launch FieldScripts across four states on hundreds of thousands of acres at a price of about $10 per acre in 2014.

Monsanto said it would likely take a year to incorporate Climate Corp. weather data into its FieldScripts platform, and company officials said they would be determining over that period how much higher they can price the FieldScripts offering, based on how much additional yield the information can give farmers.

Grant said the technology could be sold to farmers planting an array of crops, whether or not Monsanto sells the seeds those farmers use.

CAIRO / REUTERS Egypt intends to build 10 silos to store a total of 300,000 tonnes of wheat under the second phase of its plan to reduce reliance on imports.

The overall scheme seeks to construct 50 silos.

The world’s biggest wheat importer usually buys about 10 million tonnes of the grain a year from international markets and uses a mixture of domestic and imported wheat for its subsidized bread program, which feeds millions of people.

It reduced imports in the past year as the government of former president Mohamed Mursi bet on a higher domestic crop — but the move has left the country at least 900,000 tonnes short of the wheat, experts say.

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12 Alberta Barley – Region 3, Alberta Wheat – Region 3 Lacombe Memorial Centre

WEDNESDAY Alberta Barley – Region 2 Alberta Pulse – Zone 2 Acme Community Centre

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19 Alberta Pulse – Zone 3 Westlock Community Hall

Alberta Barley – Region 1 Alberta Wheat – Region 1 Holiday Inn, Lethbridge Alberta Canola – Region 5 Westlock Community Hall Alberta Canola – Region 7 Lacombe Memorial Centre

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Alberta Wheat – Region 5A Rycroft Community Hall

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Alberta Canola – Region 3 Falher Recreation Centre

FRIDAY Alberta Barley – Region 5 Alberta Wheat – Region 5B Westlock Community Hall

15 Alberta Wheat – Region 2 Strathmore Family Centre

Alberta Barley – Region 4 Vegreville Centennial Library

Alberta Canola – Region 1 Pomeroy Inn, Grimshaw

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THURSDAY

Alberta Canola – Region 2 Stonebridge Hotel, Grande Prairie Alberta Canola – Region 11 Norseman Inn, Camrose

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21 Alberta Pulse – Zone 5 Norseman Inn, Camrose

Alberta Canola – Region 6 Best Western Inn, Stony Plain Alberta Canola – Region 8 Rosebud Centre

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Alberta Barley – Region 6 Alberta Pulse – Zone 4 Sexsmith Community Centre Alberta Canola – Region 4 Royal Canadian Legion, Vegreville Alberta Canola – Region 12 Seniors Recreation Centre, Oyen

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DECEMBER 2013 Alberta Canola – Region 9 Lethbridge Lodge

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03 Alberta Pulse – Zone 1 Taber Legion Hall

Alberta Canola – Region 10 Marwayne Hall

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04 Alberta Wheat – Region 4 Vegreville Social Centre

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OCTOBER 28, 2013 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

ETHANOL FROM STRAW PLANT OPENS IN ITALY

Novozymes and Beta Renewables have announced the official opening of what they say is the world’s first plant designed and built to produce ethanol from agricultural residues and energy crops at commercial scale using enzymatic conversion.

The plant at Crescentino in northern Italy uses wheat straw, rice straw and arundo donax, a high-yielding energy crop grown on marginal land. Lignin extracted from the process is used at an attached power plant, which generates enough power to meet the facility’s energy needs, with any excess sold to the local grid.

Maple Leaf explores Canada Bread sale Michael McCain says it’s not a sign the whole company is for sale

BY EUAN ROCHA AND ROD NICKEL REUTERS

Maple Leaf Foods said on Oct. 21 it may sell its controlling stake in Canada Bread Company as it determines whether to exit the bakery business and focus on meat products.

Toronto-based Maple Leaf said it has recently completed a comprehensive review of opportunities to accelerate profitable growth across its bakery business. But before committing resources, it decided to explore strategic alternatives, including a sale of its 90 per cent stake in Canada Bread.

“This is about a great business with a good view to help it to grow profitably over the next four or five years, but because we’re at a crossroads... we felt it was prudent to consider the alternatives,” Maple Leaf chief executive Michael McCain said in an interview.

In the event of a sale of the business, Maple Leaf said it would consider using the proceeds to pay down debt, reinvest in its business and return capital to shareholders.

The potential sale of its Canada Bread interest, following a deal in August to sell its rendering business, does not signal that Maple Leaf itself is for sale, McCain said.

Maple Leaf has the choice to operate an integrated business that includes the bakery, or become a protein-focused company, McCain said.

In response to an analyst’s question on a conference call about whether Maple Leaf is signalling it is for sale, he said “the answer... is a very unequivocal ‘no.’”

Canada Bread, in addition to bread sold under the Dempster’s brand, sells pasta and other products under banners such as Olivieri, Ben’s, POM and Sunmaid.

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29

ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • OCTOBER 28, 2013

Nation of islands needs more farmers STRAIGHT FROM THE HIP  Farming isn’t easy in the south Pacific nation, but there’s a growing realization that a strong agricultural sector is critical for prosperity

BY BRENDA SCHOEPP

F

iji is a land of more than 300 islands, 25 per cent of which remain uninhabited.

All of that unknown conjures up visions of tribal villages ruled by a powerful chief — and so it is. The small villages remain under chieftain rule and they are busy dealing with the same problems I have seen worldwide.

Split between Fijian tribes and Indians, Fiji is a mixed culture of custom and religion. Fifty per cent are Christian on the main islands and almost all are Christian on the small remote islands. When I asked about the shift to Christianity from pagan, Hindu and Islam, the answer was a simple, “We see more miracles in the Christian church.” And they believe it is so with enthusiasm. The choir on Sunday morning in the small village I stayed near, Namaguma-

gua, sang with beauty beyond description.

Farmers worked in tiny fields with tiny tractors, oxen or the tool of choice, a machete. Most fields were only a few metres square, with large interior farms reaching up to four acres. Commercial sugar farms that were gobbling up small farms are dwindling due to the payment schedule, which sees farmers paid one year after they deliver cane. (This is now under review by the acting military government.) Although Fiji can grow many crops that are exportable, such as banana and coconut, the main food crop remains cassava.

Also called tapioca root, cassava root is boiled and then consumed cold. It is very filling. Any extra crops not eaten by the family are sold in roadside stands if the main island road is accessible.

The mountainous jungle roads that I trekked and drove were very difficult to manoeuvre, and

Fiji can grow many crops that are exportable such as banana and coconut; the main food crop remains cassava

the lack of motorized transportation made market access difficult.

Many villages owned one car and very few had machines to work the small plots. With fuel at FJ$2.50 per litre and farm income at FJ$6,000 to $10,000 per year, there was little opportunity for a farm family to own both a tractor and transportation. Most had never left the village or farm. Bringing in a variety

of foods to balance the diet was also unaffordable as transportation woes and the lack of refrigeration made it expensive. As well, all food sold in Fiji is subject to a 12 per cent tax.

Just as in the rest of the world, there is a steady migration of youth from farms and villages to the city. The gap leaves farmers hard pressed for a short time. In Fiji,

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children tend to come back to the villages today because of the scarcity of jobs. Although many have found ways to work their way through school, the military rule in Fiji has choked all foreign investment. Professionals cannot find work.

Chinese landowners in the interior are getting great results and are in the words of the Fijian people “very hard workers,” but when they leave the land it is “finished.” The Fijian people remain dependent on their own food crops at the end of the day as one chop or piece of chicken costs FJ$7 — which is nearly a day’s wage.

Sesenieli Raturageci is a woman who is educated and came to own her own farm. She is challenging farmers, especially women to think about farming again.

“I would like to challenge young women in the country that farming is an activity that must be considered seriously. It ensures food security and income security as well.”

The need to be recognized runs deep in Fiji as it does in many countries as governments worldwide fail to understand the importance of agriculture. I asked many folks in Fiji on both ends of the wage scale what the country needed.

“We need to promote more farming! We need more farmers!” they said.

The high cost of food and the lack of transport have the people crying for more farmers in their communities. Of course, Fijians also need more jobs as the educated cannot find work and the lack of infrastructure means food cannot get to a central market.

