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3/14/12 2:29 PM

APRIL 23, 2012

WILDFIRE SEASON

Dry winter raises risk

FUEL FOR THE FIRE  A lack of snow cover provides ample fuel for fire to rage

BY SHERI MONK

AF STAFF | PINCHER CREEK

L

iving on the Prairies means living with the threat of an out-of-control grass fire.

This year, that potential was so great, the Alberta government declared the start of the wildfire season on March 1, a full month earlier than usual.

“It started earlier this year because we had such a warm and dry winter,” said Whitney Exton, wildfire information officer for the Alberta government. “We received about half the amount of snow this year than we usually do. Until the grass and the trees green up, the wildfire hazard will actually remain a little higher.”

The province employs firefighters who are stationed in the forestprotection areas of Alberta, and they are placed strategically. “We have fire managers who are continuing to monitor the weather and the wildfire conditions across Alberta and we’re also positioning our firefighters across Alberta so they can respond very quickly to any wildfires that start,” Exton said.

Additionally, towns, villages, RMs, First Nations, Hutterite colonies and national and provincial parks also have their own fire departments. “We will help to support firefighters in rural municipalities and then there are provincial and national parks

SEE WILDFIRES  page 6

A firefighter works to extinguish a surface fire. Firefighters are stationed strategically in the forest-protection areas of Alberta. PHOTO: COURTESY ALTA. GOV’T

It’s time.

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news » inside this week

inside » New president Manitoba cow-calf producer takes the helm at CCA

APRIL 23, 2012 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

livestock

crops

columNists

Johne’s disease

Healthy combination

34

The beef industry could use “a sense of wonder”

37

Bernie Peet Group-housing systems work, but need management

Olds prepares for 100 Jack Anderson recognized for generosity to the college

brenda schoepp

38

Carol Shwetz

17

Up to three-quarters of dairy herds could be infected

33

Composted manure boosts potato production

19

Indiscriminate “bute” use can harm horses

35

IN BRIEF

Milking them would be stressful…

U.S. employment firm CareerCast has issued its annual ratings of best and worst jobs, and it isn’t good news if you are trying to hire someone for your dairy farm.

Dairy farmer ranked as the second-worst job for 2012, worse than last year, when it ranked 16th. Poor working environment and stress coupled with physical demands gave it a rating only slightly better than lumberjack.

Even enlisted soldier scored slightly better than dairy farmer, followed by oil rig worker, newspaper reporter, waiter/waitress, meter reader, dishwasher, butcher and broadcaster.

If you want less stress and more money, CareerCast says you should sit in front of a computer and write code all day. It put software engineer at the top of the best job list, followed by actuary, human resources manager, dental hygienist, financial planner, occupational therapist, online ad salesman, computer systems analyst and applied mathematician.

Dairy farmers commenting on CareerCast’s website took issue with the ratings.

“To each his own. There is nothing better than having 50, 100, even thousands of co-workers (cattle) that never judge you, are always happy to see you and are able to give you an extreme feeling of satisfaction every day. Keep in mind being a business owner is a stressful job regardless of which industry it is,” said one.

“Being a dairy farmer can be one of the most rewarding jobs. You get a chance to see all your hard work pay off in the amount that is produced. What is better than being able to see the positives of all your hard work?” said another.

Based on some comments, CareerCast committed an even more grievous error than downgrading the profession. The web page on dairy farming features a smiling farmer in front of a group of black baldies rather than Holsteins.

Milking them definitely would be stressful.

(l-r) Jenalyn Myggland, Katherine Barkwell, Brenda Schoepp (speaker), Wynne Chisholm (speaker), Cara Nobel, Jessica Watson, Amanda Hughes. (Missing Kaylene Bieleny and Bronwen Gould) Photo: Alexis Kienlen

Entrepreneur is all business on her cow-calf operation BUSINESS APPROACH } Business woman Wynne Chisholm used evaluation,

benchmarking and expert advice to overhaul her cow-calf operation by alexis kienlen af staff | edmonton

W

ynne Chisholm calls it “Consulting 101 meets Ranching 101.”

The Alberta entrepreneur grew up on a cow-calf operation, worked on numerous global consulting projects, and returned to ranching when her father decided to get back into the cattle business.

That meant taking classes in subjects such as manure management, environmental farm plans, and cow-calf operations.

But it also meant applying her business skills to the new enterprise, Chisholm told attendees at the recent Women in Agriculture dinner hosted by Ceres.

“As a professional consultant, I was used to scoping out and planning a project, doing some kind of diagnosis, putting together options and evaluating alternatives, making recommendations, creating solutions, and following action plans and evaluation,” said the president and CEO of W.A. Ranches Ltd. and a 2011 winner of the Rose-

mary Davis Award, which honours women who are leaders in Canadian agriculture.

Her first move was to benchmark all aspects of the ranch, using the environmental farm planning process as an assessment tool. Chisholm and her husband Bob automated as many processes as possible and invested in herd-record software and a wand for scanning RFID tags.

“Bob’s background is as a certified general accountant so we have the best set of books in the business,” said Chisholm, who is also president of Wynne Chisholm and Associates, which specializes in building organizational capability.

“He does trend analysis for us and can tell us where our expenses have changed in the past number of years.”

The couple sought out expert advice, did a herd evaluation, and created strategic and operational goals and plans – which including increasing the herd size; hiring staff; and improving health protocol, facilities and fencing.

“We also needed to build our

brand,” said Chisholm. “People didn’t know us because we’d been out of the business for so long. The people Dad knew were no longer in their business or their kids were ranching.”

An important part of running a ranch like a business is monitoring what is actually happening, she said.

“We benchmarked other producers and got carcass data back on a bunch of our animals,” Chisholm said.

They also sought feedback from buyers and assessed their performance against their goals.

“Continuous improvement and continuous learning are big parts of our operation,” she said.

Seven years later, the Chisholms have increased their herd (now 800 cows) and land base, and also created a web-based management system.

“We’re really focused on feed self-sufficiency, so we are raising what we need for our operation,” said Chisholm, adding they still have to buy some hay and straw.

The ranch sponsors 4-H and

awards for students at Olds College, is involved with the University of Calgary veterinary school, and welcomes students who want to learn about cowcalf operations and get handson experience.

“We do a lot of things to help youth stay interested and involved in agriculture,” she said.

Chisholm urged the women in the audience to look for leadership opportunities in agriculture.

“All of you can have a voice in agriculture,” she said. “The opportunities are there.”

The importance of farmers, food and women in agriculture was also the theme of the event’s other speaker, beef market analyst and writer Brenda Schoepp from Rimbey.

Ceres is a women’s fraternity that promotes the appreciation of agriculture and the values of a rural lifestyle, including leadership, fellowship and scholastic achievement. The University of Alberta chapter was founded in 1986, and is one of several chapters in the U.S. and Canada.

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ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • APRIL 23, 2012

Wheat breeding and pasture programs cut in federal budget Rust lab } Winnipeg’s famed wheat-breeding facility to be closed by 2014 Staff

A

major wheat-breeding centre, community pastures, co-operatives and a shelterbelt program are among major casualties from cuts to Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada in the federal budget earlier this month.

The Cereal Research Centre in Winnipeg, which has been home to some of AAFC’s largest wheatand oat-breeding programs, will be closed by 2014.

According to Richard Phillips, executive director of the Grain Growers of Canada, who was briefed by AAFC officials, 41 positions out of about 100 will be cut, including four research scientists.

The rest of the positions will move to newer facilities in Morden, Man. and Brandon, Man. Stephen Morgan Jones, AAFC’s director general for science partnerships, said infrastructure should not be confused with research priorities.

“I don’t think it’s a secret... the centre in Winnipeg is a facility that has probably gone 10 years past its useful life,” he said.

“There just wasn’t $150 million available to go out and rebuild or replace the structure in Winnipeg.”

The research centre started

as the Dominion Rust Research Laboratory in 1925 at the University of Manitoba, and later became known as “The Rust Lab” for its work in developing varieties resistant to devastating rust outbreaks of the last century.

Wheat breeding, genomics and disease resistance, including work on Ug99, a virulent wheat rust, will continue at AAFC’s Morden facility, he said. Oat breeding and the rest of the centre’s plant pathology research will move to AAFC’s Brandon Research Centre.

Morgan Jones said AAFC will focus on germplasm development, and selling new wheat lines to private companies before the commercialization stage.

“We believe there is an opportunity for the private sector... to run that type of work probably more cost effectively than we can and then we can really put our emphasis on making more crosses and doing what we call the public good stuff like keeping rust resistance genes available in our varieties so there is long-term protection in the industry,” he said.

“I think the fact that we haven’t had a serious outbreak of rust for over 50 years in Western Canada is a tribute to our investment in upstream plant disease work has been effective.”

AAFC also says it will close the

smaller research farms over the next 12 to 18 months, including Fort Vermilion, Alta., Bouctouche, N.B., Frelighsburg, Que., Lévis (Chapais), Que., Delhi, Ont., Kapuskasing, Ont. and Regina, Sask.

Community pastures

The Agri-Environment Services Branch, formerly known as PFRA will be absorbed by the new Science and Technology Branch. The Agri-Environment Services Branch operates 85 pastures in Western Canada totalling 930,000 acres.

According to the government website there are two in Alberta, 24 in Manitoba and 61 in Saskatchewan.

An AAFC official said the following seven Agri-Environment Services Branch field locations will close in the next 12 to 18 months: Dawson Creek, B.C., Medicine Hat, Alta., Vegreville, Alta., Hanna, Alta., Gravelbourg, Sask., Rosetown, Sask., and Moose Jaw, Sask.

Meanwhile, the Canadian Cooperative Association says Ottawa is dropping its Co-operative Development Initiative (CDI), a program that’s backed new and emerging co-operatives since 2003.

Shelterbelts

Ottawa is also closing T:10.25” (10’ 3”) its shelter-

The AAFC Cereal Research Centre in Winnipeg started life as the Dominion Rust Research Laboratory in 1925. belt tree nursery at Indian Head, which has operated since 1901.

Local officials hope it will be privatized.

Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz justified the cuts, saying farmers don’t farm now like they did 100 years ago and that shelterbelts are no longer needed to control soil erosion.

“And it’s time to take a long, hard look and refocus the energies and dollars of Agriculture Canada... and what way best builds the future for today’s producers,’’ Ritz was quoted as saying by the Canadian Press.

AAFC’s Rural and Co-operatives

Secretariat, which administers programs related to co-operatives, will be significantly reduced in size.

“We view this as a lack of recognition of the importance of co-operatives in job creation and economic growth in this country,” Brigitte Gagné, executive director of the Conseil canadien de la cooperation et de la mutualité, said in the association’s release.

“Farmers and the industry will benefit from this change, which will simplify the application process and reduce paperwork and other redundancies, while reducing costs.”

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APRIL 23, 2012 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

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

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

ALMA has proven an asset to the livestock industry

Sheri Monk, Pincher Creek (403) 627-9108 sheri.monk@fbcpublishing.com

PRODUCTION director Shawna Gibson Email: shawna@fbcpublishing.com

AsSistant PRODUCTION manager

Changed } Even critics admit ALMA is a different

Farrah Wilson Email: farrah@fbcpublishing.com

agency than during its difficult birth

Director of Sales & Circulation Lynda Tityk Email: lynda.tityk@fbcpublishing.com

By will verboven

CIRCULATION manager Heather Anderson Email: heather@fbcpublishing.com

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

classified ADVERTISING SALES Maureen Heon Phone: 1-888-413-3325 Fax: 403-341-0615 Email: maureen@fbcpublishing.com

ADVERTISING Co-ordinator Arlene Bomback Phone: 204-944-5765 Fax: 204-944-5562 Email: ads@fbcpublishing.com

PUBLISHER Bob Willcox Email: bob.willcox@fbcpublishing.com

Associate PUBLISHER/editorial director John Morriss Email: john.morriss@fbcpublishing.com

Printed by Gazette Press, St. Albert, AB The Alberta Farmer Express is published 26 times a year by Farm Business Communications.

We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Canada Periodical Fund of the Department of Canadian Heritage for our publishing activities.

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ISSN 1481-3157 Call

1-800-665-0502

Alberta Farmer | Editor

I

t’s now been three years since the Alberta Livestock and Meat Agency (ALMA) was established by the minister of agriculture. Since that time we have seen three different ministers, and ALMA has endured. Perhaps there is a message in that. Also since that time, cattle, hog and sheep prices have all either stayed strong or have increased significantly — no doubt ALMA officials would like to see a message in that. One thing for sure, since that time this farm writer is ready to eat humble pie when it comes to ALMA and there certainly is a message in that.

ALMA was created by the agriculture minister of the day during the refundable checkoff controversy, and it got caught in the crossfire between government and producer groups. Many questioned its legitimacy, including myself, seeing it as nothing more than a Trojan horse to outflank opponents of the refundable checkoff. It also seemed like a rather redundant bureaucratic exercise, taking over functions that were already being carried out by officials in the Agriculture Department.

ALMA stumbled at the beginning, with industry suspicion hanging over its head, along with management and board instability. At the time it looked like ALMA would have to fight an endless credibility war.

But what a difference three years can make and much of that change can be attributed to Gordon Cove, the ALMA CEO. He was determined to make ALMA a professional agency operating at arm’s length from department bureaucrats and overenthusiastic ministers. It helped that

he had a determined board of directors that wanted to focus on the good of the industry and not the politics.

BSE marketing study

Perhaps the biggest challenge for the ALMA board was to cut their own trail, clearly showing critics that they were not under the thumb of Alberta Agriculture and were able to make decisions that might challenge the accepted political perspective of the day. In my view that tipping point came when ALMA sponsored a study into the real story of using BSE testing for beef marketing in offshore markets.

That marketing issue had been stewing for years within the cattle and beef industry, but no one wanted to touch it because it had political implications. Agriculture ministers took the position that such a marketing approach wasn’t feasible or realistic. Clearly no department officials were going to stick their neck out and challenge that position.

ALMA could have taken its cue from the minister and ignored any thought of a study, but took the plunge and it gained new respect, even from its most ardent critics.

Amongst diverse research projects and initiatives it supports, ALMA is now involved with researching the value of ultra-high-frequency eartags and a cost/ benefit analysis of traceability. I doubt those studies would have gone forth without support from ALMA, as both have political and bureaucratic ramifications on other government agencies and the politics of the whole issue. Again ALMA led the way in supporting the basic notion of “why and why not” — it’s sometimes that simple. I believe cattle producers will be pleasantly intrigued by the outcome of those two studies in particular.

Ironically, the future of ALMA may be more at risk than ever before, depending on the outcome of the provincial election.

Obviously, if the ruling PC party wins the election the future of ALMA is assured for at least another four years. The only ominous cloud on the horizon is that ALMA will have reduced funding to carry out its work.

The concern is with the position of the Wildrose Party, if they were to win the election, ALMA employees may have to dust off their resumés. That’s because Wildrose has said that it will eliminate ALMA if it forms the government. That position has softened, as was indicated

by Wildrose Leader Danielle Smith in her response to the question of ALMA’s future in the Leaders Forum feature that was published in the previous edition of Alberta Farmer. Her response mentioned that a decision on ALMA was not going to be arbitrary, and that there would be consultation with the livestock industry over its future.

I would encourage some sober second thought about ALMA by a possible Wildrose government. The party’s position is based more on the bitter circumstances and controversy that surrounded ALMA when it was established three years ago. ALMA has grown far away from those bad old days and is now well accepted as a valuable and credible asset by the entire livestock sector, including this former critic. Perhaps with some fine tuning to address Wildrose Party concerns ALMA will continue to serve the industry well.

Eating humble pie isn’t so hard, but then I have had to eat more than a few of those pies, and a few side dishes of crow in my time.

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Short-sighted solution to the wrong problem Phosphorus } It’s fertilizer, not a pollutant, so why not manage pigs in a way we can use it? by laura rance

Manitoba Co-operator | Editor

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“It would be giving the animal a gene, which nature made a mistake by not giving them.”

If there is one sentence that captures why the world’s first GMO pig never made it to market, it would be this comment from one of the lead researchers on the University of Guelph project back in 2001.

The notion that nature screwed up by not making pigs the way humans like to raise them was not only misplaced, it was dangerously short sighted, as demonstrated by the dead end this project now faces.

Researchers had a “eureka” moment in the late 1990s, at the height of scientists’ enthusiasm over their newly emerging abilities to transfer genes between species.

If copious quantities of phosphorus-rich liquid manure was a problem for the rapidly expanding pork industry in North America, why not genetically design a pig that excretes less phosphorus in its manure?

Up to 75 per cent of the phosphorus in modern hog rations is in the form of phytate, which hogs can’t digest. So it passes through the digestive tract and is excreted in the manure, which then contains unnaturally high concentrations of phosphorus relative to nitrogen. To partially address the issue, producers add phytase to the feed, which increases the phosphorus absorption and reduces the amount of P in the poo.

Scientists successfully spliced an E. coli gene that makes phytase with a mouse gene that controls a protein excreted through the salivary glands, and inserted it into Yorkshire pigs, creating what became known as the Enviropig.

Their hypothesis was correct.

The Enviropigs didn’t require the added expense of phytase supplements and excreted up to 60 per cent less phosphorus in their manure. They were promoted as an economic and environmental solution.

But 10 years later, the pigs never made it to market, the research funds have dried up and the 16 pigs remaining in the program

face euthanasia with their genetic material being put into cold storage.

What happened?

For starters, a low-P pig didn’t come close to solving the economic and environmental sustainability issues facing the sector.

Even with manure that contained a better balance of phosphorus to nitrogen, concentration in the industry has still resulted in nutrient overloads on soils located close to large hog barns.

With many soils seen as phosphorus deficient, the problem isn’t too much phosphorus, which is a finite resource. The problem is that when it is contained in liquid manure, it can’t be cost effectively moved to the areas that need it.

If a technological fix was in order, it would seem more productive to invest in technologies that extract the P from the manure, or in production systems that used composting or other means to make it more manageable.

Secondly, genetically modified anything has proven to be a tough sell with consumers, which partly

explains why there wasn’t a long list of investors waiting in line to commercialize the Enviropig. The fact that it provided no tangible benefits to consumers, such as better-tasting meat, didn’t help.

And perhaps the problem wasn’t a poorly designed pig but rather the system being used to raise it. Pigs were never made to live on grains alone. Their digestive systems, which aren’t that much different from humans, were designed to extract nutrients from highly varied sources, including the sun, which enhances our own ability to absorb nutrients.

The notion that pigs should be allowed to forage rather than spend their days in biosecure darkness is considered heresy in modern efficient hog production. But if you think about it, it addresses most of the manure and odour issues. It goes a long way towards silencing the animal welfare critics too.

Of course, that’s not going to happen. But neither, it seems, is the Enviropig. It was a shortsighted solution to the wrong problem. May it rest in peace.

5

ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • APRIL 23, 2012

PINK SLIME:

An object lesson for the meat industry?

LABELLING  The beef industry is not doing itself any favours by claiming “beef is beef”

BY DARYLL E. RAY AND HARWOOD D. SCHAFFER

W

ith a long-term decline in per capita consumption — 94 pounds per capita in 1976 to 60 pounds per capita in 2009 — the last thing that U.S. cattle producers need is the current controversy over “pink slime.” And with the controversy in full swing, they certainly don’t need industry and political leaders fighting the wrong battles (science, safety, and attacking the critics).

Pink slime is the moniker given to “lean finely textured beef” (LFTB), not by current critics of the product, but by a USDA microbiologist in 2002 as it was being debated whether the USDA should require LFTB to be labelled an additive in ground beef.

In the process of breaking the beef carcass down into the various cuts, fat is trimmed away. Some, if not most, of that trim contains strands of meat. To recover that protein, the packers developed a process using mild heat and a centrifuge to separate the protein from the surrounding fat, resulting in a very lean and finely textured product — LFTB. Because the trim-

mings come from a large number of pieces of meat it is imperative that the LFTB be treated in some way to ensure that all potentially harmful bacteria are killed. With irradiation effectively off the table, packers are left with chemical treatments like ammonium hydroxide and citric acid.

Because the LFTB is very lean, it is added to ground beef to raise the protein level of the final product that otherwise would require the use of leaner, more expensive cuts of meat.

We have purchased 80 per cent lean ground beef in five-pound plastic sleeves that obviously have had LFTB added. Cut the sleeve open to take the meat out and the presence of a fine-textured pink product is obvious. The term “pink slime” is accurate. The advantage: it costs significantly less than the ribbons of 80 per cent lean ground beef in the foam tray in the adjacent display case.

