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S T U D I O VO LU M E 1 0, N U M B E R 6

Budget slashes $100 million from Agriculture Department

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MARCH 18, 2013

FEEDING FRENZY

NOT ALL BAD  Producer groups

disappointed in farm fuel cut, but pleased with focus on market access BY VICTORIA PATERSON AF STAFF/CALGARY

espite the cut to the farm fuel distribution allowance, producer groups are breathing a sigh of relief Alberta Agriculture’s budget wasn’t slashed more than it was. “It’s not as bad — the cut to agriculture… as we thought it would have been,” said Lynn Jacobson, president of Wild Rose Agriculture Producers (WRAP).

“We weren’t happy to see that cut, basically, like everybody, but we knew there was something coming.” LYNN JACOBSON WRAP

According to Agriculture Minister Verlyn Olson, about $100 million was cut from his department’s budget. Jacobson said previously WRAP had written to the government suggesting the farm fuel distribution allowance, which gave farmers a six-cent-a-litre rebate on marked diesel, renewable diesel and heating fuel, could be tweaked by raising the gross income threshold required to qualify for the program. “We weren’t happy to see that cut, basically, like everybody, but we knew there was something coming,” Jacobson said. Matt Sawyer, chair of the Alberta Barley Commission, said the end of the allowance will affect farmers but pointed out the nine-cent-a-litre tax exemption remains. Kent Erickson, chair of the Alberta Wheat Commission, said there is some disappointment but they’re happy to see money for things like research and market access. “I think we

SEE BUDGET  page 6

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news » inside this week

inside » Ready to walk Alberta chicken farmers could leave the national system by year’s end.

MARCH 18, 2013 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

livestock

crops

When cows go down

So many options

brenda schoepp

A refresher course in selling feeder cattle in the spring

David Drozd Wheat trends down the short term

On the rise

DWAYNE KLASSEN

Hemp acres are increasing across Western Canada

Teeth show origin of European farmers

columNists

Poor forage quality can cause mineral deficiencies before calving

Choosing the right row crop planter for canola

Speculators punch up canola futures

New study says pollination by wild bees boosts crop yields BEE BUZZ } Experts say building up natural habitats for wild insects

near fields would have beneficial results By Victoria Paterson af staff / calgary

PHOTO: thinkstock

armers, look after your teeth. Someone in a few thousand years might be checking them out. That’s what archeologists have been doing to learn more about how farming spread to Stone Age Europe, setting the stage for the rise of western civilization. “One of the big questions in European archeology has been whether farming was brought or borrowed from the Near East,” says T. Douglas Price, a University of Wisconsin-Madison archeologist who, with Cardiff University’s Dusan Boric, measured strontium isotopes in the teeth of 153 humans from Neolithic burials in an area known as the Danube Gorges in modern Romania and Serbia. Their report published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, draws on isotopic signatures of strontium found in the tooth enamel of people who died nearly 8,000 years ago, about 6,200 BC. “The evidence from the Danube Gorges shows clearly that new people came in bringing farming and replaced the earlier Mesolithic hunter-gatherers,” says Price in a UW-Madison release.

ild bees and other pollinating insects can make quite a difference when it comes to crop yields, according to a new study. “Our message is not that honeybees are bad — it’s that we could do better if, in addition, we were encouraging more activity by wild insects,” said Lawrence Harder, a professor of biological sciences at the University of Calgary. Harder is one of 50 authors of a paper published this month in the journal Science, which looked at 41 different crops in 19 different countries, including lowbush blueberries in P.E.I. Crops that are animal pollinated — such as cucumbers, tomatoes, blueberries, and coffee — get better yields when more than just honeybees are pollinating the flowers, Harder said.

“Our message is not that honeybees are bad, it’s that we could do better if in addition we were encouraging more activity by wild insects.” Lawrence Harder

“The point here is not that honeybees aren’t doing a good job, it’s more that basically in most of these fields they’re already maxed out in terms of the service honeybees are providing,” he said. The pollination technique of wild bees also appears to make a difference. Honeybees usually move from flower to flower on the same bush, whereas wild bees move between bushes, which means more plants are pollinated with pollen from their neighbours. The study also looked at the impact of other wild insects, such as butterflies and some types of flies and beetles, but found wild bees have the biggest impact on yields. If you want to encourage wild bees, Harder recommends growing natural or semi-natural vegetation with wild flowers along roadsides so they have something to eat when crops aren’t in flower. “Canola’s a cornucopia when it’s in flower for bees, but when it’s not in flower it’s a wasteland,” he noted.

Professor Lawrence Harder conducting field work for a study in Japan. PHOTo: supplied Other measures include not disturbing nests with tillage and using fewer pesticides that kill wild bees. Honeybees are crucial for pollinating hybrid canola being produced for seed, and last year Alberta beekeepers transported 70,000 hives of honeybees to the southern part of the province to pollinate that crop, said provincial apiculturist Medhat Nasr. “If we don’t have these kind of pollinators, the yield of hybrid canola seed production would go down by 90 per cent,” he said. But mixing in wild bees is best, he said, because there’s a “synergy” between their work. If a variety of different bee species visits the same flower, it increases the odds of pollination occurring, he said. But the wild population has been going down, Nasr said. “It’s declining because there’s not

enough wild flower forage sources for them around,” he said. Alberta Agriculture has been encouraging the public and municipalities to develop more natural habitats for these insects, he added. “Instead of growing just grass, why not grow some flowers which will bloom at different times of year that will make food sources available to honeybees as well as wild bees?” he said. There’s better news on the honeybee front, despite the ravages of colony collapse disorder. The provincial honeybee population dipped to 220,000 hives in 2007, but rebounded to 282,000 hives last year, he said. “We are working towards solving the problem,” he said. “We have a successful example in honeybees and I’m sure it’s going to be successful also for wild pollinators.”

ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • MARCH 18, 2013

Professor decries local-food movement and praises the ‘10,000-mile diet’ GLOBAL GOOD  Academic says there are many good reasons why local food was replaced by global

food chains — including better variety and price, improved food security, and energy efficiency

There’s a place for local food, but it depends on offering consumers either better quality or a better deal, says a University of Toronto professor.

BY VICTORIA PATERSON AF STAFF / BANFF

ocal food is mostly a fad that won’t last because it’s inferior to the “10,000-mile diet.” That was the message University of Toronto geography professor, Pierre Desrochers, delivered at the recent Alberta Beef Industry Conference in Banff. “It really has become a way to protest against ‘the man,’” Desrochers said. “Backwards is the new forward.”

Locavores — those who promote local food production — have been making periodic appearances since the earliest days of modern transportation, but local food movements never last, he said. National, and later global, food chains arose in the first place because they offer a wider assortment of food at a lower cost, and fresh fruit and vegetables throughout the year. The new twist this time is around the concept of ‘food miles.’ “We live in an age that is obsessed with carbon emissions,” said Desrochers.

But the argument that reducing food miles lowers emissions doesn’t hold water, he said. It’s more energy efficient to grow monoculture crops in climatically favourable regions and use fuelefficient shipping, especially by container ships, to transport them than have small-scale market gardens, using pickups as transport, or to keep local food fresh the whole year in cold storage. “Our modern logistics industry is fairly efficient,” he said. Desrochers also disputed whether local food is more trustworthy. He noted there was a horsemeat scandal in 19th-

PHOTO: THINKSTOCK

century Britain, when local food was still the rule, and there are reasons to suspect what’s on sale at local farmers’ markets. He said a California journalist recently traced food sold at a market in that state back to a Costco. Nor does local food production improve food security, he said. “This is, by far, the stupidest and most dangerous argument,” said Desrochers, noting a drought or bad growing year would devastate a local area if food from outside the area wasn’t readily available. Locavores and proponents of the 100-mile diet are really

just romanticizing the past, he argued. There’s a place for local food, but it depends on offering consumers either better quality or a better deal, he said. “Your conscience might care where your food comes from, but your body really doesn’t,” said Desrochers. Until the mid-1800s, most Europeans were undernourished and we should celebrate the fact that food can now travel 10,000 miles. “The problem is not that our system is too globalized, but rather that it’s not globalized enough,” he said.

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MARCH 18, 2013 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

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

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

Agriculture budget cutbacks — it could have been worse

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

PRODUCTION director Shawna Gibson Email: shawna@fbcpublishing.com

Director of Sales & Circulation

Politics } Some suspect they played a role in program reductions

Lynda Tityk Email: lynda.tityk@fbcpublishing.com

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By will verboven

Alberta Farmer | Editor

henever agriculture or farmers are mentioned on the front page of an urban newspaper it must be of some consequence. So it was recently with the announcement of government cutbacks to the 2013 Alberta Agriculture budget. However, determining how much is actually going to be cut is the question. That’s not unique to the agriculture budget. For the first time the minister of finance presented three different budgets with expenditures categorized between operating, capital expenditure and savings. There was no particular reason for this unique accounting practice except that it tried to hide a massive government deficit that was to be covered by massive borrowing. It boggles the mind as to what the government was thinking. The media and opposition were quick to unravel this accounting shell game and announce that within a few years the Alberta government would have a $10-billion-plus debt. It all made the government look shifty. On the other side of the coin it was expected that cutbacks in government spending would occur to address the impending deficit. Well, yes and no as it turned out. Some departments were spared, some received modest increases and some got hit badly. Alberta Agriculture seemed to have gotten particular attention and saw cutbacks of anywhere from 10 to 20 per cent depending on how one interpreted the government’s three-headed budgetary process. Governments everywhere are notorious for trying to spread out bad news over a period of years and taking immediate credit for increased revenue that is either just conjecture or is expected in

the future. Shuffling expenditures around different programs and agencies is another well-known practice. Therefore it is going to be difficult to find out what the actual cutbacks to the department will be over the next three years. What we do know is that the Farm Fuel Rebate program will be cut back by six cents. This puts producers more in line with those in other provinces, so it was hard to justify its continuance. It did have some political mischief in it being that the opposition Wildrose Party is not going to oppose that cutback, nor reinstate it if ever elected, since the party is ideologically opposed to subsidies. The Alberta Meat and Livestock Agency saw $8 million cut from its $30-million budget. That’s a deep cut and unwarranted. That agency is one of few government entities that is well managed and whose activities actually increase jobs and economic activity. Again there would be little opposition reaction as Wildrose had some negative perspectives of this agency in the last election. One can’t help but notice that the government found enough money to set up the Property Rights Advocate office in Lethbridge to defend and promote its controversial property legislation to obstinate landowners. It would also seem that money was found to continue the patronage job of Evan Berger, the former ag minister, and now the government’s special adviser for southern Alberta.

Infrastructure

Some other cutbacks that could be significant but aren’t reflected in the ag budget involve infrastructure. It’s clear from the overall budget that MDs and counties will get less money for roads and bridges that are critical to ag production. With

Alberta Health Services (AHS) centralized in Edmonton one could expect that services for rural Alberta will continue to be downsized. Add all of that together and rural and small-town Alberta will be getting severely hit and probably disproportionately. Most producer groups were relieved that the cutbacks were not worse, although that could still come. The government also expects to see some savings from joint programs shared with the feds. However, any weather, market or disease calamities would seriously alter the budget projections. There was a sense that agriculture should share the burden in these times of restraint. A noble perspective if it were actually true. The reality is that the departments that spend the most were not cut back at all. The education budget was unchanged and AHS actually saw a four per cent increase. The latter was particularly galling after it was revealed that AHS had spent $100 million on questionable travelling, meeting and employee expenses. That makes a mockery of the cutbacks applied to Alberta Agriculture. A more fair approach would have been to apply a 10 per cent cutback to every aspect of government expenditures. It was done before during the Klein years and it worked. However, that affected too many voters, better to pick on agriculture with fewer voters to worry about. Besides there is some added political satisfaction for the government, by accident or design most of the cutbacks to the agriculture sector will affect producers in southern Alberta, where most of the province’s agriculture industry is located. By sheer coincidence that’s also the production area that voted in all those Wildrose Party MLAs in the last election. I expect the ruling PC government would like all this to be food for thought for voters in that area.

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Minister upsets urban media

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By Will Verboven

oliticians are not usually known for stating the obvious, but Municipal Affairs Minister Doug Griffiths did just that and was roundly condemned by a prominent daily newspaper for doing so. In responding to a question from a Liberal MLA about taxation, Minister Griffiths pointed out that it is rural Albertans who do all the work, while most city folks benefit from their labours. How right he is, but he struck a raw nerve with city politicians and the city media. Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi pronounced that city people were the ones who pay the taxes, which must imply that people outside his city don’t. Most folks in Calgary pay their taxes from money they earned or procured from products produced, grown, mined, drilled or shipped by folks in the countryside. A Calgary Herald editorial implied that Griffiths statement was “odd” coming from the municipal affairs minister, as if that job required him to have only urban perspectives on issues. Minister Griffiths not only has a right to make such statements, but is well qualified to do so having

served many years as the MLA for Wainwright, a rural and small town constituency. That would give him a direct connection to what folks in the countryside are thinking. I would suggest the city-centric Calgary Herald would have little connection or understanding of what folks are thinking in rural Alberta. In fact its editorial said, “He shouldn’t have said it, it was ill advised and unproductive.” That would seem to be a sour-grapes response to what is obvious and reality. I guess that editorial comment also implies that free speech can be annoying. It’s been said that only three per cent of the population produce all the food for the rest. I would suggest that perhaps 20 per cent of the Alberta population, all living in rural areas and smaller centres, produce not only the food but produce all the energy, mineral and forestry wealth of the province. That leaves 80 per cent of the population to live off of that production. That doesn’t seem to occur to some folks in the urban media who are convinced, as the Herald editorial states, “(that) sector of the province couldn’t survive,” implying that without cities the countryside would not survive.

In a crunch when food and energy were to disappear from the city, I expect folks in the countryside would survive first. After the Second World War during which many starved, the Europeans set up elaborate and costly support mechanisms to make sure that people in the countryside continued to live there and produce farm products. There was no illusion with them as to who was more important in their economies. I would suggest that there is a bigger picture here in the minister’s statement and it’s just human nature. Folks in rural and small-town Alberta resent folks in the big cities living off their labours and benefiting disproportionately from the energy wealth located in the countryside. But then people living in other provinces resent Albertans in general for benefiting from our energy resources. Most of us have endured snide remarks about fat and rich Albertans whose wealth comes from the pockets of other Canadians having to buy our energy products. Sure its all sour grapes in a way, but that’s the reality and there is no sense pretending it doesn’t exist. Minister Griffiths is to be commended for stating the obvious.

ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • MARCH 18, 2013

An agricultural connection to the Iran hostage crisis flagged } American Lee Schatz never leaves home without his Canadian

pin after it helped him escape from Iran in 1979 Brian Oleson is head of the department of agricultural economics at the University of Manitoba. He recently watched the Academy award-winning film “ARGO,” based on the 1979 rescue of six U.S. diplomats by the Canadian Embassy in Iran under the direction of Ambassador Kenneth Taylor. Here he relates another Canadian connection.

atching “ARGO” reminded me of an evening in December, 1991. I held a senior position with the Canadian Wheat Board and was part of the Canadian delegation to a meeting of the International Grains Council in London. The IGC was one of the first tenants in One Canada Place, the largest tower of the immense new Canary Wharf development. Twice a year, grain-importing and -exporting countries met to

discuss grain policies, outlook and food aid. Canada and the U.S. were fellow exporters and allies, but sometimes gave each other a difficult time because we had very different policies. At the time the United States and the European Union were at war in grain markets, using high export subsidies to sell wheat and barley. Lee Schatz was one of the members of the U.S. delegation, and we had a good relationship discussing and debating grain markets and policies. As was the custom, one evening of the IGC meeting was reserved for a large reception for grain trade officials and other dignitaries. I arrived a bit early to what must have been the first cocktail party ever held at Canary Wharf. At the coat check, they approached the task as if it were one of the great mysteries

of all time. While still giving out coat tags, I could see over to the side they were piling the coats in a large pile, so I placed my coat by itself in the corner for ready retrieval later. At some point in the evening, Lee Schatz and I decided we should go downtown for a beer and went to get our coats. I slipped over to get mine while Lee stood patiently watching the check-in person who in turn was looking at the tag and wondering how to find the coat in the pile — at that time everyone in London seemed to wear the same style and colour trench coat. Frustrated, Lee walked into the check-in area and circled the pile a couple of times. Suddenly, to my amazement, he reached in, looked rather pleased and pulled out his coat. As we walked down the street,

I asked, “Lee, that was one of the most amazing things I have ever seen. How did you possibly find your coat in that mess?” He laughed and said, “Well, actually, it was not so amazing as you may think. I had some help.” He touched the Canadian flag pinned to the lapel of his coat and said, “My Canadian lapel pin was peeking out of that quite incredible pile of coats. I grabbed the lapel and had my coat.” I had noticed Lee was wearing a Canadian pin but did not think anything of it. At international meetings we would often exchange country pins. I said, “You know, I noticed you have been wearing the Canadian pin for the past few days.” He looked at me with a more serious look and said, “I never go anywhere without my Canadian pin. You see, I was the U.S. agri-

culture attaché to Iran in 1979 and one of the six embassy hostages that escaped. I was taken in by Canada, hidden by the Canadian Embassy for almost three months and smuggled out of Iran using Canadian passports to safety. As I say, I never go anyplace without my Canada pin. It got me out of Iran.” He smiled and added, “And, it got me through again tonight.” When I watched the film “ARGO” and one of the actors playing the role of the agriculture attaché, it somehow had a nice feel to it because of Lee’s words and the warmth he held for Canada. I often have recalled those words. Lee, at the time of this writing, is still working at the USDA after a long career devoted to improving world trade and food systems in general.

Wheat farming in Western Australia is in crisis Reluctant } Bankers want at least eight per cent for operating loans, and are asking for risk-mitigation insurance

By Roger Crook

wo weeks ago some 350 farmers, politicians and bankers attended a meeting at Kulin in the heart of Western Australia (WA) wheat country. It was organized by the local representatives of the West Australian Farmers Federation and called “Agriculture in Crisis — looking for a brighter future.” There were no surprises and no answers, just disillusion and frustration. Many WA wheat growers have been slowly sliding into financial trouble for years. Now their troubles are coming to a head. They have suffered from several years of poor seasons caused by drought, frost and summer rain, sometimes all in the same year. Consequently debts have skyrocketed and equity has fallen to a level which is making the banks nervous. Australia grows about five per cent of the world’s wheat, and provides between 12 per cent and 15 per cent of the wheat annually traded on the global market. WA grows 80 per cent of Australian exports. One rural politician has forecast that 30 per cent of WA’s wheat land may not get planted this season due to lack of financing.

The average farm debt in WA is around A$850,000 (C$807,000.) Five-year average yields are about 1.2 tonnes per hectare (18 bu./ac.), but vary greatly from year to year. The Reserve Bank of Australia interest rate is three per cent, but the trading banks public position is that farm finance this year is “around” eight per cent. I have not found anyone paying less; some have been offered funds at 9.0-9.5 per cent. For many farmers, they, their bank, or both have had enough of the huge risks associated with the cost of growing wheat in the 21st century in Western Australia. The head of agribusiness for Westpac, one the four major banks in Australia, confirmed this when he told the farmers his bank was losing its appetite for funding risk. He wants to see some form of risk-mitigation insurance before they can confidently lend to agriculture in the future. “It’s a game changer for us because it limits… puts a floor in what customers can lose, which means we can talk to their balance sheet over four, five, 10 years, rather than year by year, which is the environment we find ourselves in today,” he said. He went on to say that spending a million dollars to make $50,000 or five per cent was

About 350 farmers recently gathered at Kulin in Western Australia at a meeting called “Agriculture in Crisis — looking for a brighter future.” PHOTo: courtesy Farm Weekly risky enough, but when there was the chance the farmers could lose the lot, then that was a frightening concept. Risk-mitigation insurance is something new to Australian farmers. Historically, most have insured against hail and fire. As costs have increased so have the number of farmers prepared to take the risk and not insure. Now the banks are saying, “No risk-mitigation insurance — no finance.” The earliest such a scheme can be in place is for the 2014 season and that begs the question of what happens in 2013. Canola seeding will start in late April.

The head of Westpac Agribusiness said they have taken the position to look at the farm budgets this year and ask, “If they have a bad year this year, will it bankrupt them?” If the answer is no, then how can we get the million dollars down to say $700,000?” The tough talking, he said, starts if the answer is yes. According to a farm consultant, the variable costs to grow a hectare of wheat in WA are between A$300 and A$320 or about A$121 (C$127) per acre, or $1.2 million for 10,000 acres. There has been a significant decline in the number of farmers in Australia: In 1996-97 there

were 246,000 farmers, in 2010 there were 192,600. Fewer farmers are borrowing more. According to the Reserve Bank of Australia, our rural debt has grown from A$1.3 billion in 1965 to $43.4 billion in 2005 and $66.2 billion in 2012. In Western Australia the number of farmers has declined by 40 per cent over the past 30 years — on average, 300 people have left the industry every month. A quarter of farmers in WA are aged 65 or over. It doesn’t look like there are any quick answers except, maybe, from the Chinese. The Chinese have bought many millions of tonnes of iron from WA and now they are buying WA wheat farms. So far they have bought over 100,000 hectares; some say it’s twice that amount, or more. With the world paranoid about food security, it looks like the Chinese have their eyes set on Western Australia and there is no law to stop them buying as much land as they want. There are many elderly WA farmers who would welcome a buyer knocking on their door, chequebook in hand. It wouldn’t matter where they came from. Roger Crook writes about agriculture from Albany, Western Australia

OFF THE FRONT

BUDGET  from page 1 can manage a little bit higher costs on our fuel sides over taking away from some of these strategic initiatives,” he said. “I think they managed to cut in the best areas possible right now.” Olson said the choice was either funding the allowance or funding agricultural societies across the province. The farm fuel distribution allowance would have been about $30 million, he said. It is estimated to have cost about $32.5 million for the 2012 fiscal year. “If I wiped out funding for all 295 ag societies across the province, that would be roughly equivalent to getting rid of the six-cent-a-litre allowance,” he said.

ALMA, irrigation, face cuts

The Alberta Livestock and Meat Agency is getting an $8-million haircut, leaving it with $30 million in funding from the government. Olson said it was felt ALMA has enough momentum to keep doing its work with less money. He said it’s not meant to be a permanent reduction. “This does not signify any changing or reduced support for ALMA, it’s just that we have put a lot of money into ALMA in recent years,” Olson said.

MARCH 18, 2013 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

Rich Smith, the executive director of Alberta Beef Producers, said the money ALMA invests is valuable but said the agency still has a significant budget. “ALMA will need to focus on being a catalyst for the industry right now,” he said. Smith said he was pleased with the increased funding for promoting market access and value added, as did the ABC’s Sawyer. “Those are huge areas that we need to focus on and it’s great that they’re focusing on it,” he said.

human resources,” said Erickson, adding perhaps the government will be able to realize efficiencies and if there are any holes, maybe industry can help fill the gaps. The irrigation infrastructure assistance line item shows a $5-million reduction in the capital budget, but Olson said they’ve found $2 million in surplus funds to help soften the blow. “It means some projects might have to be stretched out a little bit longer,” he said.

Rural cutbacks

AFSC cuts minimal

Jacobson raised concerns about cuts outside of the department that could affect farmers – notably, reduced funding for county services and infrastructure. “That has the potential to raise the taxes for rural residences,” Jacobson said. Thirty jobs were on the block, however, 10 of those were vacant positions. Olson said 17 of the layoffs came from the department while three occurred at the Agriculture Financial Services Corporation. Six were management positions and most of the workers were in the Edmonton area. “We have to make tough decisions in tough times, and unfortunately some of that is always

TOPLINE PERFORMANCE

Olson said not many cuts were made to the AFSC’s budget. The main change was eliminating a program relating to hail insurance agents. Olson said the need for their service is dropping as more producers buy insurance online. Another change is getting rid of the top-up the government used to provide for AgriStability payments, previously the extra cash had raised the cap to $5 million. In this budget they’re bringing it back down to $3 million, which Olson said is in line with the rest of Canada. Overall, Olson said this year’s operating budget was brought down to about $937.9 million in expenses. The budget incorporates changes to the Growing

Forward agreements that will see reduced funding from the federal government kick in April 1, which Olson said accounts for a “big chunk” of the $100-million reduction over 2012’s budget. “The decisions were tough,” he said.

Opposition concerns

The Liberal’s Agriculture Critic David Swann called the cuts “just another blow” to family farms. “I think it’s so unfortunate that we have a government that doesn’t think long term about our finances and our economy, and our agriculture is an important dimension of that,” he said. Swann said the lack of forethought would damage everybody, he said including farmers and especially small farms. He raised concerns about cuts to post-secondary funding and environment, noting they’ll impact agriculture in Alberta. The post-secondary cuts mean a lack of innovation and research that can support new technology and research for agriculture, he said, while environmental cuts make him worry about water. “Food security has to be our major priority for this province,” he said. Meanwhile, Wildrose

“This does not signify any changing or reduced support for ALMA…” VERLYN OLSON

Rural and Agriculture Critic Ian Donovan is more worried about the overall deficit nature of the provincial budget. “When a government borrows money, they’re not the ones who have to pay it back, it’s the taxpayers,” he said.

Canada rips USDA’s plan for more specific COOL labels COMPLIANCE  U.S. hopes label change will

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comply with the WTO ruling STAFF

anadian officials and U.S. packers warn the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s new proposal for even more specific country-of-origin labelling (COOL) on meat will only make a bad rule worse. Racing to bring its mandatory COOL law into compliance with critical World Trade Organization rulings before the WTO’s May 23 deadline, USDA issued a proposed new COOL rule for display in the March 11 edition of the U.S. government’s Federal Register, calling for public comment by April 11. The proposed rule would change COOL’s labelling provisions for muscle cuts of beef, lamb, chicken, goat, pork and veal, instead requiring a package label’s origin designations to include information about where each of the meat’s production steps occurred. Where the current COOL regulations would allow “Product of the U.S.” labels only on cuts from animals born, raised, and slaughtered in the U.S., the new rule would allow such cuts’ labels to read “Born, Raised, and Slaughtered in the U.S.”

For example, if an animal is born in Canada, but raised in both Canada and the U.S. before slaughter, the shortest label allowed under the new rule would read “Born in Canada, Raised and Slaughtered in the U.S.” “USDA expects that these changes will improve the overall operation of the program and also bring the current mandatory COOL requirements into compliance with U.S. international trade obligations,” U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said in a release. Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz doesn’t buy it. “We do not believe that the proposed changes will bring the U.S. into compliance with its WTO obligations,” he said in a statement. USDA’s proposed changes, he said, “will increase the discrimination against exports of cattle and hogs from Canada and increase damages to Canadian industry.” The Canadian Cattlemen’s Association said the proposed rule, by adding labelling requirements and “eliminating some of the existing mitigating flexibility,” will “significantly increas(e) the costs of compliance.” The net result, the CCA said, is “a rule that not only does not comply with the WTO Appellate Body’s

findings but will also violate WTO provisions not previously ruled upon.” USDA appears set to rush the rule through with a relatively quick comment period “in order to implement something, regardless of how ill conceived,” before the WTO’s May 23 deadline, the CCA said. “This tactic not only increases the discrimination against imported livestock, but also creates additional process and delay at the WTO.” Ritz reiterated Friday that the Canadian government “will consider all options, including retaliatory measures, should the U.S. not achieve compliance by May 23.” Patrick Boyle, president of the American Meat Institute, a U.S. meat packers’ body, said in a separate statement Friday that, “Only the (U.S.) government could take a costly, cumbersome rule like mandatory (COOL) and make it worse even as it claims to ‘fix it.’” USDA’s proposed new rule, Boyle said, is “even more onerous, disruptive and expensive than the current regulation implemented in 2009. Complying with this proposal, should it become mandatory, will create more excessive costs that will be passed on to (U.S.) consumers.”

ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • MARCH 18, 2013

Exchanges duke it out over Canadian wheat futures market SALES PITCH  Three exchanges spoke to the recent Wild Oats Grainworld conference BY PHIL FRANZ-WARKENTIN COMMODITY NEWS SERVICE CANADA

fter decades of marketing wheat through the Canadian Wheat Board’s single desk, the western Canadian grain sector is still working out the best way to hedge the commodity seven months into the new open market. Representatives of the CME Group, Minneapolis Grain Exchange (MGEX), and ICE Futures Canada were all on hand at the annual Wild Oats Grainworld conference in Winnipeg, Feb. 25, to highlight the benefits of their futures and options markets. The CME Group, which owns both the Chicago Board of Trade and the recently acquired Kan-

sas City Board of Trade, is by far the winner when it comes to volumes, with 88 per cent of the wheat traded globally executed through CME Globex, according to Susan Sutherland, senior director of grain and oilseed products with CME Group. In addition to the futures and options, a benefit of hedging through the CME Group is the numerous additional pricing options, including futures spreads, weekly wheat options, short-dated options, and calendar spreads, that are not available on other exchanges. The MGEX can’t boast the sheer volumes of Chicago, but business development specialist Joe Victor noted that with 6.12 billion bushels of Hard Red Spring wheat futures traded on an annual basis, that represents

roughly five times the total North American spring wheat production. He noted that there is a high correlation between the highprotein spring wheat traded on the Minneapolis exchange and the Canadian crop.

Poor liquidity

ICE Futures Canada obviously has the contracts that are closest to the Canadian situation, but the futures have suffered from poor liquidity since first being introduced in January 2012. Brad Vannan, president and COO with ICE Futures Canada, said that while the volumes are still lacking, the wheat futures do have a high correlation with the cash market. He said the fact that commercials have taken deliveries against both the spring wheat and barley contracts was a

Latest USDA supplydemand report delivers few surprises in key commodities

sign that they were ‘testing’ the market to see how it works and remained optimistic that volumes would eventually come to the Winnipeg-based exchange. Vannan pointed to the success of the ICE Canada canola contracts. “We believe that in time, we’ll see some of that success in our wheat contracts.” The European Matif milling wheat futures provide a good comparison to the Canadian situation according to an example provided by Vannan. He noted that the Matif futures took six years before seeing any noticeable volumes, and then suddenly started to rise. What happened there was the emergence of the Black Sea as a major wheat export region and the need for a futures market more directly relating to the

“We believe that in time, we’ll see some of that success in our wheat contracts.” BRAD VANNAN ICE

European market, especially when the U.S. wheat futures were relatively stable. Vannan foresaw a similar situation in the North American context, with spring wheat area shifting north, which will make Canadian-based contracts more important.

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RECORD  If weather and yields return to normal, there could be

record corn and soybean production this year BY CHARLES ABBOTT WASHINGTON / REUTERS

he U.S. Agriculture Department delivered few surprises in its monthly crop and world agricultural supply-demand reports, keeping U.S. corn and soybean supplies tight but raising global soybean and wheat stockpiles from a month ago. The Argentine soybean and corn crops were both lowered by drought, USDA said. Projected soybean output was trimmed by three per cent, to 51.5 million tonnes, and the corn crop by two per cent, to 26.5 million tonnes. Analysts had expected slightly deeper cuts. U.S. soybean end stocks were forecast for 125 million bushels, the smallest in nine years and a thin two-week supply when the new crop is ready for harvest — but unchanged on the month. “(I was) a little surprised about USDA’s decision to keep its numbers unchanged for soybeans. At a minimum, the trade was 100 per cent certain of an adjustment on exports. The way this South American situation looks, we would expect further gains for U.S. sales,” said Rich Nelson, director of research for Allendale Inc. USDA analysts noted that although the U.S. soybean export sales and shipments pace has been brisk so far this season, they expect demand to drop off significantly once new-crop supplies from Brazil and Argentina hit the market. Corn ending stocks were also forecast steady on the month at 632 million bushels, the smallest in 17 years and a bare three-week supply. USDA cut its estimate of corn exports by 75 million bushels but said larger production of beef and poultry will increase demand for corn for feed. Brazil was forecast to reap a record 83.5 million tonnes of soybeans. USDA stood by its forecast, although Brazil’s forecasting agency lowered its estimate to 82.1 million tonnes this week. USDA raised its forecast of world wheat ending stocks by one per cent, or 1.5 million tonnes, to

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178.2 million tonnes, due to larger stockpiles in India, the United States and Iran. “World (wheat) supplies are growing. The market has priced in more wheat production coming, and that’s definitely going to weigh on prices,” said Sterling Smith, futures specialist at Citigroup. USDA has projected record corn and soybean crops if weather and yields are normal, bouncing back from the severe 2012 drought. An influential U.S. think-tank, FAPRI, made similar projections March 8.

