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Land-use planning legislation one step closer for the South Saskatchewan DEADLINE  Interested citizens have until Christmas to look at the advice document and submit opinions these meetings and from completed workbooks either mailed in or completed online are processed, the government will prepare a draft regional plan that will be open to public comment before it makes a final plan that will be land-use planning law for southern Alberta. Interested citizens have until Christmas to look at the advice document and submit opinions. People have come to the meetings with very different views of the most important things to protect or change, says Duncan MacDonnell, who has attended several meetings as a communications specialist for Alberta Environment and Sustainable Resource Development. “We’ve had quite a range of opinions both as we moved to different parts of the region and from people with differing interests,” he said in an interview.

BY HELEN MCMENAMIN

AF CONTRIBUTOR / LETHBRIDGE

A setting sun tries to add warmth to a cold evening as a blanketed horse grazes in pastures west of High River, Alta. PHOTO: WENDY DUDLEY

he regional plan for the South Saskatchewan River Basin (SSRB) has reached another milestone in early December as public consultations on the Regional Advisory Committee’s (RAC) advice to the government wrapped up in Lethbridge. About 1,250 people have attended a meeting to express their views on the document prepared by the RAC, which represented all the stakeholders who use or affect southern Alberta’s landscape in some way. It’s all part of the Land-use Framework, with a goal to set land-use rules that will provide a good life for Albertans of 2062, 50 years from now, or at least direct some first steps in whatever might be the right direction. Once the comments from

PLANNING LEGISLATION  page 6

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news » inside this week

inside » Livestock ER trailers deployed Program at Olds College will support operators

DECEMBER 17, 2012 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

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crops

Ultimate coyote protection

Aster yellows and blackleg

Austrian dairy farmers dip into Internet “milking” craze Response }

Austria’s farm lobby has created its own version to promote drinking milk

Bernie Peet

Revised welfare codes for pigs

Brenda Schoepp

Ex-farmers in a New Delhi slum

Barley prices seen holding An opportunity to renew rotations

columNists

Roy Lewis

Fenced safe area protects sheep

One of the two can be managed

Treating problems in newborn calves

ABP annual hears checkoff discussions still underway Frustration } ABP concerned that the producers’ side didn’t get enough attention during the XL recall

vienna / reuters

Dumping a bottle of milk over your head and filming it for a video post on the Internet has become a popular youth craze, but Austrian farmers say the spillage is a crying shame. “Milking,” as the trend is known, is among a variety of tongue-in-cheek stunts in which young people shoot pictures or videos of themselves posing as owls, planks of wood, or famous people and then share them on YouTube and other social media. Austria’s AMA farm lobby has launched its own “true milking” campaign to decry the wanton waste of dairy resources and to encourage consumers to drink it instead. “At a time when too much food already lands in the trash, it is worth questioning dumping milk. This is a valuable product of nature that our farmers provide daily with lots of love and labour,” AMA milk-marketing manager Peter Hamedinger said. Milking has become an Internet hit, with one video from Newcastle in England getting more than half a million clicks on YouTube — www.youtube.com/ watch?v=qtJPAv1UiAE. AMA’s marketing arm said the milking craze seems to reflect a strange, youthful protest against authority. It sought to one-up the video trend with its own clip featuring a young man who holds a carton of milk high above his head and drinks the contents without spilling a drop — www.youtube. com/watch?v=EsJ3OsP1Fks &feature=youtube. “In line with the nature of the medium, this message is not communicated in a commercial way and absolutely not with finger pointing, but rather with a wink of the eye for the Internet generation,” the farm products board said in a statement.

Alberta Beef Producers presented the 2013 Environmental Stewardship Award to Gerry and Grant Taillieu of Tomahawk Cattle Ranch. The Taillieus use a holistic management approach that focuses primarily on the land, grass and water. They don’t use machinery, plow or seed. Electric fencing is used to control access when bale grazing. (l-r) Ryan Pfisterer, Hali and Grant Taillieu, Amy Taillieu, Cheryl and Gerry Taillieu. Photo: courtesy ABP by will verboven, editor calgary

hree industry issues dominated much of the discussions both inside and outside the meeting hall at the Alberta Beef Producers annual meeting earlier this month. By far of biggest interest was the recent XL Foods recall and the subsequent involvement of JBS in taking over management of the Brooks plant. ABP chairman Doug Sawyer expressed his frustration with the lack of media exposure on the cattle industry’s position as the situation unfolded over a one-month period. “We fielded many media calls and our executive director said he did more interviews on this topic than any other in his career, but we didn’t get the exposure,” Sawyer said. In the absence of media coverage, the office mailed out a letter to producers to explain the media situation and the efforts of the ABP, he said. Sawyer reported on the ongoing discussions with the Alberta Cattle Feeders Association (ACFA) regarding the memorandum of understanding on the non-refundable national checkoff. That agreement will run out in March of 2013 unless the agreement is extended. “We’ve had meetings with the cattle feed-

ers’ executive for months and have not yet come to an agreement on the national checkoff,” Sawyer said. Unless there is a new agreement between the two groups, the $1 portion of the checkoff will become refundable under the existing legislation. If that were to happen it could put into jeopardy the collection of approximately $600,000 of checkoffs on imported beef. Sawyer indicated that discussions on the issue have continued for the agriculture minister.

“Producers need to get involved at every stage (with land use), I can’t emphasize that enough.” Doug Sawyer

Land-use framework

Sawyer noted the release of the South Saskatchewan Regional Plan and its importance to the well-being of agricultural production in that area of the province. He encouraged producers to get involved with the process to protect their own interests.

“Producers need to get involved at every stage, I can’t emphasize that enough,” Sawyer said. Also reviewed was Bill 2 and its possible impact on property rights. “There may be some things with this bill that we need to look at more closely,“ Sawyer said. Other topics included Cargill, JBS, and the Land Use Secretariat. AdFarm reviewed the Alberta Beef: Famous Taste campaign and there were updates from partner organizations CCA and Canada Beef Inc. that were also presented. Seventeen Alberta-based cattle industry recipients of the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medals were presented with their medals by CCA president Martin Unrau and past president Travis Toews. The ABP 2013 Environmental Stewardship Award was presented to Gerry and Grant Taillieu of Tomahawk Cattle Ranch. Doug Sawyer (Pine Lake) was re-elected chair, Greg Bowie (Ponoka) moved to vicechair and John Buckley (Cochrane) has joined the executive team as finance chair. The newly elected 2013 board of directors are Cecilie Fleming (Granum), Brian Chomlak (Beauvallon), Rick McKnight (Jarvie), Howard Bekkering (Vauxhall), Bob Lowe (Nanton), Brian Edge (Cochrane), Judy Fenton (Irma), Rob Somerville (Endiang), Chris Simpson (Bentley), John Bland (Strathmore), Larry Delver (Calgary), Mark Francis (Taber) and Roland Cailliau (Valleyview).

ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • DECEMBER 17, 2012

Agri-Cluster among new cluster of agri-programs ADVANCE NOTICE  Ritz says new programs set to launch April 1

Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz has provided previews of three new programs to launch April 1, 2013.

STAFF

he sequel to Growing Forward is going to introduce three new characters — all of whom will be seen mainly on the outside of the farm gate. Federal Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz on Dec. 7 provided previews of three new programs to launch April 1, 2013 under the umbrella of Growing Forward 2, the federal, provincial and territorial governments’ next five-year agriculture policy funding framework. AgriCompetitiveness is expected to “target investments to help strengthen the agriculture and agri-food industry’s capacity to adapt and be profitable in domestic and global markets.” AgriMarketing is to “help industry improve its capacity to adopt assurance systems, such as food safety and traceability, to meet consumer and market demands.” AgriInnovation is meant to invest in the ag sector’s “capacity to develop and commercialize new products and technologies.” AgriInnovation will begin accepting applications “immediately,” but will make no funding decisions before April 1. AgriMarketing and AgriCompetitiveness are to accept applications starting early in 2013, the federal government said. Some information on AgriInnovation is already available online; details on the other two programs are to be available in the new year. The federal Ag Department said it’s “proactively providing information to farmers and the industry so that they are familiar with the kind of support that will be available and so they may plan their applications well in advance.”

Investments

AgriInnovation, the government said, is to support two “industryled” streams — research and development (R+D), and commercialization — and to build on two programs, the Agricultural Innovation program and the Canadian AgriScience Clusters initiative, both of which will expire on March 31.

The commercialization stream would issue loans for the “demonstration, commercialization and adoption of innovative agri-based products, technologies, processes or services.” The R+D stream, meanwhile, would provide non-repayable funding to support either a national-level “agri-science cluster” — which co-ordinates a critical mass of private- and publicsector scientific expertise — or a national, regional or local-level “agri-science project,” in the form of a single research project or set of smaller projects that are more “focused” than a cluster.

ties and issues, respond to market trends and enhance business and entrepreneurial capacity.”

Continuous funding

Several commodity groups that provide support for R+D and market development lined up to hail the advance notice on the new programs. The Canadian Cattlemen’s Association said the new programs’ April 1 start date will ensure “continuous funding for critically

important existing programs like the Beef Science Cluster.” Rob Meijer, president of the beef industry’s market development body Canada Beef, said the GF2 programming “specifically aligns with (the organization’s) threeyear strategic priorities: to branddifferentiate, target priority markets of value, and venture into new emerging market possibilities.” Patti Miller, president of the Canola Council of Canada, said the GF2 programs “will allow the

canola industry to partner strategically with the public sector on research and innovation.” The Alberta Barley Commission said it’s “already working with stakeholders to best plan and utilize these funding programs for barley farmers.” “We’re at a crossroads where we have a real opportunity to grow the barley industry with the right kind of funding,” Matt Sawyer, the commission’s newly re-elected chairman, said in a release.

“We’re at a crossroads where we have a real opportunity to grow the barley industry with the right kind of funding.” MATT SAWYER ABC

Not to be confused with the current AgriMarketing program — an export market development program which has stopped taking applications and will expire March 31 — the new AgriMarketing program is to invest in projects that “enhance the sector’s access to international markets by differentiating and promoting Canadian products and sectors, and in “market development tools” needed to compete globally. The government said, the new AgriMarketing would back the development of “assurance systems and standards” to give Canadian products a marketing edge through “credible quality and health claims,” such as food safety and traceability systems. AgriCompetitiveness, meanwhile, is to make “directed investments that will help the sector adapt to rapidly changing and emerging global and domestic opportuni-

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DECEMBER 17, 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

The property rights battle goes on and on… again

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

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Opposition fodder } It could, or rather should, have been done with a lot more buy-in from the rural landowning public

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By will verboven

Alberta Farmer | Editor

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ust when you thought it was out of sight and out of mind, the PC government brings back the issue that lost them the rural south, and almost much of the rest of rural Alberta in the last election. Bill 2 — the Responsible Energy Development Act covers energy-industry-related issues, but also includes the consolidation of legislation covering property matters in regards to energy development. Just the mere thought of “property rights” was guaranteed to set off howls of protest from the opposition Wildrose Party and other government critics. A raucous debate ensued in the legislature with the opposition leader labelling the legislation the “Frankenbill.” Others called it the worst legislation ever forced on innocent landowners in the history of civilization — or words to that effect. It would seem that the “property rights” issue is the gift that just keeps on giving for the Wildrose Party. And as the giver, the PC government just can’t seem to figure out how to stop giving this gift to their political foes. But then in this case, one suspects that the government may have been thinking more of vengeance rather than benevolence towards those rural voters who had the audacity to vote against them in the last election. Too bad because it could, or rather should, have been done with a lot more buy-in from the rural landowning public. With the election behind them the government certainly has the time to mend fences with landowners on this issue. But I guess that only works if the government actually believes there is a political problem. At this moment in time their approach seems to be full steam ahead and damn the political torpedoes. From the government perspective Bill 2 tidies up an area that was contained in

six previously passed conservation acts. But one wonders as to the awareness of the real world of those drafting the legislation when the government itself made 15 amendments to fix obvious problems and omissions. The government spin was that the legislation was the result of information they gathered from stakeholders. Considering the opposition reaction to the legislation, the government clearly did not address all property rights concerns. But then ruling governments are not prone to listening to their political foes whether they are right or not. The opposition introduced 20 amendments of its own, which were all promptly rejected by the government. One ponders — were all those proposed amendments really wrong, or were they just opposition political mischief? That’s politics I guess. From a cynical point of view keeping the

It would seem that the “property rights” issue is the gift that just keeps on giving.