Labelling resisted

Once the recent controversy began, USDA and industry officials defended LFTB with arguments like “beef is beef” and thus it need not be listed on the label.

They also asserted that ammonium

In engaging in arguments like that they effectively shoot themselves (and all cattle producers) in the foot. hydroxide is a processing aid, not an additive, and does not become a “significant” part of the ground beef, thus it does not need to be listed as an additive. In engaging in arguments like that they effectively shoot themselves (and all cattle producers) in the foot.

The concern being voiced is not primarily about these issues. It is the “ick factor” and the fact that consumers cannot determine which products contain pink slime and which do not. The result is falling demand for all hamburger as consumers switch to other meat products, at least temporarily.

Many of the consumers who have raised concern about the presence of pink slime in hamburger still purchase hotdogs and

sausage, and “who wants to know how they are produced?” The difference is their labels contain a list of ingredients including things like potassium lactate, sodium diacetate, sodium erythorbate, and sodium nitrate. In addition hotdogs are produced in a dizzying number of varieties including “all beef,” “turkey” and “chicken.” In each case, the consumer can read the label and make a choice about the product they want to buy.

If people will buy hotdogs that contain small amounts of sodium nitrate — a component in some fertilizers as well as fireworks — what is the problem with listing finely textured beef, that has been treated with ammonium hydroxide to kill any bacteria, to the ground beef label? Will people expect the same for other products? Probably, well really, certainly. But what is the problem with that?

One of the principles of economics is symmetry of information between the buyer and the seller.

In this case, is seems, the lack of symmetry and the unwillingness of the industry to provide symmetry has come back to haunt the markets that are so important to cattle producers.

The beyond-the-farm-gate por-

tion of the meat industry, along with its organizations and advocates, has engaged in a long-standing fight against labelling meat.

That stance has become counterproductive. It appears to us that by fighting labelling, symmetry of information, and defending questionable production practices, the advocates of “industrial agriculture” have accelerated consumers’ movement toward organics and vegetarianism, both of which “Big Ag” seems to loathe. With organics, consumers feel they have a better handle on what is in the food they eat.

The “take home” message for the industry is that, in an age of YouTube videos that can become viral, any attempt to provide less than full transparency will eventually result in a full-blown media circus, to the producer’s detriment.

Full disclosure is the safest way to go — and it improves the level of information the consumer can use in making a choice of which products to purchase.

Daryll E. Ray is the director, and Harwood D. Schaffer a research assistant professor, at the Agricultural Policy Analysis Center at the University of Tennessee. www.agpolicy.org

Country living that would make your hair curl NO EXAGGERATION  A transplant from the east realizes there’s a reason

why they set up wind turbines near Pincher Creek

BY SHERRY MONK PINCHER CREEK

It’s been six months since I moved out to the country with my two sons and it’s been quite an adventure. We’re 20 minutes from Pincher Creek, so I took planning for the worst quite seriously when we first moved here. I felt immense pressure to stockpile emergency goods and firewood. I spent most of November scurrying about like a squirrel with a compulsive hoarding disorder. Soon, I had a cord of wood, several boxes of matches, 30 pounds of flour and more than 100 rolls of toilet paper. All that remained was to wait patiently for winter to come. Unless the definition of winter has changed to “wind,” I am still waiting.

I worked very hard at not complaining about the wind. When I was contemplating Pincher Creek as a possible relocation destination, many people tried valiantly to warn me. (My editor Will included, if I recall correctly!) Unfortunately, I am bullheaded and eternally optimistic.

“How bad can it be?” I asked myself, discounting the warnings and indeed, even

my own research on the area. “At least it’s not a north wind,” I said to my concerned friends. As it turns out, when the wind is blowing at more than 100 kms, it doesn’t matter what direction it comes from. And blow it did — sometimes for weeks without reprieve. The water in the toilet bowl could create waves big enough for a gopher to surf. Sometimes, my bed would rattle so much that I would sleep on the couch. Even the dog stopped asking to go outside.

Then in February, something magical happened. The wind started to slow down and we began to emerge from the house again, squinting our eyes in the bright sun, but keeping one hand on a tree, just in case.

I’ve spent a lot of time walking in the coulee near the house, and my youngest son has become even more enthusiastic about learning how to hunt than I am. We have spent countless hours outside hiking, and identifying tracks and scat. Perhaps because I am a single mom and because I am interested in things like snakes and spiders, my boys have always been rather proud of their non-traditional mother. But I did

have a moment of self-doubt when my youngest said, “You’re the best mom ever, because really, you’re more like a man that happens to cook really good.”

I’ve always been a tomboy, but I’ve also always enjoyed being female, and my son’s comment played in my head frequently for the better part of a week.

I found myself in town, cruising the aisles of the pharmacy for items that would reinforce my femininity.

I don’t own a hair dryer, or even a curling iron, but it seemed to me a logical starting place would be some curling rolls. You see, the following weekend, we were going to visit my boyfriend who lives in the mountains, and he was taking me skiing for the very first time.

I wanted to be a pretty snow bunny instead of a cookie-baking lumberjack, and so I brought the rollers home.

It really did look simple. With typical reckless gusto, I tore open the package and started rolling my hair in what I imagined was the classic snow bunny way. And everything went well — until I tried to take them out.

“The rollers wouldn’t budge. I ran to the recycling bin and retrieved the

instructions I had tossed without reading. As it turns out, the curlers were for short, fine hair. And hair is supposed to be dry, not wet, when the curlers are put in. I had very long, very thick and unfortunately, very wet hair at the outset of this terrible experiment.

For two hours, I stood in front of the mirror prying one strand at a time from the sadistic rollers with limited success. I had managed to extract approximately half of my hair.

Panicked, I started calling hair stylists, hoping to make an emergency rescue appointment but not a single one had an opening in time to save me. So, much like the eldest boy in the “Old Yeller” movie, I did what had to be done. I started cutting. Eventually, a young hair stylist in Crowsnest Pass took pity on me, and I was able to get a more professional cut before I sheepishly showed up at my boyfriend’s house.

Though traumatic, it was a lesson well learned: You may be able to take the girl out of the tomboy, but you can never take the tomboy out of the girl.

Especially without reading the directions first.

6

Off the front

WILDFIRES

April 23, 2012 • Albertafarmexpress.ca

} from page 1

BriefS

and they have their own rules and regulations, but we will support any part of the province that needs help,” said Exton.

Fire departments help one another and such was the case during an intense early-January grass fire that consumed three homes near Nanton. Another fire near Fort MacLeod raged in the strong winds and dry weather and 80 firefighters joined forces to prevent further tragedy. “We have seen winter fires before. It’s not that common though, and that speaks to how warm and how dry the winter was,” said Exton.

Cargill boosts funds for Ronald McDonald House Cargill employees from Spruce Grove have raised $38,500 by turning an annual employee hockey tournament into a charity event in support of Ronald McDonald House Northern Alberta.

The tournament included six Cargill teams, two McDonald’s teams and two additional teams from Edmonton.

Cargill has been supporting RMHC Houses in London, Winnipeg, Saskatoon and northern Alberta for over 10 years. Cargill’s most established annual fundraising event is the annual Fore the Houses golf tournament which raised over $320,000 last year.

Martin Dugas, executive director of Ronald McDonald House in northern Alberta, said that a result of all the support they have received from Cargill they are able to serve nearly 2,600 people annually. Their services include education, family life and recreation, volunteer activities and family supports, and a meal program.

Early alert

Neighbours depend on one another for an early alert system. When people see smoke in the distance, they immediately investigate to uncover the source.

This is critical because rural populations are sparse, and many homes are tucked away in valleys and coulees that offer protection from the elements. However, that sought-after wind shelter can prevent residents from seeing smoke as it rises into the air.

Off-farm employment, meaning empty homes during the day, also increases the risk of a grass fire raging undetected.

“We received about half the amount of snow this year than we usually do. Until the grass and the trees green up, the wildfire hazard will actually remain a little higher.”

Kazakhstan sees booming grain exports

Whitney Exton wildfire information officer

Though unpredictable and frightening, people can take steps to guard their property in the event of such a fire.

“A lot of people are already starting to fire-smart their home and properties without even knowing it. Even cleaning off the debris from your lawn and making your house number visible to the road, those are all fire-smart tips,” said Exton.

In order for a fire to start or for it to continue, it requires heat, oxygen and fuel. As all producers have learned the hard way over the years, the weather and temperature cannot be controlled any more than oxygen could be removed from an area.

Property owners can however, exert some control over fuel sources. “Certainly keeping

A firefighter moves fire hose to the next hot spot which must be dug up and then saturated until the area is cold and the fire extinguished. This part of the battle is called “mop-up” and comprises the bulk of the firefighting work. photo: courtesy Alta. Gov’t your lawn clean, keeping your eavestroughs clean and trimming the bottom two metres of your trees, and even if you can thin branches or thin out the tops of your trees too, that can definitely help to reduce the threat of wildfire to your home,” Exton said.

Grass fires are often thought of as fast but less-intense fires that can cover a lot of ground without causing a lot of damage, but such is not the case.

“There really is no typical wildfire. It really depends on

surrounding circumstances so things like the temperature, humidity — wind speed is a big factor as well. That’s why fire-smarting a home can be so important,” explained Exton.

A number of measures can help reduce the risk of a grass fire becoming well involved in

a yard. Stacks of unused wood and other debris should be removed from the vicinity of the home. Brush and trees should be trimmed, and any dead trees removed. Grass should be kept short in the yard, and firewood piles should be a good distance away from the home.

fire safety further information

Other safety steps can be found at www.srd.alberta.ca/Wildfire/FireSmart/Default.asp

reuters / Kazakhstan expects to export around 15 million tonnes of grain in the current marketing year and wants to boost them further by building a new terminal on the Caspian Sea. The country more than doubled its grain harvest to 27 million tonnes last year, but exports beyond Kazakhstan’s core markets of Central Asia, Iran and Afghanistan are hampered by a shortage of rail wagons.

High rail freight costs for exports from the landlocked nation make its grain more expensive compared to its main Black Sea rivals Russia and Ukraine.

However, windswept Aktau, laid out on a shellrock plateau 2,600 kilometres southwest of the capital Astana, provides gateway to the Caspian and a direct link to Iran. A new terminal slated for there would be able to handle 1.5 million to two million tonnes annually.

Leaders in off-patent solutions.

7

ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • APRIL 23, 2012

Agriculture and Food Council a federal budget casualty CENTRALIZED  AAFC will now co-ordinate fund delivery rather than working with regional councils STAFF

T

he Agriculture and Food Council of Alberta (AFC) is among the regional agriculture adaptation councils across Canada that have been told their services won’t be required by the federal government come 2014.

Several of 14 provincial and regional councils — bodies now tasked with approving and distributing funding from the Canadian Agricultural Adaptation Program (CAAP) — have reported receiving notice that the programs they managed will be centralized through Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada in the future.

The five-year, $163 million CAAP, part of the Growing Forward ag policy funding framework,

Federal ag programs chief to head Canola Council STAFF

Canada’s canola industry body has gone to the federal civil service to replace the president it lost to Parliament Hill.

Patti Miller, acting director general with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s farm income programs directorate in Winnipeg, is the Canola Council of Canada’s new president effective April 30.

As the council’s chief, Miller replaces JoAnne Buth, who Prime Minister Stephen Harper named to the Senate in January as one of Manitoba’s representatives to the upper chamber.

Miller, who has a master’s degree in ag economics from the University of Saskatchewan, was executive director for grains and oilseeds with AAFC’s market and industry services branch, before moving to the programs directorate in 2008.

“During her career with AAFC (Miller) was responsible for working with Canadian grains and oilseeds producers and industry on policy, trade, market development and research issues in order to facilitate sustainable, profitable market growth in the sector,” the council said in its release.

Miller worked as the communications manager for the Canadian arm of U.S. agrifood giant Cargill, also in Winnipeg, providing “leadership and advice to senior managers on all aspects of corporate and employee communications,” before joining AAFC.

had been earmarked for projects identified and carried out by the farm, agrifood and agriproducts sectors. It was launched in 2009 as a successor to the Advancing Canadian Agriculture and AgriFood (ACAAF) program.

National-level CAAP project funding was delivered by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, while regional funding flowed through the councils.

The decision to centralize the councils’ programs was telegraphed in federal Finance Minister Jim Flaherty’s 2012 budget last month, which announced AAFC will consolidate delivery of all grants and contribution programs across the department.

“By delivering our programs out of one branch, our department will offer more efficient services by

fewer people,” Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz said in a statement.

“Farmers and the industry will benefit from this change, which will simplify the application process and reduce paperwork and other redundancies, while reducing costs.”

Continuing to 2014

Heather Broughton, chair of the Agriculture and Food Council of Alberta (AFC), said in a separate notice that the government’s decision “will end an almost 20-year relationship between AFC and the federal government.”

That said, the impact of this decision “will not be felt immediately as the current (CAAP) remains open,” she wrote. “AFC will continue to manage the program until March 31, 2014 in the

same effective and efficient manner it has built a reputation on.”

AFC executive director John Connolly said the council “is resolved to finding other funding sources to continue the work of making those in Alberta’s agriculture and agri-food industry more prosperous.”

Other regional councils affected by the government’s decision include the Investment Agriculture Foundation of B.C., Agriculture Council of Saskatchewan, Manitoba Rural Adaptation Council, Quebec’s Conseil pour le developpement de l’agriculture du Quebec and Fonds de developpement de la transformation alimentaire, the New Brunswick Agricultural Council, Agri-Futures Nova Scotia, the P.E.I. ADAPT Council, the Newfoundland and

“(R)esolved to finding other funding sources to continue the work of making Alberta’s agriculture industry more prosperous.”

JOHN CONOLLY

Labrador Agri-Adapt Council, the Territorial Farmers Association, Yukon Agricultural Association and Nunavut Harvesters’ Association.

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8

APRIL 23, 2012 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

HOME ON THE RANGE

A herd of cattle bed down in a dry pasture west of High River, Alta., as a flock of Canada geese take flight against a mountain backdrop. While the Rockies received a record snowpack this winter, the southern and eastern regions of the province remained clear of snow, resulting in low soil moisture. PHOTO: WENDY DUDLEY T:8.125”

NEWS BRIEF Cargill earnings bounce back led by food sector

BY CHRISTINE STEBBINS REUTERS

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U.S. agribusiness giant Cargill Inc. reported a rebound in earnings after its worst quarter in a decade, led by record profits in its global food ingredient businesses and stronger results in energy trading.

Minneapolis-based Cargill, one of the world’s largest privately held corporations, reported $766 million in earnings from continuing operations for the fiscal third quarter ended Feb. 29, just ahead of $763 million a year earlier.

Revenue rose five per cent to $31.9 billion.

Third-quarter results represent a bounce back after Cargill’s secondquarter profits fell 88 per cent to $100 million — the worst quarterly performance since 2001, as earnings were hurt by investments made in equity markets and by distressed assets amid the European debt crisis.

Cargill, which operates in 65 countries, is a leading U.S. grain exporter, food processor, energy trader and biofuels producer. If Cargill were a publicly listed company, its 2011 sales of $119.5 billion would have ranked No. 13 on the Fortune 500 list of largest U.S. companies.

9

ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • APRIL 23, 2012

Prairie fertilizer stocks strained LOGISTICS  Timing of spring rains may affect ability to fill the demand

BY ROD NICKEL/REUTERS

C

anadian farmers’ zeal for planting canola may strain fertilizer supplies, dealers say, as near-ideal sowing conditions and lofty crop prices drive up planting interest in the oilseed.

This spring, farmers are expected to sow a record-high 20 million acres or more of canola with the new-crop futures price hitting a recent contract high.

Total acres of most crops are expected to rise because of dry conditions after two years of flooding.

Western Canadian farmers have been snapping up nitrogenbased fertilizer and ammonium sulphate in an effort to maximize canola yields, said Dwayne Sharun, regional fertilizer manager for Crop Production Services, a unit of Agrium Inc. Ammonium sulphate is virtually sold out across Western Canada at the wholesale level, leaving nothing to restock for

retail outlets once they sell out, he said.

“I think they have enough for spring, but if a whole lot more canola gets planted here last minute, there could be some shortages,” said Sharun, who is based near Calgary.

Viterra, the biggest retailer of fertilizer and seed in Western Canada, has seen brisker spring fertilizer sales during the past 2-1/2 months than during the same period in the past two years, said Doug Wonnacott, chief operating officer of agriproducts.

“It promises to be a very strong year for crop inputs,” Wonnacott said in an interview. Viterra expects canola plantings of 20 million to 21 million acres in Western Canada, smashing last year’s record high of 18.5 million acres.

“That increase will result in significantly higher fertilizer requirements,” he said. “Because of higher commodity prices, and farmers having cash, our expectation is that application rates

will be up as well, regardless of the crop.”

Supplies of nitrogen-based fertilizer may run thin depending on how aggressively farmers plant canola, Sharun said.

There are probably enough supplies for up to 21 million acres, but it’s doubtful there would be enough fertilizer for larger plantings, Sharun said.

Viterra expects to have enough nitrogen and sulphur on hand, but it appears supplies are tight in the industry, with new customers trying to buy from Viterra, Wonnacott said.

Soils are dry across the Prairies, in contrast to flooding the past two springs. This has allowed for brisk fertilizer applications and bigger areas of crops almost across the board.

Those conditions don’t necessarily add up to a fertilizer shortage, said Kevin Blair, CEO of an independent farm input store in Lanigan, Saskatchewan.

“I think the manufacturers like to tell you it’s tighter than normal, but in reality... if it’s tighter, it’s marginally tighter.”

Bottlenecks

Rob Davies, CEO of Weyburn Inland Terminal in southern Saskatchewan, doesn’t expect a prolonged fertilizer shortage, but said there could be bottlenecks depending on when farmers start planting and applying nutrients.

“It’s a time-distribution function. So if everybody in Western Canada starts to go in one week, fertilizer supply gets difficult from a logistics standpoint.”

The timing of spring rains, which stall planting in some pockets and allow retailers to replenish supplies, may determine how significant logistical problems might be.

Production snags during the winter haven’t helped.

Yara International ASA’s Belle Plaine, Saskatchewan nitrogen plant had more downtime than

usual, while Agrium’s Carseland, Alberta plant was down for six to eight weeks this winter due to a mechanical problem.

Retailers hope to have enough fertilizer on hand, Davies said, but are still stinging from a crash in fertilizer prices several years ago that left them holding large, pricey stocks.

“I think suppliers are not going to be able to promise you all you want, when you want it, in season,” Davies said.

There should be enough canola seed to go around, but some varieties could sell out, said Wonnacott of Viterra.

Sharun expects Crop Production Services to “be down to the last bag” of canola seed.

Rising nitrogen prices — ignited by big U.S. corn prospects — may cap some of canola’s potential gains in seeded area.

Some farmers in Saskatchewan are likely to add acres for peas and other pulse crops instead that don’t require nitrogen fertilizer, Blair said.

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Ritz says budget cuts Nitrogen Miser won’t affect consumers The need for speed: Surface urea CUTBACKS  Union says 100 CFIA food safety

inspectors to be axed

BY ALEX BINKLEY

AF CONTRIBUTOR / OTTAWA

A

griculture Minister Gerry Ritz is brushing off accusations that cuts at the Canadian Food Inspection Agency will eliminate the jobs of 100 veterinarians and inspectors.

Reductions will be predominantly “backroom changes,” said Ritz.

“Anyone who says this will affect food safety is off the mark,” he said.

But the president of the agriculture division of the Public Service Alliance of Canada said the cuts are “unravelling many of the improvements made to the food safety system since the tragic events of the 2008 Maple Leaf Foods listeria outbreak.”

“Ottawa will be firing as many as 100 food safety inspectors, more than it hired after it became painfully obvious that the inspector shortage contributed to the Maple Leaf disaster,” said Bob Kingston.

The union also raised an alarm over the plan to eliminate the jobs of 325 border inspec-

application can make you more efficient

By Earl Greenhough Earl Greenhough

tors, who alert the CFIA to any food imports they’re concerned about.

Meanwhile, budget cuts at Agriculture Canada will result in shutting the rural and co-operatives secretariats, taking over adaptation funding administration currently done by provincial bodies, and cutting agriculture research.

Ritz said the $3 billion in cost savings at Agriculture Canada would be at the administrative level, and focus on making it more efficient.

“It’s high time that governments started to look at their bottom line, the same as you do in business. And that’s exactly what these changes will bring forth,” said Ritz.