To give you an insight as to the importance of more farmers and more food, I will share this story.

I gave my laptop of photos to young adults to view. On it were pictures from a dozen countries of various things, but they cried in wonder at two of the photos.

One picture was of two large baskets of apples at a small grocery in New Zealand and the other photo was of a meat counter in Argentina. So much food!

With food prices so high and youth leaving the land contributing to urbanization, there are new social and cultural challenges in Fiji. Added to the troubles with food distribution and storage, there is indeed a need to raise awareness of agriculture.

The solution lies in what many societies see as the problem. The solution is to have more farmers.

Brenda Schoepp is a Nuffield Scholar who travels extensively exploring agriculture and meeting the people who feed, clothe and educate our world. A motivating speaker and mentor she works with young entrepreneurs across Canada and is the founder of Women in Search of Excellence. www.brendaschoepp.com.

2013-10-21 11:24 AM

30

OCTOBER 28, 2013 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

Stripe rust not a concern in southern Alberta this winter An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure when it comes to stripe rust in wheat

BY JENNIFER BLAIR AF STAFF / RED DEER

W

inter wheat producers in southern Alberta should be safe from stripe rust for another year, says a research scientist at Agriculture and AgriFood Canada.

“We surveyed and we didn’t find any stripe rust at all,” said Denis Gaudet. “That takes off a huge weight from the standpoint of we don’t have to worry about an overwintering event this winter.”

The dry summer was key, he said, as stripe rust’s airborne spores only develop on living plants, and spring wheat ripened before the winter wheat was established.

“An important phase of that overwintering and the disease cycle is actually going from the green

a n

spring wheat to the green winter wheat that’s emerging in the fall,” he said. “If there’s quite an overlap between those two phases, you get what we refer to as a ‘green bridge.’

That’s where you can get epidemic development in the winter wheat and in the spring wheat.”

Stripe rust is becoming a bigger problem in southern Alberta, with spores blowing in from the U.S. Pacific Northwest. During mild winters, stripe rust can spread to fields in central Alberta as well, causing overwintering events that can devastate yields.

“Stripe rust can cause heavy, heavy losses in winter wheat, up to 40 or 50 per cent losses,” said Gaudet. “In spring wheat, we expect the same losses depending on whether there’s an overwintering event.”

Improved genetics and resistant

i m p o r T a n T

varieties, particularly in spring wheat, have helped and should reduce the need for costly fungicides, he said.

“There’s good resistance out there, so there’s no reason to be spraying. Just select varieties that are resistant, and you don’t have to worry about it.”

Regular field scouting is also critical. Stripe rust typically presents as long pustule stripes on leaves that, as they erupt, cause leaves to shrivel.

“Producers should be looking for the rust pustules on the leaves,” said Gaudet. “If it’s not there and it’s not going to develop, then there’s no use in spending a lot of money on fungicides. It really is a situation where a producer should be out monitoring his crop before he applies it.”

Producers should also prevent the “green bridge” by not seeding win-

ter wheat too early. Gaudet recommends spraying as a “last resort,” only to be used if the stripe rust pustules appear early in the growing season.

“If it’s moving in past flowering, for example, it’s very unlikely that it will have an impact on yield,” he said.

As new resistant varieties are developed for both winter and spring wheats, producers will have little need to worry about the disease, but Gaudet encourages them to keep a careful eye on their crops until then. “We’re hoping we’re going to have this in check in the future, and hopefully, there will be a reduced need for fungicide control,” he said. “But for the time being, it still remains a threat, so we should be vigilant about it.” jennifer.blair@fbcpublishing.com

a n n o u n C e m e n T

To Western Canadian Growers Seed Hawk owes our success to the growers and dealers who share our vision. Today, we want to make an important announcement to all Western Canadian farmers.

As of October 15, the Swedish agricultural equipment manufacturer Väderstad has increased its stake in Seed Hawk from 49 to 100 percent ownership. This will allow Seed Hawk to expand its operations in Langbank, Saskatchewan, even more than we had planned. The company will continue to be known as Seed Hawk, and our dealer and farm customers will work with the same Seed Hawk team they are familiar with.

When Väderstad was considering investing in a North American factory, the Seed Hawk management felt strongly that there was no better place to do it than Langbank, Saskatchewan, where our current manufacturing plant is located. But to make an investment of that magnitude, Väderstad wanted controlling interest in the company. When my partner Brian Dean and I looked at what having an even larger factory expansion in Langbank could do for our employees, our community and our province, we felt the best decision was for us to sell.

It was very important to Väderstad that Brian Dean and I maintained active, hands-on roles in Seed Hawk.

So the two of us will keep doing what we do best – strategic product and market development. We will both be part of the Board of Directors at Seed Hawk, and I am pleased to continue as the company’s spokesman.

We are also pleased to announce that Peter Clarke, formerly our General Manager, is now President and CEO of Seed Hawk. He will be an ideal leader in this exciting new part of the Seed Hawk story.

This is a winning combination for the future. Seed Hawk and Väderstad have always shared a passion for agriculture and a vision of innovation that is relevant to farmers and the agriculture industry. The deal with Väderstad will allow significant growth at the plant in Langbank, both in manufacturing capacity and in job opportunities at Seed Hawk. We have a great relationship with the Väderstad owners and we know their long-term thinking means that they will continue to build a very strong company in Langbank.

Brenda Schoepp appointed to CAPI board CAPI promotes alternative solutions for agricultural issues STAFF

A

lberta-based rancher, cattle industry consultant and Alberta Farmer columnist Brenda Schoepp has been appointed to the Canadian Agri-Food Policy Institute (CAPI) board of directors.

Schoepp has been involved in agriculture and food for 35 years in many leadership roles. She currently is on the board of Farm Credit Canada.

Schoepp is the founder of Women in Search of Excellence with a mandate of “Women empowering women to grow food, protect environments, strengthen trade and secure financial independence for themselves, their families and their communities.”

She works globally with men and women in agriculture, food and trade, as a consultant or mentor.

Schoepp was named One of Alberta’s 50 Most Influential People by Venture Magazine and in 2012 was awarded a Nuffield Agricultural Scholarship for Canada. Schoepp ranches in Alberta managing a grazing and equine rescue operation.

The Canadian Agri-Food Policy Institute is an independent, unbiased policy forum that is dedicated to the success of Canada’s agriculture and agri-food sector. CAPI identifies emerging issues, promotes dialogue and advances alternative solutions to agricultural issues.

Last year CAPI issued a report calling for major changes to the Canadian cattle- and beef-marketing system.

We look forward to many more growing seasons with you.

Thank you,

PAT BEAUjOT

Founder & Director, Seed Hawk Inc.

To find more information and watch interviews with Pat Beaujot, visit SeedHawk.com

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31

ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • OCTOBER 28, 2013

Hog farmers have major doubts about benefit of proposed changes It’s estimated implementing the new national pig code of production could cost farmers $500 million, and could drive many out of the business

By Alex Binkley

af contributor / ottawa

O

verwhelming outside interest in sow confinement and housing are obscuring other issues that need to be resolved in the national pig code of production, says Catherine Scovil of the Canadian Pork Council.

The committee of farmers, food industry reps, and animal welfare experts developing the code was flooded with more than 4,700 comments this summer on what should be in it, Scovil, the council’s associate executive director, told the recent National Farm Animal Care Conference.

The committee is sorting through the suggestions but “we’re not there yet. This will be a big change for producers,” she said, noting one of the issues to be dealt with is reducing the pain associated with tail docking and castration.

While the number of comments is far greater than any other livestock production code has attracted, “there was no big consumer concern,” she said. The comments came from overseas as well as Canada and the U.S. “We’re trying to meet public expectations, but the process is clouded by all the noise in society,” said Scovil. “There’s no recognition of all the changes that have been made in farming in recent years.”

Some complained the process has been hijacked by animal rights activists, and many farmers “worry the result will lead to poor animal welfare outcomes,” Scovil said.

“Sows in groups can be aggressive,” she said. “Producers don’t see the benefit of group housing.”