“property rights” issue alive with another government bill is something of a boon to the Wildrose Party. That issue formed the centrepiece of their last campaign in rural Alberta with much success. The party is now able to keep stoking the embers of discontent in readiness for the next election. I expect they will have plenty of fuel for more political bonfires as bureaucrats roll out the detailed regulations needed to enforce the legislation. Considering past track records, new bone-headed regula-

tions are sure to cause both outrage and court cases. I expect Wildrose strategists will be salivating at the prospect of receiving even more such political gifts from the government. Just to add to their political generosity, the PC government also intends to repeat history, believing that if only misguided landowners were informed of the facts they would all happily rally behind the legislation. The previous energy minister, Ted Morton, fervently believed in that mantra, but then he lost his seat in the last election. I think there was a message there. Present Energy Minister Ken Hughes has vowed that he will engage in a province-wide speaking tour to inform misled land owners of the wisdom of his legislation. No doubt the minister’s political handlers will probably be seeking out friendly audiences to create a positive PR response to the legislation. Nothing new there, the legislation’s opponents will be doing exactly the same thing for their side, and on it goes. One does wish that there could be some better credible public consultation mechanism to create what everyone agrees is much needed legislation to protect landowner rights. The reality is that the courts will probably be the final arbiter of the fairness of all of the property rights legislation. As usual lawyers will have the last laugh. All of this causes one to ponder if there is a jurisdiction somewhere in the world where all sides, stakeholders and landowners are generally happy with legislation that governs their property rights. Every area has unique circumstances, but surely Alberta is not the first jurisdiction that has had to deal with this issue. Perhaps we should have tried harder to learn from others before starting on what has turned out to be a most acrimonious and endless journey. But then I guess it’s easier to repeat history.

www.albertafarmexpress.ca or email: subscription@fbcpublishing.com At Farm Business Communications we have a firm commitment to protecting your privacy and security as our customer. Farm Business Communications will only collect personal information if it is required for the proper functioning of our business. As part of our commitment to enhance customer service, we may share this personal information with other strategic business partners. For more information regarding our Customer Information Privacy Policy, write to: Information Protection Officer, Farm Business Communications, 1666 Dublin Ave., Wpg., MB R3H 0H1 Occasionally we make our list of subscribers available to other reputable firms whose products and services might be of interest to you. If you would prefer not to receive such offers, please contact us at the address in the preceding paragraph, or call 1-800-665-0502. The editors and journalists who write, contribute and provide opinions to Alberta Farmer Express and Farm Business Communications attempt to provide accurate and useful opinions, information and analysis. However, the editors, journalists and Alberta Farmer Express and Farm Business Communications, cannot and do not guarantee the accuracy of the information contained in this publication and the editors as well as Alberta Farmer Express and Farm Business Communications assume no responsibility for any actions or decisions taken by any reader for this publication based on any and all information provided.

Give the urban media what they really want A

t the recent Alberta Beef Producers AGM, the XL Foods E. coli fiasco was a prominent topic both inside and outside the meeting room. There was considerable frustration expressed by ABP officials of their inability to get the urban media to present the cattle industry’s perspective of the unfolding events over the month-long period. Apparently numerous interviews were carried out and many media phone calls were fielded by the ABP, yet the cattle industry appeared conspicuous by its absence in the public discussions and media. This caused so much consternation within the organization that it was decided to send a letter to producers on

the ABP mailing list to inform them that despite the lack of media appearances, the ABP had done everything possible to advance the industry’s position on the issue. The problem seemed to be the urban media and their perceived lack of understanding of the cattle industry. Well that’s true to a point, but two other matters were at play here that caused the city media to seemingly ignore the cattle industry interest in the E. coli issue. First, the issue involved beef, not cattle which made it very different from the BSE crisis. Urban media folks made the link between getting sick from eating a steak to a retail store to a processing plant. Linking it further

to feedlots and cattle ranchers was something they couldn’t grasp or was just unnecessarily complicating the issue with no headline benefit. The latter is really key to why the cattle industry was out of the PR loop with the urban and national media. The cattle industry spokespeople didn’t give the city media the necessary “headline candy” to get their attention. That approach is needed when you are a third party to the issue and not directly involved. Media reporters were not interested in carefully phrased responses from the industry. Sure that’s a safe approach, but it doesn’t generate sensational headlines and 10-second TV news clips,

which is the first order of business for city media. The PR reality is that cautious reaction gets you ignored. Bold action (real or imagined) gets you media attention. That last point is well understood by most lobby groups. On the other hand perhaps the cattle industry should be thankful they were ignored by the urban media in this incident. Whenever your product is linked to poisoning, disease and possible death it’s tough to spin a positive response and it may just lead to even more unwanted revelations. In this case maybe the cattle industry dodged a bad PR bullet, let’s hope that luck continues because incidents like this are sure to happen again.

ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • DECEMBER 17, 2012

There are ways to feed another two billion people by 2050 False dichotomy } The choice is not either full-blown modern technology or subsistence organic By Daryll E. Ray and Harwood Schaffer

ecently we were asked to take part in a symposium at the Entomological Society of America annual meeting titled: “Feeding future generations: Expanding a global science to answer a global challenge.” The focus of that challenge was to identify ways to feed nine billion people in 2050. We preface this synopsis by noting that it appears to us that the multinational biotech seed and chemical companies have responded to this challenge by positioning their products as the primary solution. Not incidentally, they are also using this challenge as a justification for pressing the case for the extension of their intellectual property rights through trade negotiations. It appears to us that much of the discussion about feeding nine billion people by 2050 has been captured by these firms by setting up a false dichotomy. On the one side, we have what might be called the current mechanized agricultural model. Its goal is to bring the latest technologies (read GMOs and agricultural chemicals) to bear on solving this problem. It

is argued that through the use of patented products and technologies, U.S. farmers can boost their production to help meet the increased demand for food.

One needed action is to reduce post-harvest loss, which can be as much as a quarter to a third of the crop.

Similarly farmers in developing nations can use these same patented technologies and products to boost their crop production. But in order to make them available, the agribusiness firms need to make sure that their intellectual property is protected. So they offer free use of products like a GMO cassava to a country’s farmers in exchange for their setting up U.S.-style intellectual property rights and regulatory agencies in their country. The vision is to remould subsistence farmers

into entrepreneurial, exportoriented producers. On the other side, they offer organic production, essentially viewing it as a post-industrial philosophical reaction to the mechanization of agriculture. They go on to characterize organic production as offering lower yields and increased labour requirements as a result of higher weed and insect pressure. By positing organics as the only alternative to the full use of their products, they hope to quash any challenge to their vision. They also ignore a lot of other actions that could be helpful in meeting the challenge of feeding two billion additional people by 2050.

Alternatives

One needed action is to reduce post-harvest loss, which can be as much as a quarter to a third of the crop. To do this, low-input storage technologies need to be identified that use resources available to farm households and can be maintained over the long haul by the poorest of the poor. Returning to a theme that we have touched on before in this column, we need longterm funding for conventional breeding programs that will produce public varieties of “lost

crops”: teff, various sorghums, amaranth, fonio, African rice, millets and pulses. Many of these crops currently yield about one tonne per hectare. Research plots have identified landraces of these crops that can yield triple or quadruple that. A conventional breeding program could breed these high-yielding characteristics back into the local varieties that would be acceptable to local households. Intercropping can increase total food output from a given plot of land through techniques like succession planting. While intercropping would be a problem for farmers using diesel tractors, it is more common among farmers who depend upon hand labour. As a recent Iowa State study showed, three- and four-year rotations that include crops and livestock can reduce the need for synthetic nitrogen fertilizers and herbicides. In some cases the task will be to help subsistence farmers recover traditional rotations that used local crops and crop varieties. We cannot underestimate the importance of the issue of soil and water management. We need to pay attention to soil biotics and soil structure. Doing so could decrease water run-off, increase

water infiltration, and improve nutrient availability to the plants. None of this is difficult. The science is relatively easy. What it takes is the political will to fund programs in these areas. In saying this we are not arguing that the role of mechanized agriculture in the global North does not play a role in meeting this goal; it does. But there is more to it than that. Oh! and we almost forgot our most important point. The real challenge in feeding all nine billion people in 2050 is not production; it is distribution. Remember 1998-2001? The price of corn was $1.85 a bushel and we had 800 million hungry people in the world. But because they lacked purchasing power, 800 million people went to bed hungry while U.S. producers were told that the low prices were caused by their “overproduction.” The first step in meeting this challenge is to enable the farmers who are among the poorest of the poor to produce their own food using sustainable technologies that are within their resource base. 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.

Research needed to verify effectiveness of E. coli vaccine Irradiation } CCA says that as in the U.S., it should be approved for ground beef Alberta Beef Producers Grass Routes newsletter

he beef recall at XL Foods Inc. put the spotlight on additional E. coli interventions, with a good deal of the focus on the E. coli vaccine licensed in Canada. The Canadian Cattlemen’s Association believes that research is required to verify that the vaccination of cattle has a public health benefit by comparing beef products made from vaccinated and unvaccinated animals. The need for this work is also recognized by public health authorities. Another consideration is that the vaccine does not reduce shedding by cattle of

other types of pathogenic E. coli. These strains include the six additional types of E. coli (the so-called Big Six) that U.S. and Canadian beef processors are now required to test for in addition to E. coli 0157:H7. Unlike the vaccine, other types of food safety interventions such as irradiation, antimicrobial sprays or carcass pasteurization can reduce all types of foodborne pathogens. Challenges around the practical application of the vaccine — and not cost as was implied in some media coverage — have also tempered its use in the industry as a critical control point. The need for three separate injections spaced over a period of time plus a withdrawal period, and preventing vaccinated cattle

from mixing with unvaccinated animals or those shedding E. coli; a determination that can’t be made visually, are the significant challenges cited by industry. More than a decade ago, cattle producers submitted an application for the approval of ground beef irradiation to Health Canada recognizing that this is a proven and highly effective intervention. While Health Canada’s scientific review of our application was successfully completed, final approval has not yet been received. The CCA believes that Canadians should have the choice to purchase irradiated ground beef, as consumers in the U.S. do currently. Canadian cattle producers strongly support the ultimate

Unlike the vaccine, other types of food safety interventions such as irradiation, antimicrobial sprays or carcass pasteurization can reduce all types of foodborne pathogens.

objective of reducing, and if possible eliminating, E. colirelated illness associated with beef. The Canadian cattle industry has made financial

contributions to the development of the current vaccine and has instigated ongoing research projects which examine the effectiveness of multiple types of pre-harvest (on-farm) interventions. Currently, we are awaiting results of a trial which compares the effectiveness of the vaccine to a probiotic product mixed in feed. We have assembled an expert advisory of North American scientists from industry, government and academia to help us understand developments in the area of pre-harvest food safety interventions. In addition, Canadian cattle producers are providing financial support to research relating to food safety interventions which can be used inside processing facilities.

OFF THE FRONT

DECEMBER 17, 2012 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

PLANNING LEGISLATION  from page 1 “But people have been generally supportive of the process and the opportunity to have some input. We’ve been learning as we go along.” MacDonnell said they’ve started with the two most challenging of the seven regions under review.

“We’ve had quite a range of opinions both as we moved to different parts of the region and from people with differing interests.” DUNCAN MACDONNELL

“In the Lower Athabasca (LARP) we had two diametrically opposed views to reconcile. The South Saskatchewan is the most populous, with over two million residents including Calgary.”

Water management key

MacDonnell said reactions to the vision of the RAC and their concerns have split various ways, but by a four- or five-to-one majority they have expressed concern for water management and said that the headwaters must be protected. Water rights and the quality and quantity of water is critical. Some stressed the importance of riparian areas and groundwater “Don’t mess with our water” was a common theme. There was also a rural/urban

The South Saskatchewan Region is the most populous of the seven under review, with more than two million residents including Calgary. split and some concerns unique to smaller agricultural communities. Mostly these are around whether and how they could remain significant or have already become obsolete or where they could find a balance between economic activity and an agricultural presence. Some participants in the meetings were concerned that grazing rights not be compromised. Others want to see areas set aside to protect native

species. Some would like to see the foothills reserved for recreation, others want to continue the present multi-use approach that includes grazing and resource development. Stakeholders — landowners, municipal leaders, oil and gas people and environmental groups have been well informed about the process, but others were concerned about who would be making the decisions and what the process

would be. Property rights are a big issue for some people, but most recognize the need for infrastructure. As always, some people want to win both ways. “They decry the city’s urban sprawl creeping into agricultural areas, but they want the right to subdivide and sell to anyone they wish. I hope we’re getting the right level of involvement from the public,” MacDonnell said. “It’s a

challenge to get the process right so that people to stay with us as consultants and don’t feel they’re consulted to death. We are trying to show people the results of the time and effort they put into this. Public consultation is vital to something as important as this. We’re learning to refine the process along the way, and hoping we get it right so the process for the next three regions goes quickly and smoothly.”