The spending cuts for the 201213 fiscal year will be nearly $15 million for the department and $2 million for CFIA. Next year, the cuts will rise to $158.4 million and $56 million and by the third year reach $253 million and $56.1 million. At the same time, the government will allocate $51.2 million to CFIA during the next two years “to strengthen Canada’s food safety system.”

If seeding were an Olympic event, it would be a marathon. Growers and applicators work around the clock and then have some time to catch their breath once the crop is growing.

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protected by AGROTAIN® nitrogen stabilizer. You can still get the nutrients the plant needs to get a good start, but avoid the crush of having to place all your nitrogen at once and all the time it takes away from seeding to stop and fill the fertilizer tank.

During the rush to get the seed in the ground, growers look for ways to do more with less — less time and less manpower.

One simple way to do this is to avoid the hassle and expense of putting all your nitrogen down at seeding, by substituting an broadcast application before seeding, right after seeding or even after emergence with urea

AGROTAIN® stabilizer can be blended with ureabased fertilizer products to create enhanced-efficiency fertilizers that control surface loss by blocking the enzyme urease. This means growers can apply nitrogen to their fields without having to put it into the soil — and keep it available for the crop — for pennies per pound of N.

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10

APRIL 23, 2012 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

Morocco’s drought to support Prairie durum prospects TOO LATE  Any rainfall now would provide very

little upside to the production prospects COMMODITY NEWS SERVICE CANADA

D

Morocco’s durum crop may only be about a third of last year’s. also caused problems across the Strait of Gibraltar, in Spain.

The challenges in Spain mean the country won’t be in a position to meet any export demand that comes out of Morocco this year, said McMillan.

Morocco recently signed a free trade agreement with the U.S., which means U.S. durum may be more likely to fill any increased demand from the North African country.

However, U.S. supplies are also on the tight side, and the relatively small number of players in the international durum market will see Canadian prices supported as well.

Canada exported 597,600 tonnes of durum to Morocco in 2010-11, according to Canadian Grain Commission data, making the country the second-largest destination for Canadian durum exports that year.

In the 2011-12 crop year to date, Canada has exported 185,100

Find it fast at

©THINKSTOCK

tonnes of durum to Morocco, which compares with 412,700 tonnes at the same point the previous year.

Total Canadian durum exports to all destinations in both 2011-12 and the upcoming 2012-13 crop year are currently forecast by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada at 3.5 million tonnes. That compares with exports in 2010-11 of 3.304 million.

As far as Canada’s durum crop is concerned, McMillan said recent precipitation in the durum-growing areas of Saskatchewan helped top up moisture levels after a dry winter.

Farmers are showing interest in growing the crop, he said, but any increases in seeded area will be subdued.

The CWB currently forecasts Prairie durum seedings in 2012 at 4.45 million acres, up from 4.02 million in 2011 but slightly below the five-year average of 4.72 million.

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COMPETITION  Some traders complain that

firms such as Viterra wield too much control SYDNEY/REUTERS

BY PHIL FRANZ-WARKENTIN

rought concerns in Spain and Morocco could bode well for Canadian durum exports, as the two Mediterranean countries are both major producers of the crop.

“The dryness in Morocco has been building since December, and we’ve seen it continue to build,” said Stuart McMillan, a weather and crop analyst with the CWB in Winnipeg.

Nearby Algeria and Tunisia have seen adequate moisture for their durum crops, but expectations for Morocco’s durum crop have declined considerably.

After two to three years of favourable weather and good yields, cyclical North African weather patterns have trended back to dryness, said McMillan.

The cyclical weather also leads to cyclical demand from the region, which is a major player in the world durum market, he said.

He estimated the Moroccan durum crop was advanced to the point where rainfall would provide very little upside to the production prospects.

As a result, Morocco’s durum crop may end up about a third of the size of the previous year’s, said McMillan. A recent report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture pegs all wheat production in the country, including durum, at 2.3 million tonnes, which compares with 5.8 million in 2011-12.

Weather patterns keeping moisture out of Morocco have

Share grain storage data: Aussie senators

43,000 PIECES OF A EQUIPMENT G !

Bulk handlers of Australian grain must furnish stock level and quality details to the market in order to banish concerns over monopolies of storage and export facilities, a Senate inquiry recommended April 16.

Some traders and growers complain that bulk grains firms, such as Canada’s Viterra and locally listed GrainCorp, wield too much control over the allocation of export facilities.

Wheat growers want storage levels at shipping terminals publicized so they can send their grain to ports with low stocks and avoid the expense of storage costs prior to loading.

But bulk grain handlers point to significant investment, saying details of storage and shipping are proprietary information. The Australian Bureau of Statistics provides some limited information on bulk grain storage each month.

The recommendations of the Senate Committee on Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport follow a year spent examining the Australian grain-export market, which was deregulated in 2008.

The panel wanted the details of publication incorporated in a voluntary code of conduct

that will govern the Australian grain market from September 2014, but feared the code would not be enough to get bulk grain handlers to comply with port terminal access pacts unless accompanied by a threat such as loss of export accreditation.

“The committee is concerned that without a deterrent such as the possible relinquishment of a bulk handling company’s export accreditation, there is no incentive for the company to adhere to the voluntary code of conduct,” the Senate report said.

The committee did not recommend the introduction of auctions for shipping slots at all Australian ports, saying the system might not solve some port access woes.

Shipping slot auctions are held in Western Australia, the top wheat-growing state, and Viterra is working with the country’s competition regulator towards a similar system in South Australia, where it has a grain export terminal monopoly.

The Senate panel said the need to extend auction sites should be weighed by industry body Wheat Export Australia, and called for investment in transport infrastructure in Australia, particularly rail, urging the federal government to find funding options if state governments and private operators fell short.

Australian grain terminals at Port Pirie. Shipping-slot auctions are held at some ports to ensure fair access for all exporters. ©THINKSTOCK

IN BRIEF Viterra shareholders to vote on Glencore takeover May 29 REUTERS Shareholders in Viterra Inc. will vote May 29 whether to approve a $6.1-billion friendly takeover of Canada’s biggest grain handler

by Swiss-based commodities trader Glencore International PLC. The deal’s completion requires approval of twothirds of the votes cast by shareholders or their proxies. If it gets a green light, it is expected to close in Viterra’s third quarter, ending July 31.

Alberta Investment Management Corp., Viterra’s biggest shareholder with a 16.5 per cent stake, has already agreed to support the takeover.

Glencore said on March 20 it had reached a deal to buy Viterra and sell off some parts of it to Canada’s Richardson International Ltd. and Agrium Inc., giving Glencore a huge new presence in the grain industry.

The deal still needs regulatory approval in Canada and Australia. Because it is a foreign takeover, the Canadian government must decide if it is of “net benefit” to the country.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper noted Glencore’s global marketing reach in comments on March 26 that signalled Ottawa has little appetite for blocking the deal.

The takeover also requires a review by Canada’s Competition Bureau.

11

} investigation

Albertafarmexpress.ca • APRIL 23, 2012

Argentina suspends Bunge

Kansas grain company fined

Argentina has suspended giant agribusiness company Bunge Ltd. from a key government grains registry, accusing the company of tax evasion. This is the second time the trading company has been kicked off the list in the last 13 months due to the investigation.

Absence from the registry poses logistical challenges by restricting the government permissions needed to move grains within the country. But the suspension is not likely to bog down exports as companies suspended from the registry often simply resort to paying others to truck grains for them. Private estimates show about five per cent of Argentina’s tax revenue comes from grains exports. — Reuters

The operator of a Kansas grain elevator is facing $406,000 in fines for alleged safety violations in the wake of an explosion in October in which six workers died and two others were injured. U.S. Labor Secretary Hilda Solis said in a news release that Bartlett Grain Company was found to have five wilful and eight serious violations at its elevator in Atchison, Kansas, 50 miles (80 km) north of Kansas City. “The deaths of these six workers could have been prevented had the grain elevator’s operators addressed hazards that are well known in this industry,” Solis stated.

Prairie precipitation spurs new-crop canola selling Bearish } U.S. corn futures under pressure on expectations

of large acreage this spring

By Dwayne Klassen

T

he divergence between old- and new-crop canola contracts traded on the ICE Futures Canada platform experienced a bit of a widening during the week ended April 13, as concerns about the record usage pace buoyed the nearby May and July futures.

The deferred futures were undermined by an improvement in the soil moisture situation on the Prairies ahead of spring seeding operations and the record amount of canola that will be planted.

There was sentiment in the market that old-crop canola futures need to climb further in order for rationing of demand to begin being taken seriously by the domestic and export industries. Talk of Chinese demand for Canadian canola also surfaced during the reporting period, which in turn provided some buoyancy for values.

The much-needed arrival of precipitation in the dry growing regions of Alberta and Saskatchewan helped to influence some of the selling that emerged in the new-crop months. The precipitation, which arrived as both snow and rain, was considered timely and will provide for a good start for producers anxiously awaiting to get out on the fields to begin planting.

As for how much canola will actually be seeded this spring, estimates continue to hover around the 21-million- to 23-million-acre range. Statistics Canada will release its first plantings survey on April 24. However, market participants already anticipate the report will come up short in its projection, with the numbers not taking into account any switch into the crop after the survey was conducted.

There was some arbitrary price movement seen in milling wheat, durum and barley contracts on the ICE Futures Canada platform, but very little in the way of actual volume.

Soy futures mixed

Chicago Board of Trade soybean futures were mixed during the period ended April 13. Confirmation of tighter-thananticipated old-crop soybean supplies in the U.S., and on the global market, in the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s April 10 supply/demand balance sheets helped to firm up the nearby May and July contracts.

The USDA pegged U.S. soybean ending stocks at 250 million bushels, which was down 25 million from the estimate made in March, but about 10 million higher than what the trade had been anticipating. Demand for U.S. soybeans, however, was increased in the report. World soybean ending stocks for 2011-12 came in at 55.52 million tonnes, down from the 57.3 million forecast in March and the yearago level of 69.12 million. The USDA also lowered its Brazilian soybean output to 66 million tonnes from 68.5 million made a month ago. Argentine soybean production was estimated at 45 million tonnes, down from 46.5 million. The weakness in

new-crop soybeans reflected the favourable weather for seeding operations in the U.S. heading into the spring — as well as the sentiment that values have moved too high, too fast, and were due for a downward correction.

Concerns about the state of China’s economy also tempered some of the price strength seen in soybeans.

Bearish on corn

Corn futures on the CBOT suffered declines, with old-crop months leading the downward price slide. The USDA report, which failed to reduce the old-crop corn supply in the U.S. was the main bearish influence. The USDA estimated 201112 U.S. corn ending stocks at 801 million bushels, unchanged from the month-ago projection. The forecast was also about 70 million to 80 million bushels above what pre-report ideas had been anticipating.

World corn ending stocks in 2011-12 were pegged by USDA at 122.71 million tonnes, compared with 124.53 million in March.

The anticipation of U.S. farmers planting an extremely large corn crop weighed on deferred values. The rapid pace of those planting operations, amid favourable weather conditions, also added to the bearish sentiment in those contracts.

Wheat futures at the CBOT, KCBT and

For three-times-daily market reports from Resource News International, visit “ICE Futures Canada updates” at www.albertafarmexpress.ca.

MGEX were lower on the week. The quick seeding pace for U.S. spring wheat, combined with favourable weather for the development of the U.S. winter wheat crop, facilitated some of the downward price action. The weather for wheat development in Europe also has improved, which contributed to the price weakness.

USDA’s report, meanwhile, was considered supportive for wheat and helped to temper the price declines. The USDA pegged 2011-12 U.S. wheat ending stocks at 793 million bushels, down from the previous month’s 825 million. World wheat carry-over in 2011-12 came in at 206.27 million tonnes, down from the March forecast of 213.1 million.

There are indications that soybean values have established their springtime high and that it will take some weather-related issues in order for prices to make another push to the upside.

Some potentially bearish influences include more acres being seeded to soybeans in the U.S. this spring than anticipated. There have already been some cold-weather scares for corn, which could also translate into more acres to soybeans than expected, especially if those readings return.

China also is a wild card in the soybean market. There is no doubt that this country has front loaded its soybean purchases. This leaves the possibility of cancelled sales by China as we head into the new crop year, especially if prices push significantly lower.

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

12

APRIL 23, 2012 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

Saskatchewan leads another sharp jump in farmland values Alberta } Farmland values rose an average of 4.5 per cent during the second half of 2011 Staff

It will be important for producers who want to sell or buy farmland to keep an eye on possible variations in Canadian farm income in the coming years.”

T

he federal farm lending agency’s latest six-month checkup on the peaks and valleys of Canadian farmland values finds demand for Saskatchewan’s acres continuing to catch up with the supply.

While Saskatchewan, home to about 40 per cent of Canada’s arable land, has seen its farmland values rising since 2002, its land market until recently “had historically increased at a slower rate than in other areas of the country,” Farm Credit Canada said in its latest Farmland Values report.

Ongoing strong commodity prices, and that relatively slow climb in values until now, have led the province to a 10.1 per cent increase in farmland values in the second half of 2011 (July 1 to Dec. 31), compared to increases of 11.6 and 2.7 per cent in the previous two six-month periods.

FCC said its latest study results in Saskatchewan “appearing to mirror what’s occurring in the United States, where double-digit increases in farmland values have been reported in several corn and soybean states” such as Nebraska, Kansas and Iowa.

Most areas of the province, FCC said, saw “strong demand from local farmers wanting to expand their farms or purchase the land they were renting. New entrants from other provinces and countries were also bidding on land.”

Parts of the province with goodquality acres had fewer market list-

Jean-Philippe Gervais FCC

Land of the living skies, and land of higher land prices. ©thinkstock ings, FCC noted, adding that renters were “approaching landlords directly to prevent other parties from bidding and to maintain control of the land.” Also, areas with oil and gas revenue have seen “limited sales but strong demand.”

“Monitor trends”

“Low interest rates, in relation to inflation, and higher farm income levels have recently led to significant increases in farmland values in some provinces,” Michael Hoffort, FCC’s senior vice-president of portfolio and credit risk, said in the lender’s release.

“With interest rates expected

to remain at historic lows until 2013, it will be especially important to monitor trends in crop and livestock receipts in the coming year.”

In Ontario, where farmland prices overall have been rising since 1993, values rose 7.2 per cent in the second half of 2011, compared to gains of 6.6 and 2.4 per cent in the previous two periods.

The most notable gains there were in southwestern and eastern Ontario as livestock, crop and vegetable producers all want land; also, in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), commuters

are buying small farms for rural residential purposes, as the city’s GO Transit system expands into those areas.

Farmland values in Alberta, having risen since 1993, rose an average of 4.5 per cent during the second half of 2011, following gains of four and 1.5 per cent in the previous two periods.

“Strong agricultural commodity prices, along with increased oilfield activity, appeared to spur confidence in the economy, with land prices either holding their value or increasing,” FCC wrote.

Quebec farmland values, which have either held steady or increased since FCC began reporting them in 1984, rose an average of 4.3 per cent in the second half of last year, after gains of 4.4 and 0.9 per cent in the previous two periods, the agency said.

Increases were seen in values

on surveyed properties across the province, FCC said, where increases in previous reports were concentrated more in Quebec’s southwest.

The next largest gain in the second half of 2011 was seen in Nova Scotia (up 3.2 per cent from the previous period), where a “limited quantity” of farmland was available to buy.

That gain was followed by Manitoba (up 1.9 per cent, more significantly in grain-growing areas), Prince Edward Island (up 1.5 per cent, largely on demand for potato acres), New Brunswick (up 1.3 per cent) and British Columbia (up 0.2 per cent). Average farmland values in Newfoundland and Labrador were flat during the reporting period.

The average national price of farmland has risen by about eight per cent per year since the “general upswing” in commodity prices began in 2006, FCC said — about twice the rate observed in the first part of the decade.

“A more affluent population in emerging economies like China and India is driving the global demand for food which results in crop and livestock prices that have remained above historical averages,” Jean-Philippe Gervais, FCC’s senior agriculture economist, said in the release.

“This helped propel the value of farmland to record highs in North America. It will be important for producers who want to sell or buy farmland to keep an eye on possible variations in Canadian farm income in the coming years.”

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Canadian farmers up to age 30-something are being offered loans to help them improve their operations by buying or upgrading land or farm buildings.

Farm Credit Canada and the federal government have rolled out a new Young Farmer Loan product, featuring variable rates at prime plus 0.5 per cent, plus no loan processing fees. “Special fixed rates” are also available.

“Qualified producers” under 40 years of age can get loans of up to $500,000 through FCC through this program, budgeted for up to $500 million, the federal ag lending agency said.

The loans must go toward the purchase of agriculture-related assets, FCC said. “Even if you have limited credit experience, by putting together a sound plan, you can purchase farmrelated assets.”

The loans, “normally secured with real property,” can be repaid in monthly, quarterly, semi-annual or annual payments, FCC said.

The loan’s features and options were expected to address the needs of the age 18-to-39 demographic, which, during the 2006 federal Census, made up about 16 per cent of Canadian producers.

Ag groups hailing FCC’s announcement included Dairy Farmers of Canada, noting the farmers in its sector are “generally younger,” with an average age of 47 in 2006 compared to the average age of 52 across all Canadian ag sectors.

Canadian Cattlemen’s Association president Martin Unrau said in a separate release that financing is one of the biggest obstacles facing young farmers in startup or expansion mode.

“There are plenty of young people who love agriculture and want to start their own business, but just can’t make the numbers work,” said Unrau, who farms at MacGregor, Man. “By allowing young producers to borrow with no fees at affordable rates, the Young Farmer Loan will help them build their businesses and develop a solid credit history,” FCC CEO Greg Stewart said in the lender’s release.

13

ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • APRIL 23, 2012

HANG-GLIDING ON THE PRAIRIES

With no mountains to jump from, veteran hang-glider Michael Schulte (from Calgary, Alberta) uses his modified pickup truck to provide the air speed and lift he needs to get him high in the air above stubble fields near Gleichen, Alberta. A sport that typically runs from April-November at the latest, Schulte with 20-plus years of flying experience says he has never before been able to hang-glide in this area in the winter months. But this season he accomplished flights in December, January and February. He hopes the mild weather holds so he can fly in March and have the bragging rights of hang-gliding every month of the year in this area. PHOTOS: KEVIN LINK

Sandra Schulte attaches the tow line which spools out behind the truck as they race down the road pulling Michael, increasing his air speed and enabling him to climb.

Above: As the truck continues to pick up speed Michael continues to climb. At approximately 2,500 feet above the ground Michael releases the tow line from his glider and slowly makes his way to the ground. With the lack of the warm thermal winds in the winter months each flight only lasts about 20 minutes compared to several hours in the summer.

As the truck slowly pulls onto the roadway Michael’s hang-glider is locked into place.

Left: After landing Sandra assists Michael back to the truck for another flight as the gusty northwest winds make it difficult to walk the hang-glider by himself.

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APRIL 23, 2012 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

Non-profit agency lowers costs of checkoff collection

Pen-checking on horseback

SERVICE } Levy Central

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by madeleine baerg af contributor | calgary

Rocky Ridsdale enjoys the warm weather while checking cattle at Cattleland Feedyards north of Strathmore. Photo: kevin link

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The Alberta Barley Commission has become the latest producer organization to entrust its checkoff collection to Saskatchewan-based Levy Central.

“The Levy Central service will help us build efficiencies and simplify our existing system,” said Lisa Skierka, the commission’s general manager. “This is a responsible use of producer dollars and, ideally, it will help us increase investment in research and market development, which will help barley producers in the future.”

Levy Central is a non-profit enterprise run by the Agriculture Council of Saskatchewan, which now collects checkoff and manages producer information for 10 Prairie grain commodity organizations.

“It just makes sense to collect this kind of work in a central organization,” said Christine Colborne, the council’s levy manager. “It’s very administration heavy work, so if you can have someone do that it frees up commodity organizations’ internal staff.”

Levy Central is not only more cost effective for organizations, but also for those collecting checkoffs, said Rick Istead, executive director of the Alberta Winter Wheat Commission, which made the switch a year ago.

“From what I hear, our dealers like it,” said Istead. “They like that it’s one voice. If they’re submitting for numerous commodities, say a producer brings in both barley and winter wheat, that dealer only has to work with one touch point.”

As well, “Levy Central has established relationships with grain buyers, which simplifies remittance on their end,” he said.

Both Skierka and Istead said they hope Levy Central will help their organizations reduce the number of dealers who skip making checkoff payments. This is a major problem, with some organizations facing losses in excess of 50 per cent.