As well, producers don’t foresee any government help or higher pork prices to cover the extra costs they will face, she said, noting changes in sow confinement and group housing will add $820 to $1,155 per sow in extra costs. Once staff training costs, additional labour requirements, and adapting to other code provisions are added in, it’s estimated the change could cost the Canadian pork industry $500 million.

“If this type of production is what the market wants, it should give farmers premiums,” Scovil said. “Many farmers fear they will be forced out of the business because of the extra costs of the code.”

The code calls for group housing on all pig farms by 2024.

The process has also raised other concerns from farmers.

“There’s lots of uncertainty over how to have a conversation with consumers,” Scovil said. “They don’t understand why people without a vested interest in their farms are trying to tell them what to do.”

It was hoped the pig code would be in draft form by the end of the year, but it’s more likely to appear in 2014.

It will also spell out new restrictions on gestation stalls, limiting their use to 35 days of a sow’s pregnancy.

But the first priority is the care and welfare of animals, Scovil said.

“Any change on farm must be done in a way that protects the welfare of the animals and keeps Canadian farms strong.”

Group housing in Denmark. A Canadian Pork Council spokeswoman says sows are aggressive and Canadian farmers don’t see the benefits of the system.

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33

ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • OCTOBER 28, 2013

CN reports bigger profit

DuPont expects ag to boost profit

Canadian National Railway reported a bigger third-quarter profit on Oct. 22 and announced a two-for-one stock split and share buyback plan. Net income rose to $705 million, or $1.67 per share, from $664 million, or $1.52 per share, in the same period last year. On an adjusted basis, profits rose to $1.72 per share from $1.52 per share. Revenue was eight per cent higher at $2.7 billion, reflecting higher freight volumes due to strong energy markets, market share gains, and a North American economic recovery, CN said.

DuPont, the largest U.S. chemical maker by market value, said it expects earnings to more than double this quarter as its fast-growing agriculture business overcomes traditional seasonal weakness. The company said it expects the business, which supplies farmers with seeds, pesticides and fertilizers, to report a small profit this quarter, its first positive fourth quarter in four years. Under chief executive Ellen Kullman, DuPont is focusing on agriculture, alternative energy and specialty materials to offset its weak paint pigments business.

Draft South Saskatchewan Regional Plan finally released The plan now goes to public hearings before it’s finalized

By Helen McMenamim

af contributor / lethbridge

F

ive years after publication of its original Land Use Framework draft, the Alberta government has finally released its land use plan for southern Alberta.

The plan covers about an eighth of the province, and is home to 45 per cent of Alberta’s population and most of the province’s irrigated land. It also includes “iconic tourism destinations” — the Southern Rockies, Kananaskis and the Badlands. Given that range of land uses this plan will likely set the framework for other regions.

In releasing the plan, Stewardship Minister Diana McQueen said, “We can have it all, but not everywhere and not all the time.”

Some policies remain unchanged. All energy leases will be honoured and there is no mention of any change in future.

Renewable energy development of all types is to be encouraged, despite the 14 existing and 13 planned wind farms as well as large biofuel plant and biogas facility in the region.

The economic indicators for the farm economy include fragmentation of farmland and conversion out of agriculture.

The plan commits to recognizing stewardship and conservation on private lands with government and private market-based options. It will develop and assess innovative funding mechanisms to assess and evaluate ecosystem services, such as the Southeast Conservation Offset Pilot.

Grazing on intact native grasslands on public land in the “white area” of the province will continue, with maintenance of the ecosystem as the priority.

“We see some good things in the plan,” said Alan Gardner of the Southern Alberta Land Trust (SALT). “But we have concerns too. It’s a complex issue and we know there will be trade-offs, but there’s not a lot of specificity in this document.”

Urban sprawl

SALT members hoped to see measures to combat fragmentation of habitat and urban sprawl, issues they say need to be addressed. As an example, Gardner cites the Highway 2 corridor, the province’s main development area despite having some of the province’s best soils. The plan downloads responsibility for directing development on to less productive farmland. It also suggests municipalities work together to plan sustainable communities with innovative designs, secondary suites, and a range of densities.

“We only have preliminary comments

Although recreation opportunities are to be increased, the plan commits to limiting access, particularly for off-highway vehicles to certain areas. photo: wendy dudley

“It’s a complex issue and we know there will be tradeoffs, but there’s not a lot of specificity in this document.”

Alan Gardner SALT

because we haven’t had time to really read it all. Offsets can be a challenge too.

They have advantages, but they can be a liability,” said Gardner.

Much of the plan focuses on the integrity of the headwaters and watercourses vital to this region and to southern Saskatchewan. Parks and conservation areas are to be expanded, especially along the eastern slopes. Although recreation opportunities are to be increased, the plan commits to limiting access, particularly for off-highway vehicles to certain areas.

Shannon Frank, executive director of the Oldman Watershed Council, is cautiously optimistic about the plan.

“It’s a really good first step,” she said.

“It highlights healthy environments and access plans that will limit access to designated trails to protect the headwaters.

We have to see how it will be implemented and enforced.”

Frank hopes to see industry forced to do more reclamation. At present, disturbances like seismic and pipeline cutlines are left to natural regrowth, but they quickly become ATV trails.

“We’ve been working with the ATV people and we want proper trails as part of a healthy environment for the future,” she says. “The government is aiming to do the same thing, get people working together, to take a risk and talk to each other.”

Forestry

Frank has concerns about the plan’s proposal to maximize timber harvest and diversify, including into biofuel.

Forestry is to be allowed in conservation areas for wildfire, disease or insect control. “We’ve been up there and looked at logged areas,” Frank said. “Roads are too close to the creeks, silt fences are broken and buffers along creeks are not adequate. We can continue forestry and maintain watersheds, but practices need to improve to reach the intent of the plan.”

Lorne Fitch, a retired Fish and Wildlife

biologist, believes the declining populations of bull trout, cutthroat and grizzly bears indicate land use is already beyond the threshold for many species.

“A 100-metre buffer zone doesn’t have enough filtering and buffering capacity to protect those sensitive species — and they’re sending signals,” he said.

The other problem Fitch sees is mechanical erosion by off-highway vehicles and logging puts sediment into the headwaters. It moves downstream and has to removed for water treatment.

The public pays the cost instead of loggers absorbing paying their costs.

The Alberta Wilderness Association (AWA) is also cautiously optimistic, but concerned that the plan’s legislated protection for Oldman headwaters is mainly above 7,000 feet. “We need to protect the valley bottoms,” said AWA spokesperson Brittany Verbeek. “Just protecting headwaters is not adequate. We see very little protection for grasslands and the plan falls short in dealing with wetlands.”

Verbeek said there should be no logging or oil and gas activity in wildlands, and off-highway vehicles should not be allowed in riparian areas. “We also see an issue with mines too close to headwaters,” she said.

For public meeting dates and locations visit www.landuse.alberta.ca.

34

OCTOBER 28, 2013 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

In search of late-season protein for beef cattle By grazing annual crops, livestock producers can find some windows of increased available crude protein

By Kris Ringwall beef specialist NDSU Extension Service

C

Crude protein drops as days get shorter.

attle need energy to survive the big picture, but that survival does not mean much if their daily nutrition is not balanced.

Good supplementation programs will help meet these needs.

However, as the summer slowly shifts to fall, finding adequate protein is more of a challenge.

In general, as cattle graze, there is an expectation that producers match the season of the year with the nutritional requirements cattle need.

At the Dickinson Research Extension Center, Songul Senturklu,

visiting scholar from Canakkale Onsekiz Mart University in Turkey, measured the seasonal changes of protein by taking seasonal bimonthly forage samples. Senturklu found cool-season crested wheat grass went from 18 per cent crude protein in early May to 8.5 per cent in early June.

The native grasses had 13 per cent crude protein in early June but decreased to a low of seven per cent in early August. No wonder cows with calves like to graze cool-season grass in the spring and then switch to native grass in early summer.

The cool-season grass has ample protein to meet the protein requirements for cows in late pregnancy or early lactation. Native grass has excellent summer protein as well

and will meet the requirements of most beef cows nursing calves into mid-July. High milk-producing cows struggle to meet their daily nutrient needs before those cows that do not milk as well.