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Albertafarmexpress.ca • december 17, 2012

Bill to impose penalties for rail service failure Contracts } New provisions provide incentives to shippers and railways to negotiate commercially By Rod Nickel

Winnipeg / Reuters

ong-awaited federal legislation unveiled on Dec. 11 would force Canadian railways to reach service agreements with shippers that request them and could impose penalties on the railways if they fail to meet their obligations. The bill, unveiled by Transport Minister Denis Lebel and Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz at a press conference in Winnipeg, seeks to address complaints by grain handlers, miners and shippers of commercial goods, which want better service from the country’s big railroads: Canadian National Railway Co. and Canadian Pacific Railway Ltd. Under the legislation, the railways will be obligated to respond within 30 days of a shipper requesting a service contract. If an agreement cannot be reached through commercial negotiations, arbitration would be available to a shipper to establish terms of service. “There is an imbalance in the shipper-railway relationship,” Lebel said at a news conference attended by shipping groups, but not railways. “(A governmentappointed panel) recommended the use of service agreements as a tool to enhance clarity and predictability and reliability on rail service.” The new provisions provide incentives to shippers and the railways to negotiate commercially, and give the Canadian Transportation Agency the power to issue a fine up to $100,000 for each violation of an arbitrated service level agreement. Canada’s biggest railroad, Canadian National, has warned that additional regulation could

Railways will be liable for fines of up to $100,000 for failing to provide service. make the system less efficient. CN chief executive Claude Mongeau said there is no evidence of systemic problems moving freight by rail in Canada that warrant the government’s move. “I am troubled by the government’s decision to introduce service legislation that is inconsistent with the facts underscoring improved rail service,” Mongeau said in a statement. “... Canada should not put the commercial framework of its rail system at

risk through unnecessary and overly burdensome rail regulation.” Lebel acknowledged that rail service has improved recently. Shippers have long said they are at a disadvantage dealing with just two dominant Canadian railroads, compared with the United States and other countries that have more competition for rail business. In addition, Canadian commodities, especially grain, are heavily export dependent

and rely on the railways to move to ports. “Any legislated backstop that we can get is going to strengthen our ability to negotiate commercial agreements,” said Jean-Marc Ruest, vice-president of corporate affairs for Richardson International Ltd., one of Canada’s biggest grain handlers. “Up to this point, we’ve had a hard time doing that.” Representatives of shippers and railroads spent four months

End of cheap energy could reshape agriculture Temporary } Like Viagra, petroleum is good for a while but the effects don’t last By Shannon VanRaes staff/Saskatoon

he end of cheap energy could mean a resurgence of interest in small-scale farming, says award-winning Alberta author Andrew Nikiforuk. “I think we’re going to see a lot of dramatic events in the next five years,” he told the annual National Farmers Union conference in Saskatoon. The decline of fossil fuels is having a direct impact on western nations, their economies and their societies, he said. “You know the middle class is suffering and experiencing contractions,” said Nikiforuk, sharing details of a recent trip to Arizona where he noticed motorists filling their gas tanks with $4 or $5 of fuel one at a time. He added the present unrest in Europe is another sign of things to come, noting Spain’s youth unemployment rate has hit 40 per cent. Governments should prepare people for shrinking economies and changing lifestyles now to lessen the risk of social unrest when the inevitable happens, he stressed.

Like any addiction, withdrawal from hydrocarbons won’t be easy, but Nikiforuk said there are examples to turn to, including Cuba. With the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1989, the small island nation saw 60 per cent of its oil imports disappear overnight. As a result, food production and caloric intake dropped to dangerous levels — until the old farm equipment came out.

“Oil is the Viagra of the species.” Andrew Nikiforuk

“There were still some small farmers left, and the government opened it up to them and said, ‘you guys save our asses,’ which is what they did,” said Nikiforuk.

Far-reaching effects

Agriculture, arguably more than any other industry, has been

affected by the advent of fossil fuels, and the ramifications have been far reaching. In 1900, 70 per cent of North Americans farmed, but not so today. “This industrial revolution — cheap oil combined with the combustion engine — changed all that, and began this massive, almost unending exodus that has reduced the rural population that farms to an amazing one per cent,” he said. That’s not all fossil fuels did. As the mechanization of farming eliminated the need for labourers and horses, it also sped up the rate at which the natural landscape could be transformed. “You plow up 40 million acres in the space of 10 years that was once grassland... and then we had the extreme dust storms,” said Nikiforuk, referring to the prairie dust bowl of the 1930s. But it didn’t stop with mechanization. The author said the next hydrocarbon-assisted step made by agriculture was chemical fertilizer, which allowed greater food production aimed at export, larger human populations and intensified urban centres.

“Oil is the Viagra of the species,” he said. However, like the effects of Viagra, this existence is not sustainable. Nikiforuk said the move away from hydrocarbons will result in a return to more sustainable practices — particularly smallscale farming — as North America works to feed itself in the face of less available energy. This isn’t the first time the world has gotten hooked on cheap energy though. In his book The Energy of Slaves: Oil and the New Servitude, Nikiforuk compares the use of fossil fuels to the use of slaves. “Slavery I think, has conditioned many of our attitudes about energy and how we use energy without us even thinking about it, so there is one of our first experiences with a concentrated form of energy — human muscle shackled,” he said. When slavery ended in the United States, there was the equivalent of one slave per citizen. But if you were to convert the energy provided by an enslaved individual and quantify it in terms of the fossil fuels used today, every American would use energy equivalent to 39 slaves.

in a government-sponsored committee this year trying, but ultimately failing, to develop both a template for service agreements and a dispute resolution process that could be used commercially. Those talks followed a sweeping review of the country’s rail freight system that began in 2008. The result is that the government is having to impose a framework through the new bill, that must be passed by the House of Commons and Senate.

Trait Stewardship Responsibilities Notice to Farmers Monsanto Company is a member of Excellence Through StewardshipSM (ETS). Monsanto products are commercialized in accordance with ETS Product Launch Stewardship Guidance, and in compliance with Monsanto’s Policy for Commercialization of BiotechnologyDerived Plant Products in Commodity Crops. This product has been approved for import into key export markets with functioning regulatory systems. Any crop or material produced from this product can only be exported to, or used, processed or sold in countries where all necessary regulatory approvals have been granted. It is a violation of national and international law to move material containing biotech traits across boundaries into nations where import is not permitted. Growers should talk to their grain handler or product purchaser to confirm their buying position for this product. Excellence Through StewardshipSM is a service mark of Excellence Through Stewardship. ALWAYS READ AND FOLLOW PESTICIDE LABEL DIRECTIONS. Roundup Ready® crops contain genes that confer tolerance to glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup® agricultural herbicides. Roundup® agricultural herbicides will kill crops that are not tolerant to glyphosate. Acceleron® seed treatment technology for corn is a combination of four separate individually-registered products, which together contain the active ingredients metalaxyl, trifloxystrobin, ipconazole, and clothianidin. Acceleron®, Acceleron and Design®, DEKALB®, DEKALB and Design®, Genuity®, Genuity and Design®, Genuity Icons, Roundup®, Roundup Ready®, Roundup Ready 2 Technology and Design®, Roundup Ready 2 Yield®, RIB Complete and Design™, RIB Complete™, SmartStax®, SmartStax and Design®, VT Double PRO™, VT Triple PRO™ and YieldGard VT Triple® are trademarks of Monsanto Technology LLC, Monsanto Canada, Inc. licensee. LibertyLink® and the Water Droplet Design are trademarks of Bayer. Used under license. Herculex® is a registered trademark of Dow AgroSciences LLC. Used under license. Respect the Refuge and Design is a registered trademark of the Canadian Seed Trade Association. Used under license. (3701-MON-E-12)

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DECEMBER 17, 2012 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

Expert urges producers to become advocates and dispel myths about animal agriculture CLOSE WATCH } The YouTube era means farmers “shouldn’t have anything on your operation that

you wouldn’t like to have on YouTube or the six o’clock news” by alexis kienlen af staff / leduc

arming is under the spotlight, and producers need to act accordingly, says the head of an Ontario farm group that tracks media coverage of agriculture. “I always say that you shouldn’t have anything on your operation that you wouldn’t like to have on YouTube or the six o’clock news,” said Crystal Mackay, executive director of Food and Farm Care. Since 2000, the organization — formerly the Ontario Farm Animal Council — has surveyed the Canadian public to ask them about their feelings and knowledgeable of food and farming. Only 10 per cent say they’re knowledge about food and farming, Mackay said at the recent AGM of Alberta Pork. “The good news story is that Canadians have good overall impressions of agriculture and they have a lot of trust in their industry,” she said, adding Alberta’s farm sector gets the highest ranking in the surveys. “People have a good impression of farmers, they respect you, and they think you’re credible spokespeople. But they don’t know who you are or what you do.” The bad news is people don’t really care about science or studies, and tend to view animal

Trait Stewardship Responsibilities

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

livestock through the lens of pet owners, she added. “You can see graphs about how much people spend on their pets and how much they care about animal welfare and they’re parallel lines, which shouldn’t surprise you.” The survey also revealed the public is interested in farmers and food production, she said. “Our research has shown that farmers, researchers and veterinarians are all very credible

“People have a good impression of farmers, they respect you and they think you’re credible spokespeople, but they don’t know who you are or what you do.” Crystal Mackay

source people.” She said people want to be able to trust farmers, and enjoy their food without feeling guilty. They are concerned about food safety and human health, followed by economics, the environment, and animal welfare. It’s important for produc-

ers to know their critics and understand the agenda of animal rights advocates, she said. “Animal rights groups use animal welfare arguments to try to advance their cause,” she said. “They do not believe in using animals for human benefit.” Mackay’s organization collaborated with many groups, including Alberta Farm Animal Care, to develop a project called “The Ag Issues project.” The alliance has a team of people who can answer questions about any major topic, including animal activists and anti-biotech activists. “We’re also the 911 centre that you hope you never have to call if there’s a problem, a protest or an illegal action on a farm,” she said. Mackay said good animal welfare is one of the tools to fight animal rights activists, even though it might not be as flashy or aggressive. “Negative outsells positive seven to one, and when we do a good job, we don’t make the news,” she said. However, the media is now telling more positive, balanced stories about animal agriculture, she added.

Farm tour

Farm and Food Care helps dispel myths by taking media, chefs and culinary students on to Ontario farms. Their sold-out Torontoarea media tour took 50 journalists to conventional and organic operations.

Crystal Mackay says you can’t complain about activists if you don’t tell your own story. “We position ourselves as the helpful experts on farming,” Mackay said. The farm tours generated a lot of stories and helped to create strong relationships with the media, she said. Her organization has also created a website — www.virtu alfarmtours.ca — so people can see how things operate on Canadian farms, and a magazine called “The Real Dirt on Farming.” It’s now working on “The Real Dirt on Farming” speaking tour, which will enable producers and

business leaders of communities to meet each other. Mackay said producers need to be out there telling their stories and spreading good news. “You can’t complain about activists telling your story if you don’t step up to the plate to tell it,” she said. Producers need to be prepared to answer questions and should talk about their own farm and personal experiences, said Mackay. “If something is in the media, you’ll probably get a question about it,” she said.

Pork producers reeling after hog barn footage aired Exception } Farmers say the undercover footage of a Manitoba hog operation isn’t a fair representation of the industry By Shannon VanRaes Staff

ideo shot by an undercover animal rights activist at a Manitoba hog barn unfairly depicts animal care practices, farm groups say. Featured on CTV’s W5 program, the grainy footage shows sows in gestation stalls, castration, tail docking, a cull sow being repeatedly shot with a captive bolt and piglets being slammed into cement floors. But what it doesn’t feature is a balanced look at the industry, said Manitoba Pork Council (MPC) chairman Karl Kynoch. “The images that were shown on W5 were very bad — they are going to be horrifying for a lot of the public,” he said. “But you have to remember that video was taken over a three-month period and heavily edited.” He said some of the images shown do not conform to the organization’s code of practice and should be investigated. He also said the operation shown is the exception, not the norm. MPC has asked Manitoba’s chief veterinary officer to examine the video, as has Mercy for Animals,

the organization that filmed the hogs using a camera hidden on an employee at Interlake Weanlings in Arborg this summer. That footage, along with footage from other hog operations outside of the province, became the basis for the CTV program that aired nationally Dec. 8. Kynoch said MPC staff and researchers were made available to CTV journalists, but that little of the information provided made it to air. “I don’t believe the footage was balanced,” he said. Neither did a panel of experts from The Centre for Food Integrity that reviewed the footage. Dr. Robert Friendship of the University of Guelph points to claims of murky drinking water as unhealthy made in the program as one example of misleading footage. “That’s actually feed in the water and pigs like that,” said Friendship. “That isn’t hurting the animal at all.” Although some of the footage, such of castration and tail docking, may be disturbing for viewers not accustomed to these practices, Dr. Laurie Conner of the University of Manitoba said the squeals of the pigs can’t necessarily be attributed to pain and suffering. “It appears to me the pig is squealing just as much because it is being held upside down or because

it is being restrained,” said Connor, adding that the industry is looking into things such as using analgesics to make the procedure less painful. However, some of the practices shown didn’t meet the standards of the panel, including the euthanization of piglets by slamming them into metal posts. Mercy for Animals also sent the footage to humane slaughter expert, Temple Grandin, who is quoted in the W5 program as saying “blunt force trauma” as a means of euthanizing piglets should be phased out.