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MARCH 18, 2013 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

A refresher course in selling feeder cattle in the spring Preparation } As we head into spring, a review of some

of the basic principles and terms of marketing By brenda schoepp af columnist/rimbey

ecently I have had a few calls on the basics of cattle marketing. As we head into the spring market and the backgrounded calves sell, it is timely to review the basic principles of marketing and to go over the terms. In all the examples, the cattle are sold direct or through the electronic auction. When feeder cattle are offered for sale the most important piece of knowledge is the actual weight. Even if a legal for tender scale is not on site, it is important to weigh the cattle somewhere nearby or to bring in a scale to determine the weight. This accomplishes several objectives. First and foremost, you know what it is you have to sell on an average and the high and low in a pen or set of cattle. Second, it allows you to accurately measure performance and the production cost. You can also identify individual animals and cow families that have a continuous growth curve, thus allowing for information-based decisions for culling and breeding. All cattle are sold with a shrink that covers gut fill or a short haul. For cattle that are fed in pen the average pencil shrink is four per cent

on a zero-to-50-mile haul. In addition to a pencil shrink to cover the gut fill, a buyer will also take into account the body condition of the cattle. If they are green or light in condition then the four per cent is fair to both buyer and seller. If they are in medium or heavy condition, meaning that they are starting to deposit some fat, then the buyer will do one of two things. He will introduce a higher pencil shrink or drop the price accordingly. The same strategy will occur when the cattle carry a lot of tag — mud, manure or ice. This added-on weight is of no value. The goal of the buyer is to pay for as little fat or tag as possible as this is negative when it comes to the future conversion on the animal. In addition, if the buyer is purchasing on order, the pay weight should match the arrival weight at the end point. As weights vary within a pen there may be a difference in the called weight and the actual weight at time of sale. This could occur out of simply inaccuracy or human error, because the cattle experienced an event that caused them to gain or lose weight or because the cattle were not lifted in time. It is important that when cattle are sold that the delivery window be very clear to both buyer and seller. It becomes

very risky for cattle to wait to be weighed for their final sale weight if they stand more than five business days. Delivery windows should be short so the cattle do not gain/lose weight that then puts them outside of the deal.

Sliding scale

To reconcile feeder cattle weights to price a sliding scale is used. The slide adjusts the price according to the final pay weight which is always the shrunk weight. For example if the cattle are called at 840 lbs. they are expected to weigh 840 lbs. after transport and shrink. This is the pay weight. What happens when the cattle weigh less or more? The slide is used to reconcile the price to the actual shrunk weight. Cattle called to weight 840 lbs. (shrunk weight) at point of sale • Bid price is $130 cwt based at 840 lbs. with a $.05 slide up and down. • If the cattle weigh 840 lbs. they are paid $130 cwt or $1,092 head. • If the cattle weigh 30 lbs. less and come in at 810 lbs. then the price slides up to compensate for the lighter weight (30 lbs. x $05 = $1.50 cwt). - 810 lbs. x $131.50 = $1,065.15 per head. • If the cattle weigh 30 lbs. more at the point of sale and come in at 870 lbs. then the price will

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slide down to compensate for the additional weight (30 lbs. x $.05 = $1.50 cwt). • 8 7 0 l b s . x $ 1 2 8 . 5 0 = $1,117.95 head. At times when prices are volatile, the slide may not compensate for light calves and they need to be priced within the weight breaks. A $.05 to $.08 slide is acceptable on cattle that are backgrounded but for calves you need a $.08 slide to reconcile price to weight, especially on light calves. It is folly to accept a down slide only as the cattle will only be discounted if they are heavy but not compensated when they are light. It is also dangerous to accept a large slide such as $.15 cwt unless you are exactly sure of the pay weight (not the weight of the day but the actual pay weight). In this case the cattle will be heavily discounted if they are heavy.

Direct or electronic sales

All cattle on direct or through an electronic sale should be sold f.o.b. the farm/ranch as you have no idea where the cattle will end up eventually. The cattle may sell to Ontario and it is unlikely that you would be compensated for that long haul in the bid process. Shrink will also reflect the distance to the first point of sale. Ideally, the cattle would trade on a legal for tender scale onsite.

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Today’s top ag stories: www.albertafarmexpress.ca

Next to weight, the sort is the most powerful marketing tool. Sorting the cattle into same sex, same size, load lots is a surefire way to increase interest in the cattle. This visually stimulates the buyer and they are especially interested if this is done in herd as it helps project the future performance of the cattle. We know that a uniform set of cattle sells for more than a comparative group that is up and down in weight or type. Listing the attributes of the cattle also spur the price. Non-hormone cattle now often sell for more than implanted calves as do feeder cattle that are dehorned, castrated, weaned at least 30 days, have a verifiable feeding and health protocol and are age verified. For feeder heifers there has to be some assurance that they have not been exposed to a bull. These basic principles and terms will help you understand your electronic or direct sale. Keep in mind that you are the owner of the cattle and take a lead role in the success of the sale. Brenda Schoepp is a Nuffield Scholar who travels extensively exploring agriculture and meeting the people who feed, clothe and educate our world. A motivating speaker and mentor she works with young entrepreneurs across Canada and is the founder of Women in Search of Excellence. She can be contacted at www. brendaschoepp.com.

Funds for dairy mastitis tracking Staff

The Canadian Dairy Network (CDN) is getting up to $54,000 from the federal government to develop software that tracks mastitis in dairy cattle, Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz announced Feb. 21. Farms across Canada will report each incidence of mastitis, enabling CDN to eventually determine disease-resistant traits in cattle, allowing farmers to better select animals for breeding. This will result in better milk quality, reduced use of antibiotics and improved animal welfare, ultimately helping to boost the bottom line of dairy farmers, a federal release says. “This initiative will add to the comprehensive portfolio of genetic and genomic evaluation services offered by CDN to help Canadian producers have more profitable dairy farms and places Canada amongst the first countries in the world with a national system to improve disease resistance,” said CDN general manager, Brian Van Doormaal. This project is supported through the Agricultural Innovation Program (AIP), a $50-million initiative announced as part of Canada’s Economic Action Plan 2011.

ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • MARCH 18, 2013

More Aussie beef to China

Alberta egg sales jump

Australian beef sales to China are set to surge to around 50,000 tonnes annually from about 6,000 tonnes a year ago. “In the last six months there has been a bigger jump in China’s beef imports from Australia because China blocked beef imports from Brazil due to mad cow disease,” said Jean Yves Chow, a senior livestock analyst at Rabobank in Hong Kong. However, the good news is offset by the loss to other competitors of higher-value exports to Japan. They have fallen sharply since the country allowed beef from cattle up to 30 months old, up from the previous limit of 20 months imposed following the 2003 BSE crisis. — Reuters

Nielson preliminary retail sales data to Jan. 12, 2013 indicates that in the previous fourweek period, 2.9 million dozen eggs were sold in Alberta; a 10.9 per cent increase from the previous four-week period and a 7.7 per cent increase compared to the same period in 2012. Nielson retail sales in the last 52 weeks are up 2.9 per cent over the previous 52 weeks in Alberta. Specialty eggs (excluding omega-3 eggs) had the largest sales growth in the last 52 weeks — a 27.7 per cent increase over the previous 52 weeks, to 1.8 million dozen eggs. — Agri-News

Low forage quality could be a cause of downer cows Mineral losses } Test showed feeding with a bale processor on snow can lose

30 per cent of calcium and 25 per cent of magnesium

Feed test results provide a starting point to developing a balanced ration. Agri-News

orage quality has been an issue this winter because of the weather conditions experienced last summer. Feed test results have shown that protein levels are down 20 to 25 per cent in many hay and silage samples compared to the longterm average. Delayed cutting has also increased the amount of fibre in the harvested forages, which results in reduced energy content as well. There are other quality concerns with the forages grown last summer. “Test results are also indicating that potassium levels in mixed hays are almost twice as high as the long-term average,” says Barry Yaremcio, beef and forage specialist with Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development. “As we get closer

to calving, dietary requirements for calcium and magnesium increase because of higher requirements of the calf and the production of colostrum. “Three to four weeks prior to calving, calcium and magnesium is moving from the blood into the mammary tissue to produce milk. Older cows have a more difficult time mobilizing calcium from the bone and are more prone to be downer cows. High-milking cows are also at high risk because of the daily calcium and magnesium requirements. High potassium levels in the diet reduce the absorption of magnesium which can increase the number of downer cows.” Feed test results provide a starting point to developing a balanced ration. What is recommended on paper can be quite different to what the cows actu-

ally consume. Research conducted at the Agriculture and Agri-Food Research Station at Lacombe found that feeding hay with a bale processor on snow can result in up to 30 per cent of the calcium reported on a feed test report being lost because of feed waste. The amount of magnesium lost can also be 25 per cent or higher. The loss of nutrients can result in downer cows, even when everything appears to be normal on the ration report. “If there is a problem with a downer cow, talk to your veterinarian and have a diagnosis made when a farm call is done,” says Yaremcio. “If the animal responds to intravenous treatment, it can be an indication that calcium or magnesium, or both, could be borderline or deficient in the ration. Changes to the feeding program are needed.

Feed test

“If the feeds have not been tested, do so. Until the feed tests results are back, increasing the calcium and magnesium in the ration is recommended. For a 1,400-pound cow in latepregnancy or early lactation, the addition of four ounces of limestone and one ounce of magnesium oxide per head/per day, to the ration will help the situation. Fine tuning can be done when the results are back.” If possible, mix the magnesium and calcium into silage or a grain mix. These two products are not tasty and cows tend not to consume much free choice. When including calcium and magnesium into a salt or salt/ mineral mix, a flavouring agent or a product such as wheat shorts, dried molasses or dried distillers grains with solubles should be added to the mix to

improve consumption. A rough guideline is to include one of these products at eight to 10 per cent of the total weight to improve intake. If intakes are still low, increase the inclusion rates of the flavouring agent, and if the intake is too high, reduce the amount. Not all downer cows are caused by mineral imbalances. If experiencing downer cows or concerned about this situation in your herd, be sure to consult your herd veterinarian in order to obtain a proper diagnosis, treatment plan, and assessment of the situation. As well as consulting your veterinarian, if additional nutritional advice is needed, a feed company nutritionist or a provincial beef extension specialist can also be consulted. A team approach will yield the most favourable results.

MARCH 18, 2013 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

Bull management — looking after the other half of your genetics Beef 911 } Bulls need 365-day attention so they’re in shape

for the few days they need to do their job By roy lewis, dvm

ince bulls are half the genetic value of your herd, they are definitely worth looking after. There are various steps and management procedures which will give your bulls more longevity and make them more productive. If you can get more years and/or more cows bred from these top genetic bulls it will benefit you greatly, as superior bulls will improve the growth and value of your calf crop. In the breeding season, stocking density or the bull-to-cow ratio will vary greatly depending on several factors. The younger yearlings need to be run with 15 or so cows to make sure they are capable. This won’t burn them out but allows them to grow so they can be used much heavier as two-year-olds. Then depending on terrain, size and quality of pasture, ability of the bull to walk and whether some cows were AIed previously, these factors will determine handling capacity of your bull. Every bull must be evaluated yearly then for his probable serving capacity. The results of the semen evaluation and scrotal size will also provide valuable information to help make your decision. It has been said that if a cow is serviced by two bulls, you are running too many bulls or too

few cows. The two bulls serving the cows mean they are in close proximity and the worry is fighting and injuring each other. Bulls are especially vulnerable at damaging their penis when mounting and breeding. In my opinion, using bulls of as varied ages as possible with multiple-sire groups will keep fighting to a minimum and the young yearling bulls will start by breeding cows on the periphery of the herd. The huge size difference between yearlings, two-year-olds and mature bulls generally keeps fighting to a minimum as the pecking order is quite obvious. Multiple-sire herds have the advantage if one bull goes down for any reason the others can pull up the slack. The disadvantage is if the dominant bull has poor semen he may prevent the others from breeding and conception rate is hindered. The opposite side of this is the single-sire herds, which many purebred breeders use. If that bull develops a problem such as a cut penis or his testicles degenerate and it goes undetected for any length of time, the resulting open cow percentage can be very high. I know of several cases where bulls had scarred-down penises from previous cuts and were not semen tested prior to breeding season. The result was a 100 per cent open rate. These outcomes we all want to avoid. For cleanup, even purebred

herds can run bulls together and then parentage test the offspring to determine the exact sire for registration. These days with DNA testing that is a very easy thing to do. Some commercial breeders are even parentage testing the calves to help determine which bulls truly do produce the most vigorous and productive calves. Calving ease also can be highlighted once parentage is known by looking at last year’s calving records.

Keep fevers down

A bit of a misnomer that circulates about breeding bulls is that treatment with antibiotics damages the sperm. It really is the severity of the ailment coupled with an increased temperature which damages sperm. The quicker you treat an ailment and keep a fever from developing the better. Ancillary products like steroids have been proven to be detrimental especially in long-term use so avoid these if possible and any drastic treatment should be overseen by your herd veterinarian. When checking bulls at pasture they should always be with the cows otherwise something is wrong. Always look at the prepuce area for signs of swelling, which indicates a problem. Any lameness can scuttle breeding performance. Be especially vigilant of the feet and legs before breeding season and have any trimming done. Some clinics recommend foot rot vaccina-

tion for the breeding bulls. Any lameness you can avoid by these two preventive measures will go a long way to avoiding downtime during the breeding season. The three biggest causes of breeding days missed is injury from fighting, penile injuries and lameness not necessarily in that order.

The off season

Managing the bulls during the “off season” also deserves some attention. The bigger the area to house bulls when not breeding the better. More room means less fighting and more exercise, keeping bulls fitter and their feet healthier. If away from cows they will be quieter and fight less. Bulls need a good forage diet at two per cent body weight daily. There is a tendency to provide grain which in many instances gets bulls too fat. If too fat they are not fit, lack any stamina and the fat in the scrotum insulates the testicles resulting in poor temperature regulation and poor-quality sperm. Overfat bulls need to lose weight before getting fit to breed. This is why many show champions are poor breeders early in the breeding season. Overwintered bulls need some areas of protection from wind chills such as bush or even a portable porosity fence. We always see some evidence of wind chill in the spring with herd sires having badly frozen testicles. This can result in permanent sterility.

It is worthwhile protecting your investment. Standard mineral supplementation is required as bulls need vitamin A for instance for optimal semen production. Give all the shots you do to the cow herd with the exception of scours vaccinations. An ideal time is at semen checking when the bull is restrained and this is just prior to the breeding season when protection for the cows is paramount. Also a pouron endectocide for internal and external parasites should be mandatory. Bulls will always have a higher proportion of horn and face flies so treatment at turnout for breeding with a product like Cylence is probably a good idea as well. When purchasing breeding bulls check into the health program they are on as tests for a BVD carrier if vaccination history is sketchy may be advisable and if hardware disease is a problem on your farm a rumen magnet may be indicated. Start with virgin bulls from purebred breeders. This greatly improves your genetic gain and avoids bringing in venereal diseases like trichomoniasis. Avoid used or rental bulls for that very reason. After that, a little care goes a long way to keeping and maintaining useful, functional bulls to improve your genetic base. Roy Lewis is a practising largeanimal veterinarian in Westlock, Alberta

Waiter! There’s a giraffe in my kudu Snacks } A high percentage of meat snacks in South Africa aren’t what they say they are johannesburg / reuters

nly three days after being told their hamburgers may in fact be donkey or water buffalo, South African meat lovers were dealt another blow: biltong, the fabled dried-meat snack, may not be as “wild” as many packets suggest. Acting on a hunch — and four years before Europe’s horsemeat scandal broke — researchers at the University of the Western Cape tested 146 biltong samples from major retailers and small butchers from across South Africa. All packets labelled ‘beef’ were found to be correct but 90 per cent of biltong sticks supposedly made of kudu — a large, curly horned antelope — were actually horse, pork, beef, giraffe or even kangaroo. “It started with curiosity and suspicion because one piece of dried meat looks like another,” researcher Maria Eugenia D’Amato from the university’s DNA Forensics Lab told Reuters. “We initially tested a few samples and the results were shocking so we decided to formalize the research.” Furthermore, zebra biltong was found to contain meat from the mountain zebra, a species threatened with extinction. Biltong, air-dried strips of meat made from wild game or animals reared on the country’s 10,000plus wildlife farms, is staple fare for South Africans, who regard it as a healthy, low-fat snack. Research released earlier found that donkey, water buffalo and other unconventional ingredients had been found in almost two-thirds of hamburgers and sausages tested in Africa’s largest economy.

Two mountain zebras graze at their breeding ground outside Cape Town. Although this species is considered endangered, its meat is showing up in the African delicacy biltong. photo: Reuters

ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • MARCH 18, 2013

Experts compare notes on supply management systems and trade negotiations HOT TOPIC  New Zealand and Canadian perspectives on supply management offered during conference AF STAFF BANFF

t wasn’t quite a debate, but attendees at the Alberta Beef Industry conference in Banff last month got two different views on supply management. On one side was New Zealand’s special agricultural trade envoy Alistair Polson, who said Canada’s protected marketing system for dairy and poultry is a deal breaker for entry into the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement. On the other side was Al Mussel, senior research associate with the George Morris Centre in Guelph, Ont., who said the issue was tariffs, not the system itself. Polson took the audience through the history of agricultural controls and subsidies in New Zealand, noting that New Zealand lost its preferential Commonwealth access into the U.K. when it joined the European Union. This and other factors resulted in subsidies and supports for the country’s farmers. “It was a disaster,” Polson said. The sheep meat industry overproduced and prices dropped. He said there was misallocation of subsidies. Sheep producers were encouraged to go for bulk rather than quality. “We also created that dependency on government subsidies,” Polson said.

when it comes to eliminating tariffs if any agreement is to be high quality. “We can’t have a caveat for dairy,” he said. If Canada is allowed to keep tariffs for its supply management industries, other countries will want protections as well. “We’ll have a race to the bottom. We’ll have an agreement that’s valueless,” he said.

A Canadian perspective

Mussell countered the suggestion that we need to scrap the

supply management system. He said that potential trading partners don’t care about the supply management system — it’s tariffs and import controls that bother them. “They care very deeply about the levels of protection we have in place,” he said. Other countries don’t get to decide Canada’s policies in this field. “Supply management is domestic policy,” he said. The system hasn’t yet derailed any trade agreements. Canada’s supply management system was

developed in a time of adversity for farmers, he said, and was designed to mitigate surpluses. It helps keep relatively high and stable prices for producers in the Canadian market versus the lower, volatile prices in the United States. Mussell noted that like New Zealand, Canada lost its special Commonwealth access to the British market as it joined the EU, causing a thriving dairy export industry to decline. After the access was lost, there was

a period when the government was buying up surpluses. The system that has been developed since is less expensive than pursuing that, he said. Mussell said when it comes to opinion in Canada about the system, beliefs are often divided between two extremes. “It’s either ‘inefficient system, get rid of it right away,’ or ‘protect it at all costs, it’s perfect,’” he said. Instead it’s somewhere in between, Mussell said.

SUMMER

performance long

FUEL

ALL YEAR

Depend on our fuels for optimal power, efficiency and smooth engine performance all year round.

“We’ll have a race to the bottom. We’ll have an agreement that’s valueless.”

With UFA’s Fuel Quality Assurance Program, we continually monitor our fuel to ensure we not only meet but exceed the demands of your equipment.

ALISTAIR POLSON

Due to the changes made over recent years in the refining process of diesel fuel, you will no longer see a big fluctuation between the density of winter diesel versus the density of summer diesel.

N.Z. TRADE ENVOY

In 1984, a new government almost completely eliminated supports. “Farmers responded to the challenge of farming without assistance,” he said, telling the audience the dairy export business is profitable for New Zealand producers. Polson said the Trans-Pacific Partnership is going to be a high-quality agreement. “We’re pretty excited,” he said. Countries at the negotiating table aside from New Zealand and Canada currently include the U.S., Mexico, Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Chile, Malaysia, Mexico, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam, with Japan looking to join in. Canada was admitted to the talks in October 2012. Polson said part of the talks are focused on eliminating tariffs, which he said would give more opportunities for Canada’s ranchers and farmers. But he said there can be no exceptions

This is good news as you no longer have to worry about large variations in fuel consumption when low cloud point seasonal diesel is used into the spring and summer. Having a similar density fuel available all year round makes it easy to buy your seasonal requirements, when your tanks need to be filled.

Whether you’re driving a pick-up or a semi, a combine or an earth mover, you can trust UFA’s fuel to keep you hauling, trucking or working.

20423_01 UFA_Summer_8.125x10.indd 1

3/4/13 7:10 AM

MARCH 18, 2013 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

Farming Smart Featuring sessions with industry experts Gary Moffat, Warren Bills and Steven Colbourne Hall C

1 Acre or 10,000 Find the latest and the greatest technology you need to get the work done. April 4-6, 2013

Edmonton EXPO Centre

Offering a wide selection of top programming for everyone, including: • Crop Production and Other Technologies -Farming Smart sessions on precision application and the latest technology from seeding through harvest; see all the latest equipment on display. • Equine Events - workshops on back country adventures, breed demos and hoof care. • Agri-Business, Environmental and Lifestyle Exhibits - learn about the latest agricultural innovations. • The Business of Beef - cattle handling equipment demos, Summit 3 Speckle Park Sale. This year’s featured breed is Braunvieh.

For more information, visit farmandranchshow.com

Join the conversation follow @Northlands #NFRS13

EVENT

Northlands Farm & Ranch Show Schedule* THURSDAY, APRIL 4 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM

Alpaca Spring Show and Marketplace

Hall A

10:00 AM - 6:00 PM

Equine Feature Breed: Welsh Pony and Cobs Display

Hall A

10:00 AM - 6:00 PM

Beef Feature Breed - Braunvieh Display

Hall B

10:00 AM - 6:00 PM

Discover Arabian Horse Display

Hall A

10:00 AM - 6:00 PM

Agri-Food Discovery Place

Hall F

10:00 AM - 10:30 AM

Discover Arabian Horse Information Session

Hall A - Round Pen

11:00 AM - 11:30 AM

Back Country Adventures Outfitting - Seminar - Bob Silverthorne

Hall A- Workshop

11:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Alpaca Shearing Display - Alpaca Spring Show and Marketplace Alpaca Livestock Producers Co-operators Association

Hall A

12:00 PM - 12:30 PM

Discover Arabian Horse Information Session

Hall A - Round Pen

12:00 PM - 12:30 PM

Livestock Handling Equipment Demonstrations - Beef

Hall B

12:00 PM - 12:30 PM

Farm Safety - Conversation Corner - Curtis Anderson

Hall F

12:30 PM - 1:00 PM

Verified Beef Production Information Session - Eileen Leslie

Hall B

1:00 PM - 1:30 PM

Barefoot Trimming - Seminar - Lane Moore

Hall A - Round Pen

1:00 PM - 1:30 PM

Welsh Pony and Cobs Display - Feature Equine Breed - Alberta Welsh Pony & Cob Society

Hall D

1:30 PM - 2:00 PM

Introduction to Alpacas - Alpaca Spring Show and Marketplace - Alpaca Livestock Producers Co-operators Association

Hall A

1:30 PM - 2:30 PM

Improving Sprayer Performance - Farming Smart - Gary Moffat, Selmac Sales

Hall C

2:00 PM - 2:30 PM

Alpaca Shearing Display - Alpaca Spring Show and Marketplace Alpaca Livestock Producers Co-operators Association

Hall A

2:00 PM - 2:30 PM

Blue Creek Outfitters - Seminar - Stan Walchuk Jr.

Hall D

2:00 PM - 3:00 PM

Finance Your Ag-Business Without Begging Your Banker - Conversation Corner - MacPherson Leslie & Tyerman LLP

Hall F

3:00 PM - 3:30 PM

Discover Arabian Horse Information Session

Hall A - Round Pen

3:00 PM - 3:30 PM

Back Country Adventures Outfitting - Seminar - Bob Silverthorne

Hall A- Workshop

3:00 PM - 3:30 PM

Know More, Grow More - Farming Smart - Warren Bills, Martin Deerline

Hall C

3:30 PM - 4:00 PM

Welsh Pony and Cobs Display - Equine Feature Breed - Alberta Welsh Pony & Cob Society

Hall A - Round Pen

3:30 PM - 4:00 PM

Farmscaping - Conversation Corner - Classic Landscapes

Hall F

4:00 PM - 4:30 PM

Global Positioning Systems, Making Technology Work for you! Farming Smart - Steven Colbourne, Rocky Mountain Equipment

Hall C

4:00 PM - 4:30 PM

Alpaca Shearing Display - Alpaca Spring Show and Marketplace Alpaca Livestock Producers Co-operators Association

Hall A

4:00 PM - 4:30 PM

Livestock Handling & Equipment Demonstrations - Beef

Hall B

4:30 PM - 5:00 PM

Blue Creek Outfitters - Seminar - Stan Walchuk Jr.

Hall A - Round Pen

4:30 PM - 5:00 PM

Home Canning - Conversation Corner - Amy Beaith

Hall F

5:00 PM - 5:30 PM

Back Country Adventures Outfitting - Seminar - Bob Silverthorne

Hall A- Workshop

5:00 PM - 6:00 PM

Live Musical Performance by Julia Harrington

Gallery Lounge

5:00 PM

Doors Open - Canadian National College Finals Rodeo

Hall D

6:00 PM

Canadian National College Finals Rodeo

Hall D

ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • MARCH 18, 2013

Alpaca Spring Show Presented by

Browse displays, stay for presentations, shop the alpaca marketplace Hall A

Performance Horse Sale Presented by the Alberta Ford Dealers Association

Opportunity to purchase from a top selection of horses. Hall D

April 4–6, 2013 Tickets on sale now!

Preview: April 5 | Sale: April 6

SATURDAY, APRIL 6

FRIDAY, APRIL 5

10:00 AM - 6:00 PM

4-H Day

Throughout EXPO Centre

10:00 AM - 6:00 PM

Alpaca Spring Show and Marketplace

Hall A

10:00 AM - 6:00 PM

Equine Feature Breed: Welsh Pony and Cobs Display

Hall A

10:00 AM - 6:00 PM

Beef Feature Breed - Braunvieh Display

Hall B

10:00 AM - 6:00 PM

Discover Arabian Horse Display

Hall A

10:00 AM - 6:00 PM

Agri-Food Discovery Place

Hall F

10:00 AM - 10:30 AM

Discover Arabian Horse Information Session

Hall A - Round Pen

10:00 AM - 2:00 PM

Back Country Adventures Outfitting - Seminar - Bob Silverthorne

Hall A- Workshop

10:30 AM - 11:00 AM

Blue Creek Outfitters - Seminar - Stan Walchuk Jr.

Hall D

11:30 AM - 12:00 PM

Welsh Pony and Cobs Demonstration - Feature Equine Breed - Alberta Welsh Pony & Cob Society

Hall D

12:00 PM - 12:30 PM

Livestock Handling Equipment Demonstrations - Beef

Hall B

12:00 PM - 12:30 PM

Farm Safety - Conversation Corner - Curtis Anderson

Hall F

12:30 PM - 1:00 PM

Verified Beef Production Information Session - Seminar - Eileen Leslie

Hall B

1:00 PM - 1:30 PM

Barefoot Trimming - Seminar - Lane Moore

Hall A- Round Pen

1:30 PM - 2:30 PM

Improving Sprayer Performance - Farming Smart - Gary Moffat, Selmac Sales

Hall C

1:30 PM - 4:00 PM

Northlands Performance Horse Sale presented by the Alberta Ford Dealers Association

Hall D

3:00 PM - 3:30 PM

Back Country Adventures Outfitting - Seminar - Bob Silverthorne

Hall A- Workshop

3:00 PM - 3:30 PM

Discover Arabian Horse Information Session

Hall A

3:00 PM - 5:00 PM

Summit 3 Speckle Park Cattle Sale

Hall B

3:00 PM - 3:30 PM

Know More, Grow More - Farming Smart - Chris Huolt, Martin Deerline

Hall C

3:00 PM - 3:30 PM

Farmscaping - Conversation Corner - Classic Landscapes

Hall F

4:00 PM - 4:30 PM

Livestock Handling Equipment Demonstrations - Beef

Hall B

Hall A- Round Pen

4:00 PM - 4:30 PM

Global Positioning Systems, Making Technology Work for you! Farming Smart - Steven Colbourne, Rocky Mountain Equipment

Hall C

Farmscaping - Conversation Corner - Classic Landscapes

Hall F

4:00 PM - 5:00 PM

Hall B

4:00 PM - 4:30 PM

Livestock Handling Equipment Demonstrations - Beef

Hall B

Verified Beef Production Information Session - Seminar - Eileen Leslie

4:00 PM - 5:00 PM

Verified Beef Production Information Session - Seminar - Eileen Leslie

Hall B

4:30 PM - 5:00 PM

Blue Creek Outfitters - Seminar - Stan Walchuk Jr.

Hall A- Round Pen

4:30 PM - 5:00 PM

Home Canning - Conversation Corner - Amy Beaith

Hall F

4:30 PM - 5:00 PM

Blue Creek Outfitters - Seminar - Stan Walchuk Jr.

Hall A- Round Pen

5:00 PM - 5:30 PM

Hall A - Workshop

4:30 PM - 5:00 PM

Home Canning - Conversation Corner - Amy Beaith

Hall F

Back Country Adventures Outfitting - Seminar - Bob Silverthorne

5:00 PM - 5:30 PM

Back Country Adventures Outfitting - Seminar - Bob Silverthorne

Hall A- Workshop

5:00 PM - 6:00 PM

Live Musical Performance by Stephen Lecky & Jessy Mossop

Gallery Lounge

5:00 PM

Doors Open - Canadian National College Finals Rodeo

Hall D

5:00 PM - 6:00 PM

Live Musical Performance by Emily Seal

Gallery Lounge

6:00 PM

Canadian National College Finals Rodeo

Hall D

5:00 PM

Doors Open - Canadian National College Finals Rodeo

Hall D

6:00 PM

Canadian National College Finals Rodeo

Hall D

7:00 PM - 9:30 PM

Heifer In Your Tank - Presentation - University of Alberta

AB Ballroom 104/105

10:00 AM - 6:00 PM

Alpaca Spring Show and Marketplace

Hall A

10:00 AM - 6:00 PM

Equine Feature Breed: Welsh Pony and Cobs Display

Hall A

10:00 AM - 6:00 PM

Beef Feature Breed - Braunvieh Display

Hall B

10:00 AM - 6:00 PM

Discover Arabian Horse Display

Hall A

10:00 AM - 6:00 PM

Agri-Food Discovery Place

Hall F

10:00 AM - 10:30 AM

Discover Arabian Horse Information Session

Hall A - Round Pen

11:00 AM - 11:30 AM

Back Country Adventures Outfitting - Seminar - Bob Silverthorne

Hall A- Workshop

11:30 AM - 12:00 PM

Blue Creek Outfitters - Seminar - Stan Walchuk Jr.

