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Trade deal reopens door to Korea
NEW WATER RESCUE GEAR ARRIVES
Punishingly high tariffs are partly to blame for a steep drop in beef exports to Korea By Alexis Kienlen af staff
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proposed free trade deal with Korea is good news for Canadian cattle producers, says the president of the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association. “We were unable to compete at all these last two years because the U.S. has achieved their free trade achievement and has a tariff advantage over us,” said Dave Solverson. “It’s not going to be huge tonnage but it might be some of the cuts that add value to our carcass. Korea is the best market in the world for short ribs. I think it’s still a market that’s worth working on.” Korea was once one of the top buyers of Canadian beef. In 2002, it bought $40 million worth — which made it our fourth-largest customer — but by last year, beef exports had fallen to less than one-fifth of that. Tariffs were a big part of that story, but the proposed Canada-Korea Free Trade Agreement would see the 40 per cent tariff on fresh and frozen
see KOREA } page 6
The rural MD of Foothills in southern Alberta received a water rescue-equipped truck and boat, as a gift from Spruce Meadows and various sponsors. Until now, the municipal district which suffered severe damage during last year’s floods, was without a water rescue boat. The horse complex near Calgary decided to help out by saluting First Responders and handing over the keys to the truck and boat to the MD’s Deputy Fire Chief Gregg Schaalje and Deputy Reeve Larry Spilak. Photo: Wendy Dudley
The sky’s the limit for recent grads entering the agriculture workforce Crop technology and agribusiness students are seeing multiple job offers once they leave school — but there’s no shortage of work on the livestock side, either By Jennifer Blair af staff
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here’s never been a better time for ag school grads. “This job with DuPont Pioneer, I actually had basically guaranteed before Christmastime,” said Travis Elford, a recent University of Lethbridge graduate who grew up on a grain and sheep farm near Foremost. Before he accepted his job as a field supervisor, Elford received five other offers from seed companies.
GM WHEAT
“It was extremely easy (to find a job). I had more offers to say no to than I looked for.” Elford’s story isn’t unique. There are currently more jobs in agriculture than there are graduates to fill them, said Josie Van Lent, dean of agriculture at Lakeland College. “I’ve been in the ag industry professionally for well over 30 years, and I cannot think of a time when the job opportunities were this strong,” she said. “If there’s a student who doesn’t have a job in ag, it’s because they’re being choosy.
There are job opportunities for the majority of our students.” The highest demand is for crop technology and agribusiness grads, but there’s no shortage of jobs on the livestock side. Maaike Van Kuilenburg said most of her friends in crop technology programs had snagged jobs long before she did, but she still had her job as a dairy consultant and sales rep with Cargill lined up in early January. “In the animal industry, it was a lot slower,” said the recent graduate of the University of
Alberta, who grew up on a dairy farm near Red Deer. “Other companies started asking me to apply for them in January and February, but I already confirmed myself with Cargill.” Crop service centres, retailers, and the banking sector are all scrambling to fill jobs, but the strong pull of corporate jobs for recent graduates and competition from other sectors is making it more difficult for producers to find workers.
see GRADS } page 6
Canadian farm groups back biotech } PAGE 18