Focus on stalls

Much of the organization’s documentation focused on the use of gestation stalls, which Mercy for Animals said is institutionalized cruelty. “We promote a milk-, egg- and meat-free diet, but realize that isn’t possible for all people, and so we want to see these animals raised humanely in a group housing situation, with straw bedding,” said the organization’s director Twyla Francois during a press conference in Winnipeg Dec. 10. Gestation stalls are already banned in the U.K., Sweden and several U.S. states and as of Jan.

2013 will be outlawed throughout the European Union. Manitoba Pork Council has said it intends to help producers phase out gestation stalls by 2025. Maple Leaf Foods, which is in the process of purchasing the featured barn as part of its acquisition of Puratone assets, is on the record as phasing out stalls by 2017. Francois said she doesn’t believe the industry is sincere about making the move to group housing and it takes shocking exposés to motivate industry and consumers. However, the organization does not intend to lobby for financial assistance for producers so that they can make a more rapid transition to group housing, which MPC estimates will cost an industry already suffering financial troubles between $500 and $600 per sow. “We’re moving forward to phase out the gestation stalls, and we’re actually pouring a lot of dollars into research on that right now,” said Kynoch. “We want to make sure we do it in the best possible way to make sure this is a step forward for animal welfare.” Mercy for Animals said it hopes that the video will encourage consumers to demand grocery stores like Metro, Sobeys and Walmart to provide gestation-stall-free pork.

ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • DECEMBER 17, 2012

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DECEMBER 17, 2012 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

Russia-bound meat to require testing for ractopamine Retaliation } Moscow denies move is in response to U.S. “Magnitsky Act” By Lidia Kelly Moscow/Reuters

eat imports to Russia from producers using ractopamine must be tested and certified free of the feed additive, the country’s veterinary regulator said, denying Saturday that the requirement is a political retaliation. The move, imposed a day after the U.S. Senate approved a bill to expand trade between Washington and Moscow that also sought to punish Russian human rights violators, could jeopardize North American meat beef and pork suppliers. It would potentially make the United States, which exports more than $500 million a year worth of beef and pork to Russia, significantly less competitive, giving advantage to Chinese and European Union meat producers, where ractopamine is banned. The U.S. Meat Export Federation said the U.S. Department of Agriculture had no testing and certification program in place for ractopamine. Canada started testing on Dec. 7 for the feed additive ractopamine in pork and beef to be shipped to

Russia, in order to comply with a new Russian requirement, a top Canadian pork industry official told Reuters. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has provided meat processors with testing guidelines and is responsible for signing certificates to make sure the products meet Russian standards, according to Jacques Pomerleau, executive director of Canada Pork International. However, Canada’s federal Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz said in an email to Reuters that Ottawa has asked Russia to delay implementation of the new requirement “to allow for a thorough and sciencebased discussion between Canadian and Russian officials.” Russia’s plant and health regulator, Rosselkhoznadzor, said that as of Dec. 7 it would allow for an unidentified transition period, during which in the absence of a needed certification, Russia will test each shipment itself. “During this period the veterinary service of the suppliers have to create a system of laboratory testing of products certifying the absence of ractopamine,” the regulator said in a statement posted on its website. Rosselkhoznadzor did not

specify what would happen to meat shipments already on their way, but the statement suggests the meat will be tested once it arrives in Russia.

Denial of retaliation

Analysts said the Russian move was linked to the U.S. Senate’s passage of the “Magnitsky Act” as part of a broad trade bill, which drew an angry response from Russia where officials called it “absurd.” Gennady Onishchenko, Russia’s chief health inspector and head of the state consumer protection agency Rospotrebnadzor, denied the requirement of testing and certifying meat imports was retaliatory. Ractopamine is used as a feed additive to make meat leaner, but countries such as China have banned its use despite scientific evidence that it is safe. The United Nations has agreed on acceptable levels of the drug. The drug, approved for use in Canada since 2006, is sold to Canadian users by U.S. animal health giant Elanco, under the name Paylean 20 premix for hogs and heavy tom turkeys, and as Optaflexx 100 premix for finishing beef cattle.

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be explored with other young people, business leaders and scientists about this global agricultural challenge. Bayer CropScience is the title sponsor of the Youth Ag-Summit and is committed to inspiring youth from around the world to see how they can make a difference and bring agriculture to the forefront of this global challenge. Countries currently involved include Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Costa Rica, Finland, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, South Africa, Spain, Taiwan, United Kingdom and U.S. Young adults between the ages of 18-25 can find out more details and apply online by visiting www. YouthAgSummit.com.

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Project: Going to Grass Campaign Image Area or Trim: 3.08” x 1.83” Publication: Alberta Farmer Express

1 shi

Vo lu m e 8 , n u m b e r 9

Dominoes falling as beef industry ‘rightsizes’

april 25, 2011

KeepinG WatCh from above

END OF THE LINE? } XL Foods

processing now consolidated at Brooks, after Moose Jaw and Calgary plants shut down By madeleine Baerg af CONtRIButOR | cAlgAry

Deborah Wilson

Tiffiny Taylor

National Advertising Sales deb.wilson@fbcpublishing.com Phone: (403) 325-1695

Sales & Special Projects tiffiny.taylor@fbcpublishing.com Phone: (204) 228-0842

he recently announced shutdown of XL foods’ beef kill plant and fabrication facility in Calgary is no surprise to those in the know. “No, it’s not a shock,” said Herb Lock, owner of farm$ense Marketing in Edmonton. “the packing industry in North america is rightsizing itself. as soon as you have excess capacity, everybody is losing money. It’s not just a Calgary thing, it’s not just an alberta thing, it’s not just a Canadian thing. this is happening on both sides of the border.” that view was echoed by Charlie Gracey, a cattle industry consultant and current board member with the alberta Livestock and Meat agency. “We’ve known for quite a long time that the herd was being sold down,” said Gracey. “It’s always regrettable to see a decline in what might be seen as competition. But there isn’t enough cattle herd to service the plant.” Lock estimates the packing industry is currently about 25 to 30 per cent overbuilt across the Pacific Northwest. Most of the processing facilities were built several decades ago, in a time when herd numbers were significantly higher, he said. Given that processing is a margin business, the only way for processors to make money is to operate at near full capacity. With today’s herd numbers at a 50-year low and the three- to fiveyear outlook not indicating much improvement, Lock sees the XL closure as a “nimble” preemptive move. Competition for live cattle sales shouldn’t diminished, said Bryan Walton, CEO of the alberta Cattle feeders association. “I don’t think the closures are going to have a material effect,” said Walton, noting XL foods still operates the Lakeside plant in Brooks. Essentially, the Calgary and Brooks plants were competing for the same animals. selling the Calgary facilities, which are fairly old and sit on valuable real estate, makes good business sense, he said.

BSE boost

While BsE has been devastating to all parts of the beef industry, Lock believes it may have had a positive — albeit short-term — influence on XL’s Calgary facilities. “the plants’ lives may have been extended by a

shutdown } page 6

AFAC ConFerenCe

JBs

oPerations, gloBal aQuisitions

at strangmuir farms south of strathmore, Kerri ross (left) and Becky tees spend their days riding through pens checking on the health of the cattle. Kevin LinK

Testing for bSe worthwhile FaIrLy LOw } Cost would be about $40 per head, but actual

financial benefits are uncertain By ron friesen staff

new industry study concludes a voluntary BsE testing program for cattle could help boost Canada’s beef exports to asia. But it cautions that BsE-tested beef would only be a niche market and the demand for it might be limited. testing alone may not fully restore Canada’s beef markets lost to BsE in Japan and other asian countries, says the study by the George Morris Centre in Guelph, Ontario. But it’s still worth considering, said al Mussell, the study’s lead author. “We think this has got potential. I think it needs to be explored further,” Mussell said following the study’s release March 31.

“I think it does give the impetus for people to take a serious look at it and say, ‘hey, this is something we could take advantage of.’” the study funded by PrioNet Canada, the alberta Prion Research Institute and the alberta Livestock and Meat agency weighed the costs and benefits of voluntarily testing cattle for BsE. It found the cost fairly low — just over $40 a head, or about five cents a pound carcass weight. that wouldn’t burden processors with huge added expenses and “drag down the operation of a beef plant,” Mussell said. He said Japanese importers have periodically asked for BsE-tested beef over the past five years, so the demand for it should be there. But whether the economic benefits

“We think this has got potential.” aL MussELL GeorGe Morris Centre

of testing outweigh the cost is hard to say. a 2005 analysis by Rancher’s Beef, an

alberta processor no longer in business, concluded BsE testing would increase the value of beef sold to Japan by $75.71 per head.

see Bse testing } page 26

Consumers must lead Changes in animal welfare } Page 33

ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • DECEMBER 17, 2012

PRECISION AG UPDATE

You can blame aster yellows on bad luck, but not blackleg BAD YEAR  2012 was just one of those years when Mother Nature gave

a free pass to aster yellows, but the rise in blackleg was man made BY ALEXIS KIENLEN AF STAFF/WESTLOCK

ope for a cold winter to knock back aster yellows, loosen up your canola rotations to avoid blackleg, and pick your pulse cultivars with disease resistance in mind. Those were three key pieces of advice offered by Alberta Agriculture pathologist Michael Harding at the recent Alberta Pulse Growers meeting. Aster yellows have been stealing yield on the Canadian Prairies since the 1950s but in Alberta, you don’t generally find more than a five per cent infestation in a canola field, said Harding. “That usually doesn’t lead to any significant economic penalty,” he said. “In 2012, however, there were fields that had 10, 20 or even 30 per cent symptoms of aster yellows.” The disease is caused by a bacteria-like organism called a phytoplasma and attacks a wide range of cereals, oilseeds and vegetables. But it doesn’t overwinter and is spread by the aster leafhopper, which spends its winters south of the border. “The determining factor for aster yellows in Alberta is the leafhopper migration,” said Harder. Last year’s mild winter set the stage for this summer’s perfect storm — the leafhoppers survived much farther north than usual and then not-sofavourable winds blew them into Alberta early. More than 12 per cent of the critters were carrying the disease — four to 12 times that normal rate. “For one reason or another, a huge number of aster leafhoppers were infected when they arrived,” said Harding. “They arrived early, so there was lots of opportunity for the disease to spread and to spread widely.” Hopefully, that won’t happen two years in a row, but if it does, there’s not a lot a farmer can do. Mowing down grass — leafhoppers’ preferred food — helps, but there’s no spray for aster yellows. You can spray for leafhoppers, but once isn’t enough. “Once you throw the insecticide on, you will create some other things to deal with, as you will disrupt the natural population of insects that are

just hanging out or are potentially beneficial,” Harding said. “You will create population booms of various insects, including the leafhopper, because they don’t stop coming with one migration. If you spray once, you’d better be prepared to spray two to three times.” Even knowing infestation levels is tough. Aster yellows in canola can be spotted because plants stick up a little higher than the rest of the canopy, and exhibit bladder-like pods and discolouration. The symptoms will generally start at the top of the plant, where the insects feed, unlike many soil- and residue-borne diseases which start at the bottom. But since other viral diseases cause similar symptoms, you need a molecular test to know for sure, Harding said.

Simple but tough solution

It’s a different story with blackleg. It’s not only easy to spot, the solution is simple — don’t grow canola too often. “If you don’t have canola stubble, blackleg isn’t going to be there,” Harding said. “If you have canola stubble, you’re probably going to have some blackleg.” Alberta is home to both the virulent and avirulent strains of blackleg, and there was a real jump in virulent cases across the Prairies this year. And — no surprise — this was especially true when farmers planted canola on canola. “This disease can accumulate very rapidly in a tight rotation because it’s got the double threat or the one-two punch. It can produce millions of spores creating a rapid buildup of inoculum in a season.” Blackleg doesn’t survive well in soil, but since it takes three years for canola stubble to fully break down, that is why a four-year rotation is recommended. There are resistant varieties but the organism has a talent for mutating and so planting those varieties in infected fields just hastens the day when the resistance is gone. Foliar fungicides are effective, but once again, they don’t fix the underlying problem, said Harding. “In some cases, fungicide application doesn’t

Aster yellows in canola can be spotted because plants stick up a little higher than the rest of the canopy.

Roundup Ready ® is a registered trademark used under license from Monsanto Company. Pioneer ® brand products are provided subject to the terms and conditions of purchase which are part of the labeling and purchase documents. The DuPont Oval Logo is a registered trademark of DuPont. ®, TM, SM Trademarks and service marks licensed to Pioneer Hi-Bred Limited. © 2012 PHL.