“Levy Central’s database system will help us identify slippage,” said Skierka. “Knowing where remittances aren’t being submitted will help us track where our staff need to reach out and build relationships with dealers. Ensuring correct payments are made would make it more fair to everyone who does submit.”

Levy Central was established in 1995 by the Saskatchewan Canola Development Commission.

15

ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • APRIL 23, 2012

U.S. lapping up Canadian canola oil EPA approved } The U.S. allowed Canadian crops

to be used in biofuels in 2011

By Rod Nickel

winnipeg / reuters

C

Expansion

In the past several years, Cargill Inc., Richardson and Louis Dreyfus have dramatically expanded crushing capacity in Western Canada to tap new demand.

Bunge Ltd. plans to expand processing sites in Manitoba and Alberta, while Archer Daniels Midland intends to expand a canola-processing plant and build a biodiesel facility at Lloydminster, Alberta.

Just south of Manitoba, Northstar Agri Industries is set to open

a canola-crushing plant at Hallock, Minnesota this spring.

Glencore International PLC., the world’s biggest diversified commodities trader, will run a Manitoba crushing plant if it completes its takeover of Viterra later this year.

Canadian farmers look poised to boost supplies to match some of the lucrative new demand and are expected to plant a record-large canola acreage this spring.

Canola was a minor Canadian crop with limited markets when Brett Halstead began growing it U.S. demand for canola oil has spiked in the last year. ©istock in the late 1980s. Today, Canada is the world’s biggest exporter “From a grower’s perspective, organization SaskCanola. “Proof the rapeseed variant, and its it’s just the economics of it, the ducers see it year in and year many domestic and export buyprice,” said Halstead, a farmer o u t a s t h e c r o p , o r o n e o f B:8.125” ers make it the centrepiece of at Nokomis, Saskatchewan and the crops that has the best T:8.125” many farmers’ production. board chair of the industry returns.”

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anada’s canola crushers are processing the oilseed at a record-brisk pace, as demand for canola oil heats up among U.S. makers of biodiesel and food products like potato chips.

The United States has long been a key export market for canola, Canada’s second-biggest crop after spring wheat, but its appetite has spiked in the past year.

In September, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) approved use of Canadian crops in U.S. biofuels, allowing fuel makers to collect tax credits for using them.

The move had an almost immediate impact on Canadian canola oil shipments.

“The growth into the U.S. is strong, very strong,” said Pat Van Osch, vice-president of oilseed processing for Richardson International Limited.

Biodiesel-based demand for canola from the United States tends to be sporadic, depending on market conditions for fuel makers and how the price of canola oil compares with soyoil, Van Osch said.

The U.S. food market for canola oil has also been strong.

“We’ve taken market share there as well and we’ve been able to do that because canola oil has been trading close to or at parity with soybean oil,” Van Osch said.

Canadian canola processors have crushed nearly 4.6 million tonnes of seed in 2011-12, well ahead of last year’s pace, which ended with a record 6.3 million tonnes crushed, according to the Canadian Oilseed Processors Association.

Much of the oil crushers produced headed south, as Canada exported nearly 770,000 tonnes of canola oil to the United States from August through January of 2011-12, up by almost onethird over last year’s record-high exports.

The U.S. Congress has set a goal of blending 36 billion gallons of renewable fuel into transportation fuel by 2022.

A fraction of that total — one billion gallons this year — is set aside for biodiesel produced by biomass such as crops, said Alan Weber, an adviser to the Washington-based National Biodiesel Board.

Biodiesel is made from a variety of feedstocks including animal fats, recycled cooking grease and

soybean oil. Canola oil is unlikely to threaten soyoil’s nearly 50 per cent market share, but is poised to carve out a piece of the U.S. biodiesel market with the other feedstocks, Weber said.

16

APRIL 23, 2012 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

Canada counterappeals COOL ruling

OLDS COLLEGE GALA EVENT

OBJECTIVE  Canada

wants to shut down part of the ruling STAFF

A World Trade Organization panel’s ruling criticizing the U.S. government’s countryof-origin labelling (COOL) law is now under appeal from both sides of the table.

The WTO has reported receiving formal notice that Canada, like the U.S., plans to appeal parts of last November’s ruling from the WTO Dispute Settlement Body (DSB).

The U.S. filed its appeal on March 23, seeking to overturn the DSB’s ruling that COOL violates Washington’s WTO obligations and does not fulfil its legitimate objective of consumer education.

Canada, however, wants to shut down the part of the DSB’s ruling that implies COOL’s main objective was legitimate in the first place.

Canada’s appeal, dated March 28, disputes the DSB’s view that the panel was supposed to identify a potential objective of COOL, rather than its actual objective.

It also disputes the DSB’s finding that COOL’s objective is legitimate within the WTO Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade.

Canada alleges the DSB panel failed to make an “objective assessment of the facts demonstrating that the objective of the COOL measure is protectionism.”

If, on the other hand, COOL’s objective isn’t actually protectionism, Canada claims the DSB “erred by failing to define the objective at a sufficiently detailed level.”

More than 500 attended the Olds College gala event to celebrate its upcoming 100th anniversary. Among the guests were (l) the Hon. Jason Kenney, minister of citizenship, immigration and multiculturalism; college president Tom Thompson and Mrs. Joyce Thompson and Earl Dreeshen, MP for Red Deer.

It’s go time.

Alternative measures

If the WTO’s Appellate Body rejects the DSB’s finding that COOL fails to fulfil a legitimate objective, Canada then wants a ruling from the Appellate Body stating “there are less trade-restrictive alternative measures” the U.S. could use to meet COOL’s objective.

If such alternative measures are available to the U.S., Canada says, then COOL violates the Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade.

The DSB panel ruled in November that COOL is “inconsistent with the United States’ WTO obligations” and unfairly affords “less favourable treatment to imported Canadian cattle and hogs than to like domestic products.”

The Canadian Cattlemen’s Association has said it expects an oral hearing before the Appellate Body on the U.S. appeal to happen later this month or early May. The Appellate Body generally has up to three months to finish a report after such hearings.

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ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • APRIL 23, 2012

RECOGNITION AT OLDS COLLEGE GALA EVENT

U of Guelph to downsize Enviro pig research LOW P  The pigs

have a gene which eliminates the need to supplement feed with phytase

More than 500 attended the Olds College gala event to celebrate its upcoming 100th anniversary. The gala recognized Mr. J.C. (Jack) Anderson as Partner of the Year by presenting a painting in his honour. Anderson is a prominent college supporter who is donating a multimillion-dollar gift of 100 vintage cars and trucks to the college. The collection will be sold at auction during the college’s Centennial Year program in 2013. (l-r) Olds College board chair Barry Mehr, Jack Anderson, college president Tom Thompson, Hon. Jason Kenney, minister of citizenship, immigration and multiculturalism and Blake Richards, MP for Wild Rose.

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The Enviropig is a genetically enhanced line of Yorkshire pigs with the capability of digesting plant phosphorus more efficiently than conventional Yorkshire pigs. PHOTO: UNIVERSITY OF GUELPH STAFF

Researchers in Ontario plan to wind down the breeding work on a line of hogs genetically modified for more efficient use of phosphorus in their diets.

Ontario Pork, one of the key funders in the development of the “Enviropig” line at the University of Guelph, recently announced the university is “reducing the scope of its Enviropig research” when Ontario Pork pulls its funding from the project this spring.

The Guelph-based hog industry organization has “decided to redirect its research dollars,” but added that research on the Enviropig line has been completed to a point where the genetics have been proven and their value has been documented.

Ontario Pork said on its website, the university has decided the project is at a point where it is best for industry or a receptor to take it over and the school’s business development office will look for “potential commercialization/ industry opportunities.”

Research on the Enviropig will continue, but in “a more costeffective way that does not require the continual breeding and generation of live animals,” Ontario Pork said.

The Enviropig line of genetically modified Yorkshires was invented

by Guelph professors Cecil Forsberg and John Phillips, with University of Delaware professor Serguei Golovan.

The breeding line includes a composite gene allowing the animals to produce an acid phosphatase enzyme, commonly called phytase, in the salivary glands and secrete it in their saliva.

The composite gene was created with a gene from an E. coli strain that makes phytase, plus a “very small portion” of a gene from a mouse that controls the production of proteins secreted in the salivary gland.

As Enviropigs digest typical hog feed, phytase is active in their stomachs, degrading otherwiseindigestible phytate that accounts for 50 to 75 per cent of their ration’s grain-based phosphorus.

With the animals’ feed phosphorus digested, the project’s backers say, there would be no need for an Enviropig producer to supplement the diet with either mineral phosphate or commercially-produced phytase.

Furthermore, the animals shed less phosphorus in their manure, which would reduce their environmental impact in areas where soil phosphorus is beyond a desirable level.

18

APRIL 23, 2012 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

Disaster shaping up for some EU 2012 rapeseed crops HARD WINTER  Disaster looms in some areas after cold winter damages crops

BY MICHAEL HOGAN HAMBURG/REUTERS

T

he European Union’s 2012 rapeseed crop is seen sliding to a five-year low of 18.48 million tonnes this year, with several countries hit by an especially cold winter, Hamburgbased oilseeds analysts Oil World said April 17.

The disappointing crop means EU rapeseed supplies will again be tight in the forthcoming 2012-13 season and that EU rapeseed crushings are likely to decline, it said.

“A disaster is shaping up for this year’s rapeseed production in some parts of the European Union,” Oil World said.

The new estimate is down sharply from the 2011 harvest of 19.1 million tonnes and from Oil World’s April 10 forecast for 2012 of 19.2 million tonnes.

Deep winter frosts in late February damaged rapeseed plants in some countries following poor development after a dry autumn in some regions, it said.

“Alarming reports have been received in recent days from Germany, Poland and France pointing to greater-than-expected damage from winter killing,” it said.

EU benchmark rapeseed futures in Paris touched 14-month highs on April 10 because of fears about

winter damage to European crops coupled with expectations of poor South American soybean harvests.

Oil World said it expected major rapeseed crop losses in eastern EU countries.

Poland’s crop will fall to 1.85 million tonnes from 1.87 million last year, it said. Crops are likely to be lower as well in Romania, Bulgaria and Hungary, it said.

Germany’s 2012 crop still is forecast by Oil World to rise to 4.4 million tonnes from the weatherreduced 3.8 million tonnes last year. France’s harvest is likely to fall to 5.2 million tonnes from around 5.3 million, it said.

The crop in Britain, hit by drought after a cold snap in late February, is likely to fall to 2.6 million tonnes from 2.7 million tonnes, it said.

“We consider it unlikely that EU imports can be raised sufficiently to offset reduced domestic production,” Oil World said.

Heavier competition for supplies

Oil World chief executive Thomas Mielke told Reuters separately that the expected poor crop would create greater competition between global rapeseed-importing countries in the 2012-13 season and excellent sales opportunities for exporters.

“This could create a new compe-

Germany’s rapeseed crop is still estimated higher than last year but overall EU supplies will be tight. tition scenario between the various rapeseed-importing countries, especially should the worldwide export supplies of rapeseed and canola be insufficient,” Mielke said.

Following a poor crop in 2011, the EU is forecast by Oil World to be the world’s largest rapeseed importer in the current 2011-12 season followed by Japan, China, Mexico and Pakistan.

Much of the global supply picture will depend on the development of the crops in key exporters Australia and Canada, both of which will have excellent sales prospects on global markets.

“The world market needs higher crops in Canada and Australia,” he said.

But it is too early to say whether this is possible, he added.

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oilseeds analyst at German agricultural information service AMI, said, “The way things are looking with the current crop forecasts is that the European food processing and biodiesel industry will again be facing tight rapeseed supplies and so possible high prices in the new season.

“I expect more EU rapeseed imports from Australia and Ukraine.”

19

ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • APRIL 23, 2012

 CROP TOOL

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“We wanted to try compost because that is the natural way that things work.”

T

he Kasko Cattle Company feedlot is proof that integrating cows and crops can protect the environment while boosting the bottom line.

The 14,000-head feedlot near Taber is surrounded by 10 quarter sections owned by Ryan Kasko, and Harold and Chris Perry. While Kasko owns and operates the feedlot, the Perry family’s expertise is in producing potatoes, sunflowers and peas on 4,600 owned and rented acres close to Chin, about 40 kilometres from the feedlot.

The Perrys have used cattle manure compost as fertilizer for the past decade and Harold Perry says it’s been highly beneficial. Productivity had been dropping on land under cultivation in a four-year potato crop rotation, but rebounded when compost was applied, he said. The compost not only provides organic fertilizer, but is also an excellent soil amendment, adding micronutrients and providing other biological benefits.

“We wanted to try compost because that is the natural way that things work,” said Perry. “When the buffalo were here, they ate and manured the grass at the same time, and that’s how the natural cycle worked.”

Compost also costs less than commercial fertilizer, said Perry.

Not all the potato land is fertilized with compost — only the land they own. Since potatoes must be grown

HAROLD PERRY

Potato compost being turned at the Kasko Cattle Company feedlot.

SUPPLIED PHOTO

on a four-year rotation, the Perrys participate in a land exchange program with other local farmers.

However, since they have no control over other people’s land, raw manure from feedlots, including some from Kasko Cattle Company, is applied on land owned by other farmers where the Perrys grow potatoes as part of the exchange program.

Until last year, the Perrys purchased compost from a commercial supplier, but Perry said making their own gives them better control over compost quality.

They invested in land surrounding Kasko’s feedlot to both grow their specialty crops and acquire a raw manure source.

In addition to the agronomic value of compost, there are also

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financial advantages to transporting compost versus raw manure.

“Good compost has about 60 per cent of the weight of raw manure,” said Perry. “So if you get too far away from the feedlot, then the trucking just kills you.”

The Perrys pay Kasko for manure, and he hires a contractor to deliver it to a location with good drainage control located next to the feedlot.

The custom manure hauler creates the windrows needed to produce compost. The feedlot delivered 9,000 tonnes of manure to the site last year and Kasko estimates the feedlot generates about 15,000 tonnes of manure annually. The remaining 6,000 tonnes of raw manure were applied in the vicinity of the feedlot.

Perry manufactured about 7,500 tonnes of compost last year, with

the process taking from July to mid-October. It was then applied, worked in, and then potato hills were created for next year’s planting. At the beginning, the windrow turning was done every four or five days because of the strong biological activity underway. Ideally, the conversion process should take 10 weeks, but Perry said he prefers to wait 16 to 20 weeks.

As part of the Perrys’ adventure into composting, they hired an agriculture consultant from Sunrise Ag to soil sample and develop topography maps to help determine how much compost should be applied — a process that resulted in six application zones.

The Perrys are also planning to build an aanaerobic digester on their farm to process cattle manure, rotting potatoes, and possibly green bin waste from nearby Coaldale to produce methane gas. The gas will be used to power an engine to generate 640 kilowatts of electricity. Construction is slated to begin this year.

proving ground.

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20

APRIL 23, 2012 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

New technology focuses on native gene manipulation COMPETITION  Innovation is a must if canola is to continue competing against larger crops

BY SHANNON VANRAES

“This is an approach we are taking across our Roundup Ready crops in terms of bringing multiple tolerance or resistance on top of each other.”

STAFF | WASHINGTON, D.C.

T

he pace of canola seed innovation has increased dramatically over the last 10 years, but that doesn’t mean the industry can take a break or rest on its laurels.

As canola production and consumption has increased over the last four or five years, the amount of soybean oil used worldwide has dropped by four billion pounds. And according to David Dzisiak of Dow AgroSciences — soybean producers want that market back.

“So we would like to keep the innovation in canola moving forward to maintain our advantage,” said the Canola Council of Canada (CCC) director. “Because we still don’t have the scale and size that a crop like soybeans has.”

Dzisiak made the remark during a panel discussion at CCC’s convention in Washington, D.C., which focused on issues of genetic innovation.

Pace of innovation

“The pace of the science is truly astounding, and I think this is probably the most exciting time ever for agriculture, both because of the necessity of the increased demand that needs to be supplied and because of the ability now to create crop traits to help people live longer, healthier lives,” he said.

To make canola healthier, Dzisiak said Dow is working on adding the omega-3 fatty acid, DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) to the seed.

The long-chain fatty acid is the primary structure for the brain and eyes, and sup-

MARK KIDNIE

Mark Kidnie of Monsanto (l to r), Lloyd McCall of Bayer CropScience and David Dzisiak of Dow AgroSciences speak during a genetics panel at the Canola Council of Canada’s Washington, D.C. convention. PHOTO: SHANNON VANRAES ports cognitive abilities. Today DHA is primarily found via algal fermentation and fish oil, which Dzisiak said is not appetizing or sustainable.

Although this technology is likely a significant time away from coming to market, it was noted that without advancing technology and dropping prices, these innovations wouldn’t be possible at all.

“What we’ve seen in increases in precision, increases in the density of those things... we’ve found at each and every step we are much more efficient,” said Lloyd McCall of Bayer CropScience.

New programs for a new era

Costs have decreased

He added the cost of genetic technology has also decreased as processes become more mechanized and less labour intense.

Ten years ago a data point would cost about $4 to determine, now each genetic data point costs five or 10 cents, McCall said.

Dzisiak also noted Dow is now using EXZACT Precision Technology, developed to allow the precise addition, editing and deletion of genes in complex plant genomes.

But because the technology uses native genes and does not import genetic material, the Dow representative said there may be regulatory benefits, allowing varieties developed this way to more quickly reach wider markets.

Monsanto is also looking to the future, with eyes set on higher yields from more resistant varieties, in addition to Roundup Ready updates.

“It’s all about the sustainability of the system,” said Monsanto representative Mark Kidnie. He added future canola varieties will stack resistance traits to avoid issues seen with the development of Roundup-resistant weeds, allowing a variety of herbicides to be used.

“This is an approach we are taking across our Roundup Ready crops in terms of bringing multiple tolerance or resistance on top of each other,” he said.

“It’s proactive.”

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21

ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • APRIL 23, 2012

April 30 is the deadline for crop insurance New features } AFSC offers a spring price endorsement rider and enhancing the unseeded acreage benefit Agri-News

A

s crop prices continue rallying at high levels, the upcoming growing season looks profitable for Alberta farmers. But provincial crop market analyst Charlie Pearson wonders how long the current price rally will last. He cautions producers to think about locking in some of the high prices they’re seeing — before profits slip away.

“I don’t think prices will fall through the floor. They should remain above average. But I think there’s a strong probability we’ll see a price correction of more than 10 per cent before crops are harvested this fall,” says Pearson.

Farmers around the world typically respond to high prices by planting more acres and growing more grain. “It’s a normal cycle.

As long as growing conditions are good, the world will harvest bigger crops, and supply will catch up with demand — driving prices lower. We saw it happen last year with wheat. Farmers harvested a record world wheat crop, pressuring those prices down.”

Pearson adds financial problems overseas such as the European debt crisis could also impact crop prices this year.

Canola is leading the current price rally, soaring to $13.50/ bushel at the end of March — up $2/bushel over last fall, says Pearson.

“Tremendous demand from

Starting in 2012, losses caused by fusarium head blight are only payable if clients have followed the guidelines on the testing and treating of seed outlined in the Alberta fusarium graminearum management plan.

China and strong North American demand for canola oil is fuelling those prices,” he explains. Yellow peas climbed to $9/bushel, while barley elevator prices held strong at about $4.25/bushel — an increase of roughly 25 cents over last year due to a smaller 2011 crop and strong cattle market demand. “Most crop prices are well above average. The exception is wheat, which remains at about $7/bushel for 1 CWRS because of last year’s record world crop,” says Pearson.

Input costs have also climbed,

he adds. “So farmers need aboveaverage crop prices to be profitable. It’s definitely a year when producers should consider using the forward-pricing tools available to them to lock in current high prices on a portion of their crop production.”

Price insurance deadline

Pearson explains farmers can sign deferred delivery contracts with grain buyers that lock in prices today for grain they’ll deliver in B:10.25”Price Endorsethe fall. The Spring ment (SPE) rider on crop insurT:10.25”

ance is another good tool to look at, he says, reminding producers of the April 30 deadline to apply for crop insurance in Alberta. The SPE protects farmers against price drops of 10 to 50 per cent between the spring and fall.

“Interest in the SPE is strong this year as producers look for ways to protect prices. But as always, weather uncertainty is the main reason farmers rely on crop insurance each year,” says Lorelei Hulston, provincial insurance manager with Agriculture Financial Services Corporation (AFSC), the Crown corporation that administers crop insurance in Alberta on behalf of the provincial government.