Cow-calf operations depend on the nutrients that plants produce to meet the late-calving and earlylactation nutritional requirements for their cows in late spring and early summer. The same is true for other cattle types such as replacement heifers and grass calves.

Medium- to large-frame grass yearlings may have slightly less crude protein requirements than the beef cow nursing a calf, so the early grass pastures meet those requirements as well. Of course, those requirements are reflective of the gain desired.

In recent years, the centre has been running grass yearlings, and two pounds per day seems to be a reachable goal in terms of body weight gain. If a producer was to desire greater gains, the protein requirement will go up, but so will the energy requirement.

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The challenge in beef systems comes once plants start to mature and prepare for fall. These plants dry down as fall arrives and no longer have enough measurable crude protein to sustain earlysummer gains. Thus, the search for protein. Cattle operations readily supplement in the winter by feeding hay or, if grazing, putting out a winter grazing supplement. The cows would go hungry very quickly without a supplement. Even an uninformed rancher should get the message that the cows are hungry.

However, fall is different because the cattle tend to fill up to satisfy their hunger but still not meet all their daily nutrient requirements, particularly protein. The centre has been looking at various forages that may provide more protein than the traditional fall grasses through the incorporation of annual crops into the pasture rotations.

There are many forages that have yet to be evaluated thoroughly, but Senturklu measured the seasonal change in crude protein for a field pea and barley mixture, as well as corn. In these samples, Senturklu found the field pea and barley mixture to have 27 per cent crude protein in mid-July, followed by 15.8 per cent in mid-August and then decreasing to 13.5 per cent in early September. By adding four to six weeks of a field pea and barley crop mixture to the pasture rotation, available crude protein increases.

In addition, unharvested corn also was evaluated. The corn had 18 per cent crude protein in midAugust that gradually decreased to 10 per cent in mid-September and was down to seven per cent by early October.

By grazing annual agronomic crops, livestock producers can find some windows of increased available crude protein to feed cattle.

The cow and calf will appreciate the increase in available nutrients, and the grass yearling certainly will benefit from the added crude protein.

The key is making the economics work. The perpetual question is: “Why not just harvest the grain?”

Good question and more on that in another column.

35

ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • OCTOBER 28, 2013

Falling feed prices to push hogs back to profitable: Purdue economist Eastern Corn Belt prices are expected to average in the mid-$60s in the final quarter of 2013 and the first quarter of 2014 Purdue release

H

og production is returning to profitability as feed prices fall, and a reduction in slaughter numbers seems to show that producers are noticing, Purdue Extension agricultural economist Chris Hurt says.

With a large-yielding corn crop expected this year, feed prices have been decreasing, which has turned around the outlook for hog profits.

“This year, the hog outlook is almost the opposite of what it was last year,” Hurt said. “Feed prices, especially corn, have been falling sharply. The hog outlook is profitable, so producers are more likely to be retaining or building the breeding herd and weights are expected to increase as producers hold on to market hogs longer to gain profits on every pound.”

The most recent hog numbers available from the U.S. Department of Agriculture showed that hog inventories are unchanged to somewhat larger compared to a year ago.

“Yet slaughter in recent weeks has been very low, seemingly indicating a divergence from USDA’s reading,” Hurt said.

Between mid-August and the end of September, slaughter rates dropped by an average of more than five per cent and weekly slaughter rates have been down anywhere from three to 10 per cent.

weights. These factors mean that fewer animals are headed to market right now and prices have strengthened.

“Given low slaughter numbers, cash prices of hogs have been sharply higher than in the same period in 2012 when they averaged $55 per live hundredweight,” Hurt said. “With lower slaughter this year, they have averaged about $68 since mid-August.”

Higher cash hog prices combined with lower feed costs are the important drivers for a profitable outlook over the next 12

months. Hurt said eastern Corn Belt live-hog prices are expected to average in the mid-$60s in the final quarter of 2013 and the first quarter of 2014. Spring and summer prices are expected to move slightly higher.

With the cost of production estimated at $57 per hundredweight, Hurt said cash prices in the mid- to high $60s would mean profits of more than $20 per head.

“These profits will enable producers to recover losses of about the same amount in the past year due to the drought,” he said.

Recent USDA figures showed hog inventories unchanged to somewhat larger compared to a year ago.

PEDV effect

One explanation for the perceived difference in USDA’s inventory numbers and slaughter rates could be related to animal deaths from the porcine epidemic diarrhea virus, or PEDV. The USDA doesn’t track PEDV deaths, so Hurt said those numbers aren’t known for certain and it could be several months before hog markets are able to sort out the effects of the virus.

Another explanation for seemingly low slaughter rates could be attributed to the way the industry and markets evaluate herd numbers with year-toyear comparisons. Hogs went to market at higher-than-normal rates in 2012 because high feed prices meant the cost of production was higher than producers could sustain.

“What is being viewed as a very low slaughter in recent weeks might be due to an aberration in the slaughter numbers a year ago,” Hurt said. “The unusually high slaughter in the late summer of 2012 was being driven by the drought. Record-high feed prices and large anticipated losses provided a grave outlook for the industry, and some producers began to adjust.”

Those adjustments included an increase in sow slaughter and, in some cases, total-herd liquidation a year ago. Now that the outlook has improved, breeding herd expansion has likely started and hogs are being held to higher

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36

news » livestock

OCTOBER 28, 2013 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

Cargill to close Texas feedlot

Alberta Stables Initiative forum

Cargill Inc. said it will close its Lockney, Texas, feedlot next summer due to shrinking supplies of cattle and high feed costs. The feedlot, with a one-time capacity of 62,000 head, or 120,000 cattle annually, is one of three Cargill feedlots in Texas. The other two are in Dalhart and Bovina. The closure marks the second Cargill property in Texas to shut down recently. Cargill idled its Plainview beef-processing plant in February for the same reasons.

The Alberta Stables Initiative (ASI) is hosting an important forum during Farmfair International in Edmonton on Nov. 8. This two-part meeting will start with an information session by industry expert Randy Fedorak, followed by a feedback forum to discuss the content being created for a standards of operation manual. Once completed, the manual will be available to current or future stable owners/operators in Alberta. There is no cost to attend but pre-registration is requested by visiting the Alberta Stables Initiative website.

Alberta livestock transport certification goes national Voluntary, industry-driven program teaches drivers how to safely and humanely transport livestock

CLT program’s managers expect more of the estimated 5,000 truckers in the sector to take the voluntary one-day course or complete the new online version. PHoto: thinkstock

By Daniel Winters staff

T

he Canadian Livestock Transport (CLT) Certification Program is now up and running coast to coast.

Formerly known as the Certified Livestock Transport training program, it was originally developed in May 2007 through Alberta Farm Animal Care (AFAC) in association with its sister animal care associations in Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Ontario, said Geraldine Auston, project co-ordinator for the CLT Certification Program.

“It really is industry driven, all the way up from truckers to processing facilities that sit at the table, advising on content along with researchers,” said Auston.

“It shows the will of the industry for doing the right thing while they are on the road.”

Proponents described it as an innovative, pioneering pro-

gram of its kind internationally and a leading example of industry-driven leadership in livestock welfare.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency and the Canadian Meat Council recommend it, but it continues to be a voluntary certification program.

However, more and more large and small livestock slaughter facilities are beginning to require that their truckers pass the test, said Auston.

The launch of newly updated and rebranded CLT marks the formal completion of a transition several years in the making. Some 1,500 truckers have become certified to transport livestock, and the CLT program’s managers expect more of the estimated 5,000 truckers in the sector to take the voluntary oneday course or complete the new online version now that it has been redesigned to cover the entire country.

She described the online ver-

sion as a “very basic” version of the one-day classroom course that will eventually be upgraded to become more comprehensive and interactive. The online course is aimed at reaching out to more drivers, she added.

“We were getting more and more requests from drivers

“It really is industry driven, all the way up from truckers to processing facilities that sit at the table, advising on content along with researchers.”

Geraldine Auston

and processors throughout the country who require CLT or some other kind of animal care and transport certifications specific to hauling livestock,” said Auston, in describing how the program evolved from its initial focus on the western provinces to become national in scope.

It is designed to expand the scope and reach of CLT to a national initiative and ensure consistent training and delivery from province to province.