ARECA (Agricultural Research and Extension Council of Alberta) is hosting a Precision AG Update workshop in Calgary on Feb. 27 and 28. It will feature sessions on technology including GIS software, PRS probes, GreenSeeker, soil sampling and more. Speakers include Raj Khosla, Colorado State University; Eric Bremer, Western Ag Innovations; David Lobb, University of Manitoba; Guy Lafond, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada; Karon Cowan, AgTech GIS and Ty Faechner, ARECA. Registration is $235 and includes breakfast and lunch on both days. For more information contact Jacqueline Lavigne lavigne@areca.ab.ca, 780-416-6046.

decrease the incidence, it just decreases the severity,” he said. “You save yourself the yield penalty, but still have all that inoculum present for the next time you’re cropping.”

Tillage may help

For those determined to take their chances, Harding recommends rotating herbicide management systems and breaking out the plow. “If blackleg is the biggest problem on your farm, bury the residue,” he said. “This flies in the face of conservation tillage but if that stubble is underground, it will break down much faster than it will if it is just under the surface.” Tight rotations are not only a gamble for your farm, but also for the Canadian canola industry’s market in China, he added. “China doesn’t want the virulent strain, which they don’t say they don’t have, which is why there’s additional concern,” said Harding. Turning to pulses, the pathologist urged attendees to pick varieties resistant to seedling diseases and then see which ones work best. “If you’ve noticed that one particular cultivar does well on your farm, even when it’s wet, then that’s a good choice,” he said. Signs of seedling blights and seed decay include poor emergence, or plants that die soon after emergence. Cool soil temperatures and wet soils make it easier for seedling blights to develop. Root rot caused fusarium, rhizoctonia and pythium can attack the seed, roots and seedling below the ground. “If you pull up a plant and the roots are black or brown or the roots are pinched off, that’s a sign that you’ve got root rot,” said Harding. Avoid planting pulse crops in poorly drained fields or compacted ones, and consider using fungicidal seed treatment. “It’s cost effective. You might not need the seed treatment every year, but most years, you’ll be really glad you have it on there,” he said. Fungicidal seed treatments available for pulse crops are also effective against soil-aborne fungi and will provide protection against seed rot and seedling blight.

High Yield with

Clubroot Protection Pioneer® brand 45H29 was one of the highest yielding canola hybrids in 2012 across Western Canada. Not only does it have great standability and harvestability it is also has built in Multi-race resistance to Clubroot. Call your local Pioneer Hi-Bred sales rep today to see how 45H29 can fit on your farm!

www.pioneer.com PR450 CPS 45H29.indd 1

07/11/12 2:19 PM

DECEMBER 17, 2012 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

Barley prices seen as holding for the next while Opportunity } Good barley prices present an opportunity to get rotations away from canola by helen mcmenamin

af contributor / lethbridge

he drought in the U.S. has hit corn supplies hard and boosted barley prices, a situation that’s likely to persist at least into next summer, says at Alberta Agriculture provincial crops market analyst. Charlie Pearson says the markets make this winter a good time to think about extending rotations that have been shortened to focus on canola. “The extremely tight U.S. corn supplies have cut world feed supplies by over a third,” said Pearson. “Barley is benefiting from the bad luck of U.S. farmers. In fact, U.S. corn supplies pretty much dictate world feed grain prices. Western Canadian feed barley supplies are relatively tight too, impacted by fewer acres and the heat last summer.” Malt barley supplies are also tight, but it hasn’t translated into much of a premium. Malt barley was trading around $6.25 per bushel last month, compared to a feed barley price of $5.75 in Red Deer and 25 cents more in Lethbridge. For many farmers that’s probably not enough to pay for the hassle of having your grain selected and the extra storage and interest charges of waiting for a call to deliver, said Pearson. “Malt barley has suffered two ways. Overall, the malt barley quality isn’t bad, but North American maltsters aren’t happy with it, the kernels are smaller and the protein is higher than they like. Prices could increase with more domestic and U.S. demand.” On the world market, the European crop is OK for quality, but Argentina has had too much wet weather. Australians have had problems too, with some parts too dry and frost in others, but we have to wait a bit to get more information on the quality of their crop, said Pearson. “There’s going to be a bit of sticker shock for some buyers. Some won’t be willing to pay the current price, especially when the grain is not top quality. China will change their malt barley specs on price — I expect the livestock opportunities in Alberta will pay more than the Chinese market will pay for malt. I advise farmers to be opportunistic and take advantage of chances to sell feed barley for export,” he said. It’s likely there’ll be a vessel or two of feed barley exported to Japan, and maybe some to Saudi Arabia and one or two other countries. But, the timing will depend on when ships can get in and out of Vancouver, said Pearson. “The grain companies will be putting packages together and the business will happen quickly, so take advantage of the opportunity. Also, a rally in the corn market could mean a chance to sell into the U.S. markets, especially to California dairies.”

returns from barley good at least for 2013 crop. The cloud on the horizon, Pearson says, is cattle numbers. “Cattle numbers are definitely coming down. That’s a concern down the road, numbers may not go up as high as before as our aging population eats less meat. But, as incomes improve in the developing world, there are more export opportunities,” he says. There are challenges for the North American livestock industry. And, as cattlemen increase their cow herds, they hold back heifers and cut the number of animals on feed. That will mean less demand for barley forage and grain. Pearson sees the good market prospects for cereals as well as pulses and oilseeds as an opportunity for farmers to focus on agronomy and net return from each crop rather than focusing on canola. “These markets are a chance to pull back from pushing canola,” he says. “Look at the cost side of producing each crop and consider the sustainability of your rotations.”

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This year’s barley crop was affected by prolonged heat in July.

Domestic cattle demand

Use of corn for ethanol has dropped 10 per cent this year, but that’s still 40 per cent of the U.S. corn crop. Pearson expects it will stay about that level with some ethanol plants now shuttered, but ready to quickly ramp up production when corn prices drop. From all the market factors, Pearson sees good prices for barley persisting for a while. He thinks that will make for some good marketing opportunities for barley growers and, along with good prices for wheat, will keep

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7.4”

Albertafarmexpress.ca • December 17, 2012

China says threats to harvests grow Farmland protection } The country plans to restrict the amount of new land being taken over by industry beijing / reuters

hina’s food security is under greater threat as its agriculture faces growing land, water and labour shortages over the next decade, the country’s agriculture minister said Nov. 9. This year is expected to be China’s ninth consecutive year of rising grain output, but experts have warned it might struggle to continue improving yields, despite a campaign aimed at consolidating, mechanizing and commercializing its farms. “The next five to 10 years are a key period for the development of China’s agriculture sector — with production factors like land, water and labour getting tighter,” said Han Changfu at a session of the ruling Communist Party congress in Beijing. “Agricultural production is facing greater risks — natural risks, market risks, security risks — and it is entering a period of high investment, high costs and high prices.”

Han said China continued to expect bumper harvests this year despite a global decline in agricultural production. Soaring food demand from an increasingly prosperous population has piled the pressure on China’s pastures, but growing rates of urbanization and the encroachment of industrial projects on precious farmland have also added to the problems. Han said China would continue to press for the aggregation and mechanization of the farms in order to stave off the problems caused by decreasing acreage and the declining rural workforce. “Beijing will breed a new type of agricultural player and develop large-scale mechanized farming,” he said. In a speech at the same session, China’s Land and Resources Minister Xu Shaoshi said the country plans to restrict the amount of new land being taken over by industry, and would also seek to avoid encroaching upon farmland.

A woman sits on a pile of corn as she removes the husks on a road located on the outskirts of Beijing. PHOTo: REUTERS/David Gray

Oxfam debates future of agriculture — online Participation } The online discussion features daily essays from experts from around the world

T:10”

Oxfam Canada has begun a 10-day-long online discussion on the future of agriculture. Essays from experts around the world are being posted online addressing four questions relevant to the challenge of feeding an estimated global population of nine billion by 2050. The questions are: What if farmers’ knowledge was the driver of innovations and investments? What if women owned the land they till and the food they produce? What if all food was produced without fossil fuels? What if all farmers could rely on effective systems to manage risk? The debate will run from December 10 to December 21 concurrently in English, French and Spanish. The discussion papers can be found at: http://blogs. oxfam.org/future-of-agriculture. The panel includes Nigerian farmer Susan Godwin struggling with her daughter’s desire to run the family farm, how IFPRI’s Shenggen Fan would address climate risks, and how FAO’s José Graziano da Silva would reduce farming’s dependence on oil. See if you agree with author Anna Lappé that agriculture can break free of oil. Take on IFAD’s Kanayo Nwanze, who sees hope in smallholder innovation, or Harold Poelma from Cargill, who finds it in comparative advantage and free trade. Be challenged by Bangladeshi activist Rokeya Kabir, who argues women’s rights are fundamental to food security. To conclude the discussion, Indian sustainable development expert Sonali Bisht and U.S. author Roger Thurow will provide overall analyses and draw out key recommendations. Two new essays will be posted daily, and every day will feature readers’ response to the experts’ ideas. All essays and comments will inform an Oxfam discussion paper to be published in 2013.

Bushels of smiles. To see how InVigor® hybrids are performing in your area visit: InVigorResults.ca

DECEMBER 17, 2012 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

’TIL THE COWS COME HOME…

A string of cattle make their way home in the cool shadows of the Rocky Mountains, east of Longview, Alta.

FCC awards honour women in agriculture LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE  Nominations for the Rosemary Davis Award close Jan. 15 FCC RELEASE

arm Credit Canada (FCC) is seeking nominations for the 2013 FCC Rosemary Davis Award, which recognizes and honours Canadian women for their leadership and commitment to agriculture. Individuals are encouraged to take time to recognize a woman who is making a difference in the agriculture industry. Selfnominations are also encouraged. Candidates are selected based on their demonstration of leadership — through giving back to their community and the agriculture industry — as well as their vision and passion for the industry. Since 2006, FCC has honoured 30 outstanding women with the Rosemary Davis Award. Winners will be announced in March 2013. They will have the opportunity to attend the Simmons School of Management Leadership Conference in Boston on April 2, 2013. “By attending this conference, winners of the award will have the unique opportunity to network and share knowledge,” says Kellie Garrett, senior vicepresident, strategy, knowledge and reputation at FCC. “They will also have the chance to hear from some of the most respected women in the world who, just like them, decided to make a difference in their communities and the global village.” FCC Rosemary Davis winners must be 21 years of age or older and actively involved in Canadian agriculture. Entries will only be received online at www. fccrosemarydavisaward.ca.

PHOTO: WENDY DUDLEY

ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • DECEMBER 17, 2012

China to stockpile domestic corn, soy for state reserves INCENTIVE  China will buy soy, corn at prices 15 per cent higher than last year’s offer to farmers BY NIU SHUPING AND FAYEN WONG BEIJING / REUTERS

A worker carries a sack of soybeans at a food wholesale market in Shenyang, Liaoning province. The Chinese government is expected to stockpile soy and corn from local farmers this year. PHOTO: REUTERS/SHENG LI

he Chinese government will start stockpiling soy and corn from local farmers at higher prices than a year ago, an industry source said Nov. 13, a move set to stabilize domestic prices and support soy imports. China, the world’s top soy buyer, will pay 4,600 yuan ($740) per tonne to soy farmers in four major growing areas in the northeast. The price was 15 per cent higher than what was offered last year, said the source who has seen a government document. Beijing will pay between 2,100-2,140 yuan per tonne to stockpile domestic corn in the northeast Corn Belt, up about seven per cent from year ago, the source said. The latest stockpiling, expected to start over the coming weeks and stretch till the end of April, is an annual exercise to protect farmers’ interest. With the new stockpiling price for soybeans

around four per cent above the price of imported supplies at Chinese ports, analysts said the government’s latest reserve build would keep crushers’ enthusiasm for imports alive. “The stockpiling plan will stabilize domestic prices at current levels. Crushers will continue to import as domestic demand stays healthy,” said Zhang Ruming, an analyst with Dalian Liangyun Futures Co. Ltd. China has stayed on the sidelines of the global corn market as high international prices made imports unattractive. China’s soy imports are expected to rise to 4.8 million tonnes in November, up from 4.03 million tonnes in October, according to estimates by the China National Grain and Oils Information Centre (CNGOIC). Beijing has been selling its state reserves over past months to help keep the market well supplied and cap food inflation. China, the world’s second-largest consumer, is expecting a record corn harvest or 201 million tonnes, which was 4.3 per cent higher than last year.