Hall D

12:00 PM - 12:30 PM

Discover Arabian Horse Information Session

Hall A - Round Pen

12:00 PM - 12:30 PM

Livestock Handling Equipment Demonstrations - Beef

Hall B

12:00 PM - 12:30 PM

Farm Safety - Conversation Corner - Curtis Anderson

Hall F

12:30 PM - 1:00 PM

Verified Beef Production Information Session - Seminar - Eileen Leslie

Hall B

1:00 PM - 1:30 PM

Barefoot Trimming - Seminar - Lane Moore

Hall A- Round Pen

1:00 PM - 1:30 PM

Welsh Pony and Cobs Demonstration - Feature Equine Breed - Alberta Welsh Pony & Cob Society

Hall D

1:30 PM - 2:30 PM

Improving Sprayer Performance - Farming Smart - Gary Moffat, Selmac Sales

Hall C

1:30 PM - 4:00 PM

Preview - Northlands Performance Horse Sale presented by the Alberta Ford Dealers Association

Hall D

2:00 PM - 2:30 PM

Transitioning the Farm or Business- Succession Planning - Conversation Corner - MacPherson Leslie & Tyerman LLP

Hall F

3:00 PM - 3:30 PM

Back Country Adventures Outfitting - Seminar - Bob Silverthorne

Hall A- Workshop

3:00 PM - 5:00 PM

REAL Beef Ranchers Enhancing Alberta’s Landscapes, Short Film Showcase and Reception - Cows and Fish

AB Ballroom 101-103

3:00 PM - 3:30 PM

Discover Arabian Horse Information Session

Hall A- Round Pen

3:00 PM - 3:30 PM

Know More, Grow More - Farming Smart - Warren Bills, Martin Deerline

Hall C

3:30 PM - 4:00 PM

Welsh Pony and Cobs Demonstration - Feature Equine Breed Alberta Welsh Pony & Cob Society

3:30 PM - 4:00 PM

*Subject to change

For a complete schedule of events download the Northlands App

April 4-6, 2013

MARCH 18, 2013 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

Feed withdrawal saves costs and carcass contamination OPTIMUM  Lower carcass contamination and optimum pork

quality are achieved with 14 to 18 hours of fasting

BY BERNIE PEET

ot withdrawing feed for a period prior to shipping market hogs can cost up to $5 per head, according to Dr. Eduardo Beltranena of Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development. Not only that, he says, it can also increase transportation losses and compromise pork safety. However, while packer contracts stipulate that feed withdrawal should be carried out, many finisher barns were not designed to implement this practice, so producers tend to avoid it. Producers not practising hog feed withdrawal take two main hits to their pocket, says Beltranena. “Any feed left in the gut at the time of slaughter goes entirely to waste, and if 10 kg of finishing feed is left in the gut, this results in a loss of $3 per hog at current high feed prices,” he says. “Second, there is a drop in dressing percentage. Feed in the gut increases live hog weight, but after evisceration results in a lower carcass weight.” Beltranena points out that a one per cent point drop in dressing percentage equates to $2 loss per hog. More feed in the gut increases defecation during transport and leads to skin contamination. Also, pigs that gorge on feed before leaving the farm are more prone to vomiting. “Truckers tell us that hogs

TABLE 1:

with full guts are much harder to move, increasing loading time and prod use,” says Beltranena. “These hogs are more susceptible to die in transit or in the lairage due to their reduced ability to cope with the stress of transportation and mixing.” Feces on the skin of the pigs increases contamination in the plant lairage pens and in the scalding tank, thus increasing the pathogen load at the packer, he adds.

Problems in the packing plant

During slaughter and processing, feed in the gut leads to a number of problems in the plant. “Feed in the gut at the time of slaughter increases the chances of someone nicking or cutting it during evisceration,” says Beltranena. “The weight of the hanging full guts can create tears in the intestines. According to the extent of contamination with digestive material, a part of or the whole carcass could be condemned, reducing the payment to the producer.” Even slight carcass contamination reduces line speed because someone has to trim it off, and this increases labour cost and compromises line efficiency, Beltranena says. Despite the most rigid hygiene procedures employed at packing plants, a single contaminated carcass can contaminate others during the cutting and packaging process. In addition, contami-

COST OF UNDIGESTED FEED IN GUT WASTED AT EVISCERATION

Finishing diet costs / 1,000 kg

Feed in gut, kg

$200

$225

$250

$275

$300

0.60

0.68

0.75

0.83

0.90

1.20

1.35

1.50

1.65

1.80

2.03

2.25

2.48

2.70

2.40

2.70

3.00

3.30

3.60

Pig stomachs full of feed after evisceration. Not withdrawing feed before shipping is costly. nated pork may then spoil in transit to an export customer. “Fresh pork boxed for export may take up to 30 days to reach Asian consumers,” says Beltranena. “A pork contamination scandal could cost Canada access to treasured export markets, which are difficult to secure and retain.” Lack of a fasting period prior to slaughter impacts meat quality. “Hogs that gorge on feed prior to slaughter have a higher incidence of pale, soft and exudative (PSE) pork,” Beltranena says. “Consumers then see whitish, mushy pork sitting in a pool of juice at the retail counter and avoid it.”

Solutions for the producer

Lower carcass contamination and optimum pork quality are achieved with 14 to 18 hours of fasting. Therefore, producers should work out the time of day that hogs should have feed withdrawn, based on the estimated time of slaughter. “First, communicate with your packer or marketing

agency and find out at what time hogs must be at the plant by to be slaughtered the same day,” Beltranena says. “Also, ask what is the minimum lairage time at the plant. Packers typically require hogs to rest for a minimum of three hours and drink to rehydrate after transport to ensure animal well-being and minimize pork quality problems.” Next, the time taken to load and transport hogs to the plant should be taken into account. Adding this to the lairage time, and subtracting the total from the 14- to 18-hour optimum fasting period, determines the time of feed withdrawal. For example, if hogs need to be loaded by 7 a.m. for a sameday kill, feed access should be denied as of late afternoon the day before. Ideally, pigs should be fasted in dedicated loadout pens where they only have water access, Beltranena says. However, it is still possible to ensure fasting without this facility. “If you must fast pigs in finishing pens, weigh and tat-

too the hogs to be shipped in advance,” he suggests. “Deny feeder access by 7-8 p.m. and turn the lights off. The next morning, remove hogs promptly for shipping after turning the lights on. Restore feed access for the remaining pigs to limit their time without feed to the time they were sleeping. This achieves the necessary fasting period for hogs destined for slaughter.” For the producer, the high cost of not withdrawing feed justifies investment in a specialized loadout area, Beltranena says. “A farm that ships two truckloads of hogs per week would save $1,000 per week, which could quickly pay back a $50,000 investment in a loadout area with holding pens to fast hogs overnight.” For the packer, the outcome is increased plant efficiency and a reduced risk of food safety issues, both in domestic and export markets. Bernie Peet is president of Pork Chain Consulting of Lacombe, Alberta, and editor of Western Hog Journal

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ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • MARCH 18, 2013

U.S. sheep farmers maintain numbers through 2012 drought RESILIENT  Some sheep industry analysts expected a larger decline in numbers

LIVESTOCK MARKETING ECONOMIST / NDSU EXTENSION SERVICE

he U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) released its annual “Sheep and Goats” inventory report on Feb. 1. According to the report, all sheep and lamb inventories in the U.S. on Jan. 1, 2013, totalled 5.34 million head, down just 0.6 per cent, or 30,000 head, from a year ago. Some sheep industry analysts expected a larger decline in numbers due to the severe drought that impacted the southern Plains in 2011 and expanded into much of the country, including the Corn Belt, in 2012. However, sheep producers exhibited their commitment to the industry and ability to persevere despite challenging weather conditions and lower lamb prices. The U.S. breeding sheep inventory decreased a slight 0.5 per cent to 3.98 million head on Jan. 1. At 3.14 million head, ewes one year and older declined by 25,000 head. The number of replacement lambs under one year of age, at 660,000 head, was identical to one year ago. Texas is by far the leading lambproducing state, with 440,000 ewes on Jan. 1. Compare that with second-place California, with 265,000 ewes, and Utah and Wyoming, which tied for third place with 225,000 head. Severe drought in 2011 caused Texas producers to reduce the ewe flock from 515,000 on Jan. 1, 2011, to 425,000 (an upward revision from last year’s estimate of 415,000) in 2012. Improved moisture conditions in some parts of Texas during 2012 encouraged producers to add 15,000 ewes and 5,000 replacement lambs back into the flock. Of the 32 states where NASS reports numbers, 10 states increased total breeding sheep and lamb numbers, 15 states recorded decreases and seven stayed the same. These numbers likely reflect the variations in moisture conditions that exist around the country. In North Dakota, the sheep and lamb flock, at 74,000 head, increased by 1,000 head on Jan. 1. Breeding animals declined by 2,000 head and market lambs increased by 3,000 head. At 1.285 million head, the number of market lambs in the U.S. was very close to last year’s 1.286 million head. From a price standpoint, an encouraging sign was that market lambs weighing more than 105 pounds on Jan. 1 were down about 3.5 per cent from the previous year. Last year, a backlog of heavyweight lambs was developing. It led to overfinished lambs and sharply declining prices in the second half of 2012. An increase in dressed weights of lambs in 2012 led to a five per cent increase in commercial lamb production and about a 30 per cent decline in the average annual lamb prices from 2011. So far in 2013, lamb dressed weights have returned to normal but are averaging about 4.5 pounds less. Fed-lamb prices in 2013 have recovered seasonally from the very disappointing fall 2012 sea-

sonal lows. Expectations are for prices to continue to improve into the spring ethnic religious holiday season, which is usually a strong consumer demand time for lamb. Wholesale lamb prices are lower than last year, which should spur interest in featuring lamb for the holidays by supermarkets and restaurants. Wholesale boxed leg prices, which would be a typical cut served at homeholiday meals, are about 29 per cent below last year. Wholesale boxed medium rack prices, a popular white tablecloth restaurant menu item, are down about 35 per cent. Wholesale boxed loin prices, with lamb chops being popular at home and restaurants, are about 13 per cent lower than last year. Last year, feeder lamb prices

were hit with a double whammy of declining fed-lamb prices and increasing corn prices due to the severe drought in much of the Corn Belt. Improving fedlamb prices and moderating corn prices have been supportive for feeder lamb prices, which also have increased nicely since last fall’s seasonal lows. Weather will continue to be a wild card in sheep and lamb numbers and prices. Much of the central U.S., including a number of important lamb-producing states, is very dry. Dry pastures and ranges in the U.S. will need sufficient rain to maintain or increase the sheep flock. Corn supplies are historically tight, so a good corn crop with lower corn prices will be necessary to support feeder lamb prices this fall.

PHOTO: THINKSTOCK

Manager Strategist Marketer Accountant Problem-Solver Role Model

Farmer Lance Stockbrugger – FCC Customer

We understand your business 1-800-387-3232 www.fcc.ca/advancing

01/13-19769-02

BY TIM PETRY

19769-02E FCC_Stockbrugger_Nat_8.125x10_rev.indd 1

1/18/13 12:41 PM

MARCH 18, 2013 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

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5353D AXIAL DPS-Ad_ABFarmerExpress.indd 2

Albertafarmexpress.ca â&#x20AC;˘ march 18, 2013

13-01-16 2:26 PM

MARCH 18, 2013 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

Cow-calf survival is still about production costs COSTS  It’s easy to see the money coming in to a beef cow operation, but not so easy to know what’s going out BY KRIS RINGWALL

BEEF SPECIALIST/NDSU EXTENSION SERVICE

The competition between land uses, such as crops grown for human consumption, crops for energy and crops for livestock feed, is very real. PHOTO: THINKSTOCK

he times are good for prices, but cattle producers have a lot on their minds these days. Calving has started on many ranches, and the complicated production scenarios already are constantly churning for producers. Unfortunately, the dollars associated with many production scenarios often are in place well before adequate financial evaluations are done. The critical point is that the dollars are coming in well, but the dollars going out also are growing. The cattle business costs money. In visiting with Jerry Tuhy, farm business management instructor at the Dickinson Research Extension Center in North Dakota, he noted

that free markets will tend to price commodities at or near a breakeven point for the bulk of producers. In other words, high-cost producers will be the first producers to lose money in good or bad markets. No market will remain positive enough that all producers will survive the financial tests through time. Cost control remains critical at all times in the cattle business. In the current world, competition from the energy- and foodproducing sectors of agriculture is real. The competition between land uses, such as crops grown for human consumption, crops for energy and crops for livestock feed, is very real. Given Mother Nature’s hesitation to provide moisture, the competition only gets tougher. Grass is becoming even more of a premium. Despite agriculture’s tre-

. t i m i l e h t o t t h g i r . . . s d l e Out yi nce. a m r o f r e ld p e i d y m u ith any hybri w e m v i ti ti x e p a m M canola is co bigger yield , VR 9559 G offers es to yield at’s more, it h W . When it com s ie ir ra ep ht across th system – rig s. fertility rate r e rra.ca h ig h to e r seed.vite o il respons ta re g a r Viterra on, visit you ti a rm fo in For more

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mendous effort at keeping energy costs low and feeding people, the price is high as these inputs return to farms and ranches as needed supplies. Cost control is the driver for sustaining beef operations and is achieved by the continual evaluation of the planning process. We need to return to the North Dakota Farm Management Program, along with the FINBIN database from the Center for Farm Financial Management at the University of Minnesota. These programs allow our discussion to focus on the dollars and ‘sense’ involved in the beef enterprise.

Gross margin

A good place to start is gross margin. According to Tuhy, gross margin accounts for the purchase and sale of all calves, cull cows and bulls, plus animals transferred in and any overall changes in cattle inventory. The bottom line: Gross margins reflect the amount of money cattle producers have to work with. In the bigger picture, if gross margins are very small, a producer needs to ask why he or she is involved in the beef business because the money in and the money out are a wash. Well, that is not true in the beef business because those producers who have at least 50 cows and were involved in the 2011 North Dakota Farm Management program had $729 in gross margins. Without going too far back in time, these cattle producers have had stable to increasing gross margins to work with. From 2006 through 2010, cattle producers who were enrolled in the North Dakota Farm Management program had gross margins of $578 in 2010, $451 in 2009, $464 in 2008, $543 in 2007 and $529 in 2006. In 2011, the total direct and overhead expense was $546 per cow. Although the 2010 gross margin was above 2011 expenses, 2009 through 2006 gross margins were all below the current 2011 expenses. In other words, if cattle prices returned to the prices offered from 2006 through 2009, cattle producers would be operating in the red, which is not a pleasant thought. The total direct and overhead expenses per cow from 2011 back to 2006 were $546 in 2011, $466 in 2010, $464 in 2009, $452 in 2008, $445 in 2007 and $424 in 2006. A quick review of the numbers points out that, even though average gross margins have been good, if recent expense numbers are any indication of future expense numbers, expenses are accelerating. From 2010 to 2011, expenses jumped more than 17 per cent, while gross margins jumped more than 26 per cent — thus the increase in net returns for the cattle producer. However, the red flag still is there, so it will be interesting when the 2012 numbers come out as to where production costs are going. For now, the point remains: The cost of production is a large, sustainable block in the survival of beef operations. A simple fact is that producers need to plan well while on the high-speed road leading to cattle profits as the 2013 year engages. North Dakota State University Extension Service beef specialist Kris Ringwall writes a weekly column archived at www.BeefTalk.com

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30/08/12 2:06 PM

ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • MARCH 18, 2013

Wheat: Short-term trend down — long-term trend up Opposites } Funds have gone from having a net long position, while the

commercials have been buying

By David Drozd

he wheat market has been under pressure since prices peaked in July 2012. So what has changed since last summer’s high? • Wheat futures prices have declined $2.50 per bushel and cash prices have declined $1. The $1.50 difference in price is due to a better basis and a lower Canadian dollar. • We have an open market and it has been working as well as anyone could have hoped. The $40/tonne improvement in basis levels since harvest is an indication of strong export demand and year-to-date producer deliveries are two per cent ahead of last year. • Wheat is now cheaper than corn on the nearby futures contracts at the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) and this anomaly never lasts for long. • USDA in its February Supply & Demand report estimated a global wheat carry-out of 176.73 million tonnes in 2012-13, which is a 10 per cent reduction from the 196.54-million-tonne carry-out in 201112. In fact, world wheat ending stocks have declined in each of the past three years. • The technical indicators such as the RSI and stochastics are in an oversold position. The

funds have gone from having a net long position in wheat to a net short position, while the commercials have been adding to their long positions and getting out of their short wheat positions at the CBOT. Herein lays the potential for a short-covering rally. From a technical perspective, the short-term trend is down and the long-term trend is up. Chart analysis can be used to determine the price trend and where support and resistance to the trend may be anticipated. Support is illustrated as “A” in the accompanying chart. Within the major trend there are a series of prominent peaks and valleys that can be of several weeks’ duration. The lesser swings are the intermediate trends. Finally, there are small fluctuations within the intermediate moves that are the minor trends. Over the past 30 years I have witnessed on numerous occasions where the news was incredibly bearish and the hype was for prices to continue the short-term downtrend, but instead prices turned up with the major uptrend on the longterm charts remaining firmly intact. I was reminded of this in early January 2013 when the canola futures market dropped down to $575 per tonne. Many in the industry were expecting prices to go

CBOT Wheat monthly nearby (Chart as of February 28, 2013)

lower, but they instead bounced off an area of support (the lower boundary of the uptrending channel, which depicted the major uptrend on the monthly chart) and quickly rallied $75 to $650 in only four weeks.

Bearish fundamentals

The wheat market is in a similar situation now. Given the shortterm downtrend, the news is incredibly bearish. However, prices are approaching a major uptrending line of support “A” on the monthly chart. I’ve also illustrated a very similar line of support that was

challenged for six years (200005) without being breached. Back then wheat prices were unprofitable at $2.95 per bushel and I recall meeting farmers in Saskatchewan who were willing to rent their land out to anyone who would cover their taxes. During those days I remember explaining at farm meetings I held across the Prairies that this line of support would soon be the foundation for higher prices. In January 2006, prices turned up and rallied until they peaked at a new historical high in 2008.

This is a classic example of the benefit of understanding trends, both short and long term. Send your questions or comments about this article and chart to info@ag-chieve.ca. David Drozd is president and senior market analyst for Winnipegbased Ag-Chieve Corporation. The opinions expressed are those of the writer and are solely intended to assist readers with a better understanding of technical analysis. Visit Ag-Chieve online at www.ag-chieve.ca for information about grain-marketing advisory services, or call us toll free at 1-888274-3138 for a free consultation.

TW 4 inch - 6 x 6.625 -_AGI 2013-02-26 12:05 PM Page 1

China still accepting Canadian pork without third-party checks Better } Gerry Ritz says Canadian meat has better access to Russia than U.S. By Rod Nickel

winnipeg, manitoba / reuters

hina is not yet requiring a third-party review of Canadian pork imports to ensure they are free of the feed additive ractopamine, Canadian Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz said Feb. 25. But Ritz said he expects China to require third-party verification of Canadian pork at some point, as it will require of U.S. pork shipments starting March 1. “We haven’t seen that. We fully expect it to happen,” Ritz told reporters at the Grainworld conference in Winnipeg. Most Canadian pork shipments to China are free of ractopamine, a drug that promotes lean muscle growth, Ritz said. The minister said he expects to discuss the issue with Chinese officials when he visits China in spring. Canada has not received any formal notification from China of a change, he said. Russia banned U.S. meat imports last month over fears about racto-

pamine, but has not taken as strict a position on Canadian shipments, Ritz said. “We haven’t shied away from stating our displeasure (with Russia) at the way this is being done, but you have to be able to adapt and facilitate trade. We’ve been able to do that.” Canadian beef and pork is still moving to Russia, Ritz said, while U.S. shipments to Russia are “spotty.” Canada is the world’s third-largest exporter of pork. Ritz is hopeful China will approve more of its domestic crushing facilities to accept Canadian canola with blackleg, a fungal disease that is present in much of the Canadian crop, a spokesman for Ritz said. China, the No. 2 canola/rapeseed grower behind Canada, has restricted imports of Canadian canola with blackleg to a handful of crushing plants since late 2009. Those limited concessions are temporary exceptions to an outright ban, and are up for annual renewal.

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MARCH 18, 2013 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

Alberta chicken will be out of national supply management at year’s end if no agreement found STILL HOPEFUL } Alberta Chicken Producers, Chicken Farmers of Canada

representatives say they haven’t given up on getting an agreement By Victoria Paterson af staff / red deer

he Feb. 22 deadline has come and gone for Alberta Chicken Producers to withdraw its letter of intent to pull out of the national chicken supply management system without a new agreement being struck. “We came as close as we could,” Chicken Farmers of Canada David Janzen said at the Alberta Chicken Producers’ annual general meeting Feb. 26. “In the end, we couldn’t reach an agreement.” Alberta wants additional allocation in order to reflect the province’s population increase, but despite years of negotiations — including more talks in early

February — the issue couldn’t be resolved. Reps from provincial organizations “gave it their best shot,” said Janzen, adding it’s time to take a break before heading back to the negotiating table. “I want to make it crystal clear that CFC is absolutely committed to achieving a solution acceptable to all 10 provinces,” he said. “This is not simply an Alberta issue… this is about all 10 provinces agreeing.” Alberta has more than 11 per cent of the population but just 9.15 per cent of chicken production — the gap is equivalent to 16 million kilograms of chicken a year. Janzen had earlier reminded the crowd about the current negative press supply management has been receiving.

“I want to make it crystal clear that CFC is absolutely committed to achieving a solution acceptable to all 10 provinces.” David Janzen

“The problem with internal bickering is it strips us of our credibility,” he said. David Hyink, vice-chair of Alberta Chicken Producers and

the group’s alternate director to the national body, described the final meeting in Ottawa as “emotional” and said those in attendance did “all they could” to help bring an agreement about. “We came close,” Hyink said. In the end, Quebec almost supported a proposed compromise, but didn’t. Nova Scotia was the other province that didn’t vote for the proposed deal, though this meant the letter of intent to withdraw from the national supply management system at the end of 2013 couldn’t be revoked, Hyink said. But he said the Alberta Chicken Producers will continue to search for a solution, and agreed with Janzen that a break is needed. Alberta is now poised to exit the federal-provincial agreement at year’s end. But the next alloca-

tion is due to be set in September and Hyink said a solution needs to be found before then. “I hope no one sees that as a time we can wait for,” he said. “We can rise to this challenge. We can find a solution.” Even if Dec. 31 passes without a new agreement, there will still be controls in place for things like animal care through the province, he added. “It’s not going to be a free-forall,” Hyink said. Talks are likely to resume in April or May, said Karen Kirkwood, executive director of the Alberta Chicken Producers. However, since the letter can no longer be revoked, Alberta will have to be signed back into the national allocation system by provincial agriculture ministers.

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omatoes grown on organic farms accumulate higher concentrations of sugars, vitamin C and compounds associated with oxidative stress compared to those grown on conventional farms, according to research published Feb. 20 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Maria Raquel Alcantara Miranda and colleagues from the Federal University of Ceara, Brazil. In their study, the researchers compared the weights and biochemical properties of tomatoes from organic and conventional farms. They found that tomatoes grown on organic farms were approximately 40 per cent smaller than those grown by conventional techniques, and they also accumulated more compounds linked to stress resistance. According to the authors, organic farming exposes plants to greater stress than conventional farming. They suggest that this increased stress may be the reason organic tomatoes had higher levels of sugars, vitamin C and pigment molecules like lycopene, an antioxidant compound — all of which are associated with the biological response to stress. Based on these observations, the authors suggest that growing strategies for fruits and vegetables should aim to balance plant stress with efforts to maximize yield and fruit size, rather than trying to eliminate stress to increase yields.

ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • MARCH 18, 2013

Website offers ‘sober second thought’ for pinpointing canola problems

Rise aBove gRassy weeds look no FuRtheR than

laddeR

DIAGNOSTICS  A new online tool extends users’

reach beyond their own experience when troubleshooting canola problems

The Canola Council of Canada’s recently released online diagnostic tool. BY DANIEL WINTERS STAFF / BRANDON

anola growers and agronomists have a new online tool for diagnosing problems in their crops. “Often symptoms will look similar for a number of different problems,” said Jay Whetter, communications manager for the Canadian Canola Council. “You’ll go into a field and it will look like something you’ve seen before. You’ll go, ‘I know what that is.’” But jumping to the wrong conclusion can be costly. The new website, www. canoladiagnostictool.ca, offers a “sober second thought” for diagnosing problems such as disease, pests, nutrient deficiencies, or

herbicide injury, said Whetter. The website, which can be accessed from the field with a 3G-enabled smartphone or tablet, employs a question-and-answer format. Users select from a list of multiple-choice questions as they progress through the diagnostic tool to eventually narrow down the list of possibilities. “This tool gives a more analytical and objective look based on what you’re seeing in the field,” said Whetter. “You may end up with 10 or 15 different causes, 12 of which you may not have even thought of before.” Using the tool may give growers and agronomists more “peace of mind” in making diagnostic decisions by helping them to go beyond their own potentially narrow range of experience, he added.

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uct in the marketplace. Rather than co-packing florasulam with glyphosate, MANA Canada decided to package florasulam as a stand-alone product. This gives customers the ability to tank mix Priority with their preferred brand of glyphosate,” said Andrew Mann, general manager with MANA Canada. Priority mixed with glyphosate controls a wide range of hard-to-kill broadleaf and grassy weeds. When used in combination with glyphosate, Priority may be applied preseed or post-harvest prior to seeding wheat (spring, winter and durum), barley and oats. Priority is also registered for use with glyphosate in chemfallow.

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12041.01.13

NEWS » Markets

MARCH 18, 2013 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

}Building storage

Egypt looks to trim imports Egypt is planning to build 150 silos ahead of its 2014 wheat harvest, the supply minister said, as the North African country seeks to increase local production to reduce reliance on increasingly expensive imports. Bassem Ouda said Egypt would build the concrete silos in time for the 2014 local harvest and that there would be enough fuel supplies for farmers, state news agency MENA reported. Egypt was the world’s top wheat importer last year and usually imports about half of the 18.8 million tonnes it consumes. — Reuters

England/Wales wheat area down Winter wheat area in England and Wales is down 25 per cent at 1.39 million hectares, the Home-Grown Cereals Authority said Mar. 8. “The results reflect an extremely difficult autumn planting season for 2012 and do not account for plantings post-December 1, 2012,” the HGCA said. “However, some freezing conditions through the winter and drier weather in February may have allowed further plantings — though in less-than-ideal conditions,” it added. England had its wettest year on record in 2012. — Reuters

Speculators’ chart-based interest punches up canola futures Bearish } USDA’s latest data and foreign competition put pressure on wheat values By Dwayne Klassen

upport in the outside oilseed markets allowed canola futures on the ICE Futures Canada platform to push slightly higher during the week ended March 8. Strength in canola earlier in the week was derived from chart-based buying by speculative and commodity fund participants. Steady demand from the domestic and export sectors, combined with concerns about tight supplies, also underpinned values. The upside was capped when the push higher in canola ran into technical resistance. Profit-taking further limited the upside as did steady farmer deliveries of canola into the cash pipeline. Elevator companies, depending on location, were said to be offering decent bids in an effort to entice movement. The upside in canola was also restricted by ideas that the commodity is overpriced in comparison to the other oilseed markets and needed to correct to the downside. The May canola future tried and failed to push through some tough resistance in the $630- to $635-per-tonne region during the week. Support in the contract sits in the $600-$610 area. Technicians anticipate canola will continue to move in a sideways pattern until seeding issues in North America are more in focus. Activity in the milling wheat, durum and barley markets on the ICE platform

continued to be non-existent. Some arbitrage pricing by ICE occurred in milling wheat and barley, but no trades were reported. In fact, the little open interest that existed in these futures also has dwindled to almost nothing, especially with the March contracts coming off the board. Old-crop soybean futures at the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) were able to push to higher ground reacting to concerns about tight supplies and the steady demand from China. The upside in the deferred soybean contracts was much more subdued, especially with the large South American soybean crop in the early stages of harvest. Logistical issues in moving soybeans from Brazilian ports continued, but have slowly been sorting themselves out as they usually do.

Supply and demands

Activity in soybeans had been on the lighter side during the week, especially ahead of the U.S. Department of Agriculture supply/demand balance sheets scheduled to be released on Friday. Participants were less than impressed with USDA’s decision to leave its U.S. soybean export and domestic usage forecast unchanged. Brazil’s soybean crop was pegged to be extremely large, surpassing the U.S. as the major producer of the crop. USDA did end up trimming its soybean production estimate in Argentina, but the downward adjustment was less

than had been anticipated. Brazilian soybean output was pegged at 83.5 million tonnes while Argentina’s was projected at 26.5 million, down fractionally from the 27 million forecast a month ago. With the large soybean harvest seen picking up steam in South America over the next few weeks, there were ideas that CBOT soybean values will have little choice but to slowly erode downward. CBOT corn futures eased slightly, with liquidation ahead of the USDA report and the absence of demand from the export and domestic sectors behind the weakness. Improvements in the soil moisture situation in the U.S. Midwest, ahead of spring planting operations, also accounted for some of the bearish sentiment in the commodity. Of the commodities, the USDA report actually had some friendly overtures for corn. The U.S. government agency projected tighter-than-anticipated domestic supplies of U.S. corn, with strong demand from the animal feed sector behind that decision. USDA pegged U.S. corn stockpiles at the end of the current crop year on Aug. 31 at 632 million bushels. This is the smallest level of corn for that time period in 17 years. Drought during the growing season was linked to the tight stocks. There had been pre-report ideas that USDA would have raised corn stocks in the U.S. to 649 million bu. USDA did lower its corn export projection, but that drop was easily offset

by the 100-million-bu. jump in animal feed usage to 4.55 billion bushels in the current marketing year.

Wheat outlook improves

Wheat futures on the CBOT and Minneapolis and Kansas City exchanges continued their downward price push during the week, with the absence of demand from the export sector associated with the weakness. The improved soil moisture situation in the U.S. Winter Wheat Belt, as well as in northern U.S. spring wheat regions, contributed to the downward price slide. USDA in its report put U.S. wheat supplies on May 31, the end of the current marketing year, at 716 million bu., which was up from the February forecast of 691 million. The release of these numbers helped to depress U.S. wheat futures. Adding to the bearish sentiment in wheat was USDA’s decision to lower its current wheat export forecast by 25 million bushels. That decline was linked to stronger-than-anticipated foreign competition and larger-than-expected supplies in other wheat-producing nations. USDA pointed out Ukraine and other European countries were stealing business away from the U.S. Dwayne Klassen writes for Commodity News Service Canada, a Winnipeg company specializing in grain and commodity market reporting

USDA official sees 2013-14 global wheat crop around record levels Normal } Key exporters affected by drought last year are predicting a return to normal yields By Colin Packham canberra / reuters

lobal wheat output could climb to record highs in the year to June 2014 on improved crop prospects for some key producers hit by severe droughts last year, an official of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) said. “I think global production should get back to record level,” Joe Glauber, the USDA’s chief economist, told Reuters March 6. “We saw pretty severe droughts in the Black Sea and Southern Europe and, assuming we see some snap-back, we

should see strong global production levels again and hopefully some significant rebuilding of stocks.” In the U.S. Plains, warmer temperatures this week will melt much of the snow cover from a pair of big blizzards in late February, adding crop-friendly moisture to the drought-stricken hard red winter wheat region. Australia, the world’s secondlargest exporter, on March 5 forecast wheat production in 2013-14 would rise 13 per cent from the previous year, boosted by increased planting and higher yields from better growing conditions. And Ukraine is likely to pro-

duce its largest harvest since gaining independence in 1991 thanks to favourable autumn weather and a larger sowing area, analyst UkrAgroConsult said. The consultancy revised up its forecast for the 201314 grain harvest to 53 million tonnes from 51.85 million. Glauber, speaking on the sidelines of an Australian agricultural conference, did not give a figure for world wheat output in 2013-14. Global wheat production stood at 653.6 million tonnes in 2012-13, according to the USDA’s most recent forecast, down six per cent from a record 696.6 million tonnes the previous season.

Wheat production in key exporters is expected to rebound under more normal growing conditions this year, potentially increasing global production to record levels. photo: REUTERS/Enrique Marcarian

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Fergus, ON: (519) 787-8227 Carman, MB: (204) 745-2951 Davidson, SK: (306) 567-3031

herbicides

For custom herbicides as unique as your fields, visit:

Andrukow Group Solutions Inc.

1-888-413-3325

Wainwright - 780-842-3306

SEED/FEED MISCELLANEOUS Grain Wanted

For custom herbicides as unique as your fields, visit: W. Buis Holdings Ltd. Foremost - 403-867-2436

Viterra

Trochu - 403-442-2700

precisionpac.ca

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

precisionpac.ca

precisionpac.ca herbicides

FARM CHEMICAL SEED COMPLAINTS We also specialize in: Crop Insurance appeals; Chemical drift; Residual herbicide; Custom operator 28328_PPAC_Classified 2012 AB.indd 3 13-01-15 12:38 PM 28328_PPAC_Classified 2012 AB.indd 2 issues; Equipment malfunction; Yield comparisons, herbicides Plus Private Investigations of any nature. With our assistance the majority of our clients have received 28328_PPAC_Classified 2012 AB.indd previously 6 13-01-15 12:38 PM compensation denied. Back-Track uy and Sell Investigations investigates, documents your loss and anything you assists in settling your claim. Licensed Agrologist on Staff. need through the For more information Please call 1-866-882-4779

For custom herbicides as unique as your fields, visit:

herbicides

For custom herbicides as unique as your fields, visit:

Webb’s Crop Services

Crop Production Services (Canada) Inc.

precisionpac.ca

Fort Saskatchewan 780-998-2808

BUILDING & RENOVATIONS Building Supplies

precisionpac.ca

BUILDING & RENOVATIONS Building Supplies

SHIELDS

BUYING SPRING THRASHED CANOLA & GRAIN “On Farm Pickup” Westcan Feed & Grain 28328_PPAC_Classified 2012 AB.indd 1 1-877-250-5252

AUCTION SERVICE LTD. General Auction Services since 1960

13-01-15 12:38 PM

BOW VALLEY TRADING LTD.