The Canadian Animal Health Coalition (CAHC), a notfor-profit organization serving Canada’s farmed animal industry, becomes the new official home of CLT effective October 2013.

The development of CLT into a national program was made possible through funding by industry partners, and by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada through the five-year Canadian Agricultural Adaptation Program (CAAP).

The new CLT features new, completely updated modules and expanded program content to match the new national scope, including multi-species course offerings and three certification levels.

It serves as a comprehensive training course and support service for livestock truckers, shippers and receivers, and others with an interest in safe, humane animal transport.

CLT course content presents the current regulations for animal transport in Canada and the training and certification is recognized throughout Canada and United States.

Certification costs $125 per year, and is valid for a threeyear period. Complete program details will be made available at www.livestocktransport.ca. More information on CAHC is available at www.animalhealth.ca. daniel.winters@fbcpublishing.com

37

ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • OCTOBER 28, 2013

Fall vaccinations and processing BEEF 911  Ideally, calves should receive vaccinations before the stress of weaning

BY ROY LEWIS, DVM

I

t has been proven time and again that sickness and death are reduced by pre-immunizing calves, and that vaccination is cheaper than treatment later.

If you have not immunized at spring turnout for the common diseases such as blackleg (seven- or eight-way), IBR, PI3, BVD, BRSV, do it now. The most prevalent respiratory pathogens Mannheimia hemolytica, Pasteurella multocida and histophilus are also thrown into the mix. Most vets are recommending these as the infectious diseases to vaccinate for.

The most important thing to remember is the calves ideally should have protection to these diseases before the stress of weaning. If vaccinated initially in spring the booster can be given right at weaning.

Any other stressful procedures such as castration of the poorer bulls or tattooing are best done ahead of weaning as well. Hopefully these procedures are already done but if not don’t leave them till weaning. The only stress at weaning should be the actual weaning event itself. If using bands for castrations make sure and give tetanus vaccine as well.

If the calves were NOT immunized at spring turnout the priming or initial shots must be given at least two weeks prior to the major stress of weaning. This allows the calves to achieve maximum immunity. This requires the herd to be brought in, separated, immunized and put back together. Effort that is well worth the investment in healthier calves that go on to gain well and make good breeding stock. If doing the two-stage weaning with the nose flaps these could be put on now.

Most producers can attain the protection they require by giving two main vaccinations in the fall. A multivalent viral vaccine contains protection against IBR, PI3 and BRSV the respiratory viral diseases as well as BVD. BVD is often involved in the respiratory disease complex as well as causing severe diarrhea. BVD and IBR are also the two main reproductive diseases we want to especially protect the replacement heifers from.

These virals can be combined with the respiratory pathogens as well.

The second vaccination involves seven-way or eight-way blackleg combined with haemophilus.

Your veterinarian may insist you use a mannheimia/pasteurella vaccine if he/she considers the calves you are purchasing are high risk or bacterial pneumonias are a problem with your calves. This generally is more of a problem on auction market-derived commingles calves or those which have been transported a long way. The vaccines for pasteurella/mannheimia have gotten a lot more protective over the years. They come in various combinations with the other respiratory diseases as well.

Your veterinarian could best advise the best combination for your farm and geographic area. Use the combinations, which minimize the number of shots necessary.

The trend is always to use the modified live vaccines (where you mix the liquid to activate the powder) because they instil a better immunity in the calves and are generally cheaper. These are fragile vaccines once mixed so don’t overheat or freeze them and use any mixed product within two hours. If the modified vaccines are used in the spring at turnout and/or in the fall it is imperative the cow herd has been well protected for the reproductive diseases IBR and BVD ahead of time.

As long as the cows have good immu-

nity to these diseases the calves can be given the modified live vaccines while still sucking their mothers.

Histophilus (ITEME) is still a dominant killer in feedlots across Western Canada, which is why vaccinating and boostering is worthwhile. A lot of the chronics in feedlots, from heart abscesses to severe arthritis, can be traced back to this disease. Vaccinating prior to weaning is critical to acquire the immunity necessary to protect calves from the many forms of this disease. Even though feedlots vaccinate directly upon arrival they still have a large number of cases.

This is simply because it is too late and vaccinating when calves are stressed does not achieve as high a level of immunity. This constitutes a second-choice option at best.

Follow the weather reports and try to wean when weather is the most stable. Snowstorms or times when

temperatures are really fluctuating are obviously not ideal times to wean.

When temperatures fluctuate below freezing at night to warm during the day this allows for a natural buildup of extra fluid on the lungs. In stressed calves this is where the respiratory viruses such as BRSV will multiply.

We definitely see more severe cases of BRSV in farm-raised calves than in purchased ones. This makes vaccination for this disease imperative if retaining ownership. This disease is often covered in what we call the fiveway vaccines. Most veterinary products carry this vaccine combined with the IBR PI3 and BVD (two types) vaccine. Hence the name five-way.

Remember to apply an endectocide together with an oral dewormer like Safeguard as this should remove all internal and external parasites improving gain and maintaining healthier calves. This is getting to be

routine across Canada. Removing the parasites helps the calves develop a good immunity to vaccines.

We always try to use subcutaneous vaccinations wherever possible. This way is easier and there is less chance of needle breakage.

The transition period to get calves started on proper feed is critical. Ideally if they have had creep feed over the summer the change will be minimal. If the calves are used to the pen and know where the watering bowls etc. are change is minimized. It is best to remove the cows and leave calves in their familiar surroundings. This is not always possible I know. Make sure clean water is readily available and there is lots of bunk space. It is also good to spread the forage in several locations to get calves started.

Grass hays are the best to start with as they most closely mimic the pasture situation. If grain is introduced begin

very gradually and bring up over a week’s time.

When all precautions have been taken still watch diligently especially the first two weeks for signs of respiratory disease and digestive upsets.

Work with your nutritionist and veterinarian to assist setting up the ideal program for your calves. Specific pneumonia treatments are best left up to you and your veterinarian.

By utilizing these procedures it is not uncommon to keep death loss very low (in the order of one per cent) and minimize antibiotic usage. For high-risk calves it is still good to give metaphylactic antibiotics on your veterinarian’s recommendations.

Roy Lewis is a Westlock, Alberta-based veterinarian specializing in largeanimal practice. He is also a part-time technical services vet for Merck Animal Health.

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Alberta Farmer.indd 1

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38

OCTOBER 28, 2013 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

Pencilling out what your calves are worth In this example, the cost of adding 700 pounds is $616 ALBERTA AGRICULTURE AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT

T

he rebound in feed grain production this year, both in Western Canada and in the U.S., has led to sharply lower feed grain prices. This, together with strong fed-cattle futures prices for next spring, provides a strong argument for higher calf prices this fall. However, the amended U.S. country-of-origin labelling (COOL) rules, to become effective in November, have led to buying caution from Canadian feedlots and a sharp increase in feeders being exported to the U.S. From May to September, Alberta elevator delivered barley prices have dropped by $115/tonne to around $165/tonne delivered to the Lethbridge area. For other Alberta locations, barley prices are generally lower by the trucking freight differential to the Lethbridge area. This feed price change

obviously lowers the cost of feeding, but many may wonder how this affects calf value.

“One method of estimating feeder cattle prices is to estimate what the animal is worth to a cattle feeder,” says Neil Blue, market specialist with Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development.

“By using estimates of feed costs, feeding efficiency and other costs, together with an estimate of what a finished animal will be worth at the end of the feeding period, you can work backward to arrive at the value of the feeder. I have included an example of the process of how those numbers are used to arrive at the calf price estimate. In completing your own calculations, you will need to factor in discounts or premiums for quality as well as a discount for lower feeding efficiency when valuing heifers.”

Example

The feeder cattle purchase date (your sale) is Nov. 1, at a weight of 600 pounds. The example steer

Barley prices have declined sharply, but how does this affect the value of feeder cattle? is assumed to gain an average of 3.3 pounds per day to finish near the first of June at about 1,300 pounds.

We then check a quote from the Chicago June 2014 live cattle futures, and find that quote at US$129.50/cwt.