Newco pledges to repay balance owed STILL OPERATING 

Coaldale firm now a brokerage rather than licensed grain dealer STAFF

armers owed money for deliveries made to Newco Grain when the southern Alberta company was still a federally licensed grain dealer have received what they’re owed, minus five per cent. The Canadian Grain Commission reported Nov. 23 that farmers who “did not receive payment for grain sold to Newco... have received compensation for their eligible claims” through the CGC’s payment protection program. Newco, which still operates as a grain brokerage at Coaldale, about 15 km east of Lethbridge, was a CGC-licensed grain dealer up until May 11 this year. Producers are only covered by a CGC-licensed company’s security for 90 days from the date they delivered their grain — or 30 days from the date they received a cash purchase ticket. Still, the CGC said, it can’t guarantee 100 per cent compensation, “and in the case of Newco Grain Ltd., eligible producers only received 95 per cent of the amount they were owed.” However, Newco said in an email Monday (Nov. 26), now that its bond posted with the CGC has been paid out to producers, the company “will be assuming the responsibility to repay farmers the remaining five per cent owing.” “When a licensed company is unable to pay producers, we work to ensure producers receive compensation,” CGC chief commissioner Elwin Hermanson said in a release. However, he noted, “while we license primary, process, terminal and transfer elevators and grain dealers, we do not license companies such as feedlots.” Furthermore, he noted, deliveries made to unlicensed companies aren’t covered under the CGC protection program.

news » livestock

DECEMBER 17, 2012 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

Grandin at horse conference

BSE case in Brazil

Renowned livestock-handling specialist Dr. Temple Grandin will present the Fred Pearce Memorial Lecture at the 31st Horse Breeders and Owners Conference in Red Deer on Jan. 11-13. She will discuss how people working with horses and other animals need to think more about how the animals perceive the situations they are being put in. Conference tickets are $105 per person, $90 for additional registrants registering from the same farm with pre-registration. For more information visit the Horse Industry Association of Alberta website.

Brazil is launching a diplomatic offensive to defend its huge beef industry and clarify details of an “atypical case” of mad cow disease that prompted its top customer, Russia, to consider import restrictions after Japan suspended purchases altogether. The 13-yearold cow kept for breeding purposes died of other causes in 2010 and never developed the disease, but it tested positive for the disease’s causal agent, a protein called a prion. In April, the United States reported a case of atypical BSE in an animal which never entered the food chain, but the country escaped a backlash from importers.

Sheep producers construct fenced “safe areas” to ward off coyotes Insurance } Fencing some of your pasture area can protect flocks, especially during lambing By Nancy Tilt

for the Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association

oyote predation is the biggest problem in sheep production, say Cherry Allen and Mark Ritchie who have raised sheep on Ontario’s Amherst Island near Kingston since 1992. A decade ago, the couple put predator-resistant fencing around 65 acres and have since expanded the “safe area” to 300 acres. “In the last 10 years we’ve had no sheep losses to coyotes within the safe area,” says Allen. Dick Kuiperij, another Ontario sheep producer, constructed his 45-acre safe area this summer using a similar design. “I suffered severe losses to coyotes in 2005,” says Kuiperij. “Losses have been tolerable since then, but predator problems are unpredictable, and fencing is insurance against times of increased coyote predation.” The two operations differ in both size and management practice. Ritchie and Allen’s 1,500 ewes lamb on pasture within the safe area in May, producing about 2,100 lambs annually. They are then moved elsewhere to give the pasture a rest before returning for weaning. Kuiperij does accelerated lambing, with five lambings a year. His 400 ewes are on an eight-month lambing interval and produce over 1,000 lambs annually. He plans to use his safe area primarily for pasture, with the possibility of some fall lambing on grass. Generally, lambing ewes are under cover in the barn. Annual coyote predation on Foot Flats Farm outside their safe area has ranged from 20 to 50 sheep. “Losses of three per cent or less are economically tolerable, but keeping losses to that level without a safe area takes considerable time and energy,” says Ritchie. “There is time spent every day checking livestock for predator activity, looking after maimed animals and implementing predator control measures,”

adds Allen. “Dogs are a valuable predator control tool, but cost and time are significant factors in their training and care, and they are not 100 per cent successful in preventing predation.” Predator-resistant fencing consists of 1047-6 galvanized page wire (10 rows, 47 inches high with six-inch verticals) with 12.5-gauge mesh fastened to T-bar posts. A live wire nine inches above the page and another dead wire nine inches above that provide a total height of 5-1/2 feet — too high for coyotes to jump.

ground, at intervals along his fence for additional anchoring. Gates on both farms are custom made to the necessary height and installed against the posts, rather than on hinges, to avoid gaps.

Kuiperij’s 45 acres required about 7,000 feet of fencing at a total cost of $28,000, with government funding covering about one-third of that. Fencing along his creek cost

another $8,000, with most of that coming from environmental grants. Ritchie and Allen’s fencing costs were $2.66 per foot, established on a clean fenceline.

“In the last 10 years we’ve had no sheep losses to coyotes within the safe area.” Cherry Allen

Site preparation

Site preparation is important before stringing the fence. Brush, small trees and their roots should be removed to prevent suckering and to aid fence maintenance. In Kuiperij’s case, this amounted to 10 per cent of the cost. Ritchie and Kuiperij stress that predator-resistant fencing must be put up properly. Posts should be no more than five yards apart to keep the fence tight, and the page wire needs to lie tight to the ground to discourage coyotes from digging under. Ritchie runs a 12.5-gauge wire along the ground before stringing the fence and wires the mesh to it. Regular checking and filling of gaps between the ground and fence bottom, including gates, are essential. Gate openings are especially susceptible to gaps due to ruts created by vehicle traffic. “A tight fence lasts longer and offers better protection,” says Kuiperij. “It’s essential to properly brace corner posts and crib them with stone.” In addition to T-bar posts, he placed wooden posts, with horizontal wooden cleats below

A live wire nine inches above the page and another dead wire nine inches above that provide a total height of 5-1/2 feet — too high for coyotes to jump. PHOTo: OSCIA

ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • DECEMBER 17, 2012

Livestock emergency trailers deployed across Alberta TRAINING COURSE  Program at Olds College will support workers operating and using these “livestock ER” trailers MERISTEM INFORMATION RESOURCES

vision and forethought of groups in Red Deer County and Ponoka that developed similar livestock-

handling trailers for deployment in their areas. A subcommittee including representatives from the

Alberta Equestrian Federation, the Alberta Beef Producers, Livestock Identification Services, RCMP,

illions of livestock transported annually on Alberta roads now have an innovative new safeguard to support their care and welfare. A fleet of state-of-the-art livestock emergency-handling equipment trailers, are set for deployment in key areas of the province. In addition a new training course is being developed to support qualified workers operating and using these “livestock ER” trailers. The training course will be delivered by Lakeland College, as a new livestock-handling equipment trailer training course at the college’s Emergency Training Centre at Vermilion. Both developments stemmed from discussions initiated by the Alberta Farmed Animal Health and Welfare Strategy Steering Committee. The steering committee was inspired by the

One of the new fleet of emergency-handling trailers.

Alberta Farm Animal Care (AFAC) and Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development created the initial project plan. Funding support was provided through the federal/ provincial/territorial Growing Forward initiative. Several counties/municipalities and one non-profit organization were chosen as trailer sites, based on animal movement volumes and strategic co-ordination plans. These include MD of Willowcreek — Claresholm; Cypress County — Medicine Hat; Westlock County — Westlock; Vermilion River County — Vermilion; and the Alberta Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), which will deploy an Alberta-wide roaming unit. AFAC is a partnership of the major livestock producer organizations of Alberta, along with affiliate and associate members, dedicated to promoting responsible, humane farm animal care. Learn more at www.afac.ab.ca.

WHAT’S UP Send agriculture-related meeting and event announcements to: will. verboven@fbcpublishing.com January 11: Stable Owners Seminar, Sheraton Hotel 12:30 pm, Red Deer. Call: Heather 403-420-5949 January 11/13: Horse Breeders & Owners Conference, Sheraton Hotel, Red Deer. Call: Robyn 403-420-5949 January 14: Manure Management Update, Lethbridge Lodge, Lethbridge. Call: Trevor 780-980-7587 January 15/16: Agronomy Update 2013, Lethbridge Lodge, Lethbridge. Call: Doon 403381-5830 January 15/17: The Banff Pork Seminar 2013, Banff Centre, Banff. Call: BPS 780-492-3671 January 16: Explore Local Foods, Explore Local Markets, Summerdale Hall, Barrhead. Call: BCP 780-674-3331 January 29/31: Farmtech 2013, Location TBA, Edmonton. Call: Rick 780-678-6167

FarmTech Join us... Jan. 29-31 Edmonton EXPO CENTRE at Northlands FarmTech 2013 Speakers Stuart Barden International Farmer from Kenya

David Chilton

Author of The Wealthy Barber Series and co-star on CBC’s Dragons’ Den

Todd Hirsh

Senior Economist, ATB Financial

Dr. John Izzo

Author, Business advisor

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DECEMBER 17, 2012 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

Revised welfare codes of practice address sensitive issues Peet on Pigs } Balancing assorted views has meant a delay in report expected last July By bernie peet

ow do you get a group of hog producers, industry representatives, researchers and people from humane societies to agree on standards for pig welfare? As you might expect, the process involves reviewing a lot of scientific information, considerable deliberation and compromise between groups with different views. It is hardly surprising, then, that the revision of the Code of Practice for the Care and Handling of Pigs, which should have been released in July this year, is taking far more time than anticipated. At the recent Saskatchewan Pork Symposium, Dr. Harold Gonyou, chair of the Pig Code Scientists Committee, and Florian Possberg, chair of the Pig Code Development Committee, updated delegates on the changes that are likely and the implications for producers. The existing codes, published in 1993, are now long overdue for a major revision, not least because The National Farmed Animal Care Council is mandated to update them every 10 years. “The current codes are voluntary and are intended to provide education and information,” Gonyou said. “However, they have gradually become adopted as the basis for legal action and

their requirements have been incorporated into the Animal Care Assessment (ACA) component of the CQA program.” Gonyou said the expectations of the new codes will be higher than the existing ones. “They will include definitions of basic requirements that will use the word ‘must,’ in addition to recommendations for a higher level of care, which use the word ‘should.’” Gonyou expects that the codes will continue to be used as part of the CQA program and that Canadian packers will require their suppliers to be ACA certified. He said consumer interest in animal welfare has increased dramatically since the previous codes were published and that there is now a need to provide reassurance to consumers that pigs are raised to acceptable standards. “Essentially, compliance with the codes and ACA certification will be a licence to farm,” he said.

Priority areas

The scientific committee identified six priority areas for review — controlling pain during procedures such as castration, tail docking, teeth clipping and detusking; methods of euthanasia, space allowances, sow housing, social management of sows and space allowances for sows. “We reviewed each of these with reference to the three overlapping components of animal welfare,” Gonyou said. “First, we considered biological function,

in other words, how a particular practice affects such things as growth rate or fertility. We also considered the pig’s affective state, which is based on the premise that animals should be housed and handled so as to minimize suffering and to be comfortable. Finally, we considered natural living, which is the degree to which the pig’s environment accommodates its natural behaviour.” The committee’s report made conclusions, but did not make recommendations. Final decisions on recommendations will be made by the code committee. Possberg outlined the likely changes in the new codes, in particular the framework for the industry to move towards group sow housing for the majority of gestation. “We are doing this because the public is demanding it; they can’t accept that sows spend their whole life in a crate,” he said. “We have to come up with a compromise and, although not everyone will be happy, what we are suggesting is a reasonable consensus.” Possberg explained that the new codes will prescribe that no new stall housing be built after July 1, 2014 and that existing barns must be converted by July 1, 2024. “There was a lot of pressure to make the change by 2017, but doing it by 2024 is a big enough challenge,” he added. Sows may be kept in stalls for the first 28

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days of gestation, with an additional seven-day window after that to facilitate the management of grouping sows.

Larger stalls

In answer to a question, Dr. Gonyou commented that the sow stalls currently used are too small for many of today’s larger sows and are only suitable for gilts and second-parity sows. “A new requirement will be included in the codes, which relates the size of the stall to the size of the sow,” he said. “If older sows are going to be kept in stalls in early gestation, these stalls will have to be larger.” With increasing public concern about procedures such as castration, there is pressure to eliminate it altogether as the EU is proposing, or make provision for the use of anesthetics and analgesics to relieve pain during and after the procedure. The new codes will require this, but only for pigs over 14 days of age, which will have little impact on the industry. However, from July 1, 2019, castration of pigs at any age must be done with the use of an analgesic to control postprocedure pain. There is evidence that when this is done, pig performance is better, so it is cost effective,” Possberg said. Similarly, tail docking, when carried out on pigs over seven days of age, will require pain control to be used. Possberg noted that the new

Dr. Harold Gonyou told the recent Saskatchewan Swine Symposium that expectations of the new codes will be higher than the existing ones. codes were due to be released in July, but CPC asked for a delay due to current market conditions. “The committee needs more time to analyze the implications for producers,” he said. There is no doubt that the proposals on sow housing will have the most financial impact on producers and will not be popular when the industry has been in a long-term squeeze for the last five years. However, a move by the industry itself to set the agenda and take action on the issue, rather than be forced to change by animal welfare groups or retailers, will be better for producers in the long term.