More than $109 million was paid out for crop insurance claims across Alberta last year — most of it due to excess moisture that flooded fields, causing production and quality losses, says Hulston.

About $13 million was paid for unseeded acreage and reseeding benefits. Claims were also triggered by frost and drought conditions later in the season. Another $178 million was paid for hail damage under the hail endorsement rider on crop insurance.

Unseeded and fusarium policies

Following two extremely wet springs, Hulston says AFSC is increasing coverage for several crops under the Reseeding Benefit, and enhancing the Unseeded Acreage Benefit to recognize

higher costs associated with both dryland and irrigated acres.

“Based on client feedback, farmers will also no longer have to reseed acres to be eligible for the Reseeding Benefit,” she adds.

“Farmers who seed crops that become flooded and can’t be reseeded may now qualify for both the Reseeding and Unseeded Acreage benefits.”

AFSC is also announcing new policies for 2012 governing how claims will be paid for fusarium head blight (FHB) and ergot.

“Starting in 2012, losses caused by fusarium head blight are only payable if clients have followed the guidelines on the testing and treating of seed outlined in the Alberta fusarium graminearum management plan,” explains Hulston, noting those guidelines can be found at www.agric.gov. ab.ca.

Under the new ergot policy, AFSC will no longer provide quality loss coverage for ergot because most seed-cleaning plants can now effectively clean the ergot bodies from harvested grain.

“Instead, a cleaning factor will be applied to samples containing ergot. Production will be reduced by that cleaning factor, and if it triggers a claim, payment will be made,” explains Hulston.

Farmers who have questions about crop insurance should contact their nearest AFSC District Office or the AFSC call centre at 1-877-899-AFSC (2372) before the April 30 deadline.

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22

APRIL 23, 2012 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

spring brings snow to auction

It wasn’t just Friday the 13th bad luck — regular attendees to the Olson’s annual spring machinery sale at Rimbey always come prepared for the weather. A good crowd from three provinces and the U.S. braved four inches of snow to attend the 32nd annual sale this year. Photo: Scotty Aitken

Cattlemen’s Young Leaders 2012 recipients selected

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The Cattlemen’s Young Leaders (CYL) Development Program has announced its 2012 national mentorship recipients. The 16 recipients were selected following the final selection round at the CYL Spring Forum in Saskatoon, where a total of 24 finalists vied for a spot in the national youth initiative of the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association (CCA).

The 2012 CYL mentorship recipients are: • British Columbia: Cole Bailey and Erika Strand.

• A lberta: Amy Mayner, Brodie Haugan, Jakob Meyer, Joanne Solverson, Kerry Hyatt, Micheal Nadeau, Travis Ebens, and Tyson Lowe.

• Saskatchewan: Ashley Shannon, Eric Buyer, Jeffery Yorga, and Ryan Hurlburt.

• Ontario: Kimberly McCaw and Katie Wood.

The CYL Development Program provides industry-specific training and mentorship opportunities to young producers. CYL participants have the opportunity to explore a potential career choice or involvement with a provincial/ national producer organization, while gaining the expertise and business acumen necessary to sustain the cattle industry into the future.

Funding for the CYL Program is made available through its Foundation Partners, UFA Cooperative Ltd., the Alberta Livestock and Meat Agency (ALMA) and Cargill. The CYL Spring Forum was sponsored by Farm Credit Canada and Meyers Norris Penny.

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23

ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • APRIL 23, 2012

Shift to soy frees up highin-demand U.S. corn seed RALLY  U.S. farmers are looking for soy seed to take advantage of a recent price rally

BY TOM POLANSEK REUTERS

M

innesota farmer Dave Eiynck was surprised earlier this month when his seed dealer called to say he had obtained a particular kind of corn seed.

It was unusual, as the dealer had previously warned he was unable to fill nearly a third of Eiynck’s order for seed to cover about 1,320 acres due to short supplies.

Supplies of key varieties of top-quality corn seed are loosening from the tightest level in more than a decade as farmers from North Dakota to Kentucky shift small portions of their land to soybeans from corn to take advantage of surging prices.

The subtle shift in plantings could help rebuild global soy supplies hurt by a drought in South America that has rallied U.S. futures by about 12 per cent since December and restrict a muchneeded rebound of corn inventories from a 16-year low this summer.

Eiynck, for one, did not even want the corn seed his dealer finally got his hands on.

“I told him I wasn’t interested because I was switching my acres over to beans,” he said.

Soybeans have been turning heads since Chicago Board of Trade futures for November delivery, the contract that represents the crop that will be harvested this fall, climbed seven per cent in the days after the U.S. Department of Agriculture said plantings would fall short of expectations.

The USDA estimated on March 30 that plantings would drop 1.4 per cent from last year to 73.9 million acres, sparking the rally to encourage more plantings.

Prices for CBOT December corn, which reflect prices for this year’s harvest, lagged after the USDA projected corn plantings will reach a 75-year high of 95.9 million acres, up four per cent from last year.

Plus, farmers have been planting at a record pace due to unseasonably mild weather, giving them a head start in March.

The new availability of corn seed is welcome news to those growers as the market for corn seed has been tight since a heat blast last summer hurt the seed crops.

Acres add up

Individual farmers are only switching a small number of their total acres because many have already applied fertilizer to fields that is needed to grow corn but not soybeans. The warm weather that is favourable for corn

A switch to soy could mean the U.S. corn pile is not quite so high this year.

“The seed corn I haven’t taken delivery on, I can probably sell that for a premium.”

MIKE NICHOLS INDIANA FARMER

planting also has made them reluctant to change course, keeping demand for corn seed strong.

Still, the shift of 100 acres here and there across the country is freeing up pockets of corn seed and could alter the supply picture in the world’s top producer of corn and soy.

“You add it all up and it could easily be a million or two million acres across the country” that change to soybeans from corn, said Mark Knight, founder of Ag Hedge, an agricultural hedging company.

A switch of two million acres out of corn could mean farmers will produce 328 million bushels less of the grain than previously expected, based on USDA’s yield forecast of 164 bushels per acre.

That would be roughly two per cent of the upcoming harvest, based on normal yields and abandonment of planted acres. Food companies and govern-

©THINKSTOCK

ments around the world are keeping a close eye on the outlook for corn, as U.S. inventories are expected to drop to the lowest in 16 years by September.

Paper trade

One day this month, Jared Nitschke, a general manager for seed seller Allied Agronomy in North Dakota, received calls from two farmers wanting to plant soybeans on 1,200 acres they had formerly intended to sow with corn.

Soybeans are especially attractive because farmers don’t have to apply costly nitrogen fertilizer or spend money drying the crop after harvest.

Allied Agronomy allows farmers to exchange their corn seed for soybean seed because it has inventory return policies with the companies it buys seed from.

In Nitschke’s sales territory, which covers south-central North Dakota, many customers have not picked up their seed yet, making it easy for them to switch their orders.

“It’s a matter of a paper trade,” he said.

In Kentucky, farmer Don Cecil returned a portion of the corn seed he ordered because he decided to switch 75 acres to soybeans. He said a neighbour did the same for 150 acres.

The overall shift has caught the attention of growers and seed dealers who are still on the hunt for particular varieties of corn seed.

Dan Sem, seed sales manager for SunPrairie Grain in North Dakota, received calls from seed dealers in Minnesota who “heard that out here in Midwest and North Dakota we were seeing a shift from corn to beans.”

“I’m getting calls from competitors that I compete with on a yearly basis looking for corn supply,” he said.

Pioneer Hi-Bred, one of the world’s top seed makers, made the corn seed that Eiynck, the Minnesota farmer, said he originally struggled to obtain.

The company has “an adequate supply of good-quality seed” to meet demand but faces local supply problems from year to year, said Terry Gardner, North American product marketing director.

“Corn orders continue to be very strong,” Gardner said. “Soybean orders are big and picking up.”

Those who suddenly find themselves with extra corn seed because of switching could cash in on demand, as planting is in full swing across the Midwest.

So far, farmers and dealers said they had not run into any price gouging.

Indiana farmer Mike Nichols will plant soybeans on 100 of his best acres that were slotted for corn at the beginning of April, spurred to switch by climbing prices for the oilseed. He is aware his corn seed is hotly desired by others.

“The seed corn I haven’t taken delivery on, I can probably sell that for a premium,” he said.

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ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • APRIL 23, 2012

The welcome mat is always out at this fifth-generation ranch CONSTANT PROCESS  The Sean McGrath family sells themselves and their ranch environment — every day MERISTEM MEDIA

L

ike a lot of western ranches, warm hospitality at the McGrath family’s Round Rock Ranching outside Vermilion, Alberta is a given. On any day it is not uncommon to see clients arrive and for family members to connect in various ways with people from a wide group of contacts.

Sean McGrath thinks that the same philosophy of openness that has been such an integral part of western rural lifestyle in the past is exactly what is needed to be successful in the ranching business of the future. Be prepared for anybody to show up at any time. And be prepared to make them welcome.

“We sell ourselves,” he says, as he explains the ranch’s business philosophy.

“When our customers ask about how we do things, we always say they are welcome to come and see for themselves. We would not be afraid to have any of them show up and ask to see how we carry out our business.”

Old world, new world

The family ranch will mark its 105th birthday this year. That makes Sean McGrath the fifth generation to ranch this land and he’s quick to tell you that he would be proud to have his children be the sixth.

It’s exactly the kind of grassroots, heartwarming image that agriculture today likes to promote.

If this ranch business approach is a successful business model for the future, McGrath thinks one reason is the ability to innovate. Another is to embrace the best of the past while linking to the opportunities of future.

“My dad was always innovating,” he says. “He was one of the first to use electric fencing to manage grazing. Today, that thinking is the basis of our advanced grazing system. And he still gets up in the morning feeling passionate about the industry.

“We are kind of ‘oyymoronic,’” he chuckles. “We run our operation with a combination of very old-world approaches and absolute leading-edge technology. For example, we manage

Sean McGrath with who he hopes will be the sixth generation running the family ranch. cattle on horseback and our year-round grazing system is run the natural way animals were handled when cattle first were introduced to the range.

“But on the other hand, to meet the needs of producing beef today we have full information on our entire herd including having DNA on all of our cows on file in the lab in Saskatoon.”

Kinship with the land

No success under this model will occur without a strong, clear land-management philosophy. “We like to say we have a kinship with the land,” says McGrath. “Our business focus is cows and everything we do ties back to the land and to adding value.”

For example, rather than harvest feed, haul it to cattle, then haul the manure away, the ranch has developed what they call a high-performance grazing system.

Cows graze year round on native range, supplemented by swath grazing in the heart of winter, and if needed a few weeks

SUPPLIED PHOTO

of feed. That winter feeding would be an exception.

Industry programs help build their brand. The ranch is on the Verified Beef Production program, the Canadian beef on-farm food safety program. That program gives customers proof of management efforts such as drug use and withdrawal.

“We did an Environmental Farm Plan (EFP) when they first came out and when we make ranch changes today, we still go back and reference that workbook. If we take over new rental land we use that framework to manage it.”

The EFP process was really useful in planning, says McGrath. “It catches a lot of things that you just don’t think about.

Like above-ground fuel tanks that have been there for so many years they are just accepted as part of the place and you don’t really think about them.

“We don’t do these things because there is funding available, but if funding is available it often helps. This past year, for

example, we made some improvements and funding was available. An EFP was required to qualify.”

The ranch is also involved in a new project, called Alternative Land Use Services (ALUS), a voluntary, incentive-based, private land conservation project that pays landowners and farmers to maintain and enhance the natural assets that they manage. The McGrath ranch is one of a series of pilot sustainability projects across Canada.

“We needed an EFP to participate in this ALUS project. That’s just one way that EFP has opened up opportunities for us.”

The biggest challenge in sustainability is finding mechanisms that reward producers, says McGrath. “We know that biodiversity, great views and clean water benefit the public but how do we facilitate the public funding for that. The ALUS project is trying to develop that.”

More information on EFPs in Alberta is available at www.albertefp.com.

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26

APRIL 23, 2012 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

EUROPE CROPS GET RAIN

FROST IN KANSAS AND NEBRASKA

Rains last week and in the previous week were expected to ease stress on crops in western Europe after a long dry spell that threatened to exacerbate damage to crops that had already endured severe winter. “The rain has come at a favourable moment for plants after the dry winter, but water stress persists across much of the country, especially in the northeast,” a French trader said last Monday. Some operators said weather damage could push France’s crop to below last year’s drought-hit level, but others said it was too early to predict the summer’s harvest. — Reuters

Potentially crop-damaging freezing temperatures descended on to western Kansas last Monday, but wheat experts said the wheat likely held up well. “It can tolerate some pretty cool temperatures with little or no damage,” said Kansas State University agronomist Jim Shroyer. Six counties in the western part of key producer Kansas saw temperatures dip below freezing from midnight to early morning April 16. The coldest was 28.7 F in Sherman County, located in the northwestern part of the state, which typically is the top U.S. winter wheat producer. — Reuters

Improved data can only mean better forecasting ACTIVE SEASON  The flow we now see across North America

may bring a stormy summer with it

BY DANIEL BEZTE

S

ometimes I’m as quick as the next person to jump all over weather forecasters when they’re way off the mark.

It’s easy for us to notice when a forecast is wrong, but we rarely notice how often they are right.

A lot of people are also quick to say how weather forecasting hasn’t really gotten any better over the years. Heck, I still hear people saying weather forecasts were much better when they were young! Personally, I think that selective memory is at work with these people.

Now, I am not saying that weather forecasting is perfect — far from it. I do think it is going to get better, but as I have talked about in the past, this is going to take time. The problem with making a good accurate forecast lies with the initial data. Forecasting the weather is extremely complicated, but no matter how good your forecasting model is, it is only as good as the data that goes into it at the start. If your starting parameters are off by a little bit, that might not make a big difference in a 24-hour forecast, but the farther out you go, the more those initial differences will add up, creating a forecast that gets worse and worse the farther out you go.

This is why I get really upset when the government cuts Environment Canada’s budget and we continue to slowly see weather stations being taken

offline. Fortunately, computerbased home weather stations have become reliable and fairly affordable and it’s these stations that are filling in the gaps. The more stations we have collecting and sharing data, the better the weather forecasts will be.

Maybe this is the best way to go, but in my opinion, the cost of this shouldn’t be fully placed on the shoulders of private individuals, but should be shared by the private companies using this data, along with the government, which also uses and benefits from it.

On that note…

OK, my little rant is over and I feel better. Now, back to what I originally wanted to talk about this week: weather forecasting, and in particular, severe weather forecasting. For those of you who are weather geeks, you were probably either watching or reading about the severe thunderstorm and tornado outbreak that occurred over the weekend in the U.S. Midwest.

An outbreak like this, at this time of the year, is not really that unusual, as we are nearing the peak season for tornadoes in that part of the world. What was fairly unique about this outbreak, however, was the fact that it was forecast to occur two days in advance of the event!

The U.S. National Weather Service issued a high-risk forecast for much of Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska early in the morning on April 13. This

was only the second time it has ever issued a high-risk forecast more than one day in advance.

As I write this article the final numbers are not yet in, but the forecast was basically right on the money. There were unofficially 98 reports of tornadoes, 70 reports of high winds and 130 reports of hail. All in all, a pretty impressive bit of forecasting!

With such an active start to the summer severe weather season in the U.S., the big question is whether we’ll see this active weather push northward as we slowly move toward summer.

I’ve just started looking at what this summer may hold for us, so a full examination of this is still a few weeks away. If I was to go with my gut feeling right now, I would have to say we will see a very active thunderstorm season this year. The reason I have this feeling is that the general atmospheric flow across North America has been very active for over a month now.

This means the flow pattern is producing large atmospheric waves extending fairly far north and south. When this happens we see strong pushes of warm air surging northward as one of these waves approaches, then a good push of cool air once the wave passes. In between, where the warm and cold air meet, is where you see storms develop.

So, the overall pattern looks conducive to storm development. Add on top of this early snow and ice loss over a large portion of North America,

This issue’s map shows the total precipitation across Alberta during the 30-day period ending April 8. You can see that precipitation amounts were quite variable across the region.

which has allowed ground and water bodies to become much warmer than usual for this time of year, and record-warm seasurface temperatures over the Gulf of Mexico, a large source of water vapour or energy for storm development, and the

ingredients are there for the active pattern to take advantage of. But as we all know, Mother Nature seems to hate it when we try to figure her out, and more often than not she throws us a curveball just to keep us off balance.

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27

ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • APRIL 23, 2012

Paterson to distribute seed for biofuel crop CARINATA  Oil from the crop will be used as a fuel for jet aircraft STAFF

G

rain handler Paterson Grain has been tapped to handle contracting and distribution for Canada’s first commercial variety of an oilseed aimed at the biofuel processing market.

Saskatoon-based Agrisoma Biosciences named Winnipeg’s Paterson as its long-term partner for identity-preserved distribution of Resonance, a carinata variety developed for the Prairies’ brown soil zone.

Resonance, the first carinata to be commercially grown in this country, will be distributed through Paterson outlets, which will handle its commercial contracting with growers, the companies said.

“The commercial introduction of Resonance to the marketplace

is the final link in the biojet-fuel value chain that connects Canadian growers to airline passengers, with many others performing critical roles in between,” Agrisoma CEO Steven Fabijanski said in a release.

Trials run by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada in 2009 showed Resonance yielding oil content of 44 per cent and 28 per cent protein. Its yields “deliver attractive economics for growers,” the companies said.

Agrisoma is on the steering committee for a study announced last year reviewing the possibilities for the feedstock production, processing requirements, potential commercial partners, logistics and infrastructure needed to produce “drop-in” biofuel on the Prairies for use in jet aircraft.

“Drop-in” means the fuel’s specifications must be the same as petroleum-based jet fuel and

need no special storage or handling. Carinata — commonly known as Ethiopian mustard — was one of the crops the study partners viewed as showing the most promise for that use.

Last summer the ASTM (American Society for Testing Materials), which approves fuel specifications worldwide, announced its approval the use of up to a 50 per cent blend of biofuels in the kerosene-based or kerosene/ gasoline-based fuels now used in jet turbines.

“Not only does Resonance represent an excellent new crop opportunity for growers by giving them a viable alternative for their rotation and enhancing their incomes, but also allows growers to participate in the flourishing bio-energy sector,” Keith Bruch, vice-president of operations for Paterson GlobalFoods, said in Agrisoma’s release.

Trials run by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada in 2009 showed Resonance yielding oil content of 44 per cent and 28 per cent protein.

Tight supply moves flaxseed prices higher

BY ADAM JOHNSTON, COMMODITY NEWS SERVICES CANADA INC.

Western Canadian flaxseed spot bids continue their bullish trend, up from late-January lows. Firm export demand, along with tighter supplies have added towards the upward price action, a senior grain company merchant said April 17.

“Export demand for flaxseed has been good for April, May and June.”

Some of the underlying support seen in spot bids has been tied to firm demand coming from China, the trader said.

Concerns over tight near-term global supply, due to low-quality flaxseed coming from Kazakhstan, have helped amplify the upward price trend, the trader said. The lower quality coming from the Black Sea country, is making traders look at what Canada has, the source said.

As tight short-term supply has provided some underlying support in flaxseed old-crop bids, the upward trend in canola prices is also adding to the firmness in western Canadian flaxseed spot bids, the trader said.

Western Canadian flaxseed spot bids are going for as high as $14.50 in Saskatchewan, $13.98 in Manitoba, and $14.50 per bushel in Alberta, according to data from Prairie Ag Hotwire. That is up anywhere from $0.79 to $1.25 per bushel, compared to one month ago, and an increase of $1.30 to $2.06 from late January.

The trader said new-crop flaxseed bids will be strong this spring.

Western Canadian farmers are expected to seed one million acres of flaxseed, the trader said.

However one million acres may still be fairly tight given the firm demand. In 2011, 695,000 flaxseed acres were planted across Western Canada.

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Questions? Ask your retailer, call 1-800-667-3925 or visit cropprotection.dupont.ca. * Research conducted by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada at Lethbridge for in-crop control in oilseeds and pulses.

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28

APRIL 23, 2012 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

Honeybees and canola have a mutually beneficial relationship Pollination } Research shows that bees help improve yields by five to 10 per cent

By Phil Franz-Warkentin, Commodity News Service Canada

T

he record canola acres expected in Western Canada in 2012 will be welcomed by beekeepers across the Prairie Provinces as well, as the two industries are mutually beneficial to each other. The presence of honey bees is tied to increased yields for canola, and the flowering oilseed is a major source for nectar in honey production.