Next, convert that futures price to an estimate of next June’s Alberta fed-cattle price (June 2014 Canadian dollar futures is approximately 96 cents U.S.).

To convert the U.S. futures price to Canadian, divide the U.S. futures price by the exchange

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rate: $129.50 ÷ 0.96 = $134.90/ cwt Canadian.

Next, adjust for basis, which is the difference between Alberta fed-cattle price and the U.S. fedcattle futures price. Typically, the basis level used for this calculation is an average of actual basis levels from the past for that time of year. The five-year average fed-cattle basis for late May/early June is about minus $7/cwt, that is, a discount of $7/cwt from the “Canadianized” fed-cattle futures price. Note that the actual basis level at sale date is subject to significant fluctuation from that average. This can be calculated as: $134.90/cwt Canadian minus $7/cwt basis estimate = $127.90/ cwt estimated Alberta fed-steer price.

At 1,300 pounds sale weight, this steer would be expected to have a value of about $1,670 at June 1. Using the 3.3 pounds of average daily gain, a barley price of $3.60/bushel, silage price of $45/tonne, some supplement, mineral and salt, and a feed conversion of about seven pounds of dry matter feed per pound of gain, the feed cost is estimated at 63 cents per pound of gain.

Other costs

Other feeding costs include veterinary and induction costs of $20/head, buying and selling costs totalling $25/head, yardage (overhead, labour and feed delivery cost) of 40 cents per head per day, an allowance for death loss of 1.5 per cent, and interest at 4.0 per cent (currently prime plus one per cent). These other costs total 25 cents per pound of gain.

Together with the feed cost, the total estimated cost per pound of gain is 88 cents.

If the 600-pound steer gains 700 pounds to sell at 1,300 pounds, and using this estimated feeding cost of 88 cents per pound of gain, the cost of feeding this steer is 700 pounds X $0.88/pound, or $616.

Using $1,670 as the value of the finished steer, and subtracting from this $1,670 value the $616 cost of feeding equals $1,054.

At break-even, this implies that the 600-pound feeder steer on November 1 would be worth $1,054 ÷ 600 pounds, or about $1.75/pound.

Blue says there are many assumptions in these calculations, which is a reminder of the risks involved in cattle feeding.

“Other influences on feeder cattle bids are recent feeding profits or losses and perceived risk (i.e., feeding margins moving negatively) during the feeding period. The near-term risks relating to the amended mandatory country-of-origin labelling are likely to limit feeder cattle price potential.”

39

ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • OCTOBER 28, 2013

People, not systems, the key to successful group sow housing peet on pigs }Second of two parts on Danish experience with the transition from sow stalls By bernie peet

P

eople, rather than the system itself, are the key to successful group sow housing, says Danish researcher Lisbeth Ulrich Hansen, who worked closely with Danish producers as they transitioned from sow stalls.

Farm data from Denmark and the Netherlands shows that there is very little difference between systems, she says. However, it is important for producers to spend sufficient time choosing the housing method which is most suitable for them.

“It is very important that the producer understands what he is getting when moving to group housing and that he is fulfilling what is important to him, for example individual feeding,” she says. “He needs to feel comfortable and have confidence.”

The majority of Danish producers use systems which allow individual feeding, such as electronic sow feeding or free-access stalls, because it is generally recognized that close control of feed intake and body condition has a positive effect on performance.

Managing electronic feeding

Electronic sow-feeding (ESF) systems are used by about onethird of producers in Denmark, so there is considerable experience regarding their management. “ESF allows individual feed rationing, the ability to manage feed scales individually, and a large degree of flexibility,” notes Hansen. “The only downside is that there may be some competition between sows while waiting to feed because, in pigs, group feeding is their natural behaviour.”

The latest data from about one-third of Danish sows shows 28.8 pigs weaned per sow, an increase of 0.7 on the previous year.

Danish trial work has shown that starting the feeding cycle during the night resulted in fewer confrontations between sows.

“We compared start times of 04.00 and 22.00 hrs. If you start in a period of low activity, there will be less aggression,” says Hansen.

“Some producers start at 5 p.m. or 6 p.m. so that they can check that the feeders are working properly before leaving the barn.”

Danish experience has led to clear guidelines on the number of sows per feeder.

“For pens with only one feeder, 55 is the maximum but, if there are multiple feeders, up to 65 sows per feeder is acceptable,” Hansen says. “Experience shows that if there are more sows per feeder, some may not eat all their

Electronic sow feeding is popular in Denmark. feed allowance.” She also says that Danish producers appreciate this and follow the guidelines.

Achieving the correct body condition in group systems is very important. “You need a minimum of three feed curves and also one for gilts,” Hansen stresses. Electronic devices are used to read the transponder number of sows in the pen and in some cases production data can be entered and viewed on a hand-held device which can be linked to the feed computer to update feed curves based on body condition.

“Sows need to be assessed for body condition at mating, at scanning and in mid-pregnancy to provide the basis for feed scale allocation,” Hansen says.

Identification of sows that have not eaten their full ration is vital.

“Prior to the end of the daily feeding cycle, a list of sows that have not eaten at least 75 per cent of their ration should be printed off and those sows checked,” she says. “Reduced feed intake could be due to a sow returning to estrus, but is most likely due to lameness or some other health problem.”

Hansen notes that quick recognition of the sow when she enters the feeder and rapid delivery of the first dose of feed is essential to avoid frustration.

“Timing of feed drops needs to be quicker at the start of feeding when the sows eat faster,” she explains. “A typical sequence might be 100-g drops spaced at zero, five, seven, 10, 12, 15 and 20 seconds, then a drop every 20 seconds, with a 120-second eatup time. More time is needed for gilts and young sows, so this must be built into the feed curves.”

Free-access stalls are popular

Free-access stalls involve fixed groups of sows and so are easy to manage, which is partly why they are so popular in Denmark.

Another reason is that they require fewer hospital pens compared to ESF, according to Hansen. About

half of the systems involve liquid feeding and the rest dry feed.

Legislation requires that there is at least 3.0 metres between opposing rows of stalls (back to back). “Even with 3.0 metres between stalls, in slatted systems, sows tend to spend most of the time in the stalls,” Hansen notes. “Even where straw is used, sows don’t spend much time outside the stall, but we don’t really understand why.”

Many slatted systems have an area of “nest boxes” with generous straw bedding, which the sows can eat or play with.

Free-access stalls are widely

used for breeding pens as well as for gestation, but in this case the dunging/exercise area is 5.5 m wide. “Sows are weaned into the pen, then when they are in heat they are confined in the stalls, then two days after mating they are released,” explains Hansen.

She says recent legislation will eventually require producers to house sows and gilts in groups at all times, whereas currently stalls are allowed for 28 days after breeding.

Danish producers have embraced group sow housing in a positive manner and have

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implemented it with their usual efficiency. The latest data from about one-third of Danish sows shows 28.8 pigs weaned per sow, an increase of 0.7 on the previous year. High-quality people, combined with good management routines, have been the key to maintaining high levels of production efficiency as producers have moved to group housing.

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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40

OCTOBER 28, 2013 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

Rains help Argentine wheat

Rains slow sowings in europe

Rains reached Argentina’s Wheat Belt over the weekend of Oct. 19-20, providing much-needed moisture for plants two months ahead of harvest. But dry weather has slowed corn seedings putting downward pressure on harvest expectations. “Farmers in the Corn Belt are having to decide whether to opt for soy this season or late-planted corn, because prime corn-planting season has passed,” said German Heinzenknecht, a meteorologist at the Applied Climatology consultancy. “The effect of the lack of rain in the central Farm Belt has practically paralyzed corn planting, and has put pressure on wheat yields.” — Reuters

Wheat sowings in Western Europe are progressing well with a modest rise in area expected in top producer France and a more significant increase in Britain where saturated soils forced many farmers to switch to spring crops a year ago. “All the feedback we’ve had suggests that things are going well,” Pierre-Antoine Allard of grains consultancy Agritel said of the situation in France. In Britain, “There is still an expectation that we will see a return to a more normal cropping pattern,” said Jack Watts of the HomeGrown Cereal Authority. — Reuters

Detailed look at the fifth IPCC report Alberta has had extreme weather this year, and the IPCC report says the world will see more of the same by daniel bezte

I

n the last issue I began to look at the latest release by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). In that issue I looked at just what the report is, who creates it, and how it is put together and reviewed before being released. I then began to explore the first key pieces of information, including how much we have warmed and what the likely cause of the warming is. In this article I’ll take a look at a few more climate questions and see what the report has to say in regard to those questions.