Ultrasound can kill E. coli bacteria on spinach University of Illinois scientists report that a combination of chlorine washing and ultrasound can reduce E. coli 0157:H7 bacteria on spinach by more the 99.99 per cent. U of I professor of food science and human nutrition Hao Feng said the U.S. Department of Agriculture is looking for proposed technologies that can achieve a four- to six-log reduction in pathogen cells. A six-log reduction would achieve a millionfold reduction in pathogenic bacteria. The food-processing industry can now achieve a one-log or tenfold reduction. In comparison, the U of I technique yields a four-log reduction. “Combining technologies is the key to bridging the gap between our current capacity and what USDA would like to see. The use of ultrasound exposure during chlorine washing gives the industry a way to significantly enhance microbial safety,” Feng said in a release.

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ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • DECEMBER 17, 2012

Faith and determination can make a change From the hip } Former farm women strive for an improved life in a New Delhi slum By brenda schoepp ”Another world is not only possible, she is on her way. On a quiet day I can hear her breathing.” Arundhati Roy

could not help but feel intrusive as we pulled up to the little opening on the street to the New Delhi slum — one of 50 that house 300 million of the world’s poorest of poor. A tired man fed an unclothed child some dirty water from the cup of his hand, with the backdrop of a burned-out little bus. I expected to see much sadness as we were swallowed by the narrow dankness on our visit to this Indian community. Children were everywhere. Some were frightened to see us and others were thrilled and curious. They lined the narrow alleys, filled the doorways and swung from the rooftops. Our destination was the school, a 12-square-foot affair that served as one clean spot for classes held in rotation because of the swelling population. It also was the place for meetings and leadership decisions on slum health and education. In that space we met with women leaders of the community. About 70 per cent of them were from rural areas and had lost their farms. (The average farmer in India makes $1,000 per year). Being of a lower caste, they knew they could not escape where they now lived so they

were determined to make it a better place to be. These ladies had a terrific governance system of leadership and took their responsibility seriously. They were so proud of the changes that they were part of, such as bringing child mortality down to 17.5 per cent through education and the acceptance of vaccination, pre- and postnatal care and the use of contraception. The mentorship program they had developed served to strengthen the ties within the community. Each school class had assigned mentors and elected leaders. The children were responsible for each other. The women adopted and shared this structure with the children so they would have the skills to manage in the world and to gain in their perception of self. These were powerful women who held us in awe at the determination to ensure their children had opportunity outside of the slum. You may think that quite ordinary in a society but one has to remember that prior to this, the women rarely left their homes (home size averaged six to eight feet square) and were subject to abuse by their husbands for “learning too much.” With bravado and determination they continue to increase their knowledge of business, even borrowing money to start shops or send children to school. Some women owned several slum houses that they rented out thus creating a

slum commerce. The result was a strong community and healthier children who had an education. A few young people were in university, travelling up to five hours a day to attend class, and many had hopes of being lawyers or social workers. At no time did people ask for money or beseech our help. Rather, they were proud of who they were and what they had done. The air was sweltering and a tour several hours later of the entire area was more than exhausting and heartbreaking. Open sewage, lack of drinking water, filth, flies, runny noses

on donkey duty

and stench would have broken the most hardened traveller. After nearly 3,000 miles of rural India, I was not only hardened, but I was able to view the slum with new eyes. I praised the woman who had a tiny shop for her fine selection, and the neatness of another’s home (which only contained a dirt floor and pots neatly arranged on the shelf). I admired the work of the seamstress and character of the women diligently working with plastic, cutting up pieces for shoes at $.06 per bushel bag. I joyfully shook every hand and touched every child. In some unspoken and quiet way we understood

each other. It was a quiet breath amid the chaos and a whisper of hope for a new tomorrow. India reminds us that another world is possible — even within the depths of our future uncertainties. We only have to have faith, believe in ourselves and at the beginning and end of each day — to count our blessings. 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. Contact brenda. schoepp@cciwireless.ca www. brendaschoepp.com.

New AFAC initiative to deliver livestock-care info Newsletter } Producers invited

to sign up for information

Jessie, a two-year-old Australian shepherd, waits for instruction while watching over a mule and herd of donkeys on Burro Alley Ranch, near Millarville, Alta. Photo: Wendy Dudley

Alberta Farm Animal Care (AFAC) has announced the Information Leadership Initiative, a communications program designed to help producers and their industry manage information and keep up to date on farm animal care. This includes information on the latest thinking, ideas, developments, best practices, trends and issues, to support the role of producers as front-line managers and decision makers. AFAC represents all major livestock producer organizations in the province. AFAC is working with Calgary-based communications company Meristem to design and deliver the project components. The initiative is sponsored by the Alberta Livestock and Meat Agency (ALMA). “This new initiative is about helping livestock producers stay at the leading edge of farm animal care,” says Heini Hehli, a Rimbey-area dairy producer and chair of AFAC. “It is designed to give producers the information they need to make good deci-

sions on their farms and in their industry.” The initiative includes: • NewStream Farm Animal Care — A digital news source capturing latest developments, progress and ideas in farm animal care. • VeriCare Special Reports — Specially designed to provide technically competent, expertdriven coverage of important issues in farm animal care. • CareScape Initiative — Using social media to support awareness of farm animal care progress and issues. • Livestock Care Conference knowledge transfer — A customized effort to deliver information from this leading conference on farm animal care, which is hosted annually by AFAC and features top speakers from both within Canada and internationally. Visit www.meristem.com for sign-up information to receive regular e-newsletter editions of NewStream Farm Animal Care.

DECEMBER 17, 2012 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

Treating common problems with newborn calves

BEEF 911  Knowing the type will give you a head start on treatment for next calving season

BY ROY LEWIS, DVM

very calving season veterinarians are called on to examine calves with a multitude of problems. Some are herd related but many are individual problems of no concern to the rest of the herd. Most cases fall into a few broad categories. Each category has a much different treatment regime. This article will break out these different categories and hopefully make it easier to determine the course of treatment. Clinically with calves, we need to differentiate between whether the condition involves the lungs (pneumonia), intestines (scours), navel (omphalophlebitis) or involves a multitude of miscellaneous conditions. The two main diseases, scours and pneumonia, often are treated much differently and may not be as easy to tell apart as one thinks. Scours may initially present as a very dopey, heavy-breathing calf. The calf may be quite acidotic and is attempting to blow off the acid through an increased respiratory rate, fooling you that he has pneumonia. A calf born

selenium deficient may have heart issues if the heart muscle is affected. The lungs will start to fill with fluid because of the heart failure, and again respiratory rate will be increased. While specific antibiotics have been developed for pneumonia they often are not the same ones we use to treat scours. Also the best initial treatment for scours is to give replacement fluids as the dehydration is what kills the calf. Many causes of scours are viral, against which antibiotics don’t work. You can see making the distinction between which organ system is involved can be a difficult one and one your veterinarian may even struggle with at times.

Colostrum

As mentioned numerous other times before, we can never stress enough the importance of goodquality colostrum in giving calves a head start in life. Their ability to fight off disease challenges is much greater. Many cases of pneumonia, scours and septicemias (blood-borne infections) can be attributed to not receiving adequate colostrum. The navel area is another area to pay close attention to as it is a common source for entry of

infectious organisms into the body. Again we need adequate colostral uptake. Watch the area for signs of swelling and an arched back and tucked-up calf. If you palpate the navel area and it is painful, that is a telltale sign infection is present. Backwards calves or those derived by C-section have their navels rip off short and are much more susceptible to navel infection. At our clinic, with any calves born by C-section we purposely separate the navel by hand further down the cord so the calf has a decently long navel cord when it is born. Some producers if they have a problem will even give prophylactic antibiotics at birth under the supervision of their veterinarian to counteract navel ills. If the navel infection spreads internally it has a good chance of landing in the joints and a severe arthritis ensues. Make sure and differentiate between navel infection and a simple hernia which may require surgery.

Lameness

Lame calves are another common condition with young calves. Again, you need to differentiate whether it is arthritis from a navel infection, trauma

causing a sprain strain or trauma causing a broken leg. Each condition requires different treatment. The navel infection must be treated with drugs, which will get into the joints. Sprains are just left to convalesce and the broken legs need immediate attending by your veterinarian. If breaks are caught soon enough the prognosis and chances for recovery are very good. The lower the break the better. Young calves that are growing heal fast and put down bone very quickly so in three to four weeks we often have a complete recovery. Calves commonly will get stepped on by cows in heat so having creep areas where they can separate themselves from the cow herd will pay dividends in fewer calf injuries. Creep areas are also very good at getting calves started on creep feed so preventives for coccidiosis such as deccox can be added to the feed. Calves are naturally inquisitive so products such as diatomaceous earth give calves something to lick on rather than dirt, roughage and stagnant water where their odds of picking up something harmful is much greater. Cryptosporidiosis, another diarrhea disease

of calves, spreads very similar to coccidiosis so prevention for one may help in prevention of the other. Older calves become stronger and more resistant to picking up the common calfhood diseases such as scours or pneumonia. The four- to eight-week age is where the intestinal accidents and stomach ulcers develop. These conditions were gone into detail in a previous article but suffice it to say they are individual fluke-type cases. It is probably most important to have a post-mortem done on sudden deaths to rule out infectious causes which could spread to other herdmates. Otherwise you can rest assured it was one of these fluke intestinal conditions of which you have no control over. This spring try and differentiate these different categories of problems with young calves. You will then be treating the right problem and your success rate will drastically improve and steps can be made for prevention of further cases. Roy Lewis is a large-animal veterinarian practising at the Westlock, Alta. Veterinary Centre. His main interests are bovine reproduction and herd health.

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DECEMBER 17, 2012 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

SEED/FEED MISCELLANEOUS Grain Wanted

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NEWS » Markets

}Quotas

DECEMBER 17, 2012 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

Argentina limits wheat exports

China approval clears Glencore deal

Argentina will allow exporters to ship less wheat than expected as wet weather dampens harvest prospects for the 2012-13 crop, an export industry source said Dec. 10. The country controls exports of the grain through a quota system designed to guarantee affordable local food supplies and help tame high inflation. Months of wet weather have flooded fields in key wheat-growing areas plus a fungus outbreak have raised speculation that the government would reduce the quantity of wheat cleared for shipment to customers such as neighbouring Brazil.

Glencore International Plc won approval from China’s Ministry of Commerce on Dec. 7 for its $6-billion purchase of Viterra, clearing the last regulatory hurdle for the long-delayed deal. The takeover was originally expected to close by late July. The deal will give Swiss-based Glencore, the world’s largest diversified commodities trader, a huge presence in grains, complementing its strength in metals, minerals and oil. Viterra also owns almost all of the grain storage and handling system in South Australia, which produces about 15 per cent of the crops grown in Australia.

StatsCan’s final estimates point to tight canola supply Wheat } U.S. dry but exporters having trouble finding a home for current crop

By Phil Franz-Warkentin

CE Futures Canada canola contracts moved up and down during the week ended Dec. 7, finishing only a little bit firmer overall. The $600-per-tonne level was the key chart point to watch in the nearby January contract, as the futures made a brief attempt to climb above that psychological level before backing away. If the futures manage a sustained move above that point, the next resistance comes in around $620 to $625 — which was last seen in late October. On the other side, support can be found at the $575 to $580 area. Statistics Canada released its final production estimates of the year on Dec. 5, providing the industry with the official numbers that, right or wrong, will form the basis for any supply/demand predictions going forward. At about 13.3 million tonnes, the crop may be the second largest on record, but is still considered incredibly tight given the changes in the canola industry over the past few years. The domestic crush capacity has grown

considerably larger, while international demand also continues to improve. Milling wheat futures did see some contracts trade during the week, but the activity was largely a function of participants with positions in the December contract either bailing out of the front month, or rolling those few contracts into the March futures. Durum and barley lacked any real activity, and held steady on the week. In the U.S., soybeans were higher during the week, while corn and wheat were lower in the most active contracts. The key difference between the grains and soybeans came in the form of export demand: China is still looking to buy more beans, but interest for U.S. corn and wheat remains lacklustre at best. The U.S. sold over a million tonnes of soybeans in the latest weekly data, but fewer than 50,000 tonnes — or only one boatload — of corn during the same period. The demand rationing of corn is causing supplies in the countryside to build up, reducing some of the concerns over tightening supplies. South American weather issues helped

boost soybeans as well, as heavy rains in Argentina highlighted concerns over planting delays for the crop. However, long-range forecasts point to improving conditions in the region, with the weather expected to turn drier in Argentina, while Brazil should see some much needed rain. Traders will continue to follow the weather news out of the continent closely, as end-users are counting on record-large South American crops to alleviate any tightness in the U.S.