Honey bees are “extremely important” for canola production in Western Canada, said Rod Scarlett, executive director of the Canadian Honey Council. He said bees play a key role in the pollination of hybrid canola seed, primarily in southern Alberta.

Approximately 475,000 honey bee colonies are located in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta, with roughly 80,000 colonies required for the production of hybrid canola seed in southern Alberta, according to data from the Canadian Honey Council. Hybrid seed production is dependent on honey bees for the precise pollen transfer of specific genetic lines.

Beyond the production of hybrid seed, honey bees also create a substantial benefit to

Apaiarists hope the mild winter across Western Canada likely led to a significant decline in bee losses. ©thinkstock canola in terms of yield and oil content.

“Honey bees are quite important to canola,” said Rhéal Lafreniere, provincial apiarist with Manitoba Agriculture. Most canola cultivars grown in Western Canada can selfpollinate, and do not necessarily need insects to produce. However, he said the latest research shows the cross pollination that occurs when

bees are present helps improve yields by five to 10 per cent, even on the latest hybrid varieties.

Older Polish varieties of canola would often see yields increase by 30 per cent to 40 per cent with honey bees. The presence of bees has also been linked to an increase in oil content for the crop, although B:10.25” Lafreniere said exact numbers were hard to come T:10.25”by.

“It can do the job without the bees, but the bees add that extra benefit,” said Lafreniere.

“The honey bee is highly attracted to canola, because it is a good nectar producer,” said Lafreniere. He said the benefit to canola yields is more pronounced in a warm sunny year, when the bees are flying more.

On the other side, honey pro-

duction also increases when there is more canola flowering. Lafreniere estimated that 70 per cent to 80 per cent of the honey produced in Western Canada came from canola fields, due to the sheer prevalence of the crop. He also noted that 2011 was a particularly good year for honey production in Manitoba, as a wide variability in crop development meant that when one canola field was done flowering, a neighboring field was just starting up. With canola flowering for a longer period overall, honey production in the province averaged 200 pounds per hive in 2011, well above the average of 165 pounds, said Lafreniere.

While official numbers are not yet in, Scarlett said the mild winter across Western Canada likely led to a significant decline in bee losses. He said a normal year would see winterkill of around 25 per cent to 30 per cent, but that may be closer to 10 per cent this year. As a result, Scarlett said the bees would be there for pollinating and helping boost canola yields across Western Canada.

Canadian farmers planted a record 18.9 million acres of canola in 2011, and are expected to shatter that record in 2012 with trade estimates coming in at anywhere from 20.0 to 23.0 million acres.

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29

ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • APRIL 23, 2012

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Belarus Case/IH Caterpillar Ford John Deere Kubota Massey Ferguson New Holland Steiger Universal Versatile White Zetor Tractors 2WD Tractors 4WD Tractors Various Farm Machinery Miscellaneous Farm Machinery Wanted Fencing Firewood Fish Farm Forestry/Logging Fork Lifts/Pallets Fur Farming Generators GPS Health Care Heat & Air Conditioning Hides/Furs/Leathers Hobby & Handicrafts Household Items lANDSCAPING Greenhouses Lawn & Garden lIVESTOCK Cattle Cattle Auctions Angus Black Angus Red Angus Aryshire Belgian Blue Blonde d'Aquitaine Brahman Brangus Braunvieh BueLingo Charolais Dairy Dexter Excellerator Galloway Gelbvieh Guernsey Hereford Highland Holstein Jersey Limousin Lowline Luing Maine-Anjou Miniature Murray Grey Piedmontese Pinzgauer Red Poll Salers Santa Gertrudis Shaver Beefblend Shorthorn Simmental

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Published by Farm Business Communications, 1666 Dublin Avenue, Winnipeg, MB R3H 0H1 WINNIPEG OFFICE Alberta Farmer Express 1666 Dublin Avenue, Winnipeg, MB R3H 0H1 Toll-Free in Canada 1-888-413-3325 Phone 403-341-0442 in Winnipeg FAX 403-341-0615 Mailing Address: Box 9800, Winnipeg, Manitoba R3C 3K7 • •

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REAl ESTATE Vacation Property Commercial Buildings Condos Cottages & Lots Houses & Lots Mobile Homes Motels & Hotels Resorts Farms & Ranches British Columbia Alberta Saskatchewan Manitoba Pastures Farms Wanted Acreages/Hobby Farms Land For Sale Land For Rent RECREATIONAl VEhIClES All Terrain Vehicles Boats & Water Campers & Trailers Golf Carts Motor Homes Motorcycles Snowmobiles Recycling Refrigeration Restaurant Supplies Sausage Equipment Sawmills Scales SEED/FEED/GRAIN Pedigreed Cereal Seeds Barley Durum Oats Rye Triticale Wheat Cereals Various Pedigreed Forage Seeds Alfalfa Annual Forage Clover Forages Various Grass Seeds Pedigreed Oilseeds Canola Flax Oilseeds Various Pedigreed Pulse Crops Beans Chickpeas

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30

APRIL 23, 2012 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

SEED/FEED MISCELLANEOUS Grain Wanted

CONTRACTING Custom Work

BUYING HEATED/DAMAGED PEAS, FLAX & GRAIN “On Farm Pickup” Westcan Feed & Grain 1-877-250-5252

Building Land Rollers since 1983

BUYING SPRING THRASHED CANOLA & GRAIN “On Farm Pickup” Westcan Feed & Grain 1-877-250-5252

BOW VALLEY TRADING LTD.

WE BUY DAMAGED GRAIN Wheat, Barley, Oats, Peas, etc.

Green or Heated Canola/Flax

1-877-641-2798

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Cell: 403-380-0173 • http://www.menzo.ca

Falher - 780-837-2205

AUTO & TRANSPORT

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Round up the cash! Advertise your unwanted equipment in the Alberta Farmer Express classifieds.

BUGGY’S, DEMOCRATS AND CUTTERS for sale, refurbished, large display, wagons, totally restored and upholstered; also saddles, harness and tack.

(204)857-4932, Portage La Prairie, MB

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ENGINES

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BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES

Amisk - 780-856-3666 www.PrecisionPac.com

ANTIQUES ANTIQUES Antiques Wanted

BUSINESS SERVICES BUSINESS SERVICES Crop Consulting

DP2371_PPAC_Classified BC & AB.indd 11 2/24/12 4:17 PM WANTED: USED OR OLD guns, antique handFARM CHEMICAL SEED COMPLAINTS guns, working or not, ammunition and related itemswill We also specialize in: Crop Insurance appeals; pay cash. (403)816-1190

AUCTION SALES AUCTION SALES Alberta Auctions – Central

FARM AUCTION TWIN CREEK WEST FARM INC DOUGLAS & LINDA INGRAM QUILL LAKE.

GRAIN CLEANING BY COLOUR sorting, mobile unit. improve your profits on cereal grains and pulses!

Removing Ergot, off color and dirt, phone for rates.

(403)377-2548

Chemical drift; Residual herbicide; Custom operator issues; Equipment malfunction; Yield comparisons, Plus Private Investigations of any nature. With our assistance the majority of our clients have received compensation previously denied. Back-Track Investigations investigates, documents your loss and assists in settling your claim.

Licensed Agrologist on Staff.

For more information Please call 1-866-882-4779

New GSI Grain Dryers - Propane/NG, canola screens, 1 or 3 phase, simple and accurate. Also some used dryers available. Vince Zettler, www.vzgrain.com (204)998-9915 4:17 PM

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MOTOCO Model 919 GRAIN MOISTURE TESTER, with beam scale, excellent condition, $500, OBO (403)646-5621, Nanton, AB.

FARM MACHINERY Haying & Harvesting – Baling RETIRING: CASE 8480 RD baler <1,200 bales, $16,900; Case 8330 9-ft. haybine, $6,900; Tram 10 Ton farm wagon, $3,900; All low hours, shedded, field ready. Older reel rake, $500; JD AW 14-ft. Disc, $2,100; 92 GMC 2500 150,000km 2WD Rcab safety inspection, $3,000; 09 Silverado 2500 Gas LTZ 30,000-km, 4WD Ccab Full Warranty til 2016 07, $35,900. (780)963-1155, Spruce Grove AB.

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2001 Rogator 854, SS tank 3500hrs, 2 sets tires, auto steer, $75,000. 403-646-5877

Tillage & Seeding

WANTED: JD 7810 c/w fel & 3pth; sp or pto bale wagon; JD or IHC end wheel drills. Small square baler.

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HIGH QUALITY MANDAKO ROLLERS, Summers discs, wing up rollers, 5 plex rollers, chisel plows, heavy harrows, vertical tillage implements, packer bars, rock pickers, (403)545-2580, 403-580-6889, Bow Island, Ab.

You always get what you want at:

TRACTOR • 1996 Case IH 9330 Case 2290 • Case 970 • COMBINE • 2007 Case IH 2588 • COMBINE HEADER • 1998 Macdon 962 • SWATHER • 2011 Westward M150 • GRAIN TRUCK • 1991 GMC Top Kick • 1980 Chev 70 Series • LIGHT TRUCK • 1986 Ford Galahad - 780-583-2476 F150 • TRAILER 1/2 Ton Truck Box • HEAVY HAR ROWS • Morris 70 www.PrecisionPac.com ft. • AIR SEEDER • Bourgault 8810 40 ft • CULTIVATOR • JD610 41ft. • HARROW PACKER BAR • Rtieway 60 ft • HARROWBAR • Flexicoil 60 ft • SPRAYER • Bourgault 1450 • AUGER • Westfield 13x71ft • Wesrfield 10x61ft CONTRACTING • Brandt 8x51 • Sakundiak 7x41ft.

• SCRAPER • Leon M550 • ROCK CONTRACTING PICKER • Leon 3000 • BINS • Westeel DP2371_PPAC_Classified BC Custom & AB.indd Work 2 2/24/12 Rosco FOUR 1950 Bu • TANKS • 1000 HAVE GUNS WITH TRAVEL! Gopher control in Gal fuel tank. FOR MORE UP-TO-DATE north Central Alberta, Call Cameron at LISTING VISIT OUR WEBSITE. 780-349-0343

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SUPER CARBIDE PRODUCTS AT VW Mfg. Many products in stock! VW Mfg, Dunmore, AB, See our website: www.vwmfg.com or call (403)528-3350.

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31

ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • APRIL 23, 2012

FARM MACHINERY Tillage & Seeding – Tillage

FARM MACHINERY Tractors – Various

FARM MACHINERY Tractors – Various

Kubota L2850 FWA, 4 Cyl Diesel, 34 Eng HP, 27 Pto HP, Power Steering, 3pth, $11,000.

John Deere 2950, FWA, 85 pto HP, 6 Cyl Diesel, 540 + 1000 Pto,s 3PTH, $22,500.

Gauge Wheel Solutions ridgelandmanufacturing.ca Phone: 1-204-866-3558 FARM MACHINERY Tillage & Seeding – Various 1994 NEW NOBLE 9000, 28ft. seedovator, w/192 TBH tank, Good condition. $5,000 Call Rick @(403)734-3831, Cluny, Ab. 60FT 820 9IN SPACING cultivator, NH 3 kit and hitch; 36ft 8810 10in spacing cultivator, NH 3 kit & hitch; 42ft 7400 Ezee on deep tillage, 12in. spacing, (403)350-0744, Eckville, Ab. JD MODEL 750 NO till drill, 15ft, separate urea tank, $6,500, (780)764-2389, 780-632-1024

TracTors FARM MACHINERY Tractors – White 1986 4-270 WHITE 4WD, 4,800-hrs, PTO, runs good, needs tires, $10,000 OBO. Randy (403)533-2240.

You always get what you want at: Andrukow Group Solutions Inc.

Wainwright - 780-842-3306 www.PrecisionPac.com

FARM MACHINERY Tractors – Case/IH CIH 155 PUMA, FWA, 3pth, 220hrs, loaded, like new, offers, (403)546-2170, Swalwell area DP2371_PPAC_Classified BC & AB.indd 9 2/24/12

FARM MACHINERY Tractors – John Deere

1985 JD 8450, DUAL 18.4X38 tires 75% VGC, $30,000. Call for details (403)664-0488, Sedalia AB. JD 7810 840 LOADER, 4500hrs, mint. condition, never been a chore tractor, (780)990-8412

FARM MACHINERY Tractors – Kubota

2006 John Deere 5325, 5 Cyl Turbo Diesel, 1386 Hours, 67 HP, 3pth, 2 Sets Hydraulics, $17,500

Case-Ih 685, 60 HP Diesel, 4 New Tires 3PTH, 12 Sp. Trans with Shuttle Reverse 3282 Hours, $9800

www.doublellindustries.com 780-905-8565 NISKU, ALBERTA

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 9880, 9882, 9680, 9682 NH, 4WD CIH 435Q, 535Q, 450Q, pto avail.

MF 8160 FWA Low hours NH TJ 450, New Triples, Big Pump STX 375 Case with Big Pump

JD 4710, 4720, 4730, 4830, 4920, 4930 SP sprayers JD 9770 & 9870 w/CM & duals CIH 3185, 3230, 4260, 3150, 4420 sprayers CIH Skidsteer 440 & 430 9580 Kubota, FWA, FEL, low hours 3545 MF w/FWA FEL Rogator 854 c/w tires.

Selection of Combine Headers & Haying Equipment

FARM MACHINERY Machinery Miscellaneous RETIRED FROM FARMING, MOST machinery shedded, 1998 Peterbuilt, 460 Cummins, 18spd, w/36ft tandem Doepker grain trailer $75,000; Rock picker, $1,500; PTO wind power plant; 400 barrel fuel tank. $14,000 w/fuel; (403)586-0978, Torrington, Ab. RETIREMENT SALE: LZB JD 12ft hoe drill, 7in spacing, w/fine seed & fertilizer box, stored inside, exc. cond. $3,200; JD 702 10 wheel rake $5,200; 20ft cultivator w/shovels and spikes w/3 bar harrows, cable lift, $2,200; 12ft double disc w/3 bar harrows, $3,500; Phone (403)932-5522, Cochrane, Ab.

Big Tractor Parts, Inc. Geared For The Future

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 4:17 WARRANTY. PM 3. 50% savings on used parts.

1-800-982-1769 www.bigtractorparts.com

USED KUBOTA Utility Tractors (780)967-3800, (780)289-1075 www.goodusedtractors.com

1990 MF 8450 COMBINE, HYDROSTATIC Mercedes engine, long auger, westward p/u hopper cover, $25,000; Case Int. 8500 Air Drills, 33ft, 54 points, 7in. spacing, $15,000; 70ft. Flexi-Coil Sprayer, Hyd. Pump, Auto fold, single wheels 16.5x16.1, windscreens, $3,500; Leon 3000 Rock picker, hyd. drive, $1,500; Blanchard swath roller 6ft. $200.; Loaders: Sakundiak HD6-37 12hp Kohler motor, $500., Sakundiak HD71000 c/w 13hp Honda motor $800; Co-op Press drill, 2-10, 6in. spacing, $1,000; 1975 Louisville 700-Gas 361, 58,980 miles, Steel box, wood floor, roll up tarp, 10.00R20 tires, $4,000; 1984 Versatile 4400 Hydrostatic swather, Ford motor, 20ft, pu reel, Keer Sheer, heater, a/c, radio, $3,500. All prices OBO. (403)734-2348 1996 8810 BOURGAULT 40-FT. air seeder, 450 trips, single chute, packers, 10-in. space, granular kit, 3195 tank, always shedded, $32,000 OBO. Randy (403)533-2240.

2002 JD 1820, 45-FT., 10-in. spacing, double shoot, dutch paired row, 3-1/2in steel, $28,000; 1 2004 McHale 991B bale wrapper, $8,500; (403)665-2341, Craigmyle, AB.

LIVESTOCK Cattle – Angus PB RED & BLACK Angus yearling bulls for sale.

Canadian pedigrees, semen tested. Phone (780)336-4009, Kinsella, AB. REGISTERED RED ANGUS YEARLING bulls, quiet, various birthweights 70lb and up, semen tested, $2,250. Bellshill Angus, Lougheed Ab. (780)386-2150, 780-888-1374

LIVESTOCK Cattle – Red Angus

VERSATILE 2200 HOE DRILLS, 42ft. Atom jet openers, tarps, liquid fertilizer kit, $5,000 OBO; 1998 Dodge truck box, dually, $1,200; Summers 70ft multi weeder, $4,800; (780)662-2647

38 REGISTERED RED ANGUS bulls, (from 6 sires) quiet, easy calving, low to moderate birth weight, good growth, EPD’s, guaranteed breeders, exc. for heifers or cows. Cleveley Cattle Company (780)689-2754, Ellscott, AB.

WIRELESS DRIVEWAY ALARMS, calving/foaling barn cameras, video surveillance, rear view cameras for RV’s, trucks, combines, seeders, sprayers and augers. Mounted on magnet. Calgary, Ab. (403)616-6610. www.FAAsecurity.com

LIVESTOCK Cattle – Charolais

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

“LIKE MANY BEFORE, WE’LL HAVE YOU SAYING THERE’S NO DEAL LIKE A KEN DEAL” •Phone: (403)526-9644 •Cell: (403)504-4929 •Greg Dorsett (403)952-6622 •Email: kendeal@shaw.ca FARM MACHINERY Machinery Miscellaneous

LIVESTOCK

REGISTERED RED FACTOR/WHITE BULLS yearling and 2/yr/olds, big butted, big nutted, quiet, semen tested, guaranteed, 50% down 50% upon free delivery. Call (403)933-5448, cell(403)608-1116. www.willowbrookcharolais.webs.com

You always get what you want at: Viterra

Brooks - 403-362-2072

You always get what you want at: United Farmers of Alberta

www.PrecisionPac.com

LIVESTOCK Cattle – Hereford

BULLS FOR SALE, REGISTERED Polled Hereford’s, Registered Black Angus, Yearlings and 2/yr DP2371_PPAC_Classified BC & AB.indd 36 2/24/12 4:17 PM olds, Double N Ranch, Sundre, 403-638-2356, www.doublen.ca

Strathmore - 403-934-6684 www.PrecisionPac.com

FARM MACHINERY Machinery Wanted

HEREFORD BULLS, YEARLINGS AND two year olds, dehorned, excellent quality, check out our catalogue of bulls for sale by private treaty at Coulee Crest Herefords, couleecrest.ca (403)227-2259 or (403)588-6160, Bowden, Ab.

LIVESTOCK Cattle – Maine-Anjou

MAINE ANJOU BULLS FOR sale purebred and half blood, black yearling bulls. Semen tested and WANTED: 2 BOTTOM LAND breaking plow, 30FT MORRIS DISC DRILL; MF 750 SP combine; Rocky Lane Farms, Rumsey, AB. (780)928-4024 DP2371_PPAC_Classified BC & AB.indd 35 2/24/12 guaranteed!

4:17 PM 1482 PT CIH combine; 400/gal 68ft Versatile spray(403)368-2114, (403)742-9835 er; 18ft Versatile PT swather w/2 reels; 21ft white PT swather; 21ft MF 775 SP swather, pu and battreel; 1975 WANTED: NH BALE WAGONS & retrievers, any Ford 3/4 ton for parts, good 360 motor. Reasonable Ofcondition. Farm Equipment Finding Service, P.O. fers. (306)344-7758, Paradise Hill Box 1363, Polson, MT 59860. (406)883-2118 3 500/GAL FUEL TANKS w/stands; 1350/gal truck WANTED: Small square balers and end Wheel water tank; Blanchard 5 in 1 air tank, c/w attachSeed Drills, Rock Pickers, Rock Rakes, Tub grindments; 40ft Melroe harrow bar. (403)646-5621 ers, also JD 1610 cultivators (403)308-1238 3 BUNNING MANURE SPREADERS for rent, call Lawrence 403-588-478 510 INT SEED DRILL, w/grass seeder, mint condition, $2,800; 2 Int. #10 seed drills, fair condition, offers; 21ft IH deep tillage cultivator, $1,000; Fordson Major diesel tractor, w/bucket, not running, offers.12ft Deep tillage cult. (780)919-9985

You always get what you want at: United Farmers of Alberta

Lethbridge - 403-328-5531

You always get what you want at: Andrukow Group Solutions (Dekoda) Inc. Sedgewick - 780-384-2265 www.PrecisionPac.com

IHC 620 PRESS DRILL, 24ft, rubber packers, marker, one owner, stored inside, no rust, $4,750; Brandt 14ft hyd. drill fill c/w spout, $475; (403)782-2545 JD 1995 79DELC TRACKHOE, low hrs; Komatsu WA 320-1 3yd loader, Ford 1990655 extend hoe; UH 122 trackhoe; Cat 631 scraped 24-yd; Bomag 170 PD packer Cummings motor. (306)236-8023 JD 4995 16-FT DISCBINE 2009; also Honey Bee 25-ft grain header 47-ft flex coil 800 Deep Tillage; 45-ft Willrich Cultivator; Cummings 240bp skid mount clutch&trans; JD 7410 MFWD PS 740 SL; 860 MF PV & 20-ft grain.