The first couple of questions are about the Earth’s oceans.

The main question is what is happening with sea levels. The report states that the global average sea level has risen about 19 cm since 1901 and that the rate of sea level rise has increased from about 1.7 mm/ year (when looking at the average increase between 1901 and 2010) to 3.2 mm/year (when looking at the average increase between 1993 and 2010).

Projections are that sea levels will rise a further 26 to 98 cm by 2100. This upper extreme of 98 cm is actually considered a conservative number as there are several studies which have

upper limits of around 200 cm by 2100. Looking at a longer period, the report states that we could expect sea levels to rise by as much as 300 cm by 2300.

Along with sea levels rising the oceans are also undergoing increased acidification from the elevated carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. According to the IPCC the world’s oceans have seen a 26 per cent increase in hydrogen ion concentration since the Industrial Revolution, with the average pH dropping from 8.2 to 8.1.

The report indicates that the average ocean pH level will likely drop another 0.06 to 0.3 units. Estimates are that by the end of this century, the oceans will have a lower surface pH than any time in the past 50 million years.

Extreme weather

Now on to a couple of topics that are a little closer to home — extreme weather events and droughts. When it comes to extreme weather Albertans only have to remember back to earlier this year when extreme rainfalls over western regions brought record flooding to many areas.

According to the report, it is likely that the frequency or intensity of heavy precipitation events has increased in North America and Europe.

The IPCC indicates that it is very likely that the number of cold days and nights has decreased and the number of warm days and nights has increased globally. It states that it is likely that the frequency of heat waves has increased in Europe, Asia, and Australia.

In regards to drought the report didn’t have much in it.

Drought is probably one of the most important possible consequences when it comes to climate change. Almost everything we do requires water, not to mention that without it we wouldn’t live long. An increase in drought length and frequency would have a direct impact on water levels available for both human consumption and for irrigation.

What little this first part of the report says about drought is that there is about a 20 per cent chance that we have

already observed humancaused increase in frequency a n d duration of drought, which is actually down from the report released in 2007. The longer-term outlook is that it is likely that dry areas will get drier due to human-caused climate change.

That’s about it for this first part of the IPCC report. More information will be released in March 2014 when the Impacts, Adaptation, and Vulnerability report is due to be released. So, if you are tired of hearing about this then you have the rest of the winter off!

Winter outlook

Talking about winter, it looks like Alberta will be staying on the warmer side of what looks to be a fairly cool late-fall pattern developing across Canada over the next couple of weeks.

The medium-range weather models are showing a large

More information will be released in March 2014 when the Impacts, Adaptation, and Vulnerability report is due to be released. area of low pressure dominating Western Canada, with a ridge of high pressure building over B.C. and Alberta. This would keep these regions nice and mild, well at least mild for late October and early November. This doesn’t mean there won’t be the occasional shot of cold air, but the models have been pretty consistent with the overall pattern remaining mild.

Let’s hope the weather models get it right!

SEA LEVEL PROJECTED CHANGES

Global mean sea level will continue to rise during the 21st century.

This map shows the total precipitation across the Prairies from Sept. 1 through Oct. 17. You can see how dry it has been across north-central Alberta and into Saskatchewan. Conditions were relatively dry through the remainder of Alberta and Saskatchewan. Over Manitoba, western regions were fairly wet with some regions seeing nearly 150 mm of precipitation. The Red River Valley northward into the Interlake region missed out on most of the precipitation.

41

ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • OCTOBER 28, 2013

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42

OCTOBER 28, 2013 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

FARM MACHINERY Grain Handling

AGRI-VACS

Tired of shovelling out your bins, unhealthy dust and awkward augers?

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SEED/FEED MISCELLANEOUS Grain Wanted BUYING HEATED/DAMAGED PEAS, FLAX & GRAIN “On Farm Pickup” Westcan Feed & Grain 1-877-250-5252 BUYING SPRING THRASHED CANOLA & GRAIN “On Farm Pickup” Westcan Feed & Grain 1-877-250-5252

AUCTION SALES

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BUSINESS SERVICES

AUCTION SERVICE LTD. General Auction Services since 1960

FARM, RANCH, REAL ESTATE & COMMERCIAL

Email: john@shieldsauctionservices.com • Phone: 403-464-0202 AUCTION SALES U.S. Auctions

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ADVANCE NOTICE

FARM RETIREMENT AUCTION

BUSINESS SERVICES

Award Winning Management Programs Specifically for Farmers & Ranchers Develop a comprehensive & detailed strategic & operating plan for your farm with CTEAM. “The course covers all aspects of business & is a definite necessity for producers today.”

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Next program begins in December!

Introduction to Price

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Understand and manage commodity based pricing in this comprehensive 3 day course. We train Canada’s hedgers.

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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2013 • 10:30 AM St. Thomas, North Dakota, USA

FARM CHEMICAL SEED COMPLAINTS

*Late Model Agco MFWD Tractors *Late Model Diesel Automatic Trucks *Full Line of Well Kept Farm Machinery *Sugar Beet Equipment *Tools & Miscellaneous

Available at:

Neerlandia Coop Association Ltd. Neerlandia, AB

(780) 674-3020 www.dseriescanola.ca BOW VALLEY TRADING LTD.

WE BUY DAMAGED GRAIN Wheat, Barley, Oats, Peas, etc.

Green or Heated Canola/Flax

Visit www.resourceauction.com for More Information!!

CARSON FARMS- Pete & Bobbi Carson, Owners 701-520-1458 or 701-257-6743

AUCTIONEERS & CLERK:

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Place your ad in the Alberta Farmer Express classifed section. 1-888-413-3325.

Dennis Biliske, Auctioneer, ND Lic 237, ND Clerk 624 2702 17th Ave. S, Grand Forks, ND 58201 Ph: 701-757-4015 • Fax 701-757-4016

Go public with an ad in the Alberta Farmer Express classifieds. Phone 1-888-413-3325.

Main Resource Equipment Auctions

“Decades of Knowledge - Steady Innovation - Top Results”

Canadian buyers are always welcome, please furnish a letter of credit for registration.

Larger purchases will require payment by wire. Most units move easily across the border, feel free to ask in advance for document assistance if necessary. Some major units will require payment by wire transfer, please contact our office with questions.

STEEL STORAGE CONTAINERS, 20-FT & 40-ft 1-866-517-8335, (403)540-4164, (403)226-1722 Alberta Farmer Express classifieds, 1-888-413-3325.

“ON FARM PICK UP”

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CANOLA WANTED Buying Tough, Heated, Green, Canola, Freight Options, Prompt Payment Bonded and Insured

CALL 1-866-388-6284 www.milliganbiofuels.com

Available at:

Webb’s Crop Services Vermilion, AB

(780) 853-6565 www.dseriescanola.ca

1-888-413-3325

PARTNERSHIP AVAILABLE TO PERSON or persons having experience in Ag or Chicken operation.

North Calgary area, email hotsey@efirehose.net or mail PO Box 132 Irricana AB T0M 1B0.

Lamont, AB

www.dseriescanola.ca Stretch your advertising dollars! Place an ad in the classifieds. Our friendly staff is waiting for your call.

1-888-413-3325.

Looking for a hand around the farm? Place a help wanted ad in the classifieds. Call 1-888-413-3325.

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HEATED & GREEN CANOLA

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ADVERTISING DOLLAR!

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43

ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • OCTOBER 28, 2013

FARM MACHINERY Machinery Miscellaneous

LIVESTOCK

TIRES

FARM MACHINERY Combine – Accessories

LIVESTOCK Cattle – Simmental

FEDERATION TIRE: 1100X12, 2000X20, used aircraft. Toll free 1-888-452-3850

RECONDITIONED COMBINE HEADERS. RIGID & flex, most makes & sizes; also header transports.