WE BUY DAMAGED GRAIN

1-877-641-2798

SEED/FEED MISCELLANEOUS Grain Wanted

Torrington - 403-631-3900

herbicides

For custom herbicides as unique as your fields, visit: Dunvegan Ag Solutions

precisionpac.ca

Email: john@shieldsauctionservices.com • Phone: 403-464-0202 SEED/FEED MISCELLANEOUS Grain Wanted

13-01-15 12:3

herbicides

Rycroft - 780-765-2865

SEED/FEED MISCELLANEOUS Grain Wanted

precisionpac.ca

28328_PPAC_Classified 2012 AB.indd 5

FARM, RANCH, REAL ESTATE & COMMERCIAL

13-01-15 12:38 PM

Wheat, Barley, Oats, Peas, etc. Green or Heated Canola/Flax

13-01-15 12:3

For custom herbicides as unique as your fields, visit:

1-888-413-3325

Vermilion - 780-853-6565

Viterra

_PPAC_Classified 2012 AB.indd 26

BUSINESS SERVICES

Round up the cash! Advertise your unwanted equipment in the Alberta Farmer Express classifieds. Farming is enough of a gamble, advertise in the Alberta Farmer Express classified section. It’s a sure thing. 1-888-413-3325.

For custom herbicides as unique as your fields, visit: Crop Production Services (Canada) Inc. Stettler - 403-742-8540

A second chance for your canola.

28328_PPAC_Classified 2012 that AB.indd 4 is enough of a gamble so if you13-01-15 12:38 PM We know farming want to sell it fast place your ad in the Alberta Farmer Express classifieds. It’s a Sure Thing. Call our toll-free number today. We have friendly staff ready to help. 1-888-413-3325.

precisionpac.ca

BUILDINGS

28328_PPAC_Classified 2012 AB.indd 8

Milligan Biofuels buys green, heated and spring-thrashed

13-01-15 12:3

canola for biofuel. We need 60,000 tonnes a year. We’ll pay you competitive prices and provide quick payment to get it. 40’ X 60’ X 16’ RIGID FRAME STEEL BUILDING

To find out about our convenient drop off points, or to arrange freight or pick-up, call 1-866-388-6284.

$28,418 When you go with steel you get the right deals!

Pioneer One Steel Buildings

Call toll free 1 (877) 525-2004 or see us online at www.pioneeronesteel.com BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES

BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES

HUGE OPPORTUNITY! PROCESSING & PACKAGING BUSINESS FOR THE HEALTH FOOD INDUSTRY GOOD CUSTOMER BASE & MARKET SHARE

20561_04 MBF 2ndChanceAd_6x6.625_BW.indd 1

02/13-20573-4

For more information, call 1-866-388-6284 or visit milliganbiofuels.com

ALL MACHINERY FOR PROCESSING AS WELL AS LIQUID AND DRY PACKAGING LINES. MARKETS ACROSS CANADA, ALSO OPPORTUNITIES IN USA, JAPAN & THE EU.

3/4/13 12:27 PM

HUGE EXPANSION POTENTIAL CASH FLOWS WITH EXCELLENT PROFITS FAX: 403-362-7510 EMAIL: jurval@eidnet.org

ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • MARCH 18, 2013

FARM MACHINERY Parts & Accessories

ENGINES ASSORTED DEUTZ AND OTHER diesel engines. KMK Sales, (800)565-0500, Humboldt, SK.

FARM MACHINERY Tillage & Seeding – Tillage

FARM MACHINERY Tractors – Various

solutions

JD 3140, 3pth loader Jd 4020, loader available JD 4440, loader available JD 4450, FWA, c/w loader JD 4560 FWA, 280 loader JD 6410 3pth, FWA, loader available JD 746 loader, new Cat Skidsteer 256C, 1000hrs Mustang 2044 Skidsteer, 1300hrs Kello 10ft model 210 disc Clamp on duals, 20.8x38-18.4x38 158 & 148, 265, 740, 280, JD loaders

for troublesome gauge wheels herbicides herbicides

For custom herbicides as unique as your fields, visit:

FINANCE, TRADES WELCOME 780-696-3527, BRETON, AB

Patent #2719667

Agri-Pro Co-op

Falher - 780-837-2205

Viterra

Sexsmith - 780-568-6060

precisionpac.ca

Dugald MB 204-866-3558

E: ridgemetal@hotmail.com W: RidgelandManufacturing.ca

precisionpac.ca FARM MACHINERY FARM MACHINERY Haying & Harvesting – Baling

herbicides

28328_PPAC_Classified 2012 AB.indd 7

_PPAC_Classified 2012 AB.indd 9

13-01-15 12:38 PM

herbicides

For custom herbicides as unique as your fields, visit: Viterra

Delia - 403-364-3735

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NEW WOBBLE BOXES for Macdon JD, NH, IH, headers. Made in Europe, factory quality. Get it direct from Western Canada’s sole distributor starting at $995. 1-800-667-4515. www.combineworld.com

For custom herbicides as unique as your fields, visit: Viterra

Coronation - 403-578-3302

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herbicides

For custom herbicides as unique as your fields, visit:

TracTors FARM MACHINERY Tractors – Case/IH

Big Tractor Parts, Inc. Geared For The Future

STEIGER TRACTOR SPECIALIST

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

FARM MACHINERY Machinery Miscellaneous 1996 ROGATOR 854, 800/GAL, 80ft. 4x4, 2 sets tires, 3790/hrs, GFS boom, Raven auto-rake, Raven cruiser, GPS, spd. hydro. 195hp Cummins, $55,500; 2009 Hyline BP 8100, big tires, twine cutter, hyd. deflector $11,000; 1999 CAT 460 1300 sep. hrs, rake up $90,500; 2006 JD 567 megawide, mesh wrap, 5453/ bales, $21,000; 1998 AGCO 9755, 530/int electronic, 18spd p/s, 3096/hrs, 4 remotes, 540 front weights, duals, $51,000 (403)665-2341, Craigmyle, AB. ACREAGE EQUIPMENT: CULTIVATORS, DISCS, Plows, Blades, Post pounders, Haying Equipment, Etc. (780)892-3092, Wabamun, Ab.

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Richardson Pioneer

Camrose - 780-679-5230

precisionpac.ca Combines FARM MACHINERY Combine – Gleaner

Tillage & Seeding FARM MACHINERY Tillage & Seeding – Air Drills 28 FT SEED-O-VATOR, NEW noble model 9000, 192 air tank, Good Conditon, (403)934-0940, Gleichen, Ab. FLEXICOIL 2001 5000 AIRDRILL, w/2340 TBT tank, 39ft, 9in. spacing, c/w liquid nitro/alpine kit, Atom Jet openers, 3in. rubber packers, (306)228-3665, Unity, SK.

1995 R72 Gleaner, 2522/sep hours, 3245 engine, _PPAC_Classified 2012 AB.indd Sunnybrook rotor, 22 new feeder chains, $40,00013-01-15 12:38 PM (403)818-6443 1996 GLEANER R72, 2160/SEP. hrs, 2724 eng. hrs. Sunnybrook rotor, new feeder chains, $45,000 (403)818-6443

FARM MACHINERY Combine – Various

Stretch your ADVERTISING DOLLAR!

1-888-413-3325

FARM MACHINERY Sprayers

FARM MACHINERY Combine – Accessories RECONDITIONED COMBINE HEADERS. RIGID and flex, most makes and sizes; also header transports. Ed Lorenz, (306)344-4811 or Website: www.straightcutheaders.com Paradise Hill, SK.

Sedgewick - 780-384-2265

precisionpac.ca

13-01-15 12:3

2005 STX CIH 450 Tractor, P/S, deluxe cab, triples, 520x85-46 good, Serviced and ready to go ........$185,000 Flexicoil 6 run seed treater ................................ $2,000 60’ Flexicoil S95 harrow packer draw bar, tandem wheels, P30 packers, fair shape ......................................... $6,500 134’ Flexicoil S68XL sprayer, 2007, suspended boom, auto rate, joystick, rinse tank, triple quick jets, auto boom height, electric end nozzle & foam marker............. $39,500 130’ Flexicoil 67XL PT sprayer, 2006,trail boom, auto rate, rinse tank, hyd. pump, combo jets, nice shape.... $26,500 51 Flexicoil Bodies c/w GEN. 4”carbide spread tip openers, single chute, like new ................ $3,500 30’ 8230 CIH PT swather, PU reel, nice shape,.. $10,000 25ft Hesston 1200 PT swather, Bat reel, nice shape .......................................................... $7,500 21’ 4600 Prairie Star PT swather, UII pu reel, nice shape .............................................................$5000 16’ NH 2300 hay header & conditioner from NH 2450 swather, nice cond. ......................... $5,000 1372 MF 13’ swing arm discbine 4yrs, like new$20,000 MATR 10 wheel V-Hayrake, hyd. fold, as new .... $5,250 New Sakundiak 10x1200 (39.97’) 36HP Kohler eng., E-Kay mover, Power steering, electric belt tightener, work lights, slimfit, 12 gal. fuel tank..................... $18,000 New Sakundiak 7x1200 (39.97’) , 22HP Robin-Subaru eng.,w/Winter Kit, battery & fuel tank .......................$7,500 New E-Kay 7”, 8”, 9” Bin Sweeps .........................Call Flexicoil 10”x 50’ Grain auger ......................... $2,500 7721 JD PT combine, decent cond. ....................... $5,000 7701 JD PT combine, new concaves & rub bars ..... $4,000 Jiffy feed wagon, like new, hardly used.......................... Call 18.4”x30” tractor grip tires on rims .......................... Call New Outback Max GPS Guidance Monitor Available................................................... Call New Outback S3, STS, E drive, TC’s...................... In Stock New Outback E drive X c/w free E turns ..................... Call New Outback S-Lite................................................$900 Used Outback 360 mapping...................................$750 Used Outback S guidance .......................................$750 Used Outback S2 guidance ................................. $1,000 Used Outback E drive Hyd. Kits. (JD,Case, Cat & NH)$500

WANTED: 8820 JD Combine, nice condition

** Hesston & MF, NuVision, Sakundiak & Farm King Augers, Outback GPS Systems, EK Auger, Movers, Sweeps, & Crop Dividers, Kohler engines, Degelman, Headsight Harvesting Solutions**

FARM MACHINERY Machinery Wanted

herbicides

For custom herbicides as unique as your fields, visit: Viterra

Vermilion - 780-853-4711

WANTED: NH BALE WAGONS & retrievers, any condition. Farm Equipment Finding Service, P.O. Box 1363, Polson, MT 59860. (406)883-2118 WANTED: Small square balers and end Wheel Seed Drills, Rock Pickers, Rock Rakes, Tub grinders, also JD 1610 cultivators (403)308-1238

HEAT & AIR CONDITIONING

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

precisionpac.ca FARM MACHINERY Sprayers

28328_PPAC_Classified 2012 AB.indd 24

COMBINE WORLD located 20 min. E of Saskatoon, SK on Hwy. #16. 1 year warranty on all new, used, and rebuilt parts. Canada’s largest inventory of late model combines & swathers. 1-800-667-4515 www.combineworld.com

Andrukow Group Solutions Inc.

ronsauer@shaw.ca

Grassy Lake - 403-655-2497

Sprayers

For custom herbicides as unique as your fields, visit:

RON SAUER

Viterra

QF2002 BRANDT SPRAYER, 90ft. w/wind cones, new pump, 1250/gal tank. wash out tank, foam marker, big rubber, auto rate, vg. condition, shedded, $13,500 OBO (780)967-2789, Onoway, Ab.

herbicides

FARM MACHINERY RED OR GREEN Machinery Miscellaneous 1. 10-25% savings on new replacement parts for your Steiger drive train. 2. We rebuild axles, transmissions 28328_PPAC_Classified 2012 AB.indd 27 and dropboxes with ONE YEAR WARRANTY. MACHINERY LTD. 3. 50% savings on used parts. (403) 540-7691

RETIRED FROM 20062012 CIHAB.indd STX 430, 28328_PPAC_Classified 25 2187hrs, 16 spd. P/S, Pto,13-01-15 12:38 PM FARMING: 1994 Case 9280 tractor, 12/spd. 20.8x42 duals, 4/hyd plus 1 aux. for air seeder, 4hyds, Front & Rear diff lock, 20.8xR42 duals, alOutback w/E drive for auto steer, Approx. 3500/hrs; 1996 ways shedded, (306)228-3665, Unity, SK. WANTED: JD 7810 c/w fel & 3pth; sp or pto bale 5000 Flexicoil air drill, 45ft. double chute, 9in. spacing, wagon; JD or IHC end wheel drills. Small square 4in. rubber packers; 2003 2340 air tank variable rate, FARM MACHINERY baler. (877)330-4477 AGSCO air seed treater at-tached; 2003 9650STS JD Tractors – John Deere combine, 914 P header, 1448 engine hours, 1132 sep. FARM MACHINERY hrs. will have green light done; 2003 2940 Premier (Mac1988 4250 JD EXCELLENT condition, always Haying & Harvesting – Various Don) swather w/2004 972 header, 25ft, 941 eng.hrs. 786 shedded, 5400 original hours, 20.8x38 tires, all tires cutting hours; 1979 Chev. C70 grain truck, 366V8, 16ft. good, asking $39,000 OBO (780)967-2789, Onosteel box, roll tarp, stock racks, 10x20 tires, 87K; 2009 _PPAC_Classified 2012 AB.indd 11 13-01-15 12:38 PM way, Ab. Flexicoil 100ft suspended boom sprayer, 68XL, 1600/ Gal. fence line nozzle, raven power glide plus boom con1989 JD 4755 TWD, 175 hp, 6050hrs, PTO, 15spd. trol, 4 boom shut offs, rinse tank, chemical rinse; 2007 FARM MACHINERY p/s, 3hyds, new 20.8x38 duals, rear wheel weights, Bourgault 6000 mid duty harrows, 70ft. 1998 MX 200 exc. con. (306)228-3665, Unity, SK. Snowblowers, Plows Case tractor MFD, duals 20.8Rx42, 3800/hrs. Outback auto steer; Morris 743 cultivator, 47ft. 3 bar harrow, 2in. spikes; Case 645 cultivator 38ft. 3 bar harrow; 855 New 12-ft. Rubber Snow Pusher. Cut your snow removal 2009 7430 PREMIUM 741 loader, grapple, mint Holland baler; (403)556-2497, Wimborne, AB. time in half with a 12-ft. snow pusher made from condition, all options, 1410hrs, $117,500. check herbicides durable mining tires. Each pusher is made with skid pictures at Kijiji ad #455508131 Call Rob RETIRED FROM FARMING, MOST machinery steer hook-ups. SAFE ON CURBS AND DRIVEWAYS. @(403)933-5448 or (403)608-1116 shedded, 1998 Peterbuilt, 460 Cummins, 18spd, 28328_PPAC_Classified 2012 13-01-15 12:38 PM A steal at AB.indd $3200. Call23TJ at (204)768-0600 w/36ft tandem Doepker grain trailer $75,000; (403)586-0978, Torrington, Ab. FARM MACHINERY

For custom herbicides as unique as your fields, visit:

IRON & STEEL

8100 Wilmar Sprayer JD 9400, 9420, 9520, 8970 JD 7810 & 7210, FWA JD 4710, 4720, 4730, 4830, 4920, JD 9860, 9760, 9750, 9650, 9600 4930 SP sprayers JD 9430, 9530, 9630 JD 9770 & 9870 w/CM & duals CIH 8010 w/RWD, lateral tilt, duals 900 hrs. CIH 3185, 3230, 3330, 4430, 4420 sprayers Case STX 375, 425, 430, 450, 480, 500, 530 CIH 8010-2388, 2188 combine GOOD SELECTION OF CASE QUAD CIH 435Q, 535Q, 450Q, 550Q, 600Q TRACKS 500-550 & 600’’S pto avail. 440 Quad track w/PTO 535 Quad track w/PTO 18’ Degelman 6 Way Blade, As new, Many Other 4WD’s Available! fits Quad track.

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

herbicides

For custom herbicides as unique as your fields, visit: Crop Production Services (Canada) Inc.

Medicine Hat - 403-526-9499

precisionpac.ca www.penta.ca

1-800-587-4711

Farming is enough of a gamble, advertise in the Alberta Farmer Express classified section. It’s a sure thing. 1-888-413-3325.

FARM MACHINERY Tractors – Various

13-01-15 12:38 PM

28328_PPAC_Classified 2012 AB.indd 10

Double LL Industries 780.905.8565 Nisku, Alberta

2000 John Deere 4400

1983 Kubota L245 Offset

1998 New Holland 3010

2005 Toyota 25 Forklift

35 HP Diesel, FWA, 1100 Hours, New Front Tires, New Bucket

3 Point Hitch

55 Hp Diesel, 2048 Hours, 3PTH

5000 lb Lift

15,000

8,800

13,500

www.doublellindustries.com

5,800

13-01-15 12:3

MARCH 18, 2013 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

LIVESTOCK LIVESTOCK Cattle Auctions

SEED/FEED MISCELLANEOUS Feed Grain

NOW BUYING OATS!

Competitive Rates

PAUL MOWER

DAVE KOEHN

TRAVEL

Rural & Cultural Tours

ALL GRADES

Ireland ~ June 2013 International Plowing Match/ Canadian Rockies ~ July 2013 Alaska Land/Cruise ~ August 2013 Italy/Greek Isle Cruise ~ Oct 2013 Mississippi Cruise ~ Oct 2013 Smoky Mountains/ Nashville Tour ~ Oct 2013 Branson/Tennessee Tour ~ Oct 2013 Australia/New Zealand Grand Tour ~ Jan 2014

Prompt Payment

Bioriginal Food & Science Corp., based in Saskatoon, are looking to contract Borage acres for the upcoming 2013 growing season.

For custom herbicides as unique as your fields, visit:

�

herbicides

For custom herbicides as unique as your fields, visit:

Neufeld Petroleum & Propane Ltd.

� �

Great proﬁt potential based on high yields, high prices and low input costs. Attractive oil premiums and free on-farm pick-up.

403-304-1496

403-546-0060

LINDEN, ALBERTA CANADA

*Portion of tours may be tax Deductible

Flexible contracting options available as well.

Select Holidays 1-800-661-4326 www.selectholidays.com

For more information, please contact Bioriginal at:

306-229-9976 (cell) 306-975-9271 (ofﬁce) crops@bioriginal.com

CAREERS Help Wanted

Agro Source Ltd.

Grande Prairie 780-814-6111

Dawson Creek 250-782-4449

precisionpac.ca

SEED / FEED / GRAIN

precisionpac.ca

LIVESTOCK Cattle – Angus PB RED & BLACK Angus yearling bulls for sale. Canadian pedigrees, semen tested. Phone (780)336-4009, Kinsella, AB.

Cattle – Red Angus

PEDIGREED SEED Specialty – Various

TRUCK MOUNTED AND PT manure spreaders, forage boxes, feeder boxes, farm trailers. 65/yrs manufacturing experience, call 403-580-6889, Bow Island, AB. Machinerydave@yahoo.ca Visit www.meyermfg.com Dealers Wanted.

herbicides

_PPAC_Classified 2012 AB.indd 28 LIVESTOCK

PEDIGREED SEED

LIVESTOCK Livestock Equipment

ORGANIC Organic – Grains

SEED/FEED MISCELLANEOUS Feed Grain BUYING ALL TYPES OF feed grain. Also have market for light offgrade or heated, picked up on the farm. Eisses Grain Marketing 1-888-882-7803, (403)350-8777 Lacombe.

New 30.5L-32 16 ply, $2,195; 20.8-38 12 ply $866; 18.4-38 12 ply; $783; 24.5-32 14 ply, $1,749; 14.9-24 12 ply, $486; 16.9-28 12 ply $558, 18.4-26 10 ply, $890. Factory direct. More sizes available new and used. 1-800-667-4515. www.combineworld.com

herbicides

For custom herbicides as unique as your fields, visit:

TRAILERS Livestock Trailers

13-01-15 12:38 PM

28328_PPAC_Classified 2012 AB.indd 30 Bioriginal Food & Science Corp., based 13-01-15 12:38 PM 40 REGISTERED RED ANGUS bulls, (from 7 sires) in Saskatoon, is actively buying quiet, easy calving, low to moderate birth weight, good growth, EPD’s, guaranteed breeders, exc. for Organic Flax from the 2012 crop year. heifers or cows. Cleveley Cattle Company herbicides If interested, please send a 5lbs sample* to (780)689-2754, Ellscott, AB.

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

the following address: Attn: Sandy Jolicoeur Bioriginal Food & Science Corp. 102 Melville Street Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7J 0R1 *Please state the Variety & Quantity for Sale

For more information, please contact Sandy at:

306-975-9251 306-975-1166 sjolicoeur@bioriginal.com

For custom herbicides as unique as your fields, visit: United Farmers of Alberta

Lethbridge - 403-328-5531 herbicides

For custom herbicides as unique as your fields, visit:

REAL ESTATE Farms & Ranches – Manitoba

PERSONAL

AVAILABLE BACHELORETTES

precisionpac.ca

Pretty Brunette, 41 single mother, divorced, slim, curvy in the right places, romantic sweetheart Fit.

LIVESTOCK Cattle – Hereford 2 HORNED PUREBRED HEREFORD 2/yr olds bulls, low birth weights, papers and testing available. (403)782-2493, (403)302-8599 Lacombe, Ab.

_PPAC_Classified 2012 AB.indd 29 YEARLINGS AND two year13-01-15 12:38 PM HEREFORD BULLS, olds, dehorned, and polled, excellent quality, check out our catalogue of bulls for sale by private treaty at Coulee Crest Herefords, couleecrest.ca (403)227-2259 or (403)588-6160, Bowden, Ab.

LIVESTOCK Cattle – Simmental SIMMENTAL BULLS FOR SALE, yearlings, full bloods and purebreds, horned & polled, strong Fleckvieh influence, Chalk Hill Simmentals, phone 403-638-4269

LIVESTOCK Sheep For Sale PLAN TO ATTEND THE 7th Annual Pound Maker Ram Sale, 110 yearling rams sell by auction, Thursday May 23, 2013 at Ford Macleod Alberta. Suffolk, Dorset, Hampshire, Rambouillet, North Country Cheviot, Charolais and Coloured. For more information call Warren 403-625-6519

Specialty LIVESTOCK Livestock Equipment 5’X10’ PORTABLE CORRAL PANELS, 6 bar. New improved design. Storage Containers, 20’ & 40’ 1-866-517-8335, (403)540-4164, (403)226-1722 HAYBUSTER 1000 TUB GRINDER; Sundance tub grinder; 150/bu creep feeder w/wheels; Morand Calving chute; Morand maternity pen; Steel frame calf shelters; 3/bale feeder. (780)623-1008 ROUND & SQUARE BALE feeders, heavy duty, built of drill stem pipe, 2 bale or 3 bale from $1000-$1500 each (403)635-2747, (403)223-0412

FARMING IS ENOUGH OF A GAMBLE...

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

1-888-413-3325

Fairview - 780-835-3003

For custom herbicides as unique as your fields, visit: Andrukow Group Solutions Inc. Viking - 780-336-3180

precisionpac.ca

FARM RANCHLAND TENDER Approx 1,354-acfarm FEED GRAIN WANTED! ALSO buying; Light, including 1993 House, & outbuildings located in the RM tough, or offgrade grains. “On Farm Pickup” Westof Ochre River, MB is tendered for sale. Tenders must can Feed & Grain 1-877-250-5252 be received at the office of Johnston & Company, Barristers & Solicitors, Box 551, Dauphin, MB, R7N 2V4, TRAVEL SEED/FEED MISCELLANEOUS Attn: J.D. DEANS on or before March 22nd, 2013. The 28328_PPAC_Classified 2012 AB.indd 34 Hay & Straw highest or any tender may not necessarily be accepted. For detailed info Contact Larry Garton (204)648-4541 5000 SQUARE HAY bales, Horse quality, shedded, or view online: www.gartonsauction.com 28328_PPAC_Classified 2012 AB.indd 32 13-01-15 12:38 PM $4/per bale (780)967-2593, Calahoo, Ab.

Richardson Pioneer Stirling - 403-756-3452

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Richardson Pioneer

herbicides

Active, outdoor lover, 39 divorced no children, personal trainer, daredevil, this lady is fun

Business owner, classy, refined, feminine, slim, lady like this is the new 50, seeking a gentlemen for life

HAY FOR SALE: large round 208 first cut Alfalfa/Timothy, 400 orchard/grass mix, $.04/per/pound, 300/bales second cut (both types) at $.05/per/pound, cut early, little or no rain, (780)696-2491, Breton, Ab.

CAREERS Employment Wanted Agricultural Collateral Inspection and Appraisals Ag background required. Training course available. visit www.amagappraisers.com or Call 800-488-7570

REAL ESTATE Land For Sale GRAZING LEASE FOR SALE, North Eaglesham area, 965AC, Cattle handling equipment, 200 Timothy straw bales. (780)359-2261

13-01-28 9:05 AM

DRIVER’S WANTED. EXPERIENCED OILFIELD vac truck or body job tank truck operator w/Class 3, H2 S, WHIMIS & T.G.D. certificates required. Consort Area. Phone Ed (403)575-1423. Fax resume & driver’s abstract Ed (403)552-3825. We know that farming is enough of a gamble so if you want to sell it fast place your ad in the Alberta Farmer Express classifieds. It’s a Sure Thing. Call our toll-free number today. We have friendly staff ready to help. 1-888-413-3325.

TRAVEL

13-01-28 9:05 AM

SALMON - HALIBUT FISHING TOURS Prince Rupert, BC

herbicides

For custom herbicides as unique as your fields, visit:

All inclusive, Overnight Fishing and Scenic Charters Guaranteed Fish All Meals & Lodging included Best Rates, Fishing & Service20 years in Business

 Avoid Disappointment Book Early Limited Prime Fishing Spots Available Transport Canada Certified 60 Ton Master

Viterra

Lloydminster 306-825-5858

precisionpac.ca TIRES

herbicides

For custom herbicides as unique as your fields, visit: Viterra

Red Deer - 403-346-2931

precisionpac.ca

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ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • MARCH 18, 2013

U.S. animal rights groups: ‘Nay’ to horse slaughter plan RESUMPTION  The last U.S. plants to slaughter horses for human

consumption were shut in 2007 BY CAREY GILLAM REUTERS

nimal rights groups are threatening to sue the U.S. government if officials move ahead with plans to allow meat-packing companies to resume the slaughter of horses for human consumption, a practice that was banned in 2006. “It’s a big fight,” said Wayne Pacelle, president of the Humane Society of the United States. “We will sue if we have to. We’re also working with Congress to stop this.” Congress lifted a 2006 ban in the fiscal 2012 appropriations act and since then “several” companies have asked for government inspections that would allow them to start slaughtering horses, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Without new action by Congress, the department has no choice but to allow slaughterhouse inspections to proceed, USDA said. Though horsemeat cannot be sold in the United States for human consumption, it could exported. Indeed, USDA recently notified Valley Meat Co. of Roswell, New Mexico, that the company’s application for inspections would be approved after an extended delay, according to Valley Meat owner Ricardo De Los Santos. Valley Meat filed suit against the USDA for delaying the process after it shut down beef operations and retrofitted its plant to allow for horse slaughter, said De Los Santos. The company slaughtered cattle for two decades but closed that business down as drought and poor market conditions eroded

profits, said De Los Santos. With roughly 130,000 horses currently estimated to be shipped out of the United States annually to slaughterhouses in Canada and Mexico, horse slaughtering seems like a viable market, he said. “We’ve always killed cows. But business has slowed down and we’re looking at things we can do to keep operating,” De Los Santos told Reuters. The last U.S. plants to slaughter horses for human consumption were shut in 2007, after Congress banned the USDA from funding the required inspections of the plants. That measure was renewed every year until 2011. Horse meat is sold for human consumption in China, Russia, Mexico and other foreign countries, and is sometimes used as feed for zoo animals.

President of the Changing Leads Equine Rescue farm Tina Weidmaier rides “Joe Black” at the organization just outside Kansas City, Missouri. The 2,400-pound draft horse, was left by its owner in a pasture for a year before being brought to the farm 700 pounds underweight. The unintended result of a U.S. law banning horse slaughter in the U.S. was that thousands of horses were abandoned or neglected, and even more endured hundreds of miles of travel to Mexico and Canada for slaughter. PHOTO: REUTERS/DAVE KAUP A scandal continues to roll in Europe after testing in Ireland in January found that some products marketed as beef contained equine DNA. The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), Front Range Equine Rescue, and Animal Protect i o n of New Mexico joined

the Humane Society in saying they would try to beat back the decision to process inspection applications for horse slaughter. USDA faced criticism in 2012 when plans were announced for a horse slaughter plant in Rockville, Missouri. Those plans have been put on hold.

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he federal government annually provides a Scientific Research and Experimental Development (SR&ED) tax credit to producers offering them a tax credit on their checkoff investments. The tax credit percentage for producers who contributed to the Wheat and Barley Checkoff, administered by the Western Grains Research Foundation in 2012 is 85 per cent for wheat and 86 per cent for barley. It should be noted that the checkoff on barley in Alberta is collected by the Alberta Barley Commission and will be subject to a different tax credit rate. The percentages above are calculated by looking at the amount of the checkoff dollars spent directly on research and development; this is then determined to be the eligible portion. Each checkoff organization may vary, as they will have their own eligible percentage. Producers can visit the WGRF website at www.westerngrains. com under the Current Info tab for links to the Canadian Revenue Agency website where the appropriate forms can be obtained and options for tax credit use are outlined. For more information on claiming your SR&ED tax credit, please consult your accountant. For more information on the SR&ED investment tax credit, visit the Canada Revenue Agency website http://www.cra-arc. gc.ca/txcrdt/sred-rsde/menueng.html.

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MARCH 18, 2013 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

Pullouts hit CFA finances

CHALLENGES  Three major commodity groups have withdrawn, taking their membership dues with them BY ALEX BINKLEY CONTRIBUTOR

he Canadian Pork Council, along with the Canadian Wheat Board and the Canadian Horticultural Council, are no longer members of the Canadian Federation of Agriculture. Not only do the departures throw a wrench into CFA’s finances, they have some observers questioning whether it can still claim to be the country’s main national farm organization. The CWB dropped out during 2012 citing the loss of its Prairie wheat and barley marketing monopoly while the Horticultural Council has fallen on hard times and couldn’t afford the annual dues. On the positive side, the Canadian Sugar Beet Producers Association reversed its plans to leave CFA after discussions with the executive. The pork council decided last December not to renew its mem-

bership, but didn’t formally announce it. News of the move slowly filtered through the CFA membership until becoming public just before the CFA convention in Ottawa in late February. The council and CFA are to meet in the near future to talk about ongoing co-operation but there seems little prospect of the council returning to the fold along with its $76,000 annual membership payment. On the surface, the federation’s ongoing support for protecting supply management in trade talks seems to lie at the heart of the dispute. The pork industry took a terrible beating financially in recent years and some question how well the national organization pushed government for full support. “Talks are taking place and the two groups have agreed to meet to discuss CPC’s decision,” an official said. “We are not planning on issuing a statement on the board decision or the current discussions.” At the CFA conference, president

Ron Bonnett said the organization has made a priority of diversifying its revenue base. The organization’s 2013 budget was set at $1.3 million, a 7.3 per cent cut from last year. It faces an operating deficit of about $80,000. There has been speculation in the past that the pork council, the cattlemen and other livestock groups would join with the Meat Council in a counterpart to the Grain Growers of Canada. That doesn’t seem to be in the cards at the moment. Veteran CFAers admit the loss of the three groups undercuts CFA’s position as the national voice of agriculture, but argue that it still has strong provincial associations along with the supply-managed commodities. In his speech to the annual meeting, Bonnett noted that what CFA brings to the table is a consensus on what farmers will support. Without CFA fulfilling that role, agriculture could be at risk of getting polarized on issues.