(306)236-8023.

Alberta Farmer Express classifieds, 1-888-413-3325.

MF 750 COMBINE, $6,500; MF 655 Swather, $1,200; Both in good running condition; 2-14ft IHC 150 Hoe press drills, good condition, $1,000; Leon Loader c/w bucket/ bale spike, $3,000; 1948 W6 IHC McCormick gas tractor, for parts or restoration, $1,500; Please call 780-281-0291 between 7-9pm or email: rtbeddoes@gmail.com

FARM MACHINERY Machinery Miscellaneous

FARM MACHINERY Machinery Miscellaneous

www.PrecisionPac.com

FARM MACHINERY Tractors – Various

ACREAGE EQUIPMENT: CULTIVATORS, DISCS, Plows, Blades, Post pounders, Haying Equipment, Etc. (780)892-3092, Wabamun, Ab.

DP2371_PPAC_Classified BC & AB.indd 10 2/24/12 4:17 PM 50’ Flexicoil #75 Packer Bar, 1/yr as new ...$25,000 New Sakundiak 8x1200 (39.97’) , 25HP Kohler 7145 DEUTZ, 3800 HRS, shedded, duals, exceleng., E-Kay mover, battery, fuel tank............$13,000 lent condition, c/w Allied dozer. (780)954-3750 2320 Flexicoil TBH airtank, 1996, DP2371_PPAC_Classified BC & AB.indd 34 2/24/12 4:17 PM shedded, exc. cond....................................$25,000 New Sakundiak 7x1200 (39.97’) , 22HP Robinalways

JD 2210, LDR, 3PTH, MFD JD 4240, c/w loader • JD 4430 c/w loader JD 4440, loader available JD 4450 c/w loader JD 4455, FWA, 3pth, loader JD 7200, ldr, 3pth FWA, Steiger ST 270, 4WD Mustang 2044 Skidsteer, 1300hrs.

14’ Schulte rock rake Clamp on duals, 20.8x38-18.4x38 IHC 5600 DT 33’ • 158 & 148 JD loaders Willmar 500 Fertilizer spreader FINANCE, TRADES WELCOME 780-696-3527, BRETON, AB

Stretch your ADVERTISING DOLLAR!

1-888-413-3325

Flexicoil 6 run seed treater ................................. $2,000 51 Flexicoil Bodies c/w GEN. SC 4” carbide spread tip openers, like new .................................................. $3,500 70’ Degelman Heavy Harrow, 9/16 tines good condition...........................................................$20,000 9435 MF Swather, 30’, 5200 header, PU reel 200hrs..............................................................................$95,000 4952 I 30’ Prairie Star swather, 2005, 800hrs, 30’, 972 header, roto shears, header mover, outback auto steer....................................................$65,000 810H 25’ Hesston grain table - PU reel ........$10,000 9300 Westward MadDon swather, 1883 hrs.

21’, 960 header w/PU reel ................................................Call CIH WD1203 swather 2011, 280hrs, 36’ header, split PU reel, roto shears, header transport, top auger, floating rear axle 1/yr ...........................................$105,000 1372 MF 13’ swing arm discbine 4yrs, like new ....................................................................................Call New Sakundiak 10x1200 (39.97’) 36HP, Kohler eng. E-K mover, P/S, electric belt tightener, work lights, slim fit, 12 gal. fuel tank .................$18,000

Subaru eng., battery & fuel tank ...................... $7,500 New Sakundiak 8x1400 (45.93) auger, 27HP Kohler, E-Kay mover, scissor lift, oil bath chain case, P/S, electric belt tightener, work lights ...... $18,000 New E-Kay 7”,8”,9” Bin Sweeps .............................Call 2002 7000HD Highline bale Processor, c/w twine cutter, always shedded ......................................... $7,950 New Outback S3, STS, TC E drives in stock New Outback E drive X c/w free E turns ........ CALL Used Outback 360 mapping.................................$750 Used Outback S2 guidance .............................. $1,000 Used Outback E drive Hyd. Kits ............................$500 Unused Outback Hyd. Kit................................... $1,000

Ron Sauer Machinery Ltd. (403) 540-7691 **Flexi-Coil, Westward MacDon Swathers, NuVision augers, Sakundiak, Farm King, Outback GPS Systems, EK Auger Movers, Sweeps, & Crop Dividers, Degelman, Headsight Harvesting Solutions** Sales Rep for George’s Farm Centre

ronsauer@shaw.ca

HEAT & AIR CONDITIONING

The Icynene Insulation System® • Sprayed foam insulation • Ideal for shops, barns or homes • Healthier, Quieter, More Energy Efficient®

You always get what you want at: Viterra

Coronation - 403-578-3302 www.PrecisionPac.com

www.penta.ca

1-888-484-5353

IRON & STEEL

LIVESTOCK Cattle Various

PIPE FOR SALE 3-1/2IN., 2-7/8in., 2-3/8in., 1in.

APPROX. 275 HEAD QUALITY commercial reSucker Rods. Henderson Manufacturing Sales. placement heifers. Red & Black. No implants, herd DP2371_PPAC_Classified BC & AB.indd 37 2/24/12 4:17 PM (780)672-8585 health program, palpated. Ready to breed. Will sell in smaller packages. Contact John (403)934-3012 Hit our readers where it counts… in the classifieds. or (403)934-7972 Place your ad in the Alberta Farmer Express classifed LIVESTOCK section. 1-888-413-3325.

Sheep For Sale

PLAN TO ATTEND THE Warren and Norine Moore 6th Annual Pound Maker Ram Sale with guest consignors. 115 yearling rams sell by auction Thursday, May 24th, 2012 at Fort Macleod Alberta. Suffolk, Dorset, Hampshire, Rambouillet, North Country Cheviot and Coloured. For more information call Warren (403)625-6519

You always get what you want at: Sturgeon Valley Fertilizer Legal - 780-961-3088 www.PrecisionPac.com

Specialty LIVESTOCK Livestock Equipment 5’X10’ PORTABLE CORRAL PANELS, 6 bar.

Starting at $55. Storage Containers, 20’ & 40’ 1-866-517-8335, (403)540-4164, (403)226-1722 SHAVINGS FOR BEDDING BRITEWOOD Industries manufactures high quality pine shavings & super-compresses them into 4X4 bales. Call for truckload quotes or for a dealer in your area. www.britewood.ca. sales@britewood.ca Tony (250)372-1494, Ron (250)804-3305 We know that farming is enough of a gamble so if you want to sell it fast place your ad in the Alberta Farmer Express classifieds. It’s a Sure Thing. Call our toll-free number today. We have friendly staff ready to help.

1-888-413-3325.

32

APRIL 23, 2012 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

You always get what you want at:

You always get what you want at:

You always get what you want at:

You always get what you want at:

You always get what you want at:

Viterra

Viterra

Viterra

Viterra

Webb’s Crop Services

www.PrecisionPac.com

www.PrecisionPac.com

www.PrecisionPac.com

www.PrecisionPac.com

www.PrecisionPac.com

Killam - 780-385-2188

Delia - 403-364-3735

Provost - 780-753-2355

REAL ESTATE Land For Sale DP2371_PPAC_Classified BC & AB.indd 38

Sexsmith - 780-568-6060

COMMON SEED Various

Viterra

Falher - 780-837-2065 www.PrecisionPac.com

You always get what you want at:

Winter & Spring Triticale, Silage Peas

Viterra

MASTIN SEEDS

CDC Go Wheat Polish Canola Delivery Possible

Sundre, AB 403-556-2609 mastinseeds.com

REAL ESTATE

DP2371_PPAC_Classified BCMobile & AB.inddHomes 39

DP2371_PPAC_Classified 2/24/12 4:17 PM BC & AB.indd 53

FEDERATION TIRE: 1100X12, 2000X20, used aircraft. Toll free 1-888-452-3850

New 30.5L-32 16 ply, $2195; 20.8-38 12 ply $866; 18.4-38 12 ply; $783; 24.5-32 14 ply, $1749; 14.9-24 12 ply, $356; 16.9-28 12 ply $498.

Factory direct. More sizes available new and used. 1-800-667-4515. www.combineworld.com

TOOLS Pneumatic Wire Fence Stapler, Tired of driving fence staples by hand? Now there is a solution visit us online at www.abcustomfencing.com, email; fenceman411@gmail.com

Price Reduced! 1998 Mfg. Home, 1216/sq ft. MB w/walkin closet, and ensuite, 2 more bdrms and guest bath. Open kitchen & LR, cedar deck, w/enclosed porch. (403)653-2166

You always get what you want at: Viterra

Viterra

You always get what you want at: Viterra

Stettler - 403-742-4036

You always get what you want at:

SEED/FEED MISCELLANEOUS

GRASS SEED, MEADOW BROME, common #1 Alfalfa Seed, Certified Beaver and common, excellent quality, will deliver, (403)793-1705, Brooks, Ab.

BC Ranch for Sale $990,000 DP2371_PPAC_Classified & 45 AB.indd 40 Kamloops on 235+/2/24/12 4:17 PM Cattle HorsesBC Hay. min. from acres, 2 water licenses, 125+/- irrigated & cultivatable acres, 500 ton feed potential. Perimeter & lots of cross fences. 1200-sq.ft. home, several outbuildings, heated shop, outdoor riding arena & round pen. For more info; www.wattranch.com, call (778)930-0115, email: russ.sellsrealty@gmail.com

FEED GRAIN WANTED! ALSO buying; Light, tough, or offgrade grains. “On Farm Pickup” Westcan Feed & Grain 1-877-250-5252

SEED/FEED MISCELLANEOUS Hay & Straw

You always get what you want at:

SMALL SQUARE BALES HORSE hay, Crossfield, Ab. 50/lb bales $3.00/per bale, (403)946-5481, (403)613-4570

Viterra

You always get what you want at: You always get what you want at:

www.PrecisionPac.com

Viterra

Hit our readers where it counts… in the classifieds.

Place your ad in the Alberta Farmer Express classifed section. 1-888-413-3325.

2008 MONACO CAMELOT MOTORHOME, loaded, $210,000; (403)347-0723, Torrington, Ab.

www.PrecisionPac.com

Stretch your

DP2371_PPAC_Classified BC & AB.indd 4

We know that farming is enough of a gamble so if you want to sell it fast place your ad in the Alberta Farmer Express classifieds. It’s a Sure Thing. Call our toll-free number today. We have friendly staff ready to help. 1-888-413-3325.

DP2371_PPAC_Classified BC & AB.indd 50

Advertise in the Alberta Farmer Express Classifieds, it’s a Sure Thing!

2/24/12 4:17 PM

1-888-413-3325

2/24/12 4:17 PM

MORE SELECTION MORE OFTEN MORE OVER DEALS... 43,000

2/24/12 4:17 PM

ADVERTISING DOLLAR!

1-888-413-3325

www.PrecisionPac.com

DP2371_PPAC_Classified BC & AB.indd 51

A GAMBLE...

www.PrecisionPac.com

2/24/12 4:17 PM

Camrose - 780-608-2351

FARMING IS ENOUGH OF

2/24/12 4:17 PM

Westlock - 780-349-4525

Andrukow Group Solutions Inc.

Viterra

Vulcan - 403-485-6696 DP2371_PPAC_Classified BC & AB.indd 48

2/24/12 4:17 PM

Scandinavia & Russia ~ Land & Cruise - July 2012 Australia & New Zealand ~ Jan/Feb 2013 Kenya/Tanzania ~ January 2013 South America ~ February 2013 Costa Rica ~ February 2013 Select Holidays 1-800-661-4326

You always get what you want at:

Trochu - 403-442-2700

RECREATIONAL VEHICLES

TRAVEL

HAY FOR SALE: 980 round at 3 cents per lb, 2011 crop, Alfalfa Timothy, Orchard Grass Grass mix, Orchard Grass Clover mix, little rain. (780)696-2491 Breton, AB.

Viterra

RECREATIONAL VEHICLES

EARN $75,000/yr PART TIME in the livestock or equipment appraisal business. Agricultural background required. Classroom or home study courses available. 1-800-488-7570

Agriculture Tours

DP2371_PPAC_Classified BC & AB.indd 45

www.PrecisionPac.com

2/24/12 4:17 PM

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, DP2371_PPAC_Classified BC & AB.indd 52 2/24/12 (403)350-8777 4:17 PM Ukraine/Romania ~ June 2012 Lacombe.

COMMON SEED Forage

Grassy Lake - 403-655-2497

CAREERS Employment Wanted

SEED / FEED / GRAIN COMMON SEEDDP2371_PPAC_Classified BC &Feed AB.inddGrain 47

You always get what you want at:

CIBC thanks all applicants for their interest, however, only those under consideration will be contacted. No agency solicitation will be considered.

CIBC is committed to diversity in our workforce and equal access to opportunities based

www.PrecisionPac.com

www.PrecisionPac.com

REAL ESTATE Farms & Ranches – B.C.

Saskatoon (or North Sask) - Apply online to job J0112-0174 at: www.cibc.com/careers

Foremost - 403-867-2436

www.PrecisionPac.com

Fort Saskatchewan - 780-998-2808

DP2371_PPAC_Classified BC Motor & AB.inddHomes 41

W Regina (or South Sask) - Apply online to job J0112-1026 at: www.cibc.com/careers

W. Buis Holdings Ltd.

www.PrecisionPac.com

Red Deer - 403-346-2931

MANAGER, COMMERCIAL AND AGRICULTURE BANKING (two positions)

Realize your full potential at CIBC.

2/24/12 4:17 PM

You always get what you want at:

Be a Champion of CIBC’s vision of being “The Leader in Client Relationships” by understanding and staying abreast of changes in clients’ industries, businesses and objectives; proactively identifying opportunities to allow clients to respond to changing circumstances within their business or industry; mobilizing all resources of CIBC to achieve clients’ goals and maximize the returns available to CIBC; and, demonstrating clients’ business matters to CIBC and that CIBC is committed to playing a role in their success.

The successful candidates will manage portfolios of larger agriculture clients in Regina (or South Saskatchewan location) / Saskatoon (or North Saskatchewan location) and the surrounding areas, and will provide sector expertise and support to colleagues in the rural branch network.

A demonstrated background and contacts in the agriculture sector will be an important asset to the successful candidates. Some travel outside the city limits to call on clients at their place of business will be required.

2/24/12 4:17 PM

DP2371_PPAC_Classified BC & AB.indd 43

2/24/12 4:17 PM

TIRES

AC Metcalfe Seebe Sundre & Busby

www.PrecisionPac.com

REAL ESTATE

Waldern AC Juniper

SEED BARLEY

Lavoy - 780-658-2408

CAREERS Help Wanted

INDUSTRIAL SEWING MACHINE FOR leather and

upholstery (403)749-3871, Delburne, Ab. SEED OATS DP2371_PPAC_Classified 2/24/12 4:17 PM BC & AB.indd 46

You always get what you want at:

CAREERS

SEWING MACHINES

RM 588 2 PARCELS in grass, these two would make great acreages, 1 parcel in summer fallow.

DP2371_PPAC_Classified BC & AB.indd 42Lake, SK. DP2371_PPAC_Classified 2/24/12 4:17 PM 2/24/12 Phone 4:17 PM BC & AB.indd 44 (306)204-5445, Meadow

AC Morgan AC Mustang

Vermilion - 780-853-6565

PIECES OF AG EQUIPMENT!

Find it fast at

33

ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • APRIL 23, 2012

ALMA funds beef campaign

Dioxin found in German eggs

Alberta Beef Producers and ALMA have announced a $1.3-million partnership initiative to promote Alberta beef. Beginning in mid-BBQ season this year, consumers will be exposed to a variety of television ads, mobile tasting events, retail visits by real beef producers, radio promotions, neighbourhood mail-outs, in-store signage and social media using the theme “raised right” in Alberta.

German authorities said April 13 the highly poisonous chemical dioxin had been found above permitted levels in eggs from two more German farms following its discovery in eggs from three other farms in early April. The two farms have been sealed off and the eggs they produced recalled, the ministry said. The source of the contamination was unknown and being investigated. In January 2011, an EU-wide health alert started when German officials said animal feed tainted with dioxin had been fed to hens and pigs, contaminating eggs, poultry meat and pork at the affected farms. — Reuters

“Every country that has dairy or beef cattle has Johne’s disease, or has seen it…”

Dairy producers urged to join the war on Johne’s disease WIDESPREAD PROBLEM } Up to three-quarters of Alberta dairy herds may

have animals carrying the mycobacterium that causes Johne’s

A free program is available to test cattle herds for Johne’s disease.

by alexis kienlen af staff | red deer

W

hy wouldn’t you participate in a program that is free, and benefits both your cattle and the dairy industry?

More than half of western Canadian cattle operations, beef and dairy, have animals infected with the mycobacterium that causes Johne’s disease. That prompted the creation of the Alberta Johne’s Disease Initiative in 2010. The free program is co-ordinated by the U of C veterinary faculty, endorsed by Alberta Milk producers and has funding from the Alberta Livestock and Meat Agency.

It’s estimated between 40 and 74 per cent of dairy herds in Alberta are infected, infectious disease expert Herman Barkema told attendees at the recent Western Canadian Dairy Conference.

But so far, only 38 per cent of producers have signed up for the program, which is centred around both testing and education.

“Our goal is to have 80 per cent of the dairy producers in the province enrolled in the program by the end of this year,” said Barkema, a professor in epidemiology of infectious disease in the faculty of veterinary medicine at the University of Calgary.

“We really want to go to 80 per cent. If you want to control an infectious disease like this one, you need the majority of the herds to participate. We want to show consumers that we care so we want a really high participation rate.”

Johne’s is caused by mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis known as MAP, an organism related to the bacte-

ria that causes tuberculosis in people.

“This was the reason we started pasteurizing our milk in the 1920s,” Barkema said.

MAP grows very slowly and takes a long time to culture.

However, that’s changing. It shows the same growth in about 49 days today that used to take about half a year a decade ago.

Johne’s infects the intestines of ruminants including cattle, sheep and goats.

“Every country that has dairy or beef cattle has Johne’s disease, or has seen it,” Barkema said.

“Typically you would have a low infection rate. It takes a long time for the infection and then the inflammation to build up.”

“This was the reason we started pasteurizing our milk in the 1920s.”

Herman Barkema

Johne’s disease may have a possible link with Crohn’s disease, an inflammatory bowel disease that affects humans. Evidence of the disease will only show up in the manure of infected cattle over the age of six, so most dairy cows are culled before they display clinical symptoms. The disease is transmitted to calves through manure ingested orally.

Beef cattle have lower infection rates of Johne’s than dairy cattle, although researchers don’t know why.

The disease can have a severe economic impact, with some herds having a cull rate six times higher than non-infected herds.

“These animals just don’t take enough energy and protein in,” said Barkema. “They don’t grow well enough, have a negative balance and they just don’t get pregnant. If they do get pregnant and calve, their production is way lower than that of other animals.”

A quarter of the herds that participated in the program so far have tested positive for Johne’s, with large herds having more positive tests. All cattle veterinarians in Alberta are trained to

administer the program, which starts with an initial risk assessment followed by a plan to improve herd health.

“These can be simple measures, like rinsing off boots before going to the calves,” said Barkema.

Environmental samples are also taken in different areas of the farm and it’s been found that infected manure is more often located in areas such as lagoons and alleys.

Nearly two-thirds of the operations participating in the program needed stronger biosecurity protocols.

“Anyone with dirty boots could walk in and just go to the cows,” Barkema said. “We like to be nice, but we don’t like people to bring things on to our farm.

I don’t understand why farmers don’t have boots and coveralls for visitors.”

More than 50 per cent of the herds surveyed fed calves from pooled milk of several cows, which can spread infection among the herd, said Barkema.

All the participating herds should do a second risk assessment a year after joining the program, he said.