Ed Lorenz, (306)344-4811 or Website: www.straightcutheaders.com Paradise Hill, SK.

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.

ENGINES

Combine ACCessories

ASSORTED DEUTZ & OTHER Diesel engines.

KMK Sales, (800)565-0500, Humboldt, SK.

MISCELLANEOUS FOR SALE

FARM MACHINERY Parts & Accessories

Available at:

Sturgeon Valley Fertilizers

Available at:

Medicine Hat Coop Ltd. Medicine Hat, AB

(403) 528-6609 www.dseriescanola.ca FARM MACHINERY FARM MACHINERY Haying & Harvesting – Baling WANTED: JD 7810 c/w FEL & 3-PTH; sp or PTO bale wagon; JD or IHC end wheel drills. Small square baler. (877)330-4477

Available at:

W. Buis Holdings Limited Foremost, AB

(403) 867-2436 www.dseriescanola.ca FARM MACHINERY Haying & Harvesting – Various NH 1063 SQUARE BALE wagon PT, excellent condition. Phone (780)986-4605 or (780)498-6859.

Combines FARM MACHINERY Combine – Various

St Albert, AB

www.dseriescanola.ca

Spraying EquipmEnt

Spraying EquipmEnt

FARM MACHINERY Sprayers

FARM MACHINERY Sprayers

JD 9400, 9420, 9520, 8970 JD 7810 & 7210, FWA JD 9860, 9760, 9750, 9650, 9600 JD 9430, 9530, 9630 CIH 8010 w/RWD, lateral tilt, duals 900 hrs.

Case STX 375, 425, 430, 450, 480, 500, 530 CIH 8010-2388, 2188 combine CIH 435Q, 535Q, 450Q, 550Q, 600Q pto avail.

NH TJ 450, New Triples, Big Pump 8100 Wilmar Sprayer

JD 4710, 4720, 4730, 4830, 4920, 4930 SP sprayers JD 9770 & 9870 w/CM & duals CIH 3185, 3230, 3330, 4430, 4420 sprayers 9580 Kubota, FWA, FEL, low hours 3545 MF w/FWA FEL

TracTors FARM MACHINERY Tractors – Various Versatile 875 JD 4250 FWA, 280 loader JD 4440 Loader Available JD 2950 Complete with loader JD 7700 FWA loader JD 4230 JD 4020 Complete with loader JD 2550, FWA ST 250 Stagger, tires 20.8 x 38 new Mustang 2044 Skidsteer, 1300 Hrs. Clamp on Duals, 20.8x38-18.4x38 158 & 148, 265, 740.280, JD loaders JCB 1550B, Backhoe FWA, Extend A Hoe,

STEIGER TRACTOR SPECIALIST

RED OR GREEN 1. 10-25% savings on new replacement parts for your Steiger drive train.

2. We rebuild axles, transmissions and dropboxes with ONE YEAR WARRANTY. 3. 50% savings on used parts.

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Wainwright, AB

(780) 842-3306 www.dseriescanola.ca

Stretch your ADVERTISING DOLLAR!

1-888-413-3325

GOOD SELECTION OF JD & CASE HEADERS: 635F, 636D AND MANY MORE CASE & JD

“LIKE MANY BEFORE, WE’LL HAVE YOU SAYING THERE’S NO DEAL LIKE A KEN DEAL” • Phone: (403)526-9644 • Cell: (403)504-4929 • Email: kendeal@shaw.ca

Geared For The Future

Andrukow Group Solutions Inc.

REAL ESTATE Mobile Homes CANADA SINGLE FAMILY HOME NEW 16 wide & 20 wide MODULAR HOMES at GREAT prices.

(218)751-7720 frontierhomesonline.com

PEDIGREED SEED PEDIGREED SEED Cereal – Various

CHS DynAgra

Big Tractor Parts, Inc.

Available at:

REAL ESTATE

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

Available at:

FINANCE, TRADES WELCOME 780-696-3527, BRETON, AB

COMBINE WORLD located 20 min. E of Saskatoon, SK on Hwy. #16. 1 year warranty on all new, used, and rebuilt parts. Canada’s largest inventory of late model combines & swathers.

1-800-667-4515 www.combineworld.com

(780) 458-6015

NEW WOBBLE BOXES for JD, IH, MacDon headers. Made in Europe, factory quality. Get it direct from Western Canada’s sole distributor starting at $1,095. 1-800-667-4515. www.combineworld.com

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.

www.bigtractorparts.com

RON SAUER (403) 540-7691 ronsauer@shaw.ca

8570 JD 4WD Tractor 18.4 x 38 Duals, 3Hyd., 3200 hours, Premium Unit, Steer Ready, Shedded . $75,000 895 Versatile 4WD Tractor - 30.5 x 32 M & 24.5 x 32 Duals, 6,000 hrs., clean unit, runs great................ $29,500 580 B Case Extendahoe 5500 hours, New Rear Tires, Runs Good, Nice Shape ......................................... $9,500 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, 4” or 5.5” 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 Enorossi 14 wheel V-Hayrake extra contour wheels, as new .............................................................. $12,500 New Sakundiak Augers Complete with E-Kay Attachments ............................................... Call 3 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 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 WANTED: NH 8500 ROUND bale wagon. Phone (406)883-2118

1999 CAT 460 1,400 sep. hrs, rake up $82,000; 1998 AGCO 9755, 530/int electronic, 18spd p/s, 3096/hrs, 4 remotes, 540 front weights, duals, $45,000; 2005 MacDon 922, 16-ft DK, $15,000; 2000 MacDon 972, 25-ft DK, DS, pick-up reel, $17,000; Bergen swath mover, $3300.

(403)665-2341, Craigmyle, AB.

HEAT & AIR CONDITIONING

ACREAGE EQUIPMENT: CULTIVATORS, DISCS, Plows, Blades, Post pounders, Haying Equipment, Etc. (780)892-3092, Wabamun, Ab.

(403) 947-3767 www.dseriescanola.ca Available at:

Kneehill Soil Services Ltd.

TRAVEL

AGRICULTURAL TOURS

Linden, AB

(403) 546-4050 www.dseriescanola.ca FARMING IS ENOUGH OF A GAMBLE...

MACHINERY LTD.

FARM MACHINERY Machinery Miscellaneous

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.

Beiseker, AB

The Icynene Insulation System® • Sprayed foam insulation • Ideal for shops, barns or homes • Healthier, Quieter, More Energy Efficient®

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 *Portion of tours may be Tax Deductible

Select Holidays

Advertise in the Alberta Farmer Express Classifieds, it’s a Sure Thing!

1-800-661-4326

www.selectholidays.com

1-888-413-3325

*Portion of to

Select Holid www.sel

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.

FEED GRAIN WANTED! ALSO buying; Light, tough, or offgrade grains. “On Farm Pickup” Westcan Feed & Grain 1-877-250-5252

NOW BUYING OATS!

ALL GRADES Competitive Rates Prompt Payment

Available at:

Crowfoot Ag Solutions Inc. Strathmore, AB

(403) 934-5166 www.dseriescanola.ca

PAUL MOWER 403-304-1496

DAVE KOEHN

We know that farming is enough of a gamble so if you want to sell it fast place your ad in the Alberta Farmer

403-546-0060 Express classifieds. It’s a Sure Thing. Call our toll-free number today. We have friendly staff ready to help.

Contact Sharon LINDEN, ALBERTA CANADA 1-888-413-3325.

Toll Free: 1-800-782-0794 Email: sharon.komoski@fbcpublishing.com

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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

SASKATCHEWAN

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OCTOBER 28, 2013 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

The Versatile DeltaTrack is a fully integrated purpose-built four track system from Versatile. Available in three models 450DT, 500DT and 550DT, the DeltaTrack exceeds the performance and durability of existing track systems. The DeltaTrack is built using the most advanced track design in the agriculture industry and features proven Cummins engine technology, rugged CAT® powershift transmissions, and legendary Versatile reliability and serviceability.

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Trochu Motors Trochu 403-442-3866

Dave Ross Equipment Grande Prairie 780-864-3731

Smith’s Hauling Lougheed 780-386-3842

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Webb’s Machinery Vegreville 780-632-6772