WHAT’S UP Send agriculture-related meeting and event announcements to: will. verboven@fbcpublishing.com March 18: AFSC Producer Program Meeting, Community Hall 1:30 pm, Girouxville. Call: AFSC 877-899-2372 March 18: AFSC Producer Program Meeting, Provincial Building 1:30 pm, Claresholm. Call: AFSC 877-899-2372 March 18: AFSC Producer Program Meeting, Seniors Centre 1:30 pm, Oyen. Call: AFSC 877-899-2372

CFA president Ron Bonnett says the organization has made a priority of diversifying its revenue base. Meanwhile the organization will focus farm tax issues, trade policy and offering the federal government ideas for regulatory reform. “For our message to resonate with government, we must have clear, concise requests and a targeted approach.”

March 18: AFSC Producer Program Meeting, Town Arena 7:00 pm, Spirit River. Call: AFSC 877-899-2372 March 18: AFSC Producer Program Meeting, Provincial Building 1:30 pm, Wainwright. Call: AFSC 877-899-2372 March 19: AFSC Producer Program Meeting, Athabasca Agriplex 1:30 pm, Athabasca. Call: AFSC 877-899-2372 March 19: AFSC Producer Program Meeting, Provincial Building 1:30 pm, Cardston. Call: AFSC 877-899-2372 March 19: AFSC Producer Program Meeting, Legion #324 7:00 pm, Lethbridge. Call: AFSC 877-899-2372 March 20: AFSC Producer Program Meeting, Community Hall 7:00 pm, Alliance. Call: AFSC 877-899-2372 March 20: AFSC Producer Program Meeting, AFSC Office Building 1:30 pm, Camrose. Call: AFSC 877-899-2372 March 20: AFSC Producer Program Meeting, Provincial Building 1:30 pm, High Prairie. Call: AFSC 877-899-2372 March 20: AFSC Producer Program Meeting, Canadian Legion 1:30 pm High River. Call: AFSC 877-899-2372 March 20: AFSC Producer Program Meeting, Provincial Building 7:00 pm, Valleyview. Call: AFSC 877-899-2372 March 20: AFSC Producer Program Meeting, Canadian Legion 1:30 pm, Westlock. Call: AFSC 877-899-2372 March 21: On-Farm Energy Management, Community Hall 10:30 am, Coronation. Call: Alvin 866-828-6774

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March 21: AFSC Producer Program Meeting, Provincial Building 1:30 pm, Smoky Lake. Call: AFSC 877-899-2372 March 21: Value Chain Development, Westlock Inn 8:30 am, Westlock. Call: Lisa 780-538-5230 March 21: AFSC Producer Program Meeting, Service Plus Inn 7:00 pm, Grande Prairie. Call: AFSC 877-899-2372 March 21: Water Drainage Session, St. Michael Hall 6:00 pm, St. Michael. Call: Mike 780-663-3515 March 21: AFSC Producer Program Meeting, Provincial Building 1:30 pm, Stettler. Call: AFSC 877-899-2372 March 22/23: 2013 Stampede Dairy Classic, Stampede Park, Calgary. Call: Amy 403-261-9159

ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • MARCH 18, 2013

weather station network

Alberta Financial Services Corporation’s Dave Maddox with one of the 21 new weather stations AFSC has added to its provincial network, bringing the total to 227. “It’s an ongoing effort to ensure we have stations as close as possible to each producer’s farm, making our programs more representative of conditions on their land,” says Maddox. AFSC uses precipitation and other weather data collected at the weather stations for perennial crop insurance programs. Producers can track hourly, daily, and historical precipitation at their insured weather stations online at www.agriculture.alberta.ca/acis. Photo: AFSC

Increasing Chinese demand could see flax acreage increase in Alberta Shift } Most has

moved east into Europe or south to the U.S. By Terryn Shiells

commodity news service canada

ncreased Chinese interest in flax is creating new opportunities for growers on the west side of the Prairies. A small flax processor in Alberta recently offered fairly attractive new crop contracts for movement to China, said Jonathon Driedger, an analyst with FarmLink Marketing Solutions. “In the past, you’d see those kinds of contracts pop up in Saskatchewan and Manitoba and some of your traditional users of flax, but not necessarily in Alberta,” he said. Traditionally, most flax has been shipped through Thunder Bay en route to Europe or the U.S., but Chinese demand opens doors for growers in Alberta, who enjoy a freight advantage on crops moving through the West Coast. But any change won’t happen overnight, said Driedger. “I don’t think I’d ever suggest we’re going to see a whole whack of flax acres in Alberta or that it will become the dominant province or anything like that,” he said. China has “become an increasingly important player” but new Alberta acres won’t come at the expense of farmers farther east, he said. “A lot of our flax still goes to the U.S., and Manitoba and Saskatchewan would still have a competitive advantage from a freight perspective to feed the U.S. market. And, as we’ve seen this year, there will still be windows when flax moves to Europe.” Eastern Prairie producers also have the advantage of local processing plants, Driedger noted. Saskatchewan grew the lion’s share of flax production last year with 775,000 acres. Manitoba farmers seeded 155,000 acres and another 50,000 acres were grown in Alberta.

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Low chance of El Niño or La Niña There is only a low chance of El Niño or La Niña weather conditions developing in the first half of 2013, the UN World Meteorological Organization said last Monday. The two climate phenomena cause an abnormal warming or cooling of the surface of parts of the Pacific Ocean and are linked to significant changes in precipitation patterns around the world, with unpredictable consequences that can last for a year or more. — Reuters

}Frost possible

MARCH 18, 2013 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

More trouble in Argentina Thirsty Argentine soy and cornfields received little rain recently, and faced the prospect of frost late last week, a local meteorologist said last Monday. Argentina has begun harvesting corn and soy, but the 2012-13 season has been affected by unusually hard rains that flooded wide farm areas early in the crop year and then a very dry January and February. The Buenos Aires Grains Exchange expects Argentina to harvest 48.5 million tonnes of soybeans and 25 million tonnes of corn this season, well down from earlier projections. — Reuters

Spring forecast: Warm and dry, or cold and wet? Take your pick } Break out the darts and blindfold; for a long-range

forecast, the odds are in your favour

by daniel bezte

o far this spring winter has been able to keep a fairly good grip on most of the three Prairie provinces. While there has been the odd day here and there with above-freezing temperatures, we haven’t seen any significant melting yet. On the other side of the coin, with the exception of a few cold nights in some areas, we haven’t really seen any really cold temperatures either. We need to keep in mind that temperatures can still drop into the -30 C range for overnight lows well into March. Don’t hold your breath hoping we’ll see an early melt like last year. First of all, there is a lot more snow across the Prairies this year compared to last. Secondly, the medium-range weather models that forecast out to near the end of the month don’t yet show any significant periods of warm weather. Put these two things together and it looks like we may see a more typical start to spring. The big question at this time of year is always: What will this spring’s weather be like? For those of you who have read some of my weather columns you’ll know I love to explore long-range forecasts. I also love to point out the weather community’s ability to create accurate forecasts beyond 14 days is pretty weak. In fact, throwing a dart at a weather dartboard can create just as good a forecast as any of the long-range or seasonal weather models! So, why do we even look at these? Well, for me, it’s kind of fun to see what all the different forecasts say. I also think it plays into our gambling sides. We find out what the different forecasts are and then we pick which one we think will be correct; we then sit back and wait to see what happens. If you end up backing the wrong forecast you start cursing all the forecasts, pointing out just how bad they are, and question the ability of the people who make the forecast. If you picked the correct forecast you pat yourself on the back for knowing which forecast was going to be right and proceed to let everyone know how brilliant

This issue’s map shows the total amount of precipitation that fell across the Prairies during the week of Feb. 27 through March 5, which coincides with the strong winter storm that moved through the region. The system tracked from the Calgary region eastward across southern Saskatchewan and Manitoba. The heaviest amounts were in southern regions of Saskatchewan and Manitoba where upward of 30 cm of snow fell. The Miami region of southern Manitoba was hardest hit, with as much as 56 cm of snow reported. you were! In either case it’s a win-win situation! On the more serious side, knowing what the weather will be like a couple of months down the road could have a huge impact on the bottom line if you were able to plan ahead. Unfortunately, there are very few years where the accuracy of a two- to three-month forecast going into spring is going to be that accurate. This year, especially, does not look to be one of those years. There are no strong large-scale atmospheric drivers in place that tend to result in certain types of weather. Temperatures over the Pacific are around average, putting the El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO) in a neutral position. So we’ll have to see what the fore-

casters say, then hope we bet on the right horse.

What the experts say

To start, Environment Canada calls for above-average temperatures over the southern Prairies, with near-average temperatures over central regions. Precipitation patterns are opposite of this, with near-average amounts expected over southern regions and above-average amounts over central areas. Over at the Old Farmer’s Almanac, they call for nearaverage temperatures in April followed by a cold May and a cool June. April is expected to see slightly below-average amounts of precipitation, with May seeing near-average and June below-average amounts.

The Canadian Farmers’ Almanac is calling for near-average temperatures and precipitation in April, followed by aboveaverage temperatures and precipitation in May. The warm weather is expected to continue into June with near- to aboveaverage amounts of rain. Most of May’s and June’s rains are expected to come in the form of severe thunderstorms. The Weather Network’s spring forecast calls for below-average temperatures over north-central Alberta and Saskatchewan with all other areas seeing nearaverage temperatures. Precipitation will be above average over central and eastern Manitoba and west-central Saskatchewan, with all other regions expected to see near-average amounts.

The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) spring forecast calls for near-average temperatures and precipitation amounts across most of the three Prairie provinces, with only extreme western Alberta seeing below-average temperatures. Finally, my spring outlook, which is simply my gut feeling, is that we will see below-average temperatures to start April, along with above-average amounts of precipitation. This will switch or flip dramatically to a warm and dry pattern in either late April or early May. Just remember, you too can create your own spring forecast and have pretty much the same chance of being correct as these!

ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • MARCH 18, 2013

912152A05_FCB TDCT M0219 AGRI M0219_Mag_C_1_ST

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MARCH 18, 2013 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

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ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • MARCH 18, 2013

ADVANCE APPLICATIONS ACCEPTED

Tiny seeds, big headaches PRECISION SEEDING  Looking for the perfect row-crop planter for canola? Do your homework first, say the experts BY DANIEL WINTERS

STAFF / BRANDON, MANITOBA

anola seeds may be tiny, but they don’t come cheap. That’s prompted more farmers to use row-crop precision seeders in order to get more bang for their buck. There are many row-crop seeders on the market, but the problem is none of them do a perfect job, said Frank Prince, a Pipestone, Man. farmer who offered his opinions at the recent CanoLABS event hosted by the Canola Council of Canada. “All planters have their goods and bads, whether red, blue, or green — look at the big picture of what you want to do, and customize them to work in your soils,” said Prince, a Precision Planting parts dealer who does a lot of custom work with a John Deere 1780 he modified to seed canola. Research shows canola emergence rates are a dismal 50 to 60 per cent when a typical air seeder is used to sow the crop, generally because of inaccurate seeding depth, rough handling of the seeds due to high air velocity, or poor singulation. “If you’re planting canola, you’re basically a guinea pig,” said Prince. “There’s not one company out there that can say they’ve got a disc that has worked 100 per cent for one year.” Seed monitors, too, have trouble with canola, he added. Brand-new sensors may be 90 per cent accurate the first season, but trouble tends to add up over the years. If monitor numbers drop from 150,000 to less than 50,000, it’s time for an up-close inspection. “It’s more of a glorified blockage monitor. When it reads zero, it’s definitely not seeding,” said Prince. Seed population is also a matter of debate. With 15-inch spacing, Prince

Frank Prince, a farmer and dealer for Precision Planting, offers his views on row-crop equipment for seeding canola at the recent CanoLABS event. PHOTO: DANIEL WINTERS

seeds at 260,000 seeds per acre, or six seeds per square foot, just over the crop insurance minimum of four. “I’m not an expert,” he said. “There needs to be a lot of research on correct populations because some guys are seeding 200,000 an acre and others 300,000 an acre. What’s the right number? Nobody knows.” Yield data is “all over the place,” and the main contributing factor seems to be weather, rather than seeder type. “Seed your canola with your air seeder,” said Prince. “You’re going to get higher yields just by putting it in on the right day with the right amount of rain than by saving one or two pounds of seed.” Andrew Dalgarno, who farms near Newdale, Man., ran a small trial last year using a variety of row-crop planters. “If you talk to corn guys, 97 per cent emergence means you did something wrong,” said Dalgarno. “Here we are in Western Canada... if we get 50 per cent emergence, we’re happy.” His trials were designed to see if better depth control and gentler

handling would boost emergence. Dalgarno used a variety of seeders, including a demo unit from Seed Hawk, a Bourgault 5710, and a John Deere 7300 vacuum planter. In the Seed Hawk plots, seeding rates were gradually stepped down from six pounds an acre to two pounds.

Rate affects maturity

Interestingly, each pound reduction in seeding rate resulted in the crop flowering one day later and fully maturing two days later. “So by the time we got to swathing, there was 10 days difference from that six pounds down to the two-pound rate,” Dalgarno said. “Depending where you are, you might need to go at a higher rate to avoid fall frost risk.” The planter plots had the lowest yields, but he said he believes that had more to do with delays in seeding, which resulted in missing some perfect rains early on. Todd Botterill, of Botterill Sales in Newton, Man. showed off a Monosem row-crop precision planter that features a rotating steel plate that

picks up individual seeds and holds them in place via vacuum pressure. But even that cutting-edge technology has trouble keeping up with the demands of seeding 200,000 canola seeds per acre, he said. The tiny hole sizes in the plate limit suction pressure, and high speeds in a rough field can lead to seeds dropping off the plate. What’s more, with just 120 holes on a plate, seeding at any faster than 4.5 miles per hour means the plate has to “zip along pretty good.” Their latest improved plate is designed to seed up to 380,000 seeds per acre — roughly four pounds — at six m.p.h. “Think of a planter as a hot rod,” said Botterill. “You can buy the basic unit, and then fine tune it with row cleaners, gauge or closing wheels or many of the other options out there. Our company looks at every planter as a custom build.” Ron Thomson, a product specialist with Case New Holland, showed off the latest features on a 1240 split row planter with 31 rows on 15-inch spacing with hydraulic drive. Mainly used by U.S. farmers for corn and soybeans, it has gained popularity in Alberta with canola growers, he said. The unit offers total electronic control of seeding rate, he said. Whereas an air seeder is metered for pounds per acre, the row-crop planter’s monitor can be set for seeds per acre using the number of holes in the seeding disc as a starting point. For canola, it uses a 140-hole disc. Seeding canola at a rate of 209,000 seeds per acre means two-inch spacing. Verifying that is simple. After running for 15 minutes, use a ratchet strap to hold up a closer wheel and then count the number of seeds dropped in a row 34 feet and eight inches long, which translates into 1/1,000 of an acre.

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The Canadian Canola Growers Association is now accepting cash advance applications for the 2013-14 Advanced Payments Program. The CCGA says applications are being accepted early so that they can be reviewed or corrected so that farmers can receive their advance when the program starts April 1. CCGA issues cash advances for 25 commodities across the four western provinces. Through the APP, farmers are eligible for a cash advance of up to $100,000 interest free and an additional $300,000 at CIBC prime, which is currently at three per cent. For more information visit www.ccga.ca or call 1-866-745-2256.

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EU member states say biofuels limit needs more thought LIMITS  Biodiesel and bioethanol should get different treatment, some politicians say BY BARBARA LEWIS AND CHARLIE DUNMORE BRUSSELS / REUTERS

imits must be imposed on the use of biofuels made from food crops, leading EU member states France and Britain said Feb. 22, while questioning the detail of an EU Commission proposal for a five per cent cap. Concern that some biofuels create more problems than they solve led to a major policy shift in September when the EU executive announced plans to limit the use of crop-based biodiesel and bioethanol to five per cent of total transport fuel consumption. Energy Commissioner Guenther Oettinger on Feb. 22 said the commission’s five per cent proposal had taken into account investments already made, but was not a definitive level. He told a meeting of EU energy ministers a slightly higher level of say six or seven per cent, as well as looking at biodiesel and bioetha-

Images like this aerial view of a cleared forest area under development as a palm oil plantation by palm oil companies in the Ketapang district of Indonesia’s West Kalimantan province have prompted European politicians to reconsider their biofuel policies. PHOTO: REUTERS/CRACK PALINGGI nol separately, “might be more in line with the market.” “We are willing to be flexible,” he said. The reason some first-generation biofuels are considered problematic is that they increase total demand for crops and displace food production into new areas, forcing forest clearance and drain-

ing of peatland. The displacement is referred to as ILUC (indirect landuse change). In some cases, first-generation biofuels can be worse for the environment than fossil fuels. Another human cost is the risk of stoking food price inflation and land grabs. “To me it seems a terrible waste of money and food to promote

biofuels which are more expensive than fossil fuels, and which do not create significant greenhouse gas savings and in some cases seem to have even higher emissions than fossil fuels,” said Danish Minister for Climate, Energy and Buildings Martin Lidegaard. He called for changes to the commission plan, including tougher

controls on biofuels with the highest ILUC emissions. The proposal includes ILUC factors to measure the indirect emissions of biofuels made from cereals, sugars and oilseeds, but they carry no legal weight in a watering down of an earlier draft proposal. Ed Davey, British energy and environment minister, said the commission approach could increase costs, while jeopardizing EU goals to cut climate emissions. The aim of a goal to get 10 per cent of transport fuel from renewable sources — chiefly biofuels — is to meet a target to cut EU greenhouse gas emissions by 20 per cent by 2020 versus 1990 levels, while increasing the share of renewables in the energy mix to 20 per cent. “Clearly some of the ways that biofuels have been damaging the environment and undermining action on climate change need to be addressed,” Davey said. However, the commission proposal as it stands is too much of a “one-size-fits-all proposal,” he said, calling for more research and analysis.

Wheat acres set to climb in Western Canada DRY  Drier areas on the western Prairies

are done flirting with canola BY DWAYNE KLASSEN

COMMODITY NEWS SERVICES CANADA

ttractive prices and weather issues are expected to help farmers in Canada take a serious look at seeding more acres to wheat this summer than in previous years, according to industry sources. “Last year a lot of farmers took a chance with canola given the high financial returns, but the drier-than-anticipated conditions across parts of the Canadian Prairies resulted in yields for that crop coming in well below normal,” said Jerry Klassen, manager of GAP Grains and Produits in Winnipeg. The potential for drier conditions is prompting farmers to consider a crop that has more tolerance to dry soils, he said. “Farmers who planted canola in the marginal producing areas of Saskatchewan and Alberta are likely the ones considering the

“Farmers who planted canola in the marginal producing areas of Saskatchewan and Alberta are likely the ones considering the switch to wheat from canola.”

switch to wheat from canola,” he said. Agriculture Canada in its January supply-demand outlook pegged 2013-14 all-wheat area at 25.326 million acres, which would compare with all-wheatseeded area in 2012-13 of 23.826 million acres. Klassen said wheat area in Canada would be up three per cent in the spring of 2013. Neil Townsend, a wheat analyst with CWB, agrees attractive prices and crop rotation requirements should translate into more wheat and durum seeded in Western Canada. “A lot of the canola area that was planted in marginal areas, included the southern regions of both Alberta and Saskatchewan,” said Mike Jubinville, an analyst with ProFarmer Canada. Those areas have traditionally been seeded to wheat and durum and the expectation is that this area will again see wheat and durum plantings. Durum area in Canada is expected to be at least seven per cent higher in 2013 than the 4.579 million acres seeded in the spring of 2012, Klassen said. Agriculture Canada estimated 2013 durum plantings in Canada at 4.819 million acres. Jubinville also projected that durum area will be up significantly at the expense of both canola and barley. “The key to wheat areas climbing this spring is the fact that farmers have planted canola too many years in a row and need to change the rotation in order to prevent disease and other crop issues with that land,” Jubinville said. “Wheat and durum just happen to be an attractive financial alternative at this time.”

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ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • MARCH 18, 2013

Expert says big inputs equal big wheat yields — but not necessarily more profit BUMPER YIELDS  Ontario wheat growers are topping 80 bushels an acre and

some U.K. farmers are piling on inputs and reaping 200 bushels plus

BY ALEXIS KIENLEN AF STAFF / EDMONTON

f you’re looking for higher wheat yields, fine tune your fungicide and nitrogen applications — and hope better genetics come along soon. That was the advice offered by Peter Johnson, provincial wheat specialist with the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, at the Farm Tech conference. “Look at nitrogen and fungicides and look at this interaction because there’s something there,” he said. “Forget about chasing the wonder dust, because it doesn’t work.” Johnson was equally critical about current wheat varieties. “Western Canada has the least genetic progress of virtually anywhere in the world,” he said. “You guys all think you have to have quality. To heck with quality, get with the program and grow bushels. It really will make a difference.” At 82.7 bushels per acre, Ontario has the highest nonirrigated wheat yields in North America, but is still losing acres to corn. “We can’t compete with corn — it’s like you guys with canola,” Johnson said. “They can grow 200-bushel corn, while I’m at 80-bushel wheat, that’s why we struggle.” To take the yield to the top, you need the best genetics and the right inputs applied at the right time, he said. Fungicides can boost wheat yields by eight to 10 per cent, while in the United Kingdom, some growers are putting on 240 pounds of nitrogen per acre and have doubled yields to more than 200 bushels per acre.

“You guys all think you have to have quality. To heck with quality, get with the program and grow bushels. It really will make a difference.”

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“It’s the increase in nitrogen that is driving all that, and you need the fungicides to work together,” said Johnson. “Not too much, just enough to maintain the canopy. Then I want to maintain the top leaves

at grain fill because it’s the top leaves that make the yield in the plant.” Johnson and other researchers did small-plot research with field-scale equipment and liquid nitrogen to mimic real-life growing situations. They experimented with different rates of fungicides and multiple varieties of wheat in every plot. Johnson then took the top three or four treatments and replicated them on entire fields to test them. By applying a fungicide with 120 pounds of nitrogen, Johnson could increase yields by 12 bushels an acre. With fungicide and 150 pounds of nitrogen, the yield gain averaged 18 bushels an acre on all wheat varieties — the best gaining 37 bushels per acre while the worst genetics showed a gain of 14 bushels per acre. “On the worst genetics, I broke even,” said Johnson. “On the best genetics, we had up to 100 bushels per acre more profit.” Johnson has used the formula on spring wheat, spring barley and oats. “It works less well on spring wheat, but I think it’s because we don’t have the genetics,” he said. “It worked but it was never economic, just break-even.” Johnson said winter or spring wheat can be used, as long as the varieties have the genetic yield potential. “I think some of the general purpose or CPS might have it, but hard red springs probably not,” he said. “I don’t know the answer because I’m not an Alberta farmer. But I think you have to look at it.” Johnson did all his trials with one application of nitrogen applied just before stage 30, and said he was surprised there was no lodging even at 150 pounds of nitrogen. The best yield gains were seen when fungicide was applied at heading. “The greener you can keep the crop after it heads out, the more yield potential you should have,” he said. Fungicide can be applied twice, but with three applications the economic benefit is lost. Johnson advised producers to solve their micronutrient deficiencies and ensure residue is properly spread. To avoid lodging, he plants about 35 seeds per square foot, and expects a mortality rate of 15 to 20 per cent. He aims to have his wheat head on or near June 21 so grain fill happens on days with the most daylight. Seed treatment can boost yields by five per cent yield increase and seeds should only be planted one inch deep. “Seeding depth and uniformity is something you guys are not doing a good job of,” he said.

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MARCH 18, 2013 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

Grower uses different varieties of corn on different soils BALANCING ACT } Barley is the mainstay of Herman Stroeve’s cattle-feeding business

but his 600 acres of corn also play a key role By Ric Swihart

af contributor / lethbridge

orn silage has become Herman Stroeve’s secret weapon in producing fine beef. “Barley is still the backbone of a full-feed cattle operation, but corn adds some balance to the cattle ration.” Stroeve, along with 11 siblings, came to Canada from Holland more than 50 years ago and, with his brothers, built a cattle-feeding venture that maintains about 7,000 head year round in the Picture Butte area. About 15 years ago, he bought some sandy loam land, a purchase questioned at the time by many. Stroeve calculated that land, with a pivot sprinkler, could be a foundation for a corn silage venture. Today, the farm annually grows about 600 acres of corn, silaging with a used chopper and stockpiling the silage until needed.

Long gone are the days he would use custom operators to plant and harvest the crop. His first planting venture was with a hoe grain drill, which quickly gave way to a standard corn planter to obtain optimum depth control and plant population. He settled on 22-inch row spacing, similar to that used to plant sugar beets. Planting seeds six inches apart achieves his preferred 3,200-plant-per-acre population. Stroeve’s sandy loam soil corn experiment continues to draw ‘ahs’ from passersby amazed at the tremendous plant stand. “It is the right kind of soil,” he said. “It is also vital to plant the crop when the soil has warmed enough and the soil texture is loose.” He has planted corn on that land every year for the past 12 years and “last year’s crop was beautiful.” He has moved to Round-up Ready corn, even

Two new branded off-patent products hit market Combos } Topline and Rush 24 are

“Barley is still the backbone of a full-feed cattle operation, but corn adds some balance to the cattle ration.”

Photo: thinkstock on the more clay-based land, but his sandy loam allows him to use higher-heat-unit varieties that produce higher yields. Chemical-resistant volunteers, such as canola from neighbouring fields, can be a problem that requires Stroeve to cultivate and then apply Atrazine, which doesn’t affect corn.

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ANA Canada has introduced two new off-patent co-pack products that are analogues of popular products already available in Western Canada. The new Topline herbicide is a cereal product that includes the active ingredients florasulam and MCPA es t e r , t h e same active ingredients as Frontline. It’s registered for use on wheat, oat and barley. In a conference call March 4, Andrew Mann, MANA Canada’s general manager, said the product provides the same broadleaf weed control package, one that’s well known to growers in the dark-brown, black and grey soil zones. Mann also noted that because it’s a blend of Group 2 and 4 products, Frontline will both give better control and help to manage and prevent weed resistance. Rush 24, the other newly registered product, is also a familiar blend to growers, albeit with a slight twist. It includes the

to the corn silage. Stroeve said the feeding operation, when full, uses about a super-B of barley daily. He also grows barley, but the crop struggles if it gets dry for a few days. “But with the corn, you put the water to it and it keeps growing,” he said. “It’s the best crop I’ve grown for production.”

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Stroeve chops the entire corn plant into six- to eight-inch pieces, including the cobs, to “make it as palatable as possible.” He starts cattle on the corn ration as soon as they are introduced to the feed pens, watching early in the year when corn energy from the previous year’s crop is high. When that is the situation, he adds some hay

active ingredients fluroxypyr and 2,4-D ester, the same active ingredients found in OcTTain XL herbicide. It’s also a broadleaf weed product, intended for use on wheat and barley. During the conference call, Mann pointed out the formulation is slightly different, allowing growers more flexibility. The orginal OcTTain formulation required contained a 100 per cent rate of both active ingredients, which require waiting slightly longer for the crop standing to be right for the 2,4-D, or reducing both rates to three-quarter rates. OcTTain contains a full rate of fluroxypyr and a three-quarter rate of 2,4-D. “Growers can apply the full rate of fluroxypyr, and still spray earlier, Mann said. Or they can add a couple more ounces of 2,4-D and spray both at the full rate. We felt this formulation gave more flexibility.” Rush 24 is also an approved tank mix partner with several other grassy weed herbicides, which will give growers onepass weed control options. 19446-04No DAS_Tandem 13.167X9.indd 1

Albertafarmexpress.ca • march 18, 2013

Lower seeding rates can sometimes be better in corn production Choice } The choice of seeding rate is an important decision for corn producers, but no single rate is best By Ric Swihart

af contributor / lethbridge

eeding rate and row spac ing are key factors in the response of irrigated corn silage, according to a new study. The three-year study, which looked at irrigated corn silage production in southern Alberta, found t h a t , o n a v e r a g e , 8 4 per cent of seeds produced a plant. But plant establishment was 12 per cent higher in nar row (38-centimetre) than wide (76-centimetre) rows. Row spac ing did not significantly affect yield, but maximum profitabil ity was attained with a lower seeding rate for narrow rows, concluded the study, authored by Brian Beres of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, E. Bremer with Symbio Ag Consulting, and Corny Van Dasselaar with Coun try Commodities. The study also found wholeplant dry matter yields and net income increased by 13 per

cent when seeding rates were increased from 64,000 to 74,000 seeds per hectare, but were not significantly affected by seed ing rates from 74,000 to 114,000 seeds per hectare. However, the ideal seeding rate within this range may vary due to site-specific conditions. Producers growing irrigated corn for silage in southern Alberta will maximize profitability at seed ing rates ranging from 74,000 to 114,000 seeds per hectare, the study stated. The choice of seeding rate is an important decision for corn producers, but no single rate is best for all situations because the optimum rate varies with hybrid type, environmental conditions, and agronomic prac tices. Optimum seeding rates are higher for modern hybrids than older ones, short-season hybrids than long-season ones, irrigated systems than dryland ones, and corn harvested as silage versus corn harvested as grain. Studies conducted in southern Ontario

PHOTo: thinkstock found maximum whole-plant corn yields could be achieved at a plant density of 63,000 plants per hectare. Other studies in Ontario have observed a positive yield response with plant densi ties as high as 100,000 plants per

hectare and with a narrower row spacing. I n southern Alberta, corn receives more crop heat units than in the central part of the province, and may have a lower optimum seeding rate, but is

also irrigated, and thus may have a higher optimum seeding rate. Corn is grown in both 38-centi metre and 76-centimetre rows in this region. The objective of this study was to quantify the optimum seeding rate for irrigated corn silage in southern Alberta, and to deter mine if row width influences for age yield and quality. A current hybrid with high yield potential and a maximum corn heat unit rating for the region was selected for this study. A John Deere 71 Flexi-Planter was calibrated to each seed rate using interchangeable plates. Row width was set by changing the position of the opener assembly on the tool bar of the planter. Plant densities were monitored by counting plants within six 1.8metre row segments in each plot after complete emergence. Plots were harvested with a commer cial harvester, either a Klaas 900 or John Deere 7050 self-propelled forage harvester. Harvested mate rial was weighed with feed trucks.

Ukraine winter wheat in good condition Early start } Spring grain seeding already underway in some areas By Pavel Polityuk Kiev/Reuters

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o more than 400,000 hec tares of winter grain crops, or up to five per cent of the sown area, are likely to be reseed ed this spring against 1.5 million hectares in 2012, a senior Agricul ture Ministry official said Feb. 19. “We expect the reseeding of three to five per cent (of winter grain sown for the 2013 grain har vest),” Oleksander Demydov, the head of the ministry’s planting department, told reporters. Ukraine sowed a total of 8.1 million hectares of winter grains, mostly winter wheat, for the 2013 harvest or almost the same acreage as a year earlier. Demydov said much better weather conditions last autumn and this winter had allowed crops to pass through the cold season with minimal losses. Drought in the 2011 autumn and the severe frosts that followed it killed at least 1.3 million hectares of winter grains last year. Crops on another 200,000 hectares failed to thrive and were reseeded as well. Demydov said that 92 per cent of Ukrainian winter grain crops were in good or satisfactory condition as of Feb. 18.

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He also said that weather condi tions for spring grain sowing were much better this year than in 2012. A senior weather forecaster said temperatures above zero with no deep frosts in the near future had created favourable conditions for spring grain sowings in Ukraine’s central, eastern and southern regions. According to the data provided by the Agriculture Ministry, the first 10,000 hectares of spring grains had been sown in south ern Ukraine as of Feb. 15. Maize and barley traditionally dominate Ukraine’s spring grain area while winter wheat amounts to about 95 per cent of Ukrainian overall wheat output. Agriculture Minister Mykola Prysyazhnyuk said last month the former Soviet republic planned to harvest 19 million tonnes of wheat in 2013 while the total grain output could be at 50 mil lion tonnes. Ukraine harvested 46.2 million tonnes of grain last year, includ ing 15.8 million tonnes of wheat. Ministry officials have said that Ukraine was likely to keep its grain exports at a high level of 21 million to 23 million tonnes this season, despite a decrease in the harvest. Exports totalled 22.8 million tonnes in 2011-12.