Wheat

For wheat, StatsCan raised its production estimate for this past year slightly, while reports out of Australia were pointing to a smaller crop than earlier forecasts. Canadian wheat production, including durum, was pegged at 27.2 million tonnes by StatsCan, which was up by about 500,000 tonnes from an earlier estimate and about two million tonnes larger than the 2011 crop. Australia, meanwhile, saw its crop prospects revised lower by 500,000 tonnes during the week. With the outside wheat news largely a wash, U.S. futures continue to trade off

of the conflicting factors of poor export demand but rising drought concerns. Much of the U.S. Great Plains remain very dry, and that lack of moisture will cut into the prospects for the winter wheat crop currently in the ground. However, U.S. exporters seem to be having a hard time selling the wheat they do have in the international market, as the country continues to miss out on tenders. Canadian wheat export data is not as timely as that out of the U.S., but the latest numbers from the Canadian Grain Commission show wheat exports are relatively in line with last year’s levels. Excluding durum, Canada has exported 4.3 million tonnes of wheat to date, only about 200,000 tonnes behind the previous year’s level. Durum sales are up on the year, with 1.6 million tonnes exported as of Dec. 2; that’s about 400,000 tonnes ahead of what was seen during the first five months of the 2011-12 crop year. Phil Franz-Warkentin writes for Commodity News Service Canada, a Winnipeg company specializing in grain and commodity market reporting.

U.S. winter wheat abandonment may top 25 per cent Poor start } Twenty-six per cent of the new U.S. winter wheat crop was rated poor to very poor in late November By Carey Gillam Reuters

.S. winter wheat farmers could abandon more than a quarter of the new wheat crop due to devastating weather, though decisions on abandonment will not be made until spring, experts said last week. Historic drought, coupled with record warm weather and high winds sweeping across the Plains, have left the new crop in the worst condition in decades. With no significant improvement soon, many farmers could give up on their wheat acres. Abandonment levels could exceed 25 per cent, said Mark Hodges, a wheat industry consultant and executive director of Plains Grains Inc., which represents producers from around the Plains. “The potential is there,” he said.

“We are nowhere near a normal crop. But Mother Nature is very fickle,” Hodges said. “Should we get some moisture, and I’m not saying the likelihood is high... we could still produce some wheat. But the likelihood of significant moisture is not great before spring.” According to data compiled by U.S. Department of Agriculture meteorologist Brad Rippey, since the 1950s there have been only two years in which U.S. winter wheat abandonment reached or exceeded a quarter of the crop. In the 1988-89 season abandonment was 25 per cent, and in 2001-02 it was 29 per cent. Current U.S. winter wheat conditions are worse than those observed than at this point in the season, and the lowest on record for this time of year, said Rippey. Twenty-six per cent of the new U.S. winter wheat crop was rated poor to very poor in late November by the USDA.

“It hasn’t germinated because it hasn’t had any moisture. We’ve also had some high winds that took out some wheat.” Bob Klein University of Nebraska

Rippey said there were many variables in how high abandonment could go and he wanted people to know the potential was there for a quarter of the crop or more to be abandoned, but it is too early to make any solid predictions. “This crop is not dead yet,” said Rippey. “A lot will depend

on what type of weather we get this winter and spring.” The 1988-89 crop was planted during the drought of 1988 and further harmed by a severe cold wave in February 1989. The 2001-02 crop was adversely affected by a La Niña-driven drought, according to Rippey.

Record heat

This year’s drought has been made worse by record warm temperatures. This year has had the warmest first 11 months of any year on record for the contiguous United States, and for the entire year, 2012 will most likely surpass the current record as the warmest year for the nation, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Drought has blanketed much of the central and High Plains states, critical wheat-growing areas. Indeed, roughly 65 per cent of the wheat area is suffering from drought.

In Nebraska, 100 per cent of the farm state is rated in severe or worse drought, and 77.46 per cent is considered in “exceptional” drought — the worst level, by state and federal climatology experts who issue a weekly “Drought Monitor.” The lack of precipitation, combined with the warm weather and high winds, is hard to overcome for wheat farmers. Some wheat has failed to come up at all, said Bob Klein, a University of Nebraska crop specialist. “It hasn’t germinated because it hasn’t had any moisture. We’ve also had some high winds that took out some wheat.” Klein said farmers will wait until spring to evaluate conditions and soil moisture levels before deciding whether to give up on their wheat. Some may try to plant other crops. “They’ll wait till the last minute to see what they do,” he said.

ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • DECEMBER 17, 2012

Firewood sales a way to generate cash while improving woodlot health QUALITY COUNTS  Agroforester Toso Bozic says controlling moisture content is the most important

factor in producing high-quality firewood BY TONY KRYZANOWSKI AF CONTRIBUTOR

f you’re looking for a winter activity, a firewood business will not only generate some extra cash but create a healthier woodlot on your farm, says Toso Bozic. But good marketing is key, says Bozic, bioenergy specialist and agroforester with Alberta Agriculture. While there’s a growing demand for firewood, particularly from acreage owners, it’s important to find ways to stand out from your competitors, he says. The best way is to offer top quality, and Bozic says that’s largely determined by the moisture content, rather than the type of wood. “A pound of wood will produce the same amount of heat no matter what species it is,” says Bozic. “A

cubic foot of air-dried white birch weighs about 16 kilograms, while a cubic foot of white spruce weighs about 11 kilograms. A larger volume of spruce is required to get the same weight and the same heating value as birch.” Wood with a moisture content of about 20 per cent should burn well and safely, while firewood with higher moisture levels won’t combust properly and that leads to creosote buildup in chimneys. That said, denser, hotter-burning hardwood species such as birch are in higher demand and Bozic says it’s wise to sell what customers are looking for. Service is another way to differentiate a firewood business. Offering delivery and guaranteeing quality will boost sales to homeowners, while stores will have specific needs when it comes to packaging and sizes.

“There is a lot less labour involved, it is much more mechanized, and you are able to achieve much higher production.” TOSO BOZIC

Bozic also recommends investing in a good log splitter. “There is a lot less labour involved, it is much more mechanized, and you are able to achieve much higher production,” he says. Regular culling of distressed trees for firewood reduces insect infesta-

tions and the fire risk in a woodlot, and also encourages healthy tree growth. Bozic recommends using the first harvests to create trails, both for easier access for future woodcutting and to allow for more recreational use of the property. In addition to their own woodlots, landowners can also obtain an annual harvesting permit from Alberta Environment and Sustainable Resource Development to harvest up to five tonnes of firewood. More than 7,000 such permits were issued last year. As well, sawmills often have reject material for sale as low prices and the slash left from logging operations can also generate large volumes of firewood (often tops of trees less than four inches in diameter). The petroleum sector also often struggles to get rid of trees removed for road building and site clearances.

A woodlot can be a business opportunity staring many rural residents in the face because of its potential as a provider of firewood for personal use and profit.

Bucking small-diameter timber for firewood makes better use of wood that sometimes is just burned in the bush or left to rot.

Additional areas designated for tax deferrals BREEDING STOCK 

Sales proceeds can be deferred for replacements in 2013 Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz has announced an expanded list of designated areas where livestock producers are eligible for tax deferrals because of the effect of dry conditions on forage yields. The deferral allows producers to defer income tax on the sale of breeding livestock for one year to help replenish breeding stock in the following year. Proceeds from deferred sales are included as income in the next tax year, when they may be at least partially offset by the cost of replacing breeding animals. In the case of consecutive years of designation, producers may defer sales income to the first year in which the area is no longer designated. To defer income, the breeding herd must have been reduced by at least 15 per cent. If this is the case, 30 per cent of income from net sales can then be deferred. In cases where the herd has been reduced by more than 30 per cent, 90 per cent of income from net sales can be deferred. Eligible producers will be able to request this deferral when filing their 2012 income tax returns. Livestock producers are advised to contact their local Canada Revenue Agency Tax Services Office for details. The deferral applies in designated areas in British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario and Quebec. In Alberta, additional counties are Birch Hills County, Clear Hills County, Municipal District of Fairview No. 136, Grande Prairie County No. 1, Mackenzie County, Municipal District of Peace No. 135, Municipal District of Spirit River No. 133, Northern Lights County and Saddle Hills County. In B.C. Peace River Regional District is also designated.

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Cold damage feared Temperatures in the teens (F) last week threatened hard red winter wheat in the western U.S. Plains already weakened from a lack of moisture during the worst drought in more than 50 years, some meteorologists said Dec. 10. “Temperatures have dipped to winterkill thresholds in southwestern Nebraska, northwestern Kansas and northern Colorado this morning, and spotty damage is likely,” said Joel Widenor of Commodity Weather Group. However, John Dee of Global Weather Monitoring said, “I don’t think there will be any winterkill. Temperatures need to fall to around 0 (F) or below for that to happen.”

}Date extended

}Winterkill

DECEMBER 17, 2012 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

El Niño unlikely before spring The U.S. national weather forecaster said on Dec. 6 the much-feared El Niño weather phenomenon is unlikely to appear before the Northern Hemisphere spring, further reducing the chances of a drought in Asia and flooding in South America. The U.S. Climate Prediction Center (CPC)’s latest forecast is later than previously expected. Last month it said the pattern that can wreak havoc on weather would not appear until the end of the 2012-13 winter. El Niño leads to a heating of Pacific waters, triggering drought in Southeast Asia and Australia.

Instructions on how to create your own forecast, Part 2 Updates } An online forecast tool provides a new forecast every six hours by daniel bezte

couple of articles ago I introduced how you can create your own weather forecasts using the weather model data available on the WunderMap weather page located at www.wun derground.com. Hopefully some of you have taken a bit of time to check it out. In this issue I would like to go into a little more detail on how to use the data available at this site to improve your forecasting skills. For those of you who didn’t read the previous article or haven’t checked out the website, here is how you locate the correct web page. First, go to www.wunderground.com then click on the Maps and Radar tab near the top of the page. From the drop-down list select WunderMaps. When this page loads it should automatically be focused on the part of the world where you live. For those of you who have used Google Maps or Google Earth, then you will recognize how to navigate around the map.

At least then you will have no one to blame for a bad forecast but yourself!

Some of you might notice that this page has changed a bit as they have updated it over the last couple of weeks. To successfully use this page you’ll need to zoom out so you can see most of Canada and the United States. You then want to go to the right-hand side of the page and using the Map Layers, unclick the Weather Stations and Radar layers and then click on the Model Data layer. You then need to click on the little blue gear symbol to open up the display options for the weather models. You can play around with different ways to move from day to day, but what I find easiest is to use a couple of shortcut

This map is created by Environment Canada, but I do a fair bit of tidying up of the data displayed to make it easier to read. Because of this, the data should be seen as giving you a general idea of how much snow there is across the Prairies. This is especially true for western Alberta into B.C., where snowfall data from Environment Canada is usually difficult to interpret. It has been a while since there has been this much snow this early in the year. Looking back over the last five to 10 years I couldn’t find a map from early December that showed over 75cm of snow anywhere on the prairies this early in the winter. keys. Hitting the letters D and A on your keyboard will jump you forward and backward by 24 hours. The letters L and J will move you forward and backward one model time frame. This is every three hours for the first seven days and then every 12 hours to day 16 (at least for the GFS model).

Models

The weather model I start with is the GFS model and the first piece of information I like to look at is the MSL map which shows you pressure patterns and precipitation amounts. If you mouse over the word “Map Type” it will tell you more details about the map you are looking at.

Once I’ve gone through these maps I then switch to the ECMWF model and do the same thing. What we are looking for is to see how closely the two different weather models are agreeing on what will happen. The closer they are to each other the more confidence we have in the forecast. The other thing that you need to do to create a reliable forecast is to check the weather models over several model runs to see if they are in agreement. The GFS model recreates its maps every six hours based on the latest data. The ECMWF does this every 12 hours. If the information or forecasts the models have created is changing significantly every model

run, then confidence in the forecast is not that high. The more you watch what these models are doing the better you will get at doing this. Once you have a good idea of what the general weather pattern will be over the time period you’ve chosen to look at you can use some of the other pages to get more detail. The 2mAG map type will show surface temperatures. Just remember that when you are looking at this data the time shown at the top of the page is in GMT. To convert this to MST subtract seven hours. This map is colour coded with the temperature scale shown on the bottom of the page.

The other map I find useful is the Wind map type. This map uses colour shading to show wind speed and streamlines to show the wind direction. Wind speeds are in knots and if you want to do a quick conversion to km/h then multiply the values shown on the map by two (it’s actually 1.8 but two is a heck of a lot easier to do). The stream lines can be a little tough to see, but if you look closely you will be able to see the arrows indicating the direction of airflow. So, if you haven’t tried to create your own forecast I recommend that you do. At least then you will have no one to blame for a bad forecast but yourself!

ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • DECEMBER 17, 2012

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DECEMBER 17, 2012 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

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