34

APRIL 23, 2012 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

Manitoba rancher takes the helm at CCA ISSUES  Retaining processing capacity and fostering foreign trade is critical for Canada’s cattle industry

BY DANIEL WINTERS STAFF

M

anitoba cow-calf rancher Martin Unrau is the new president of the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association. The former vice-president replaces Alberta’s Travis Toews.

Along with wife Roxie, son Garett, and a part-time employee, Unrau runs 500 head on Bar 88 Ranch and crops 1,000 acres south of MacGregor, Man. A recent visit found Unrau, former head of the provincial cattle association, in the midst of calving and seeding preparations, as well as planning a run to Brandon to pick up mineral.

“It’s enjoyable, but it’s busy,” said Unrau.

The cattle business has been riding high amid a strong recovery post-BSE, but as CCA president he said he plans to keep a watchful eye on main-

Martin Unrau, the new president of the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association, looks out over some of the cattle on his farm south of MacGregor, Man. PHOTO: DANIEL WINTERS taining the country’s slaughter and processing infrastructure.

Rebuilding the national herd will see more heifers retained as breeding stock and that will put

more pressure on the critically important downstream side of the business, he said.

The continued viability of the country’s two largest killing plants,

XL Foods and Cargill, is a big concern, as are the smaller 200- to 300-head plants that also play a big role in the supply chain.

“That’s a big deal to me,” he said.

“For the next few years, there’ll be a bit of a crunch on, and we hope these guys can stick around. We’ll have to deal with it as it comes along.”

Over the past five years, Unrau has been heavily involved in the CCA, serving as chair of the Foreign Trade committee, co-chair of the Animal Health committee, and as a member of the Domestic Agriculture and Policy regulation committee.

But he said his first love is ranching, and it’s all he’s ever wanted to do. But in 2004, he opted to become involved in the “political” side of the business despite the time commitment and extensive travel demands.

The sacrifice has been worth it, he said, adding efforts to open up foreign markets have convinced

him of the need for building trade links with as many countries as possible.

The need for compromise, or “give and take,” is a big part of his philosophy, he added.

“There’s more to it than just raising the calf, feeding the steer, putting it on the truck and making sure it gets to the processing facility,” said Unrau.

“The reason I’m in this game of politics is to ensure that people and governments understand how beneficial we are to this country.”

The opportunity for foreign travel that comes with the job has opened his eyes to new perspectives — and some surprises.

In Belgium, for example, Unrau, who is of Dutch Mennonite descent, discovered that he could converse in his fluent low German with the Flemish farmers.

It’s nice to be bilingual, but he admits that French would be handier in his new job.

BRIEFS Group of 175 Angus sent by air to Russia A shipment of 175 head of western Canadian cattle was sent by air to Kranoyarsk, Russia on March 5.

The group of 165 registered Angus heifers and 10 registered Angus bulls was assembled from 22 farms in Alberta and Saskatchewan.

Cantriex Livestock International Inc. of Ponoka along with Weavercroft International of Dorchester, Ontario and Douglas J. Henderson and Associates of Lacombe were responsible for putting the shipment together.

The cattle were held in quarantine just outside Ponoka and were hauled to Chicago where they were loaded into crates and placed on the plane.

“It was a rewarding experience filled with opportunity, but of course it also came with some challenges,” said David Saretsky with Cantriex Livestock International. “I’d like to thank everyone who was involved, both on the Canadian and Russian side of the operation.”

Bunge buys protein developer A Saskatoon company developing canola protein ingredients for the feed sector, with an eye on the food and cosmetics markets, is the newest subsidiary of U.S. agri-food giant Bunge.

Bunge announced April 4 it has bought the assets and patents of privately held MCN BioProducts for an undisclosed sum.

Those assets include MCN’s processes for converting de-oiled canola meals into nutritionally dense protein concentrates as potential replacements for fish meal and/or other vegetable protein concentrates in pet, livestock and aquaculture diets.

35

ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • APRIL 23, 2012

Adverse consequences of phenylbutazone BUTE  Indiscriminate use can harm the horse, and does

not address the cause of the pain being treated

BY CAROL SHWETZ, DVM

P

henylbutazone, referred to as “bute” amongst horsemen, is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug used for the short-term relief of pain, inflammation, and fever in horses. It is one of the most common medications administered to horses but indiscriminate use is wrought with adverse consequences. Therefore horse owners must be aware of its appropriate and prudent use.

Phenylbutazone is indicated for the treatment of a wide variety of musculoskeletal ailments. These can include but are not limited to acute sprains, strains, injuries, muscular overuse, tendonitis, degenerative joint diseases, navicular syndrome, laminitis, and arthritis.

The hallmark of these ailments is pain and inflammation.

Since phenylbutazone can alleviate pain in horses it may be used inappropriately to mask lameness for competition, work or sale purposes. As such regulations regarding its use varies within disciplines and their governing bodies.

Phenylbutazone is frequently the first drug of choice for pain control and inflammation because it is relatively inexpensive and effective. It is carried under many brand labels and is available in tablet or paste formulation for oral administration, or as an injectable product strictly for intravenous use. It is not given intramuscularly as it is extremely irritating to the tissues.

as a complete surprise to owners due to ignorance, careless dosing, or failing to recognize factors that increase the likelihood of adverse effects.

Certain populations of horses such as foals, ponies, older horses and debilitated or dehydrated horses carry a higher risk for harm. Horses that are dehydrated are particularly susceptible to phenylbutazone toxicity, since blood flow to the kidneys is already compromised.

A phenomena known as “stacking” has become an increasingly common practice whereby nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and/or medications are combined in hopes of further reducing pain and inflammation. These practices greatly increase the potential of adverse side-effects.

Document required

The indiscriminate use of phe-

nylbutazone in horses whether obtained through or outside the prescription system will continue to come under increasing scrutiny. As of July 31, 2010 all horses slaughtered for human consumption in Canada must arrive at the slaughterhouse with an Equine Information Document. The EID identifies the horse and a record of medications administered to that horse over the previous six months. Horses that have received phenylbutazone are not eligible for slaughter as phenylbutazone has been found to be linked to bone marrow toxicity in humans. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has zero tolerance for phenylbutazone in food. Horse owners may expect increasing vigilance and prudence by veterinary practitioners whom prescribe phenylbutazone.

Medications that relieve pain and inflammation without heeding and acknowledging the experience that created the pain and inflammation can be counterproductive, even harmful to the long-term well-being of the horse.

Pain is an intelligent form of communication from the body.

Inflammation and pain when allowed their course are a part of the natural healing process.

As a messenger, pain brings information. An understanding of pain leads to clear decisionmaking and management in the health and welfare of the horse.

Then and only then is pain relief truly effective and compassionate.

Carol Shwetz is a veterinarian specializing in equine practice at Westlock, Alberta.

Phenylbutazone is recommended by the manufacturer for veterinary use only.

Inflammation and pain when allowed their course are a part of the natural healing process.

Risky practice

Despite the manufacturer’s recommendations that phenylbutazone be administered under veterinary supervision, many horse owners administer their own “bute.” Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) such as phenylbutazone affect the body by blocking the cascade of chemicals that produce prostaglandins, which are responsible for symptoms of pain and inflammation. Prostaglandins are also responsible for maintaining blood flow to vital tissues such as the lining of the stomach, intestinal tract and kidneys.

As a result phenylbutazone’s mechanism of action in the body places vital tissues at risk, potentially damaging the lining of the gastrointestinal tract and compromising blood flow to the kidneys. Clinical signs of phenylbutazone toxicity include loss of appetite, depression, teeth grinding, mild colic, weight loss, renal failure, and edema under the belly and in the legs. Hemorrhages and ulcers often occur in the mouth, esophagus, stomach, cecum and right dorsal colon.

Phenylbutazone’s injurious and lethal toxicities often come

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APRIL 23, 2012 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

Expert says dairy producers need to rethink their approach to treating mastitis HISTORY MATTERS  Each cow has a unique set of risks and that

should determine whether to treat the disease or cull

BY ALEXIS KIENLEN AF STAFF | RED DEER

D

airy producers need to take more care and follow proper procedure when treating a dairy cow with mastitis.

Too often employees without access to a cow’s records are in charge of treatment, dairy expert Pamela Ruegg told attendees at the recent Western Canadian Dairy Conference.

“These guys don’t have time to be making decisions about cow history,” said the professor in

dairy science at the University of Madison, Wisconsin.

“They don’t have time to look at the history. These guys should not be giving the treatment. The treatments have got to leave the milking parlours. The people who should be making the decisions about the treatments should be managers who have access to records.”

Every cow is unique, and there are risk factors for recurring cases of mastitis, she said.

Mastitis is a disease caused by bacteria that inflames the udder. It can result in the cessation of milk production or the milk produced

can have a high somatic cell count, making it unsuitable for human consumption.

“Mastitis is the only disease that damages the cells that produce the product we sell,” she said.

When a cow’s milk returns to normal after mastitis, it does not mean bacteria are completely eradicated. Treatment requires determination of the type of bacteria that is present and it’s not easy to know if treatment has been successful as cows only display systemic signs of illness in about 15 to 20 per cent of cases.

“Most cases on the farm are very mild and if we don’t treat them,

Every cow is unique, and there are risk factors for recurring cases of mastitis. ©THINKSTOCK clinical signs will disappear within four to six days,” Ruegg said. “A return to normal milk doesn’t mean that mastitis bacteria are gone, or that the treatment has been successful.”

The type of bacteria that cause clinical mastitis has changed in the past 20 to 30 years, she said.

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old cows and cows that have other diseases don’t respond as well to antibiotic treatment. Older cows have more recurrences of mastitis and cows are more likely to get mastitis on their second or third lactation.

“Age is a factor we need to consider when we’re putting together our treatment protocols,” Ruegg said.

About 18 to 20 per cent of cows will have a recurrence of mastitis, she said.

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The stage of lactation is another key factor. About 35 per cent of cows that contracted their first case of mastitis in the first month of lactation had a second case within 60 days. Cows that contracted mastitis later on in lactation were less likely to become reinfected.

The odds of successful treatment are determined by the type of pathogen. Some pathogens, such as yeasts, will not respond significantly to antimicrobial therapy.

“About 15 per cent of cows treated for mastitis will have a new infection in a 60- to 90-day period,” she said. “That’s a really high infection rate.”

Treatment decisions should be made based on the pathogens and the somatic cell history of the cow.

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Dr. Pamela Ruegg, professor in dairy science at the University of Madison, Wisconsin.

37

ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • APRIL 23, 2012

The beef industry could use a sense of wonder about the future From the hip } Young leaders listened to advice from veterans,

but there’s work to be done By brenda schoepp

F

structure to bring that up. It is fully appreciate our place in the amazing how many producers industry we need to see the bigdo not know their cost of pro- ger picture. “We are not about duction.”

Canada anymore — we are about McKinnon also reminded the a global market for protein,” he young leaders not to skip the said. At the same time, meeting basics, such as feed testing. “The the needs of society while ensurcapabilities exist; perhaps what is ing domestic supply all play into missing is the will to do it.” the complexity of the beef busiA lack of willingness, perhaps ness. While the solutions are born of apathy or lack of com- many sided, we have a choice. munication has been historically McKinnon reflected that during known to manifest itself in the his life, his core values and beliefs beef industry. That being said, it sustained him and allowed him is up to the movers and shakers to to make choices that were of bentake responsibility and to attract efit to the beef industry. new entrants. Unrau believes Collectively, the industry panel that innovation will attract new at this very special event reflected farmers, but it is a great attitude positive thinking and offered that keeps them there. And to sound solutions to the future T:8.125”

leaders in cattle business while travelling well into the future. It is by choice that the beef industry will sear its brand and make her mark on the global platform and it is through the youth of this day, such as the Cattlemen Young Leaders, that this will happen. Bilow, never losing his sense of wonder sums it up, “We will differentiate into something the world has never seen before!”

Oh… look… we can fly!

Brenda Schoepp is a market analyst and the owner and author of Beeflink, a national beef cattle market newsletter. A professional speaker and industry market and research consultant, she ranches near Rimbey.

T:10”

or me, it was yet-another packed plane and one of many this spring but for the little girl across the aisle, this was her first flight. As the plane lifted she sang out “Oh… look!

We can fly!” This sense of wonder charmed and captivated the entire group on the plane. It is this awe that we need to feel again in the beef industry.

The Cattlemen Young Leaders program (CYL) was the idea of a young Alberta woman, Jill Harvie, and has been administered through the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association (CCA) and supported through industry sponsorship. The foundation of the program is mentorship. At the recent graduation for the CYL in Saskatoon, members of an industry panel summed up their experiences and passion for the beef industry, despite years in the business.

Jeff Bilow, market strategy manager for UFA, captured the essence of opportunity for leadership when he passionately exclaimed to the group, “I hear the voices and see the faces of the future of the industry.” He went on to remind the CYL graduates that Martin Luther King said “I have a dream,” and that he did not say “I have a goal.”

Most certainly the panel mirrored Bilow’s sentiment. Scott Wright, a director with Agriculture Canada, went further to add that one must “do what you do to make a difference and be passionate about it,” despite the huge challenge in the industry of connecting the dots between the players, and the lack of industry recognition.

Sandy Russell of Spring Creek agreed noting that while things are not perfect that in itself is a road to betterment: “We have of lot of inefficiencies in our business and opportunities to build on that.”

Martin Unrau, newly elected CCA president, knows how much work building a beef business, growing it and serving it can be. Good years or bad, he remains realistically optimistic and offered sage advice to those entering the industry. He said it was important to dig deeper into the business you are in and to be on all sides of it while willing to take some risk. Like most cattlemen he has seen that when the going gets tough, the tough get going and he urged the young leaders to never quit.

beef industry is a huge challenge as we look to the future. Unrau was candid: “I think in the next five years we are going to see our industry move forward. We need to get our numbers up, deal with infrastructure, extra feedlot space and the threat of losing a packer.”

When it comes to broader issues such as climate change, Wright pondered the ability of the producer to adapt to the new variables. But for John McKinnon, Saskatchewan Beef Industry chair, it came down to facing production inefficiencies.

“We are still declining in numbers with an 80-85 per cent calf crop and a lack of management

Rebuilding is a challenge

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APRIL 23, 2012 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

Options for group sow housing — part two MANAGEMENT  Group-housing systems have been successful

elsewhere, but require more time and management

BY BERNIE PEET

Second of two articles on group sow housing

T

here are a number of group sow-housing systems that can be used in converted buildings or new barns. Each of them has particular features and limitations that need to be understood in order to make an informed decision about which system to choose. While there are certainly differences in cost, it is most important to select a system that meets a producer’s individual objectives without compromising performance.

Electronic sow feeding

The use of individual electronic sow identification allows accurate feeding in ESF systems and permits feed levels to be adjusted automatically, according to stage of pregnancy. This gives very accurate control of sow body condition and is the major advantage of the system.

Depending on design, feeders will each handle 45-60 sows. The number of sows bred each week will determine whether “static” or “dynamic” sow groups are used. With static groups sows are only mixed at entry to the pen, whereas dynamic groups have new sows added either each week or sometimes every two to three weeks. The use of static groups simplifies both housing design and management procedures.

Dynamic groups, typically of

100-250 sows, give great flexibility in terms of the number of sows bred each week and do not require sows to be remixed at any stage. Their main drawback is that management is more difficult because the group contains sows at different stages of pregnancy. Keen observation skills and a clear identification and marking system are therefore essential.

Automatic separation systems may be used to isolate sows from the group for heat checking, pregnancy testing, vaccination or transfer to the farrowing barn.

Also, sows in large groups are extremely docile, making routine tasks easy.

Unlike other systems, ESF requires sows and gilts to be trained to use the feeder. Gilts are quick to learn and rarely need retraining, but where existing herds are converted to ESF, a small proportion of older sows may fail to learn and have to be culled. Training requires a significant time input when a system is first installed.

Electronic feeding equipment is now extremely reliable but when a breakdown does occur, it can result in aggression. Consequently it is important to deal with a supplier that has a good knowledge of the equipment, carries a full range of spare parts and can provide a 24-hour maximum response time.

Free-access stalls

This system is widely used in Denmark, with both bedded or slatted floors. As its name sug-

This Danish free-access stall system has a slatted area at the rear of the stall and a solid exercise/ dunging area.

gests, sows are able to move in and out of a feeding/lying stall with a hinged rear gate that closes to protect them from other sows. The animals are individually fed, either automatically or by hand, however sows do not always use the same stall, so manual topping-up of feed is necessary where feed dispensers are used. Group size is typically six to 20, although could be larger depending on pen layout.

The system’s biggest advantage is its simplicity, although it is relatively expensive.

Trickle feeding

This feeding method uses the principle of “biological fixation,” whereby if feed is delivered to the sow at a rate less than she is capable of consuming, she will remain in her place and not attempt to steal another sow’s feed. In practice this involves using short (head and shoulders) feeding stalls and delivering feed into an individual trough or onto the floor at a rate of about 150200 grams/minute. Although sows sometimes move from one stall to another, this provides no

advantage and consequently the level of aggression is minimal.

Trickle feeding is usually used in small groups of six to 12 sows, making it most suitable for units of 200-600 sows. Slatted floors and unbedded lying areas may both be used successfully. The system provides simultaneous feeding allowing inspection of all sows to be carried out at feeding time and sows do not require training to use the system. Fixed groups based on service date simplify routine management tasks as all sows in the group are at the same stage of pregnancy.

Automated floor feeding

This simple system uses feed dispensers above the lying area to drop feed onto the floor and group size is typically six to 25 sows per pen. It is suitable only for fixed groups because experience with dynamic groups has shown unacceptable aggression.

Control of individual feed intake is poor because the dominant sows are able to eat more and this results in variable body

condition. The problem can be reduced by splitting each week’s sows into at least two groups and penning gilts separately.

However, even where this is done, some variation in condition will occur.

Although the system has a comparatively low capital cost, it has a number of disadvantages. Some aggression inevitably occurs during feeding, which can result in physical damage to less-dominant sows. It is also necessary to give more feed overall to maintain adequate condition in the thinnest sows and the added cost involved justifies the use of a more sophisticated system that provides more accurate control of feed intake.

There are a number of other group-housing options available, including liquid feeding in troughs and a range of proprietary feeding systems that are currently available in Europe.

The design of group systems is critical to success because deficiencies in the layout can lead to serious aggression. Therefore it is essential to get good advice on design to avoid problems. Group systems, in particular dynamic groups on ESF, require a higher level of management ability and a slightly higher time input than sow stalls. As with any new system, producers and their staff must be committed to making it work.

Bernie Peet is president of Pork Chain Consulting of Lacombe, Alberta, and editor of Western Hog Journal.

Can naked oats cut organic chicken production costs?

HIGHER PROTEIN  Researchers think hulless oats could make up 70-80 per cent of the ration OHIO STATE RELEASE

S

cientists with Ohio State University have received a four-year, $896,000 U.S. Department of Agriculture grant to study the feasibility of incorporating “naked oats” into organic farming rotations as a way to cut the cost of producing organic chicken.

The oats, which have a unique protein and amino acid balance, will be tested in the diets of pasture-raised organic broiler chickens. The chickens will be considered part of the crop rotation within a given year, where they’ll serve as both a product to sell and a source of manure to enhance soil fertility.

The goal of the study is to develop a way to reduce the cost of organic chicken feed by growing the cereal portion of the birds’

diet on the farm, thus making it more cost effective to raise and sell organic chicken, said Mike Lilburn, an animal sciences professor at the university’s Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center in northeast Ohio and the leader of the study.

“What I’m hoping is that in four years we can offer a cost-effective crop rotation alternative to organic producers, one that produces a quality organic product but decreases the cost of production,” said Lilburn, who also holds a joint appointment with Ohio State University Extension.

Selling naked oats to other organic poultry producers or for use in highvalue organic foods such as granola could be other options for farmers, he said.

Also called hulless oats, naked oats are

< Performance

named for their lack of an outer hull compared with conventional oats.

“Naked oats are higher in protein than conventional oats and have an amino acid profile that may reduce the proportion of high-cost, high-protein supplements that are currently needed to produce balanced organic diets,” Lilburn said. “If our hypothesis is correct and naked oats can be used at up to 70 to 80 per cent of the diet for pasture-reared broilers, this becomes a new option for organic producers.”

The grant comes through the Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative program of USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture. This past fall, USDA announced this and 22 other grants, totalling $19 million, to research and Extension programs at U.S. universities, all designed to advance organic farming.

Goal is to reduce the cost of organic poultry feed. PHOTO: LAURA RANCE

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