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Ukraine’s Agriculture Ministry sees better crop prospects for 2013. photo: thinkstock 2/27/13 1:31 PM

MARCH 18, 2013 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

Hemp acres on the rise in Canada Rise } Acres could increase 10 to 15 per cent in Western Canada this year as farmers look for rotation options By Phil Franz-Warkentin Commodity News Service Canada

ising demand and good returns will see more acres devoted to industrial hemp production in Western Canada this spring, industry sources say. Canadian hemp plantings have risen steadily over the past few years, with about 55,000 acres licensed in 2012, according to government data. Due to industrial hemp’s association with its cousin marijuana, farmers need to be licensed through Health Canada and pass a criminal record check in order to grow the crop. Testing is also required to confirm THC levels, the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana, are below the allowable 0.3 per cent. “We’re anticipating a 10 to 15 per cent increase (in acres),” said Kim Shukla, of the Canadian Hemp Trade Alliance. She said rising demand for the food products was behind rising demand for growing the crop. “We’ll see similar (acres) or a slight increase,” said Anndrea Hermann, of The Ridge International Cannabis Consulting and president of the Hemp Industries

Association. She said licensed acres in Canada could come in as high as 70,000 acres in 2013, but larger gains would come in future years. Most of the current industry is geared towards grain production, but as the demand for the fibre expands that will be where the growth occurs. “That dynamic will change as we move forward and there’s more demand for the fibre component,” said Hermann pointing to a number of international developments, including using hemp fibre for building materials. On the grain side there is also room to create more demand. Hemp is currently not registered as an animal feed, but chicken feeding trials are underway in Canada. Hermann said hemp was producing comparable results to feeding flaxseed to chickens. Farmers can expect to bring in $200 to $300 per acre gross margin growing hemp, said Hermann, noting that those returns compare favourably with other options and only take into account grain production. “Farmers will only grow something that will be lucrative for them,” said Shukla, adding, “hemp has proven to be a great rotation option and provides

a good return as well.” From a rotational perspective, hemp is a heavy nitrogen user and is best suited following a legume, such as soybeans, said Shukla. A rising global demand for Canadian-made hemp products, as more countries approve it as a

human food, has helped make it an attractive crop to grow for producers. With hemp production still restricted in the U.S., endusers around the world generally look to Canada first for quality hemp seed and products, said Hermann.

While efforts are underway in the U.S. to gain federal approvals for growing hemp, Hermann said there is more than enough demand to support increased production. “We’re not even scratching the surface,” she said.

Ag Canada predicts good times will continue in farming Optimistic } The federal government expects

grain and oilseed prices to stay high, input inflation to moderate and a rebound for cattle and hog producers

Another Stellar

By Alex Binkley

ALBERTA FARMER contributor / ottawa

trong commodity prices and healthy world demand have put Canadian farmers in an enviable position, says Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada in its annual crystal ball look at the industry. Net income for most producers will be at or above record levels once all the data for 2012 is added up, thanks to better-than-forecast crop prices and a moderate recovery in the livestock sector, the department says. And it predicts robust markets this year should increase farm receipts more than enough to offset higher operating expenses. “It’s a great time to be in farming,” Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz told the recent annual conference of the Canadian Federation of Agriculture. With exports rising 7.4 per cent to a record $47.7 billion last year, the agriculture and food sector, which employs one in eight Canadians, “played a key role in stabilizing the economy during the recent recession,” he added. Later he told reporters that “the last few years have seen a steady growth in farm income. Producers have taken on significant debt load, but they can handle it.” Senior officials said increased overseas crop production and an easing of the U.S. drought will moderate grain and oilseed prices during this year. But they said they also expect demand for grains and

PerforMance.

“It’s a great time to be in farming,” says Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz. oilseeds for food, feed and biofuel to continue to rise, and for the loonie to stay near par with the U.S. dollar. Livestock prices are predicted to rise because farmers reduced herds in recent years and, coupled with more normal feed prices, pig farmers should see their fortunes rise. Input prices are expected to be in line with the general rate of inflation. Net cash income at the sector level is expected to reach $13.1 billion in 2012 while farm-level average net operating income is forecast to be $74,190. Add in offfarm income, the average total income of farm families is projected to reach $127,106 in 2012 and $131,947 in 2013. On the balance sheet, average net worth per farm is expected to reach $1.8 million in 2012 and $1.9 million in 2013. 19459-04 DAS_Stellar_13.167X9.indd 1

Albertafarmexpress.ca • march 18, 2013

Corn earning its keep on dairy operations in southern Alberta ENERGY FOOD } The high energy content of corn, along with its excellent digestibility,

makes it a sought-after ration for milk producers By Ric Swihart

af contributor / lethbridge

ou don’t need a global positioning system to find dairy farms in southern Alberta these days — just look for the cornfields. Grain and silage corn have become dairy feed staples as producers search for the ideal rations to boost milk production. “It is a highly digestible forage, but high energy is the key,” said Pete Houweling of Coaldale, whose family introduced corn to their dairy rations about 20 years ago. Corn has a low protein level, making it a perfect mix for the high volumes of alfalfa fed daily to dairy cattle. “Corn gives us a balanced diet and a good blend,” said Houweling.

Improved varieties, including Round-Up Ready ones and those requiring lower heat units, are important in southern Alberta, especially west of Barnwell (about 15 kilometres east of Lethbridge), where heat units aren’t as plentiful. Houweling grows a mix of grain and silage corn, and last year upped his grain corn acreage because of newer lowheat-unit varieties. The sweet spot for him is 2100 units. Although he’s tried varieties requiring 2300 heat units, the longer growing season adds to the risk. When it works, yields are generally higher considering 45 per cent of the nutrition comes from the filled cob. But that means harvest must be completed before frost hits, said Houweling. Spring frost is also a worry,

but with the first five leaves produced underground, a corn crop written off by some can come back and produce a food yield. Carry-over from one year to the next is the usual practice because the nutrient component of corn silage increases in the pit. Corn from one year’s harvest won’t usually be used until the following January, said Houweling. Gerald Slomp learned the hard way to produce enough corn silage on his own farm to meet his dairy ration needs. “We ran out of corn silage one year, and after we switched to barley silage, our milk production dropped,” said the producer from Iron Springs. “Now, we make sure we grow enough.” Weather in his area is a worry, he said, although a good crop is

expected four out of every five years, and the 2012 crop was exceptional. One of his corn crops was hit with early frost yet still produced one of his highest-ever yields. Corn production requires the use of a centre pivot sprinkler for irrigation, a system that can clear the tall stalks and still provide uniform water application. That also applies to grain corn, a variety Slomp plans to test this year. He said he likes the movement in plant breeding to find varieties to meet special needs, such as corn borer resistance and more designed for Roundup and Liberty Link programs. This becomes more important, he said, because the expansion of corn production in southern Alberta will increase the odds of disease problems.

PHOto: thinkstock

Corn acreage in southern Alberta is steadily increasing By Ric Swihart

af contributor / lethbridge

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orn production is slowly increasing in southern Alberta, with most gains coming on the grain side of the industry, says an industry spokesman. Some of the increase comes on the heels of corn crop losses in the U.S., prompting more producers in Alberta to plant corn, while silage corn production is more static, said Elizabeth Tokariuk, Alberta Corn Committee manager. Most corn users — dairymen and cattle feeders — produce for their own needs, although “there are some contract growers in the area,” she said. Some cattle producers are also growing corn for grazing their herds. Total corn production in southern Alberta was about 40,000 acres, but with increases likely will soon nudge 50,000 acres, she said. Grain corn production was the focus of former Lethbridge Research Station researcher Stan Freyman. He worked on varietal trials, and even helped organize a price premium of 50 cents

a bushel (declining 10 cents a bushel over five years) as an incentive to produce it. Tokariuk said producing the type of grain corn needed for the chipping industry proved a stumbling block. Southern Alberta grain corn could be used, but chip makers would have had to alter recipes. The 2012 committee members included Lethbridge industry officials Bruce MacKinnon and Corny Van Dasselaar on the executive committee. Directors included Bruce MacKinnon, Bill Hamman, Adrian Moens, and Lethbridge Dairy Mart, all of Lethbridge. Others were Talbot Bergsma of Carman, Man., Harley Bell of Winnipeg, Kevin Dunse of Cochrane, Gordon Frank of Brooks, Alan Patterson of Rolling Hills, Kent Price of Calgary, Lloyd Van Eeden Petersman of Taber, Tom Van Moorsel of Red Deer, and Jim Wever of Burdett. Ex-officio officers include Brian Beres and Ryan Dyck with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada in Lethbridge, Vern Baron with the Lacombe Research Centre of AAFC, and Don David with the Can-Sask Irrigation Divers Centre at Outlook, Saskatchewan.

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PHOTo: thinkstock 3/4/13 7:36 AM

MARCH 18, 2013 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

Timing is key when irrigating silage corn crops WATER WATCH  A host of factors needs to be considered with creating an irrigation plan,

but careful monitoring of available soil moisture is crucial

PHOTO: THINKSTOCK

BY RIC SWIHART

AF CONTRIBUTOR / LETHBRIDGE

ou need to add just the right amount of water to get a high-yielding, topquality silage corn crop, says an irrigation expert. “Growers are encouraged to properly manage irrigation by regularly monitoring soil water to ensure that the availability of water does not become a limiting factor in producing a highyielding silage corn crop,” said Alan Efetha, an irrigation management specialist with Alberta Agriculture in Lethbridge. Applying irrigation just before the available soil water is depleted to 60 per cent and replenishing available soil water near field capacity in the appropriate root zones is key, he said. Along with achieving the desired crop response, good irrigation management will also minimize soil degradation and protect water quality. But there several factors at play, including: • Soil fertility, crop nutritional requirements; • Soil-water-plant relationships; • Crop type; • Crop sensitivity to water stress; • Crop growth stages;

• Availability of a water supply; • Rainfall, temperature, humidity, and net radiation; and • Irrigation system capabilities and limitations. These factors should be used to develop a workable, efficient, and profitable irrigation scheduling program, said Efetha. “A workable and efficient irrigation management strategy should be crop specific, one where water is used efficiently to meet a specific crop’s water requirements for maximum water productivity.” Generally, the goal is to ensure that water is available at germination and in early development by applying light, frequent irrigations if there is no rainfall, he said. This method promotes vigorous growth and replenishes and increases available soil water content in the entire root zone during the pre-silking growth stages. “Such a strategy will allow modern sprinkler irrigation systems to meet crop demand during the peak water-use period, which typically occurs during the silking and fruit-formation growth stages,” he said. Irrigation scheduling works for silage corn because it is a warmseason crop. Silage corn uses a significant amount of water for growth

“A workable and efficient irrigation management strategy should be crop specific, one where water is used efficiently to meet a specific crop’s water requirements for maximum water productivity.” ALAN EFETHA

and cooling purposes. Typically, silage corn requires 500 to 550 millimetres of water per growing season when grown under optimum conditions that include a crop which is well fertilized, well irrigated, seeded in suitable row spacing, pest free, and with a uniform and optimum canopy and a plant population of 30,000 to 33,000 plants per acre. When silage corn is seeded into warm soils, greater than 10°, with available

water between 60 and 100 per cent of soil capacity in early May in southern Alberta, silage corn will germinate and grow rapidly. Corn will reach a peak water use of nearly eight millimetres per day during the tasselling, silking and fruit-formation growth stages Crop water use declines to two to three millimetres per day during ripening. Typically, the roots of silage corn grow to an effective water extraction depth of 100 centimetres in a well-developed soil, said Efetha. Root distribution is concentrated near the surface so silage corn obtains more than 70 per cent of its water from the upper half of its 100-centimetre active root zone. The active root zone changes from a few millimetres at emergence to a maximum depth of 100 centimetres at the tasselling and silking growth stages. Ideally, soil water content in the top 50 centimetres should be greater than 60 per cent of readily available water at planting, he said. If seeded in a dry seedbed (less than 60 per cent of available in the zero- to 50-centimetre depth) in early May before irrigation water is available, the first and subsequent irrigations (15 millimetres per irrigation event) should be applied as soon as irrigation water is available. If

the soil is very dry in spring, irrigation is recommended before seeding. To maximize yields and quality, available soil moisture should not be depleted to less than 60 per cent in the upper half of the 100-centimetre root zone during the vegetative through silking growth stages. To prevent this, light and frequent applications should be used once available moisture levels hit the 65 per cent mark. Silage corn is most sensitive to dry condition during the tasselling and silking growth stages, Efetha said. Moisture stress may desiccate silks and pollen grains, and also cause poor pollination, seed set, and barren ear tips. Silage corn roots reach maximum extension at the tasselling to silking growth stages and moisture should be monitored to a depth of 50 centimetres at this time, and then increased to 100 centimetres at the blister kernel growth stage. The timing of the last irrigation to refill the root zone for silage corn depends largely on the soil texture, prevailing weather conditions, and availability of irrigation water. The final irrigation to refill the root zone may be applied between the dough and dent growth stages, a week to 10 days before harvest.

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ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • MARCH 18, 2013

Oats could lose Chicago contract POTENTIAL  The elimination of European oat tariffs could present new opportunities for North American oat growers BY SHANNON VANRAES STAFF

ithout a rebound of the equine oat market, oat growers could see the crop slide into special crops territory and lose its spot on the Chicago Board of Trade. Losing the CBOT oat contract is a development that would cost producers and processors dearly, according to Randy Strychar of Ag Commodity Research, who spoke about the issue at the annual Wild Oats Grainworld conference in Winnipeg. Although not perfect, Strychar said the Chicago contract plays a valuable role in price discovery. “It’s the best we’ve got and I’d hate to lose it,” he said. “It is flawed, it’s got problems, but it’s visible. You can go on right now and find the price of oats.” Without a simple to access system for identifying oat prices,

Randy Strychar of Ag Commodity Research speaks at the annual Wild Oats Grainworld conference in Winnipeg. PHOTOS: SHANNON VANRAES

Patrick Rowan, senior manager of Canadian Barley Operations for BARI-Canada Inc., speaks at the annual Wild Oats Grainworld conference in Winnipeg.

Strychar said farmers will move on to other crops that provide a clearer indication of a return on investment. But Strychar said what frustrates him most is the lack of action by

bushel, and at 90 cents I’m being conservative,” he said. The idea of having to contract hundreds of thousands of oat acres should be enough to scare food processors into action,

major food companies that have a stake in the issue. “They should care because it’s going to raise the cost of procuring that commodity anywhere between 90 cents to $2.60 per

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but with only a few exceptions, Strychar said little had been done by oat buyers to help boost production. Even with good prices, acres are declining. Strychar predicted Canadian oat plantings would fall to a record low 2.66 million acres this year. Production is estimated at 2.389 million tonnes, the second lowest on record. He said oat growers are attempting to boost demand. “They are trying to get the equine market back, it’s the only sector that can really save the industry,” Strychar said. Oats were once the mainstay of horse feed, but with pelleted feed formulas becoming more complex, the demand for equine oats has plummeted.

“They are trying to get the equine market back, it’s the only sector that can really save the industry.” RANDY STRYCHAR

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Would-be oat growers also have more options open to them than ever before, while research into oats and other specialty crops has diminished. “Even scientists don’t want to work on oats or barley, they want to work on sexy things, which are the major commodities,” said Patrick Rowan, senior manager of Canadian Barley Operations for BARI-Canada Inc. As genetically modified crops like canola and corn continue to increase, Rowan said specialty crops are facing stiffer competition for acres. Strychar noted an increased interest in biofuel crops has also cut into the number of oat acres being planted. Ratification of the Comprehensive European Trade Agreement (CETA) could open new markets for Canadian oats if it strikes down the current tariff system, giving demand a boost. But so far the trade agreement is a long ways away from finalization. If something doesn’t change soon, Strychar said food companies are going to be surprised two or three years down the road when they realize they’re paying 30 per cent more for oats. “It’s time for a wake-up call in the oat industry,” he said. “We’re really becoming irrelevant.”

MARCH 18, 2013 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

Search Canada’s top agriculture publications… with just a click. Network SEARCH

Argentina threatens barley export cap in bid to boost wheat crop RIVAL  Hungry for wheat, the government

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A combine harvester is used to harvest wheat in a field in the village of General Belgrano, 160 km (100 miles) west of Buenos Aires in December 2012. Argentinian farmers are switching wheat acres into barley to protest government curbs on exports. PHOTO: REUTERS/ENRIQUE MARCARIAN

BY HUGH BRONSTEIN BUENOS AIRES / REUTERS

rains behemoth Argentina is pushing farmers to produce more wheat by threatening to crack down on the fast-expanding barley sector, which growers are using as a hedge against export curbs, sources with direct knowledge of the situation told Reuters. With national inflation seen by private economists at 30 per cent this year and global food demand rising, Argentina limits wheat and corn exports to ensure ample domestic supplies. But farmers say this policy hurts their profits and have shifted toward planting barley, which is not subject to the curbs. While Argentine barley cultivation is soaring, the wheat crop is forecast at 9.4 million tonnes this season — way under the 2011-12 crop year’s 14.1 million tonnes. Domestic Commerce Secretary Guillermo Moreno, feared by business as chief enforcer of the government’s frequent market interventions, told exporters this week that further growth in barley farming at the expense of wheat would not be tolerated. “He said that if farmers keep growing barley instead of wheat he will increase export taxes for barley and curb exports,” said an industry source who was at theMarch 6 night meeting. “It is a threat. If wheat plantings keep falling, he will go after the substitute crop, whatever it may be,” said the source, who asked to remain anonymous. “But the real issue is the policy model, because the more intervention there is in the wheat market, the less acreage he will get from farmers.” This account was confirmed by another industry leader at the meeting. Neither Moreno nor the representatives he negotiates with talk publicly about their discussions.

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President Cristina Fernandez has increased the government’s role in Latin America’s third-biggest economy, putting her at odds with farmers who say she is chasing off investment and keeping the country from meeting its agricultural potential. Global food markets want more wheat from Argentina to offset

recent disappointing harvests in breadbaskets Russia, the United States and Australia. Lack of corn and wheat — a key ingredient in bread and other staples — could put basic foods out of reach for poorer nations already struggling with the sluggish world economy and high unemployment, increasing the risk of rebellion and other upheavals in emerging markets. Argentina needs about six million tonnes of wheat annually for domestic consumption. The government has approved three million tonnes of wheat to be shipped overseas in the 2012-13 crop year, having halved its original export quota due to low supply. Most of the country’s wheat exports go to Brazil and North Africa. At 3.48 million hectares (8.6 million acres), Argentina’s 2012-13 wheat area was the lowest since the government adopted its modern recordkeeping system 44 years ago.

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Barley output has shot to just under five million tonnes, split about evenly between beer barley and that used in animal feed. Production was less than 800,000 tonnes in the 2005-06 crop year, before the government started limiting overseas wheat shipments. Nearly all Argentine barley is grown for export. Brazil is its top beer barley client while feed barley goes to far-flung destinations including Saudi Arabia, mostly to feed camels, and China. The government slaps a 20 per cent export tax on barley, less than the 23 per cent levy on wheat shipments and the 35 per cent tax placed on soybeans. Barley is a secondary crop in Argentina, where soy and soy byproducts are the top exports. Growers say the curbs placed on international wheat sales keep them guessing about how much wheat to plant each season and reduce competition among the exporters who buy their crops. “If the government keeps insisting on arbitrary export quotas, they will not be able to reach the five-million-plus hectares that were planted with wheat before the interventions began in 2007,” said David Hughes, who manages farmland in the key agricultural province of Buenos Aires.

ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • MARCH 18, 2013

Canola industry market access report eyes key tariff and non-tariff barriers Tariffs } They still hinder canola’s access to China, Japan, Korea and the EU staff

ome countries are still slapping import-limiting tariffs on Canada’s canola, but the industry warns this country’s most valuable commodity crop is “uniquely susceptible” to non-tariff barriers emerging at an increasing rate. Both types of barriers in key export markets are targeted in the Canola Council of Canada’s new market access strategy — and will require government support to overcome, the council said Feb. 25. Canola remains Canada’s largest earner of farm cash receipts, and more than 85 per cent of canola growers’ annual production now goes for export as seed, oil or meal. Between the crop’s production, processing, handling and marketing, canola contributes $15.4 billion to the Canadian economy per year, and “nearly all of this is dependent on market access,” council president Patti Miller said. The first of four priorities in the council’s plan calls for an end to tariffs that make Canadian canola more expensive for importers — an issue that’s “especially relevant for oil in Europe, seed and oil in China, oil in Japan, and oil in Korea.” The council also flagged tariffs on meal bound for Thailand, Vietnam and Indonesia and on oil into India and Thailand. In China, for example, soybean imports are hit with a three per cent tariff whereas canola draws a nine per cent tariff. Chinese crushers will switch from canola to soybeans based on price. In 2011 alone, the tariff differential made canola about $34 per tonne more expensive than soybeans.

considerations when formulating trade policies. The council wants to see a standardized, international methodology adopted to define “sustainability” so such policies can’t be used to bar market access, or as “tools for protecting uncompetitive agri-industrial sectors.” The strategy also calls for monitoring of U.S. and EU policy development “to ensure that the environmentally sustainable practices of the Canadian industry are recognized.” The council’s strategy also urges an international focus on regula-

tions — for biotechnology and other “new innovations” — that are “based in science and do not restrict market access.” Priorities in the strategy include “synchronous” international approvals for biotech traits, joint recognition of risk assessments, and effective policies on the “low-level presence of unapproved biotech traits.” Where the industry is “best positioned to identify and prioritize market access issues,” government is “instrumental in working toward solutions,” theT:8.125” council said.

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A second priority focuses on importing countries’ sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) measures around concerns such as insects, foodborne pathogens, plant diseases and weed seeds as well as maximum residue limits (MRLs) for pesticides. “While such provisions can ensure the safety of the food supply and environment within Canada and importing countries, it’s important that these measures support an open, unencumbered and predictable international trade environment for canola and canola products,” the council said. Most notable among those has been China’s concerns about canola seed testing positive for blackleg, which led to a quarantine order in 2009-10. The industry and government have since “worked to build understanding and implement provisional measures” which helped clear the way for over 2.9 million tonnes of canola seed, worth over $1.8 billion, bound for approved Chinese destinations in 2012, the council said. Third, the council noted how importing countries are more often factoring in environmental

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MARCH 18, 2013 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

» LAKELAND COLLEGE Celebrating 100 Years

Lakeland College marks 100 years HISTORY  The first students were immigrants who needed to learn how to farm on the Prairies Lakeland College is celebrating its first century in 2013, with a theme of “Celebrating the past and transforming the future” and events through the year leading up to the official 100th anniversary in November. BY ALEXIS KIENLEN AF STAFF/VERMILION

akeland, located in Vermilion and Lloydminster, has played an important part in the development of the province and has true agricultural roots. It was started as a demonstration farm to help early settlers learn to farm and eventually became an agricultural college. Cathy Wolters, chair of historical acknowledgment for the centennial, has been researching the school’s history and uncovering interesting and intriguing stories about the school’s past. She

is identifying a “Century club” of 100 significant members, animals, events and objects that will be unveiled throughout the year. Wolters says she has been moved by the emotion and dedication surrounding the college. “You can still see this in alumni. It’s been fascinating to follow up on that history.” Wolters says that in 1908, members of the local board of trade advocated for an agricultural school for Alberta’s early settlers. “Many of these people came from Europe, Ontario or the States and they knew how to farm, but there were some that heard that you could grow bananas in Manitoba

This is the first class, including all of the instructors and both the male and female students.

Poster inviting students to Vermilion School of Agriculture.

Prince

Chicken plucking and dressing were part of the early home economics classes. This photo is circa 1917.

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Home economics students showing off their work in a fashion show. Showing work was part of graduation ceremonies as well as Little Royal through the years.

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Students working with sheep in 1955. Lakeland College students still work with sheep today.

ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • MARCH 18, 2013

» LAKELAND COLLEGE Celebrating 100 Years

Female class learning woodworking circa 1917. and they arrived here with no idea about how to go about making a living.” The location of agricultural colleges was influenced by early politicians. Agriculture Minister Duncan Marshall represented Olds and Premier Clifford Sifton represented Vermilion. Marshall wanted to establish demonstration farms and bought properties throughout the province. Three became agricultural schools at Vermilion, Olds and Claresholm, which closed in the 1920s.

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Greeted by Prince

During the first few years, Lakeland tuition was free and students were only required to pay board. Students would arrive by train and the principal at the time would pick them up in a buggy pulled by a horse named Prince, who is named in the top 100 influentials. “Prince was often the first figure they met at the ag college. He had quite a history and was famous enough that his obituary appeared in the Edmonton Journal.” The college has changed uses to accommodate different needs throughout history. In 1918, the college was turned into a hospital to accommodate the influenza outbreak. During the Second World War, it became a training centre for the Canadian Women’s Army Corps, and all college activities were moved to Olds. Lakeland has offered a variety of courses throughout the years, based on trends and need. Wolters uncovered pictures depicting chicken physiology and knot tying, popular in the 1930s and 1940s. Blacksmith tool building was popular in the 1920s. In the 1960s, agricultural schools began to add more vocational training and apprenticeships in welding and carpentry. Women were allowed to attend the college beginning March 1914. “That’s one thing that I find enlightening about the settlement and life here at the time. It was decided fairly early on that we were going to train our young women as well,” says Wolters. The women weren’t left out of any area, and were allowed to take carpentry, welding, home economics, business and typing. The focus on clothing and design eventually became Lakeland College’s interior design program.

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MARCH 18, 2013 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

» LAKELAND COLLEGE Celebrating 100 Years } from previos page

Centennial activities

The kickoff to the centennial year began with a pioneer celebration last November, followed in January by a re-creation of the 1987 Guinness world record the college set for the world’s longest toboggan, which held 100 students and staff. In March Lakeland will host its first Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association Nationals and the women’s volleyball event on the Lloydminster campus. A new annual President’s Gala will be held for the first time mid-March, featuring Senator Romeo Dallaire as keynote speaker. Annual con-

vocations, and alumni homecoming and a golf tournament during the summer months will also celebrate the centennial. John Furlong, former CEO of the Vancouver Olympics Committee, will speak at an event in October, and the celebration ends Nov. 16 with an event attended by Premier Alison Redford and LieutenantGovernor Donald Ethell. “You can see that we’re really incorporating some of the events that would have happened anyway,” Wolters says. “Our homecoming in June will be really big and we’re hoping to get as many people here as possible.”

Making rope and tying knots were in the curriculum into the 1950s.

Female students got a ride to school while the boys had to walk from where they boarded in the town of Vermilion. A residence building was constructed in the late 1920s.

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Will Dryden brought his Shorthorns as part of a field day in 1914.

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ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • MARCH 18, 2013

China delays GMO corn, rice to woo the public

Alberta cheese makers finalists in national competition

INFORMATION 

Officials say the Chinese public needs more information before they will be willing to accept genetically modified rice and corn

BIG CHEESE  Finalists in Cheese Grand Prix STAFF

BY NIU SHUPING AND DAVID STANWAY BEIJING / REUTERS

hina has delayed the introduction of genetically modified rice and corn as it tries to head off public fears, leading government scientists said March 7. The world’s largest rice producer and consumer gave safety approvals to Bt rice and phytase corn in 2009, but has not yet begun commercial production, even though it has already spent billions of yuan on research. “There are some debates... We have not given the public enough knowledge about GMO crops,” Peng Yufa, a member of the GM crop biosafety committee under the Ministry of Agriculture, told reporters. “The crops have to be accepted by consumers who are willing to buy and by farmers who are willing to grow,” Peng said, adding that the process may take five years. The public remains “very concerned” about the safety of GM crops, top agricultural official Chen Xiwen said, but he added that it was inevitable that China would import GM crops in the future to meet the supply gap. The large-scale introduction of GMO crops has been seen as a crucial part of China’s efforts to feed a fifth of the world’s population using less than a 10th of the world’s arable land. But although senior officials have acknowledged the challenges of maintaining food security as the country urbanizes, it remains unclear if the new government, to be elected during this session of parliament, will push for the largescale production of GMO crops. China is already the world’s biggest buyer of GMO soybeans and also the largest grower of GMO cotton. “We have slowed down, especially since 2009, and that is not normal. It might be fine for Europe to slow down but China can’t,” Huang Dafang, a researcher with the Biotechnology Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, told Reuters last week. “We are hoping to provide our findings (about the efficacy of GM crops) to the new leaders after the NPC.” Beijing-based Origin Agritech Ltd., which has exclusive rights to sell phytase corn, earlier has expected commercial production in 2013. In 2012, developing countries, particularly Brazil, accounted for the first time last year for more than half the global biotech crop area, though the United States remains the top consumer of genetically altered crops.

Judges evaluating Gouda samples, which were among 225 cheeses submitted for a national competition. PHOTO: DAIRY FARMERS OF CANADA

wo Alberta cheese makers are among the 58 finalists for the Canadian Cheese Grand Prix sponsored by Dairy Farmers of Canada. Cheese makers from British Columbia to P.E.I. submitted 225 cheeses in 19 different categories in the competition. Sylvan Star Cheese of Red Deer has three cheeses selected for the finals — Grizzly Gouda in the Gouda category, and Natural Smoked Gouda and Green Peppercorn Spiced Gouda in the “Flavoured cheese with added non-particulate flavourings” category. Latin Foods in Calgary is a finalist in the “Fresh cheese with grilling properties” category for its Queso Fresco cheese. The category champions and Grand Champion will be unveiled at the 2013 Canadian Cheese Grand Prix Gala of Champions at Montreal’s Hyatt Regency Hotel on April 18.

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MARCH 18, 2013 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

Online marketing offers opportunity to connect directly with consumers TARGETING SUCCESS } Social media expert says there are a

host of ways to connect with consumers who want the goods or services you are selling By Victoria Paterson af staff / olds

ou don’t need a horde of Twitter followers or Facebook friends to attract consumers to your farm business — as long as you have a strong story to tell. “We no longer have to cast a big fishing net, hoping to catch something,” Laura Bodell of Bella Spur Innovative Media said at the recent Ranching Opportunities conference in Olds. But whether you’re using social media or old-fashioned ads in newspapers, radio or TV, successful marketing starts with having a solid grasp of what makes your product different from your competition, she said. “That factor is you and your why,” Bodell said. The ‘why’ is what drives you to conduct your business the way you do, and what kind of a difference you’re trying to make in the marketplace, she said. “In agriculture especially, our story is very personal,” Bodell said. “I love agricultural stories and I would love to see them being told.”

“We can’t build consumer confidence by tearing down other parts of our industry.”

Once you know what you want to say, make sure you’re targeting the right audience — lots of advertising dollars are wasted talking to the wrong people in the wrong way, she said. When it comes to online interactions, promote your industry first, your particular sector second, and your individual business third, she said. “We can’t build consumer confidence by tearing down other parts of our industry,” she said. Because social media and the Internet allow you to interact with customers directly, Bodell said engaging consumers should become part of producers’ daily routine. But she cautioned against going for the “hard sell” online, recommending instead offering information about their business, but also general items of interest to your readers. When it comes to Facebook, Bodell suggested posting twice as many items of interest as things about your business. Users should ensure visual branding is consistent, and Facebook’s advertising system can help really target your audience. Twitter, with millions of active users, is another “must-have tool.” “Twitter’s the first medium news breaks on,” she said. Even though tweets only allow

140 characters per post, they’re a good way to educate consumers about food and influence their buying decisions. “Twitter holds tremendous potential for agriculture,” she said. If you’re blogging, ensure entries aren’t too long and are easy to read. “They don’t come to a blog to read a novel,” she said. She also recommended considering using Google Plus. Even though it is not as well known as other social media sites, it is still important because it can have impact within the search engine. Other online platforms to con-

sider include the video-sharing site YouTube; Pinterest, which Bodell said is now used as a recipe book for many women; photo-sharing site Instagram; and Foursquare, a location-based social networking site that is especially useful for businesses with a storefront. And yes, websites are no longer optional. They must also be visually engaging, have consistent branding, and be updated regularly, she said. “It’s the first place where existing or potential customers are going to look for you,” she said.

ATE IT • BE NO MORE • SMOKED • FINALLY GOT HIS TAB CALLED AT THE BAR BECAME A ROOT INSPECTOR • BELLY OF LIFE • FINISHED • FLATLINE • FLEW UP • BITE THE DUST • DECIMATED • THE COOP • FRAGGED • GATHERING BOUGHT THE FARM • BREATHE ONE’S THE ASPHALT • GAVE UP THE GHOST • LAST • BUMP OFF • WITHERED • GET YOUR WINGS • GO HOME IN A BOX BURIED • BUY A PINE CONDO • TO AN • GO OFF THE HOOKS • GO OUT LIKE END • CASH IN ONE’S CHIPS • CEASED THE SNUFF OF A CANDLE • GO TO DAVY TO BE • CHECKED OUT • CHECKING JONES’S LOCKER • GO TO MEET ONE’S OUT THE GRASS FROM UNDERNEATH • MAKER • GO TO ONE’S JUST REWARD • CARCASS • CROSSED OVER • CROSSED GO TO ONE’S REST • GO TO THE HAPPY THE RIVER STYX• CUT OFF • DANCE THE HUNTING GROUND • GO TO THE LAST LAST DANCE • DECEASED • DEFINITELY ROUNDUP • GO WEST • GOING TO THE DONE DANCING • DEFUNCT • DEMISED BIG BARLEY FIELD IN THE SKY • GONE • DEPARTED •DIRT NAP • DONE • DONE • GONER • GONE INTO THE WEST • GONE FOR • END ONE’S EARTHLY CAREER • TO A BETTER PLACE • GOT A ONE-WAY ERASED • STOPPED GROWING • EXPIRED TICKET • EXAMINING THE RADISHES • EXTINCT • FALLEN OFF THEIR PERCH • FROM BELOW • HE’S JUGGLING HALOS FEELING NO PAIN • FINAL CHAPTER • NOW • NOT COMING BACK • STAMPED FINAL CURTAIN CALL • FINALLY GOT RETURN TO SENDER • PASSED THE SELLHIS TAB CALLED AT THE BAR OF LIFE • BY DATE • NOTHING LEFT • IMMORTALLY FINISHED • FLATLINE • FLEW THE COOP CHALLENGED • IN A BETTER PLACE • FRAGGED • GATHERING THE ASPHALT • • IN REPOSE • IN THE HORIZONTAL GAVE UP THE GHOST • GET YOUR WINGS PHONE BOOTH • IT WAS CURTAINS • • GO HOME IN A BOX • GO OFF THE HOOKS • GO OUT LIKE THE SNUFF OF A CANDLE • GO TO DAVY JONES’S LOCKER • GO TO MEET ONE’S MAKER • GO TO ONE’S JUST REWARD • GO TO ONE’S REST • GO TO THE HAPPY HUNTING GROUND • GO TO THE LAST ROUNDUP • GO WEST • GOING TO THE BIG BARLEY FIELD IN THE SKY • GONE • GONER • GONE INTO THE WEST • GONE TO A BETTER PLACE • GOT A ONE-WAY TICKET • EXAMINING THE RADISHES FROM BELOW • HE’S JUGGLING HALOS NOW • NOT COMING BACK • STAMPED RETURN TO SENDER • PASSED THE SELL-BY DATE • NOTHING LEFT • IMMORTALLY CHALLENGED • IN A BETTER PLACE • IN REPOSE • IN THE HORIZONTAL PHONE BOOTH • IT WAS CURTAINS • JOINED THE CHOIR INVISIBLE • JOINED THE MAJORITY • KICKED OFF • KICKED THE BUCKET • KICKED THE OXYGEN HABIT • LATE • LEFT THE BUILDING • LIFELESS • LIGHTS OUT• LIQUIDATED • LIVING-IMPAIRED • LOST • MEET ONE’S END • MEET YOUR MAKER • MORTIFIED • MUMMIFIED • NO LONGER WITH US • NO MORE • NOT BLINKING ANYMORE • OFF THE TWIG • ON THE HEAVENLY SHORES • ON THE UNABLE TO BREATHE LIST • ONE’S HOUR IS COME • OUT OF HIS/HER MISERY • PAID CHARON’S FARE • PASSED AWAY • PAYING A DEBT TO NATURE • PERISHED • PERMANENTLY OUT OF PRINT • PICKING TURNIPS WITH A STEP LADDER • PUSHING UP THE DAISIES • PUT DOWN • CEMENT BOOTS • REACHED THE FINISH LINE • RESTING IN PEACE • RETURN TO THE GROUND • RETURNED TO DUST • RETURNED TO THE GO HOME IN A BOX • GO OFF THE HOOKS SOURCE • RIDING THE PERMA-PINE • • GO OUT LIKE THE SNUFF OF A CANDLE RUBBED OUT • RUN DOWN THE CURTAIN • GO TO DAVY JONES’S LOCKER • GO • SIX FEET UNDER • SEEN THE LIGHT TO MEET ONE’S MAKER • GO TO ONE’S SLEEPING WITH THE FISHES • SLIPPED JUST REWARD • GO TO ONE’S REST • AWAY QUIETLY • SNUFFED • SNUFFED GO TO THE HAPPY HUNTING GROUND • OUT • SPROUTED WINGS • STIFF • STIFF GO TO THE LAST ROUNDUP • GO WEST AS A BOARD • SUCCUMBED • SWAN • GOING TO THE BIG BARLEY FIELD IN SONG • CLEANED UP • TAKEN OUT OF THE SKY • GONE • GONER • GONE INTO PRODUCTION • TAKING A DIRT NAP • THE WEST • GONE TO A BETTER PLACE TERMINATED • THAT GOOD NIGHT • THAT • GOT A ONE-WAY TICKET • EXAMINING WAS ALL SHE WROTE • THE BIG NAP • THE RADISHES FROM BELOW • HE’S THE LONE COUCH OF THIS EVERLASTING JUGGLING HALOS NOW • NOT COMING SLEEP • TOOK A HARP • TRADED TO BACK • STAMPED RETURN TO SENDER THE ANGELS • TURN ONE’S FACE TO • PASSED THE SELL-BY DATE • NOTHING THE WALL • TURN TO DUST • TURN UP LEFT • IMMORTALLY CHALLENGED • ONE’S TOES • TURNED THEIR TOES UP IN A BETTER PLACE • IN REPOSE • IN • TURNING UP DAISIES • WANDERING THE HORIZONTAL PHONE BOOTH • IT THE ELYSIAN FIELDS • WAS A GONER • WAS CURTAINS • JOINED THE CHOIR WINNING ONE FOR THE REAPER • WITH INVISIBLE • JOINED THE MAJORITY THE ANCESTORS • WITH THE ANGELS • KICKED OFF • KICKED THE BUCKET • YIELD ONE’S BREATH • YIELD UP • KICKED THE OXYGEN HABIT • LATE THE GHOST A RACE WELL RUN • NOT • LEFT THE BUILDING • LIFELESS • GOING TO PRODUCE SEED • WITHERED LIGHTS OUT• LIQUIDATED • LIVING• ATE IT • BE NO MORE • SMOKED IMPAIRED • LOST • MEET ONE’S END

Laura Bodell talked online marketing at the Ranching Opportunities conference in Olds. PHOTo: Natalie Jackman

BECAME A ROOT INSPECTOR • BELLY UP • BITE THE DUST • DECIMATED • BOUGHT THE FARM • BREATHE ONE’S LAST • BUMP OFF • WITHERED • BURIED • BUY A PINE CONDO • TO AN END • CASH IN ONE’S CHIPS • CEASED TO BE • CHECKED OUT • CHECKING OUT THE GRASS FROM UNDERNEATH • CARCASS • CROSSED OVER • CROSSED THE RIVER STYX• CUT OFF • DANCE THE LAST DANCE • DECEASED • DEFINITELY DONE DANCING • DEFUNCT • DEMISED • DEPARTED •DIRT NAP • DONE • DONE FOR • END ONE’S EARTHLY CAREER • ERASED • STOPPED GROWING • EXPIRED • EXTINCT • FALLEN OFF THEIR PERCH • FEELING NO PAIN • FINAL CHAPTER • FINAL CURTAIN CALL • FINALLY GOT HIS TAB CALLED AT THE BAR OF LIFE • FINISHED • FLATLINE • FLEW THE COOP • FRAGGED • GATHERING THE ASPHALT • GAVE UP THE GHOST • GET YOUR WINGS • GO HOME IN A BOX • GO OFF THE HOOKS • GO OUT LIKE THE SNUFF OF A CANDLE • GO TO DAVY JONES’S LOCKER • GO TO MEET ONE’S MAKER • GO TO ONE’S JUST REWARD • GO TO ONE’S REST • GO TO THE HAPPY HUNTING GROUND • GO TO THE LAST ROUNDUP • GO WEST • GOING TO THE BIG BARLEY FIELD IN THE SKY • GONE • GONER • GONE INTO THE WEST • GONE TO A BETTER PLACE • GOT A ONEWAY TICKET • EXAMINING THE RADISHES FROM BELOW • HE’S JUGGLING HALOS NOW • NOT COMING BACK • STAMPED RETURN TO SENDER • PASSED THE SELLBY DATE • NOTHING LEFT • IMMORTALLY CHALLENGED • IN A BETTER PLACE • IN REPOSE • IN THE HORIZONTAL PHONE BOOTH • IT WAS CURTAINS • JOINED THE CHOIR INVISIBLE • JOINED THE MAJORITY • KICKED OFF • KICKED THE BUCKET • KICKED THE OXYGEN HABIT • LATE • LEFT THE BUILDING • LIFELESS • LIGHTS OUT• LIQUIDATED • LIVINGIMPAIRED • LOST • MEET ONE’S END • MEET YOUR MAKER • MORTIFIED • MUMMIFIED • NO LONGER WITH US • NO MORE • NOT BLINKING ANYMORE • OFF THE TWIG • ON THE HEAVENLY SHORES • ON THE UNABLE TO BREATHE LIST • ONE’S HOUR IS COME • OUT OF HIS/HER MISERY • PAID CHARON’S FARE • PASSED AWAY • PAYING A DEBT TO NATURE • PERISHED • PERMANENTLY OUT OF PRINT • PICKING TURNIPS WITH A STEP LADDER • PUSHING UP THE DAISIES • PUT DOWN • CEMENT BOOTS • REACHED THE FINISH LINE • RESTING IN PEACE • RETURN TO THE GROUND • RETURNED TO DUST • RETURNED TO THE SOURCE • RIDING THE PERMA-PINE

RUBBED OUT • RUN DOWN THE CURTAIN • SIX FEET UNDER • SEEN THE LIGHT - SLEEPING WITH THE FISHES • SLIPPED AWAY QUIETLY • SNUFFED • SNUFFED OUT • SPROUTED WINGS • STIFF • STIFF AS A BOARD • SUCCUMBED • SWAN SONG • CLEANED UP • TAKEN OUT OF PRODUCTION • TAKING A DIRT NAP • TERMINATED • THAT GOOD NIGHT • THAT WAS ALL SHE WROTE • THE BIG NAP • THE LONE COUCH OF THIS EVERLASTING SLEEP • TOOK A HARP • TRADED TO THE ANGELS • TURN ONE’S FACE TO THE WALL • TURN TO DUST • TURN UP ONE’S TOES • TURNED THEIR TOES UP • TURNING UP DAISIES • WANDERING THE ELYSIAN FIELDS • WAS A GONER • WINNING ONE FOR THE REAPER • WITH THE ANCESTORS • WITH THE ANGELS • YIELD ONE’S BREATH • YIELD UP THE GHOST A RACE WELL RUN • NOT GOING TO PRODUCE SEED • WITHERED • ATE IT • BE NO MORE • SMOKED • BECAME A ROOT INSPECTOR • BELLY UP • BITE THE DUST • DECIMATED • BOUGHT THE FARM • BREATHE ONE’S LAST • BUMP OFF • WITHERED • BURIED • BUY A PINE CONDO • TO AN END • CASH IN ONE’S CHIPS • CEASED TO BE • CHECKED OUT • CHECKING OUT THE GRASS FROM UNDERNEATH • CARCASS • CROSSED OVER • CROSSED THE RIVER STYX• CUT OFF • DANCE THE LAST DANCE • DECEASED • DEFINITELY DONE DANCING • DEFUNCT • DEMISED • DEPARTED •DIRT NAP • DONE • DONE FOR • END ONE’S EARTHLY CAREER • ERASED • STOPPED GROWING • EXPIRED • EXTINCT • FALLEN OFF THEIR PERCH • FEELING NO PAIN • FINAL CHAPTER • FINAL CURTAIN CALL • FINALLY GOT HIS TAB CALLED AT THE BAR OF LIFE • FINISHED • FLATLINE • FLEW THE COOP • FRAGGED • GATHERING THE ASPHALT • GAVE UP THE GHOST • GET YOUR WINGS • GO HOME IN A BOX • GO OFF THE HOOKS • GO OUT LIKE THE SNUFF OF A CANDLE • GO TO DAVY JONES’S LOCKER • GO TO MEET ONE’S MAKER • GO TO ONE’S JUST REWARD • GO TO ONE’S REST • GO TO THE HAPPY HUNTING GROUND • GO TO THE LAST ROUNDUP • GO WEST • GOING TO THE BIG BARLEY FIELD IN THE SKY • GONE • GONER • GONE INTO THE WEST • GONE TO A BETTER PLACE • GOT A ONEWAY TICKET • EXAMINING THE RADISHES FROM BELOW • HE’S JUGGLING HALOS NOW • NOT COMING BACK • STAMPED RETURN TO SENDER • PASSED THE SELLBY DATE • NOTHING LEFT • IMMORTALLY CHALLENGED • IN A BETTER PLACE • IN REPOSE • IN THE HORIZONTAL PHONE BOOTH • IT WAS CURTAINS • JOINED THE CHOIR INVISIBLE • JOINED THE MAJORITY • KICKED OFF • KICKED THE BUCKET • KICKED THE OXYGEN HABIT • LATE • LEFT THE BUILDING • LIFELESS • LIGHTS OUT• LIQUIDATED • LIVINGIMPAIRED • LOST • MEET ONE’S END • MEET YOUR MAKER • MORTIFIED • MUMMIFIED • NO LONGER WITH US • NO MORE • NOT BLINKING ANYMORE • OFF THE TWIG • ON THE HEAVENLY SHORES • ON THE UNABLE TO BREATHE LIST • ONE’S HOUR IS COME • OUT OF HIS/HER MISERY • PAID CHARON’S FARE • PASSED AWAY • PAYING A DEBT TO NATURE • PERISHED • PERMANENTLY OUT OF PRINT • PICKING TURNIPS WITH A STEP LADDER • PUSHING UP THE DAISIES • PUT DOWN • CEMENT BOOTS • REACHED THE FINISH LINE • RESTING IN PEACE • RETURN TO THE GROUND • RETURNED TO DUST • RETURNED TO THE SOURCE • RIDING THE PERMA-PINE

THEM SO HARD THEIR GRANDWEEDS

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Albertafarmexpress.ca • March 18, 2013

No new deals, but trade mission to Japan deemed a success Customer } Japan is the third-largest buyer of Canadian farm and food products By Alex Binkley

af contributor / ottawa

hile he had nothing new to announce at the end of his fourth trade mission to Japan, Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz sounded jubilant in a news conference from Tokyo before he returned to Canada. He and a delegation of commodity groups met key Japanese politicians and business leaders. “We now have a clearer understanding of the potential for increased trade,” Ritz said. “There’re no major obstacles to overcome and we should be able to move ahead with an economic partnership agreement with Japan.” At $ 4 . 2 b i l l i o n a n n u a l l y , Japan is the third-largest buyer of Canadian farm and food

products, he noted. Grains and oilseeds, pork, and fish and seafood account for most of the exports, with canola, at nearly $1.5 billion, topping the list. Canada’s delegation to Japan included representatives from beef, pork and grain groups as well as the CWB. In January, Japan announced it would begin accepting beef from animals under 30 months of age. Since the 2003 BSE outbreak, the country has only accepted beef from animals under 21 months of age and officials hope the expanded access will see a doubling of beef exports to as much as $150 million annually. Negotiations of a trade partnership agreement will resume next month. Ritz said a deal would benefit farmers across the country. “We have had a couple excel-

“We now have a clearer understanding of the potential for increased trade.” Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz

lent days of meetings here in Tokyo with our key Japanese customers,” said Richard Phillips, executive director of the Grain Growers of Canada. “Our first meeting was with the Flour Millers Association of Japan, where we had a frank dialogue about the high quality of this year’s western Canadian wheat crop and proposed changes to

the Canadian Grain Commission.” The end of the single desk “has not caused issues for them,” he added. “They have been pleased with the quality of both CWB and private-sector wheat deliveries,” Phillips said. While in Japan, Ritz also visited the Canada Pavilion at FoodEx, the largest food and beverage trade show in Asia. The event is a crucial forum for Canadian businesses to foster trade and sales opportunities and to meet potential new customers. This year, a diverse group of 23 exhibitors representing many of Canada’s agricultural sectors, from beef to beer to berries, was part of the Canada Pavilion. Canada has had a formal presence at this trade show for 31 years.

John Hermans inducted into Canadian Conservation Hall of Fame Honoured } Career

achievements include forming the Conservation and Development Branch in 1983

John Hermans

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lberta conservation leader John Hermans has been honoured for his lifetime of achievement and leadership in soil and water conservation by the Soil Conservation Council of Canada (SCCC). Hermans was inducted into the Canadian Conservation Hall of Fame in Ottawa, March 5. “Few people have made a greater commitment in Alberta to maintaining the quality of soils and water than John Hermans,” says Josie Van Lent, SCCC vicepresident, who presented Hermans with his award. Hermans, retired from Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development (ARD), lives in Edmonton. He attended the University of Alberta and graduated with a B.Sc. in agriculture with distinction, and an M.Sc. in soil science. Hermans taught at the Vermilion College, the Forestry School in Hinton and worked with the Irrigation Division before accepting a position as the provincial soil conservation supervisor with ARD. Serving as a manager with ARD, John formed the Conservation and Development Branch in 1983. The mandate included soil and water awareness, extension, research and soil and water monitoring. He co-ordinated the development of Alberta’s Agro-climate Climatic Information Service and guided the development and management of several federal-provincial environmental sustainable agriculture programs. Hermans has received many awards. They include a Soil and Water Conservation Society award for developing soil conservation awareness films including “Gone with the Wind” and “Oh Gulley, Where’s the Soil;” AIA Distinguished Agrologist Award; Premier’s Award of Excellence — Alberta’s Reduced Tillage Initiative; Premier’s Award of Excellence — North American Waterfowl Management Plan; Growing Alberta Leadership Award; Alberta Emerald Foundation Award, Premier’s Award of ExcellenceCoalbed Methane, Natural Gas in Coal consultation process; and was inducted as a member of the Green Team — Growing Alberta.

MARCH 18, 2013 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

Wheat registration system faces review CONTENTIOUS  A working group will respond, but some members argue the

system needs tweaking, not a major overhaul BY ALLAN DAWSON STAFF /SASKATOON

he panel of experts that reviews the merits of new cereal varieties was greeted by a letter from Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz suggesting that they were an “unnecessary regulatory burden.” “I am challenging you to think about the future of variety registration and how best to ensure that Canada has an approach going forward that encourages innovation in variety development and balances the interests of producers and the entire value chain,” Ritz said in his letter to the members of the Prairie Recommending Committee for Wheat, Rye and Triticale (PRCWRT). The industry was already looking at the system in anticipation of the Canadian Wheat Board’s monopoly ending. A year ago, it agreed to broaden the end-use quality parameters in the Canadian Prairie Red Spring (red) class making it easier to register what some believe to be higheryielding, but lower-protein American wheats. But the industry also agreed the premier Canadian Western Red Spring and Canadian Amber durum wheat classes should be preserved to protect Canada’s brand. Ritz wants “unnecessary regulatory burden” to be removed and said he’ll consult with the industry over the next several months. Committees should consider cutting the number of years new varieties are tested, the amount of data collected and to accept

foreign data where appropriate, Ritz said. He wants committee chairs to report to him on the reforms they plan over the next year. PRCWRT chair Brian Beres, an Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) biologist at Lethbridge, said he’ll form a working group of 10 to 12 committee volunteers to respond to Ritz’s request. There’s room for improvement, but some of the concerns about variety registration “are just nonsense,” Beres said. “I think you collect data properly that adheres to proper scientific principles or don’t do it,” he told the PRCWRT meeting. Committee member Leo Meyer, a farmer from Woking, Alta., was critical of Ritz’s letter saying the minister was influenced by people who don’t understand the registration system. “They’re calling this (recommending committee) meeting ‘red tape,’” Meyer said. “That couldn’t be further from the truth. We need proper information.” The registration process is transparent with procedures publicly posted on the PGDC website. The committee’s meetings are open to the public, including reporters. Committee membership is open to qualified experts, including farmers. But some, including the Western Canadian Wheat Growers Association, claim the process is subjective, unpredictable, political and dominated by experts from publicly funded institutions biased against privatesector varieties. The PRCWRT has three evalua-

AAFC wheat breeder Ron DePauw played devil’s advocate when he suggested ending merit assessment for new wheats seeking registration. PHOTO: ALLAN DAWSON tion teams with expert members from public and private institutions as well as farmers. One team assesses the agronomy of a new wheat, another diseases and the third examines end-use quality. Each team meets separately to assess up to three years of data. Members vote by a show of hands on whether to recommend a variety for registration. Then the three teams meet collectively and, in a secret ballot, vote whether to recommend a variety for registration. The number of voting team members is capped, so no one team has a veto.

Multiple standards

With up to 49 different standards being assessed, some wonder if the PRCWRT committee couldn’t streamline the process, said Brian Lemon, a senior official with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, which administers the Seeds Act. Canada’s wheat registration

system makes it less competitive than the United States, Norm Dreger, Syngenta’s head of cereals for North America, told the meeting. “In some jurisdictions (U.S.) it’s about reputation (of seed companies), in others it’s about regulation and I think we know where Canada sits,” he said, adding the private sector has nothing to gain from promoting substandard varieties. “We just don’t put poor product on the market. You do it once and then you’re done, so you just don’t.” If Canada’s wheat sector agrees, it can adopt a U.S.-style system. Ron DePauw, an AAFC wheat breeder at Swift Current said one option is moving, wheat, rye and triticale registration to Tier 2 under the Seeds Act. With that change, new wheats would still undergo some preregistration testing, but would no longer be scrutinized for merit or require the blessing of a recommending committee. But in an interview, DePauw said he’d oppose moving wheat. He suggested it so people would consider the alternative. Farmers, seed companies and end-users would still need data to decide which class a new variety belongs in and whether it meets farmer and end-user needs, he said. “Farmers don’t want more, they want better,” he said. “So how do you determine, which of these new ones are just ‘me too’ or is it better? You need the performance information. “You can’t get around the cost. Right now we’ve got a very efficient way of doing it.”

More research

Fairview, Alta. seed grower Henry Vos said farmers and endusers should decide what varieties to grow, not a committee. Western farmers pay $1 billion a year for canola seed but only $100 million for wheat seed, he said. More is spent on canola because it pays better, Vos said. Farmers will invest more in wheat if they see a benefit. Implementing UPOV ‘91 (International Convention for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants), would encourage more wheat research in Canada by ensuring breeders get a return on investment, he said. Funding is the issue, Oak River, Manitoba seed grower Eric McLean told the meeting. “I don’t think the (registration) process is broken...,” he said in an interview. “I think the process is broken with respect to the funding model.” The perception that canola yields are increasing faster than wheat is another knock on the system. But Rob Graf, an AAFC wheat breeder at Lethbridge, presented data to show the gap isn’t that big. The annual yield increase per year for canola in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba was 1.9, 1.2 and 1.7 per cent, respectively between 1981-82 and 2012-13. Spring wheat gained almost as much — 1.6, 1.1 and 1.2 per cent. The rate of gain in winter wheat beat them all at 1.9, 2.3 and 3.3 per cent, respectively. “So I guess the message is ‘let’s be careful with what we do,’” he said. “We’ve got a good system. It needs some tweaking, but let’s not throw it out completely.”

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esearchers at Michigan State University crop rotation with legumes and other soil-management practices have increased Malawian crop yields by 50 to 200 per cent compared to monoculture. Trials at one village have been so successful that children have gained weight and height to the point where they now meet international norms for healthy children. MSU ecologist Sieglinde Snapp described the initiative’s success at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science Feb. 14-18 in Boston. She said crop model simulations, long-term field trials and on-farm experimentation highlight which combinations of legumes, cereals and soil management are best at using resources efficiently. Rotating corn with pigeon pea mixtures (a shrubby legume) keeps the soil from being stripped of nutrients, such as nitrogen, while increasing nutrientrich grain productivity. “Participatory action research combined with access to new seeds of bushy food legumes has helped spread a mantle of green across the countryside and help achieve greater food security,” Snapp said

Rotating pigeon peas with maize has helped African farmers boost soil nitrogen and organic content. PHOTO: USAID in a release. “There have been notable gains in dietary diversity and increased child health in hundreds of farm communities of Northern Malawi — a truly sustainable project.” Corn yields increased from 50 to 200 per cent, when comparing rotating crops to monoculture. Soil improvement supported reduced fertilizer use and a 20 per cent improvement in yield stability, supporting communities’ ability to cope with drought.

ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • MARCH 18, 2013

Policy shift needed to tap Africa’s farm potential Potential } African farmers need modernized farming practices and better access to credit washington / reuters

frica’s agricultural sector could become a $1-trillion industry by 2030 if governments and the private sector radically rethink policies and support for farmers, a World Bank report said March 4. Africa’s food market, currently valued at $313 billion a year, could triple if farmers modernized their practices and had better access to credit, new technology, irrigation and fertilizers, according to the new report “Growing Africa: Unlocking the Potential of Agribusiness.” The World Bank said African farmers have a unique opportunity to tap into growing demand from a burgeoning middle class with more expensive tastes, an expected fourfold increase in urban supermarkets in Africa and higher commodity prices. Rice, poultry, dairy, vegetable oils, horticulture, feed grains and processed foods for local markets were likely to be the most dynamic areas of agribusiness in Africa, the World Bank said. Countries such as Kenya, Ghana, Cameroon, Malawi and Zambia were already tapping buoyant agricultural markets, the bank said.

“The challenge is to harness investors’ interest in ways that generate jobs, provide opportunities for smallholders, respect the rights of local communities, and protect the environment.” World Bank report

“Africa is now at a crossroads, from which it can take concrete steps to realize its potential or continue to lose competitiveness, missing a major opportunity for increased growth, employment, and food security,” the report said. Despite a decade of strong economic growth and a surge in private-sector investment in the region, Africa’s share of global agriculture exports has fallen. Countries such as Brazil, Indonesia and Thailand export

more agriculture products than all of sub-Saharan Africa, the bank said. Meanwhile, the region is home to more than 50 per cent of the world’s uncultivated agriculture land, with as much as 450 million hectares that are not forested, protected or densely populated, the report said. The bank said boosting agriculture should become the top priority of governments so that farmers can take advantage of the increase in global demand for food and higher prices.

Poor storage

They should also look at ways to boost regional integration to promote more cross-border food trade by reducing checkpoints, tackling bribery along main freight corridors, and cutting bureaucratic red tape and transaction costs. Harvests routinely yield far less than their potential and food is often spoilt because of poor storage facilities, it added. But while there is a need to expand agriculture across Africa, the World Bank warned there needs to be careful analysis and governments should guard against land grabs for investment. T:10.25” The 2008-09 global food price

Africa is home to more than 50 per cent of the world’s uncultivated agriculture land, with as much as 450 million hectares that are not forested, protected or densely populated. PHOTo: thinkstock crisis prompted a scramble for land in parts of Asia, Africa and Latin America, and widespread fears of land grabbing. Madagascar’s president was toppled in 2009 after he negotiated a deal with a South Korean company to lease half the island’s arable land to grow food and ship it to Asia. “The challenge is to harness investors’ interest in ways that

generate jobs, provide opportunities for smallholders, respect the rights of local communities, and protect the environment,” the report said. “A key challenge is to curb speculative land investments or acquisitions that take advantage of weak institutions in African countries or disregard principles of responsible agricultural investment,” it added.

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MARCH 18, 2013 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

India to focus on wheat exports to deal with record stockpile WEIGH  Increased exports could weigh on global grain prices at a time when

many exporters are expecting a return to better harvests

Russia looks for return to normal harvests SURPLUS 

The country’s exportable surplus

BY RATNAJYOTI DUTTA NEW DELHI / REUTERS

ndia will do everything it can to push record volumes of wheat onto the global market to cut massive stocks, a senior Farm Ministry official said March 6, in a move that could hit shipments of other grains using rail and congested ports. The world’s No. 2 wheat producer is expecting another bumper harvest to start rolling in within weeks but lacks the warehouses needed to weatherproof a grain mountain that is big enough to feed its 500 million poor for a year. The surge of supply on top of better harvests expected from Australia, the United States and the Black Sea, would put further pressure on global prices. “Wheat exports are a priority issue as the new harvest is about to begin later in the month,” said the Farm Ministry official, who declined to be named as he was not authorized to speak to the media. Shifting such huge volumes in India — a third of what top exporter the United States ships in a year — would put a big strain on limited rail and port capacity and hit private exports. The wheat harvest starts arriving later this month and picks up during April. By June, total grains stocks will hit a record 100 million tonnes, with only half of that finding room in silos safe from the drenching June to September monsoon rains. “India has a golden opportunity, at least for the next few months,” said Sanjeev Garg, chief executive at CommCorp International, a New Delhi-based trading company. But India’s railways are short of freight cars and the government itself says it needs an 80 per cent jump in port capacity by 2017 to cope with a trade boom in Asia’s thirdlargest economy. The country’s increasingly wealthy 1.2 billion population is clamouring for all kinds of goods not easily available at home, from luxury cars and clothes to better-quality cooking oils and lentils. At the same time, the government wants to boost exports to address a record current account deficit. While prioritizing wheat could help shipments of that commodity, other trade could suffer in the country, which became the world’s biggest rice exporter in 2012.

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A worker carries a ladder past sacks filled with wheat at a Food Corporation of India (FCI) warehouse in Morinda in the northern Indian state of Punjab. India will be unable to consume or export enough wheat and rice to rein in a record stockpile after another bumper harvest, a failure that means crops risk rotting in fields instead of being sold on world markets to cash in on higher prices. PHOTO: REUTERS/AJAY VERMA “Since India’s capacity is limited, whichever way they slice it is going to have a knock-on effect on something else,” said a Singapore-based grains trader. Last year, ships waiting to load Indian corn faced delays of up to two months on the east coast as infrastructure bottlenecks and monsoon rains delayed shipments. “It was horrible at the end of last year when you had ships waiting for two months on the east coast, particularly corn ships,” said one Singapore-based trader with a global trading company. “There was virtual gridlock.” Raising the number of ports allowed to handle grains could help in the short term, industry experts said. “Many small and big ports have been constructed in the last few years but they haven’t been notified. So the (Food Corporation of India) can’t export grains from these ports,” said Anil Devli, chief executive of the Indian National Shipowners Association. Ports on both sides of the country are

currently handling wheat sales, which are going both to the Middle East and to clients in Asia such as Vietnam, South Korea and Thailand who are buying it for animal feed. Oilmeal exports could face a short-term squeeze while in the case of rice, the main casualty will be basmati, as it is mostly exported from the west coast where wheat volumes are higher. Some relief could come from a slump in iron ore exports in the last year after a mining ban in key producing states, although transportation would be more expensive. And red tape may yet stymie the government’s export aims. “It is nearly impossible for the government agencies to export 9.5 million tonnes of wheat. Their tendering process is very time consuming. India never exported this much,” said a Mumbai-based dealer with a global grains trading firm who declined to be named. The country has only managed to ship three million tonnes almost a year after giving a green light for 4.5 million tonnes.

Russia, one of the world’s key wheat exporters, will be able to increase its 2013 grain harvest by 34 per cent, year on year, if the weather is favourable, the head of Russia’s grain union told reporters. Russia, historically the No. 3 global wheat exporter, was hit by drought last year which slashed its wheat harvest by one-third and depleted stocks. “About 95 million tonnes or more can be achieved if the weather is good,” Arkady Zlochevsky, the head of the union said in Moscow March 7. His forecast matches a government target also set at 95 million tonnes. The country has to harvest this amount of grain in 2013 to cover domestic demand, replenish stocks and have enough for export, officials said previously. Russia harvested 71 million tonnes of grain in 2012. Russia’s 2013-14 exportable surplus is expected at about 20 million tonnes, up from this year’s forecast of 14.8 million tonnes, Zlochevsky added. The new marketing year starts on July 1 by which time carry-over stocks will have declined to 11million to 13 million tonnes, down from 19 million seen a year ago, he said. If bad weather again hurts Russia’s crops, the harvest may fall to 87 million to 88 million tonnes, he said.

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Pashmina goats perishing in heavy snow on Indian frontier SHORTAGE  The loss could lead to a shortage of Kashmir wool JAMMU, INDIA / REUTERS

housands of Pashmina goats may have perished in recent heavy snowfall around the nomadic areas of Changthang on the Sino-Indian frontier of the Ladakh region, officials said Feb. 22. The area is a production hub for the finest quality of Pashmina (Kashmir) wool in India and is used in manufacturing of popular Kashmiri shawls sold across the world. “We have no information of several places in the area. Many places are still snowbound and inaccessible. There is no communication link with them,” said Tsering Samphel, a former lawmaker from the region.

Great Backyard Bird Count goes global, shatters records

“Since 1962, this is an unprecedented snowfall in the area and it has severely affected our nomadic way of life and livestock. Pashmina goats who get impregnated before the onset of winter have also perished,” he added. “We may face (an) acute shortage of Pashmina wool this year.” He said up to 10,000 domesti-

“We may face (an) acute shortage of Pashmina wool this year.”

cated animals including Pashmina goats have perished due fodder shortages and the freezing cold. “About 1,000 quintals (100,000 kg) of fodder were dispatched immediately by Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC) to the affected areas but the same could not be distributed due to snowbound pastures where these animals are scattered these days,” said Samphel. He said the federal Ministry of Textiles had earmarked 40 million rupees last year for nutrition supplement to save Pashmina goats during pregnancy and to meet such exigencies. This money, Samphel said, helped in procuring about 10,000 quintals of cattle feed, 2,500 quintals of barley and 3,000 quintals of alfalfa fodder for the purpose.

Pashmina goats like these are believed to be lost due to heavy snowfall and a shortage of feed in northern Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir. PHOTO: REUTERS/KAMAL KISHORE

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rom Antarctica to Afghanistan, birdwatchers from 101 countries made history in the first global Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC), Feb. 15 to 18, 2013. In the largest worldwide bird count ever, birdwatchers set new records, counting more than 25 million birds on 116,000 checklists in four days — and recording 3,138 species, nearly onethird of the world’s total bird species. The data continued to flow in until March 1. Building on the success of the GBBC in the United States and Canada for the past 15 years, the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Audubon, and Bird Studies Canada opened the count to the world for the first time this year, powered by eBird, a system that enables people to report birds globally in real time and explore the results online. Bird watchers are invited to keep counting every day of the year at www. eBird.org. “This is a milestone for citizen science in so many respects — number of species, diversity of countries involved, total participants, and number of individual birds recorded,” said Cornell Lab of Ornithology director John Fitzpatrick. “We hope this is just the start of something far larger, engaging the whole world in creating a detailed annual snapshot of how all our planet’s birds are faring as the years go by.”

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Land and water ‘grabbing’ affects farmers in 62 countries Smallholder farmers } Can be excluded when large companies take over and establish large-scale farming Science Daily

s world food and energy demands grow, nations and some corporations increasingly are looking to acquire quality agricultural land for food production. Some nations are gaining land by buying up property — and accompanying water resources — in other, generally less-wealthy countries. Sometimes called “land grabbing,” this practice can put strains on land and water resources in impoverished countries where the land, and needed water, has been “grabbed” for commercialscale agriculture.

A new study by the University of Virginia and the Polytechnic University of Milan, and currently published in the online edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, provides the first global quantitative assessment of the watergrabbing phenomenon, which has intensified in the last four years largely in response to a 2007-08 increase in world food prices. “Over less than a decade, the rates of land and water grabbing have dramatically increased,” said Paolo D’Odorico, Ernest H. Ern Professor of Environmental Sciences in the University of Virginia’s College of Arts & Sciences, and a study co-author. “Food security in the grabbing

countries increasingly depends on ‘grab-land agriculture,’ while in the grabbed countries, local populations are excluded from the use of large parcels of land. Even just a fraction of the grabbed resources would be sufficient to substantially decrease the malnourishment affecting some of the grabbed countries.” The study shows that foreign land acquisition is a global phenomenon, involving 62 grabbed countries and 41 grabbers and affecting every continent except Antarctica. Africa and Asia account for 47 per cent and 33 per cent of the global grabbed area, respectively, and about 90 per cent of the grabbed area is in 24 countries.

Countries most affected by the highest rates of water grabbing are Indonesia, the Philippines and the Democratic Republic of Congo. The highest rates of irrigated water grabbing occur in Tanzania and Sudan. Countries most active in foreign land acquisition are located in the Middle East, Southeast Asia, Europe and North America. Overall, about 60 per cent of the total grabbed water is appropriated, through land grabbing, by companies in the United States, United Arab Emirates, India, United Kingdom, Egypt, China and Israel. D’Odorico said that in most c a s e s where land has been acquired, there is a switch from natural ecosystems — such

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“By losing control of part of their land and water, in many cases local people are giving up to wealthier nations their most precious natural resources.” Paolo D’Odorico

as forests and savannas — or smallholder agriculture run by local communities, to largescale commercial farming run by foreign corporations. He said one possible positive effect of foreign land acquisition is that “corporations can afford investments in technology, such as irrigation systems, that increase agricultural productivity while creating employment opportunities for local populations.”

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However, there also are negative implications, D’Odorico said, such as that the local populations are excluded from the direct use and management of their land and water resources and concern that in the long run, foreign land acquisitions could lead to overuse of water and land with negative effects on the environment (whereas local smallholder farmers are often in a better position to be good stewards and managers of their land and water). “By losing control of part of their land and water, in many cases local people are giving up to wealthier nations their most precious natural resources — resources that could be used now or in the future to enhance their own food security,” D’Odorico said. He noted that countries such as Sudan and Tanzania have the potential to become new “breadbaskets” because of either rain or river flow, but lack investments in agricultural technologies that would enhance productivity. For this reason, he said, foreign corporations see in them strong potential for high-profit investments and thus are rushing to “grab” these lands and water. “It is hard to think that this phenomenon may be stopped,” D’Odorico said. “However, both the United Nations and the national governments should ensure that some of the wealth generated by foreign investments in agricultural land are used to benefit local populations, for example by sustainably improving their food security and enhancing the productivity of smallholder agriculture. “There is also the need for institutions that can make sure that locals are involved in decisions about the reallocation of rights on land and water resources.”

ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • MARCH 18, 2013

Powerful interests behind Ritz’s views on wheat registration Analysis } Wheat registration — having your cake and eating it too By Allan Dawson

co-operator staff /saskatoon

Allan Dawson attended the Prairie Grain Development Committee’s annual meeting recently. Here’s his analysis on calls to change the registration system for western Canadian wheats.

alls to reform Western Canada’s wheat variety registration system boil down to the classic Canadian schism — the public and collective-managed approach versus letting the market decide. True to form, the majority of wheat industry officials see the solution somewhere in between, but there are powerful interests pushing for a market-driven approach. Private seed company officials didn’t say much publicly when the Prairie Grain Development Committee, the umbrella organization for four of the committees that recommend new varieties, met in Saskatoon recently. They let Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz do the talking. “I am... asking that each recommending committee support the government’s efforts to enhance innovation by undertaking a review of their respective committee structures and procedures with a view

to removing barriers that unnecessarily encumber innovation in the crop sector,” Ritz wrote in a letter to the chairs of all 17 recommending committees. The critics, who appear to have Ritz’s ear, say the current system is paternalistic, inefficient and a barrier to innovation. Growing more higher-yielding, lower-quality wheat could be more profitable for farmers, they say. Registration system supporters believe it, along with wheat classification, are key to maintaining Western Canada’s high-quality wheat brand. There’s a compromise — expand the quality parameters for the Canada Prairie Spring wheat class, while retaining the standards for the West’s premier classes, Canada Western Spring and Canada Western Amber durum. As Brian Lemon of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency put it, the wheat registration process is “complex and simple.” New wheats undergo up to three years of testing to provide the Prairie Recommending Committee for Wheat, Rye and Triticale (PRCWRT) with the scientific data needed to accurately assess their agronomic, disease tolerance and end-use strengths and weaknesses. It’s complex. But the principle behind it — vetting potential new varieties to

Members of the Prairie Recommending Committee for Wheat, Rye and Triticale voting at this year’s annual meeting in Saskatoon. PHOTo: allan dawson ensure they serve growers and users — is simple. The PRCWRT — a cross-section of wheat industry experts, including breeders, agronomists, cereal chemists, farmers, millers and marketers — decide, which varieties to recommend for registration, not the government. It’s regulation, but self-regulation. Wheat breeders in the United States test too. The difference is, it doesn’t come from a third party and it isn’t necessarily open to public scrutiny. Nevertheless, market discipline protects the American farmer from inferior varieties, according to Norm Dreger, Syngenta’s head of cereals for North America.

How much of the criticism is legitimate and how much is based on misperceptions, ideology and commercial self-interest? Misconceptions abound, according to Leo Meyer, a farmer from Woking, Alta. “Unfortunately he (Ritz) has heard from people who have no idea what this committee is doing,” he said. Misconceptions include that the committee meets in secret and privately developed varieties are excluded. The federal government opposes regulation on principle. That’s ideology. As for commercial self-interest, seed developers can save money if there are fewer hoops. “Certainly yield will increase with fewer registration impediments,” said Lethbridge-based, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada wheat breeder Rob Graf. “Is (breeding for) stem rust (resistance) an impediment? Is leaf rust an impediment? What about early maturity or sprouting tolerance or milling yield? The point I’m making here is no matter what trait you add it is going to slow down your rate of progress.” Arguably as long as Western Canada has eight classes of wheat it would be difficult to abandon a merit-based registration system. Each class is not rigidly defined,

but constantly evolving based on the varieties the PRCWRT recommends for registration. There needs to be a scientific way to decide if a new wheat fits the class. Grain companies support the class system because different wheats can be commingled, making grain handling more efficient. Buyers like it because it provides more consistent quality. The new open wheat market is providing some of the variety flexibility farmers seek. Under the class system an unregistered variety is to receive the lowest grade in the class. But now farmers can negotiate the price with the elevator no matter the grade or class. We’re seeing the change already. Seed Depot is working with several grain companies on an identitypreserved contract for Faller, an unregistered American wheat. Farmers will be paid as if they were delivering a CWRS wheat. Pasteur is in the Canada Western General Purpose class — a class normally for feed and ethanol wheats. But some of it has been sold for milling with prices equivalent to wheats in the Canada Western Red Winter wheat class. If the wheat sector isn’t distracted by misconceptions, ideology, or self-interest, it might achieve the impossible: having its cake and eating it too.

MARCH 18, 2013 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

» FARM SAFETY WEEK

Risk of a serious farming accident soars in the golden years UNFORTUNATE EXAMPLE  Manitoba farmer says his tragic tale should be a lesson

to older farmers to think safety and take simple precautions

to operate heavy machinery and do the other sorts of risky work they’ve always done.

BY LORRAINE STEVENSON STAFF

oy Vust suspects it was his foot slipping off the clutch that probably caused the tractor he was driving to rear up and tip over backwards. But he’s certain that if his Allis Chalmers D19 had a rollover protection structure on it, he wouldn’t have been pinned between the tractor and the 10-foot Woods mower he’d been using to cut the ditches on his Portage la Prairie, Manitobaarea farm that summer night in 2001. And if he hadn’t been pinned, he could have escaped more quickly and not suffered the burns to his legs and upper body when fuel spilled on his clothes and ignited. Vust thought a lot about that during his time in hospital and his year of recovery — and he has a simple message for those too busy with work to implement a farm safety program. “You don’t get much done from the hospital bed,” he says today. “And you get nothing done from the graveyard.” When he bought a replacement tractor, it had a rollover protective cab. And Vust became a spokesman for farm safety, telling his cautionary tale many times, and also volunteer chair of Manitoba Farmers With Disabilities, whose members also share their stories with the public. His message — Work safer, Live longer — is one his peers need to

Physical limitations

Pay attention to age limitations and work smarter, says Roy Vust, chair of Manitoba Farmers with Disabilities and retired farmer. PHOTO: LORRAINE STEVENSON hear more than ever, says the 69-year-old. That’s because there are more older farmers than ever. While the overall number of farmers has declined over the past three decades, those aged 70 to 79 rose 10 per cent (to 33,509 as of 2008) and the number of those age 80-plus jumped by half (7,334 in 1990 versus 11,220 in 2008). A disproportionate number of these older farmers will suffer a serious injury or be killed while working on the farm. The latest figures from the Canadian Agricultural Injury Reporting program say there are an average of 37 deaths per year of farmers over age 60.

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But older farmers aren’t generating the statistics because there’s more of them around. “They have more injuries and fatalities per capita,” said Don Voaklander, director of the Alberta Centre for Injury Control and Research in Edmonton. “They’re always a group that stands out as being a high risk. At about age 50, the per capita rate starts to rise. Then the 60- to 70-year-old has a higher rate, and then 70- to 80-(year-old) a higher rate again.” This type of injury and death rate isn’t seen in other sectors, but farmers and ranchers seldom retire, and often continue

Many just can’t see they no longer have the physical ability they had in their 40s or 50s, said Vust, who retired in 2007 after more than 40 years of farming. “It’s pretty hard for us old guys who’ve done it all our lives to pass on some of those more physical jobs,” he said. “But you just don’t have the stamina and the capabilities of working at the same pace you once did. As we age, we don’t hear as good as we once did and we probably don’t see as good as we once did. And the muscle tone and strength and flexibility start to decline.” Recognizing your limitations doesn’t mean you have to pack it in, he said. “I’ve always felt you can make it up by working smarter,” said Vust. “We just need to start asking, ‘Why should I have to climb to the top of that bin’ if there’s another, younger fellow around. Let’s train him to do it safely and allow him to use his younger body to accomplish the job.” Experts say older farmers should regularly do a self-assessment in order to recognize how their physical or cognitive abilities may have changed, and to adjust their work accordingly. And a farm with older workers should also have a ‘check-in’ or communications plan. Unfor-

tunately, older workers are frequently discovered long after the accident because they were working alone and couldn’t call for help. Vust knows about that — after extinguishing the flames, he started walking down the road and calling out for help. Fortunately, a neighbour had spotted the fire and came to investigate. “I wasn’t carrying a cellphone at the time,” said Vust. Today’s technology means you can, and should be, keeping in touch with those you work with, Voaklander said. “Younger farmers are doing this all the time with texting and cellphones,” he said. “The older farmers maybe not so much. But they should have a walkie-talkie or something that lets them check in every few hours.” Once he returned to farming, Vust made sure his wife or someone else always knew exactly where he was working, what he was doing, and what time to expect him back. On industrial worksites, workers take an ‘everyone looking after everyone else’ approach and that’s how farms should operate, Voaklander said. “It’s taking care of your partner,” he said. ‘Get with the Plan’ is the theme of this year’s Canadian Agricultural Safety Week, which runs March 10-16, and the goal is to encourage farmers to create a health and safety plan and put it in writing. For more information, see www.agsafetyweek.ca.

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ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • MARCH 18, 2013

» FARM SAFETY WEEK

Safety when transporting farm equipment on public roads DANGER  Fifteen per cent of farm-related fatalities in Alberta from 1990-2009

involved farm machinery and a motor vehicle AGRI-NEWS

he warming signs of spring are in the air and farmers in Alberta are getting ready to pull out the farm machinery. Now that farmers have planned their inputs, it’s time to plan how to get the equipment to the job site safely. “Farmers often have to transport farm machinery and equipment long distances between fields and this requires travelling on public roads and highways,” says Kenda Lubeck, farm safety co-ordinator with Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development. “According to the Alberta Centre for Injury Control and Research’s latest report on Agricultural-Related Injuries in Alberta, 15 per cent of farmrelated fatalities in Alberta from 1990-2009 involved farm machinery and a motor vehicle.” To avoid traffic collisions between farm equipment and regular motorists, equipment and machinery must be as visible as possible and follow all regulated requirements for lighting and signage. As well, motorists need to do their part by being vigilant and watching for farm equipment on the roads, especially during peak farming seasons. Motorists often don’t realize that farm equipment moves very slowly, is oversized and has limited manoeuvrability. It is important for motorists to slow down and give equipment extra room in order to avoid a collision. Equipment operators often try to make room for passing vehicles by moving onto the shoulder of the road. While well intended, this isn’t advised as it can result in a rollover if the shoulders are too soft. “An important step in transporting farm machinery is to plan the route,” says Lubeck. “Many times, equipment operators encounter obstacles such as low-hanging power lines and bridges that may be too narrow or not strong enough to hold a huge piece of farm equipment. These situations can lead to many extra hours of doubling back and rerouting to get to the intended location.” The most effective way to prevent a traffic collision with farm equipment is to be visible. Traffic regulations require the use of slow-moving vehicle emblems to alert motorists to the fact that large equipment does not travel over 40 kilometres per hour. As well, farmers must ensure that working headlights, warning lights and indicator lights are used on equipment travelling on public roads. A pilot vehicle should be considered as a guide for particularly large machinery and as a warning to motorists of oncoming large equipment. Once on a public roadway, farm equipment and equipment operators must adhere to traffic safety rules. This includes following rules related to speed, signalling, sharing the road with others and the new distracted driving law. “The key to safely transporting farm machinery on public

roads and highways is to be as visible as possible,” says Lubeck. “Nighttime travel poses the highest risk, but many collisions occur during daylight hours, indicating that visibility is a 24-hours-a-day issue. Farmers are responsible for ensuring that their equipment meets regulated requirements and that it is maintained to that standard. Motorists need to be alert to the possibility of slowmoving farm equipment that may be on the roads especially during peak farming periods. By working together, the tragedy and heartache caused by collisions between motorists and farm equipment can be erased.”

What not to do — this tractor has no slow-moving vehicle emblem, which is required to alert motorists to the fact that large equipment does not travel over 40 kilometres per hour. PHOTO: THINKSTOCK

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MARCH 18, 2013 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

» FARM SAFETY WEEK

Hand signals a good farm safety tool PRINT IT  A poster showing standard signals can be

downloaded from the Alberta Agriculture website AGRI-NEWS

ommunication is vital to worker safety in any situation, particularly in a fastpaced environment such as on a farm or ranch. Distracting surroundings can prevent important messages from getting through. Distance, noise and distractions from moving livestock, hooking up farm implements or navigating an oversized load, significantly reduce a worker’s ability to hear another worker. This is where common

hand signals are an ideal communication tool. “When working on a farm, the sheer distance between workers can lead to communication breakdowns,” says Raelyn Peterson, farm safety co-ordinator with Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development. “At other times, farm equipment or machinery can make it impossible to hear someone, even if the other person is yelling. In cases like that, hand signals can get a message across and be an effective way to communicate.” A series of ‘standard’ hand signals have been adopted by Alberta

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Agriculture and Rural Development’s farm safety program to improve safety for farmers. The signals enable all workers, helpers and family members to communicate in the same language which can decrease the risk of injury. Peterson shares a story of a husband and wife team who nearly had an incident on their farm due to lack of communication. This prompted an agreement between the two and their family to learn and implement the set of hand signals. “Their frustration level reduced significantly because they made that commitment to learn the same language,” says Peterson. “Less frustration means a safer environment and higher productivity.” Using hand signals saves time and prevents incidents and it can also reduce severity of injuries. To be of full benefit, it is important that the entire work team knows and consistently uses the hand signals. Farm owners and managers are encouraged to post the hand signals in a place where employees will see them every day. “It would be a big safety step if all members of Alberta’s farm families, employees and farm visitors learned the standard hand signals and adopted them,” says Peterson. “It is important to train new employees about the safety features and practices used on the farm. That should include making sure all workers are familiar with and can use hand signals.” A printable poster of the hand signals shown with this article is available on Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development’s Farm Safety website.

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“Farm equipment or machinery can make it impossible to hear someone, even if the other person is yelling. In cases like that, hand signals can get a message across and be an effective way to communicate.” RAELYN PETERSON AARD

ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • MARCH 18, 2013

» FARM SAFETY WEEK

‘I Have a Role’ campaign highlights communication on the farm

Ag Safety week 2013 — Get with the plan Daily job } Farmers are urged to make a commitment to fostering

health and safety in their day-to-day operations casa release

his March, the Canadian Agricultural Safety Association (CASA), the Canadian Federation of Agriculture (CFA), and exclusive corporate sponsor Farm Credit Canada (FCC) encouraged farmers to “Get with the Plan!” just in time for Canadian Agricultural Safety Week, March 10 to 16. Canadian Agricultural Safety Week (CASW) is an annual public education campaign focusing on the importance of practising safe agriculture. In 2013, organizers want to inspire farmers to develop their own written health and safety plans by hearing about the struggles, and successes of other Canadian farmers. “It’s not just about connecting the dots. It’s not even just about managing business risks or becoming a preferred employer,

although those are all great benefits of safety planning,” says Marcel Hacault, executive director of CASA. “It’s about making a commitment to safety. That’s why it’s important for farmers to hear from other producers who have faced injuries, or achieved success with their own safety planning, because producers can learn from one another and motivate each other in the process.” As part of CASW, CASA, CFA and FCC worked with local organizations to host two FarmSafe Forum events in Guelph, Ontario and Truro, Nova Scotia. Both FarmSafe Forum featured a day-long, free, on-farm inspection training workshop for farmers and students, as well as presentations from local farmers and community leaders. “As a farmer myself, I can vouch for the importance of on-farm safety. It makes good business sense, but it’s also a respon-

sibility we have to ourselves, our families and employees. We encourage all farmers to develop a safety plan and to take advantage of the resources available through CASA, including the FarmSafe Forums,” says CFA president Ron Bonnett. “With an industry that’s growing, there’s even more need to ensure safety in our business practices,” says Remi Lemoine, vice-president and chief operating officer at FCC. “We’re committed to helping Canadian producers stay safe at work, and encourage thoughtful planning through written health and safety plans. This year’s Canadian Agricultural Safety Week is a great forum to be inspired, and make safety a priority.” Canadian Agricultural Safety Week takes place every year during the third week of March. For more information about CASW or FarmSafe Forum events, or to access CASW media kits, go to www.agsafetyweek.ca.

Agri-News

ommunication between workers and family members is vital to ensure the safety of those working on a farm or ranch. Everyone should be able to identify their role in successful safety communication on the farm. In Alberta, the ‘I Have a Role’ campaign continues to highlight communication on the farm. “This past year, the Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development Farm Safety Program has developed some new farm safety resources for Albertans of all ages,” says Kenda Lubeck, farm safety co-ordinator with Alberta Agriculture. “A new ‘Danger Dog’ book encourages young children to be on the lookout for hazards on their farm. Updated dry erase and interactive hazard hunt scenes add to the collection of educational resources for children ages 10 to 14.” Mini egg helmets provide a fun and interactive demonstration on how protective head gear works and why people should always wear helmets when horseback riding. For farmers and ranchers hiring employees, the employer’s manual A Farm Employer’s Guide to Job Orientation and Safety Training has been updated. In addition to developing resources, Alberta Agriculture is currently working with the Canadian Agricultural Safety Association (CASA) to develop an Alberta version of the Canada FarmSafe Plan. This is a practical outline to walk agricultural producers through the steps of developing their own farm safety plan, and it will be tailored to the specific needs of Alberta farms and ranches. The Alberta FarmSafe Plan will be tested in the province on a variety of different agricultural operations starting in the summer 2013. Alberta Agriculture will provide support to make the process seamless and efficient for busy farm managers. For more information about Alberta Agriculture’s Farm Safety Program and available resources, visit Alberta’s Farm Safety website.

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MARCH 18, 2013 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

» FARM SAFETY WEEK

A little more conversation: Taking action on farm safety TALK ABOUT IT  Being the “strong, silent type” isn’t conducive to safety communication BY CAROLYN VAN DEN HEUVEL CASA

armers have a reputation for being “strong, silent types.” Growing up on a farm and getting my hands very much dirty alongside my father, I don’t disagree with some of this “salt of the earth” mystique, but I also think it’s time to move beyond the stereotypes. Farms nowadays can be complex, highly industrialized businesses with product to develop and markets to access. But I know you know that already. What you might not know is how important communication is in this new world of complex, production agriculture. When working with producers on developing written health and safety plans, I always tell

Health and safety policies for staff COMMUNICATION 

Employees need to conduct themselves in a safe manner BY CAROLYN VAN DEN HEUVEL CASA

armers write policies all the time, in employee handbooks, or other policy documents, as a way to communicate responsibilities to their employees. And in fact, employees need to understand their roles and what is expected of them before they step into a tractor or enter the machine shed. But when it comes to health and safety policy statements, it’s a two-way street. Employees need to know that they have a responsibility to conduct themselves in a safe manner, and employers also have a responsibility to communicate their commitment to safety to those who work for them. So when developing safety policies, here’s what you need to do. Start with a general health and safety policy statement. This statement should outline your health and safety philosophy and the objectives of your safety plan. It should also state that you have made a commitment to preventing injuries and illnesses, and that workers are also responsible for their own health and safety, as well as the health and safety of anyone else who works on the farm. This should be supported by more specific operational policies, which cover standard operating practices, training requirements and records, emergency plans, firstaid records, working-alone procedures, and incident investigation processes and followups. Keep it simple. If it isn’t simple, it won’t be implemented. Also, don’t overpromise. Your health and safety policies need to be sustainable to be effective. If you make health and safety policy development a group activity, all your workers will be invested in its success.

them that safety policies, standard operating procedures, and other critical workplace safety documents are not worth the paper they are written on if they aren’t communicated effectively to employees and contractors. It seems sensible but it’s harder said than done. The best bet for achieving outstanding communication is to start off on the right foot. Stress that employees are valued and their health and safety is a priority. Ensure they understand the importance of working safely. Ask them about their previous work experience. Did they receive any

training? Remember to get copies of any certifications or accreditations they may have for your records. If they are a new hire, check their references to ensure they have a positive safety record.

Set a positive example

Make sure your safety policy is communicated to new hires and is posted openly for everyone else to see too. As a farm owner, you set an example for health and safety on the farm. So be clear about your responsibilities and live up to them. Safety is a two-way street though.

Workers will invest in a safe workplace if they feel comfortable raising questions, contributing to safety solutions, participating in safety inspections, and openly discussing safety concerns, incidents and near misses. If you make pre-operational checks on tools, machines, and equipment non-negotiable, and insist on providing your workers with adequate safety education and training, safety will become a part of your everyday workplace culture. In the event of a near miss, don’t forget, reflect. Conduct an investigation and

ask your workers several questions: Who was involved? Where did the incident happen? When did it happen? What were the immediate causes? Why did the incident happen? And how can a similar incident be prevented? Everyone has a role to play in ensuring the safety of your farm, so cultivate an open, positive working relationship with your employees based on communication and trust. For more information on communicating farm safety information or developing your own written health and safety plan, visit www.agsafetyweek.ca. Carolyn Van Den Heuvel has spent the last year helping farmers implement the Canada FarmSafe Plan as a Canada FarmSafe adviser for the Canadian Agricultural Safety Association (CASA).

ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • MARDCH 18, 2013

Rail service getting worse, shippers charge

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Shippers say service has deteriorated since introduction of legislation giving them more leverage BY ALEX BINKLEY

ALBERTA FARMER CONTRIBUTOR / OTTAWA

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reight service improved when Ottawa was preparing legislation last year to balance the market power of shippers and the railways, but has since slipped back to unsatisfactory levels, shipper representatives say. As “recently as two weeks ago we had mills just about shut down because they couldn’t get boxcars in Western Canada, and not just one,” Western Canadian Shippers Coalition spokesman Ian May told the Commons transport committee, which is studying the bill. He said shippers don’t think it’s a coincidence that service has deteriorated since the legislation — which didn’t give railways what they wanted — was introduced in December, he said. “I can tell you that the operating model... is asking for 40 cars and being told, ‘Well, I can give you 30,’ and then receiving 20,” he told the MPs. While the legislation won’t solve all the problems, “we expect an improvement. It may be worse than you folks realize,” said May. He was joined by representatives of the forest products, grain, coal, propane, fertilizer and other industries that ship by rail in large quantities. Nearly two-thirds of railway customers surveyed by the the Coalition of Rail Shippers say poor service has cost them money. “The reality is that many shippers have limited choices when it comes to shipping their products,” said coalition chair Bob Ballantyne. “It is therefore necessary to use the law to give shippers more leverage to negotiate service agreements with the railways.” The group asked for six amendments to stiffen the legislation to “limit the opportunity for railways to mount legal challenges designed to either frustrate the intent of Parliament, delay decisions and lead shippers both large and small into expensive legal battles,” said Ballantyne. The executive director of the Western Grain Elevator Association noted grain elevators must pay a penalty if they don’t load a unit train in 24 hours, but there’s no penalty if a railway causes delays that cost shippers money. “This is a gap we’re trying to do our best to make sure this legislation corrects,” said Wade Sobkowich. The result is extra charges for farmers because such delays mean extra charges for ship demurrage and even lower payments from the ultimate customers, said Richard Phillips, executive director of the Grain Growers of Canada. “At the end of the day it all does come back down to the farmer,” he said. “We’re the ones who suffer when things don’t work properly.”

MARCH 18, 2013 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

Bioenergy expert urges counties and businesses to consider using wood waste FIRST THING  Toso Bozic says type and availability of wood waste is the first consideration,

and technology second, when considering biomass heating or power generation

BY TONY KRYZANOWSKI AF CONTRIBUTOR

Wood waste being wasted in landfill sites.

key source of energy in Alberta is going up in smoke — but Toso Bozic is trying to change that. “Every small, rural county in Alberta right now probably burns on average 1,000 tonnes of wood a year, and it costs them money to do it. Larger counties burn much more than this,” says Bozic, bioenergy specialist and agroforester with Alberta Agriculture. His job is to help rural communities and businesses design heat- and power-generation systems using biomass, which includes producing prefeasibility studies to answer

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many of the questions related to wood fibre costs and availability. Using wood fibre as fuel to generate heat and/or power takes careful planning to answer important questions related to wood quality, cost, availability, processing, transportation, and storage to design a dependable and economical system, he says. Bozic says the first question potential woody biomass suppliers and bioenergy producers need to ask is who controls the wood source? The second question is how available is it? Potential wood sources include private woodlots, forestry companies that typically burn ‘slash’ (such as branches and treetops), or wood waste accumulating at a sawmill, pallet manufacturer, construction company or municipal landfill. “But I’d like to dispel a myth, which is that there is no such thing as ‘free wood,’” Bozic says.

“But I’d like to dispel a myth, which is that there is no such thing as ‘free wood.’”

TOSO BOZIC

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There are always costs associated with negotiating supply contracts, harvesting, gathering, pre-processing and transporting the wood, he says. The closest example of ‘free wood’ is wood waste that businesses pay to dispose of. Wood waste sent to landfills is another potentially low-cost source of biomass. But the type and quality of wood fuel needs to be matched to an appropriate bioenergy system. “You should look at fuel sources first, and then at the technology,” says Bozic. “You look at a system that addresses your fuel characteristics, such as size of wood chips, moisture content, and contamination.” It’s also important to have more than one supplier if the material is being supplied on a contract basis to ensure there is a dependable and consistent fuel supply, he says. The logistics of transportation and storage are also important considerations, including whether some processing of what is often bulky, lightweight material should be done prior to transportation. The storage system should be designed to hold sufficient reserves and for easy material handling. It’s not particularly challenging to convert an existing boiler system from using fossil fuels like natural gas to woody biomass, although having a dual-energy system allows temporary use of natural gas should biomass supplies run short, says Bozic.

ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • MARCH 18, 2013

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MARCH 18, 2013 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

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