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Peace Country home to new bee diagnostic lab The facility will perform diagnostic tests for beekeepers from across the country, and join the effort to determine the cause of colony collapse disorder

ALMA reacts to provincial budget cut by reducing program funding Agency will become more selective when it comes to picking projects for funding By Victoria Paterson af staff / calgary

Bee lab technician Patricia Wolf Veiga at the first diagnostic lab designed and outfitted exclusively for honeybee research. Photo: Rebecca Dika

By Rebecca Dika

af contributor / beaverlodge

new Peace laboratory is joining in the battle against colony collapse disorder, which has battered the beekeeping industry in recent years. The National Bee Diagnostic Centre Laboratory opened its doors on April 1, and research underway is pest, pathogen

and parasite issues affecting the honeybee sector. “This is the first of its kind designed and outfitted exclusively for honeybee research,” said Carlos Castillo, the lab’s applied scientist manager. “This is such an exciting project to be a part of.” The $1.2-million, 2,000-square-foot facility was funded by Western Economic Diversification and is located at the Bea-

verlodge Research Farm. It will be operated by Grande Prairie Regional College, which recently restarted a commercial beekeeping certificate program at its Fairview campus. Samples of brood, adult bees, frames and honey are now being accepted from registered Canadian bee producers on a fee-for-service basis. The lab’s services

see bees } page 6

he Alberta Livestock and Meat Agency (ALMA) will not shut down any programs because of the $8-million cut out of its budget, but each program will receive less. “What we did is reduce the amount of the envelope for each of the programs,” said Gordon Cove, CEO of ALMA. ALMA’s budget was slashed from about $40 million to $32 million as part of the Agriculture Ministry’s budget cuts announced in March. “We applied it over the two big areas that we have, which is industry investments… and another couple over on our strategic initiative side,” Cove said. The agency lopped $4 million from either side. The industry investment side funds projects such as marketing initiatives and productivity gains. The strategic initiative side funds projects focusing on research, development and innovation. The provincial government is the only source of ALMA funding. Cove said it uses those funds and industry money to leverage more dollars. He said this is the first time the agency has faced a drastic cut in its budget, noting the province is in a difficult fiscal situation. “The thinking is that our budget would slowly rebound and come

see ALMA } page 6

BUDGET:

Ag education programs assess implications } PAGE 3

SPELLCHECK P

news » inside this week

inside » Road ban season Systems vary by jurisdiction

APRIL 29, 2013 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

livestock

crops

Livestock emergency course

Cereal scald watch

columNists brenda schoepp Meat and eggs make front page

Carol Shwetz The early days of a foal’s life

Not a pork chop Meat cuts get 350 new names

Lakeland offers training for trailer use

Don’t take resistance for granted

Advocating for the industry should be an item on your to-do list

Karlee Conway says consumers need to trust where their food is coming from, and the people who are producing it.

af staff / leduc

ilk producers can’t expect consumers to advocate for the dairy industry if they don’t advocate for themselves,” says Karlee Conway, corporate communications co-ordinator for Alberta Milk producers organization. “When you put yourself out there and get in front of someone else, they will have a much harder time criticizing you,” Conway told Alberta Milk’s spring producers’ meeting. She said consumers have higher expectations about where their food comes from, even though they have less first-hand knowledge of what goes on at a farm. “People who live in the city have no idea what actually happens. We need to step up and make sure that they know the right story,” said Conway, adding that today anyone with a

Daniel Bezte

Farmers must tell their own story, or others will

By Alexis Kienlen

cellphone camera can be a “journalist.” “We’re running into this problem where people are sharing information that’s not true about the dairy industry, animal welfare and supply management.”

“We need to show people what real agriculture looks like.” Karlee Conway Alberta Milk

Conway said consumers need to trust where their food is coming from, and the people who are producing it. “We need to make sure that we’re doing more, and show them the real story. There are things that we could be doing better as well,” said Conway.

She encouraged producers to get accurate information to the public. Producers need to be vocal and counteract the spread of misinformation. “One bad picture gets out, and the entire industry suffers,” she said. Advocacy or “Ag-vocacy” (advocating for agriculture) can take many forms. Producers can advocate for agriculture by writing letters or explaining things in casual, everyday encounters. Conway’s other suggestions included bringing people out to farms, building relationships with politicians and government officials, and inviting tour groups to visit farms. People can also use social media to communicate with others. “Half of the world’s population is under 30 and this is where they are communicating. These people are going to be the next policy-makers,” said Conway. “We need to show people what real agriculture looks like.” akienlen@fbcpublishing.com

Radiational cooling explained

Beans to biting bedbugs Microscopic hairs on kidney bean leaves trap the biting insects Staff

cientists at University of California Irvine and University of Kentucky are trying to mimic a traditional Balkan bedbug remedy to help fight the bedroom scourge. Their work was motivated by a centuries-old remedy for bedbugs formerly used in Bulgaria, Serbia and other southeast European countries. Kidney bean leaves were strewn on the floor next to beds and seemed to ensnare the blood-seeking parasites on their nightly forays. The bug-encrusted greenery was burned the next morning to exterminate the insects. Researchers have documented how microscopic hairs on kidney bean leaves effectively stab and trap the biting insects, according to the Journal of the Royal Society Interface. Bedbugs have made a dramatic comeback in the U.S. in recent years, infesting everything from homes and hotels to schools, movie theatres and hospitals. The nocturnal parasites’ ability to hide almost anywhere, breed rapidly and “hitchhike” from place to place makes detection difficult. They can survive as long as a year without a blood meal. Doctoral student Megan Szyndler, entomologist Catherine Loudon and chem ist Robert Corn of UC Irvine and entomologists Kenneth Haynes and Michael Potter of the University of Kentucky collaborated on the new study. Using the bean leaves as templates, the researchers

Bedbug on skin PHOTo: thinkstock

have microfabricated materials that closely resemble them geometrically. The synthetic surfaces snag the bedbugs temporarily but do not yet stop them as effectively as real leaves, Loudon said, suggesting that crucial mechanics of the trichomes still need to be determined.

Researchers have documented how microscopic hairs on kidney bean leaves effectively stab and trap the biting insects, according to the Journal of the Royal Society Interface.

Theoretically, bean leaves could be used for pest control, but they dry out and don’t last very long. They also can’t easily be applied to locations other than a floor. Synthetic materials could provide a non-toxic alternative. “Nature is a hard act to follow, but the benefits could be enormous,” Potter said. “Imagine if every bedbug inadvertently brought into a dwelling was captured before it had a chance to bite and multiply.”

ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • APRIL 29, 2013

Agriculture education programs assess budget implications Some schools have yet to decide how their agriculture faculties will be affected BY VICTORIA PATERSON AF STAFF / CALGARY

ost-secondary institutions across Alberta have seen budget cuts in the recent provincial budget, but the effect on agricultural programs remains to be seen. According to the Ministry of Enterprise and Advanced Education, the operation support funding provided by the government to post-secondary schools throughout Alberta is being decreased by $147 million in comparison to last year’s budget. The Alberta government provides approval for programs starting and closing. Suzana Krpan, a spokesperson for the ministry, said the minister has yet to receive any requests for program suspensions. At Olds College, any impact the cuts might have on the agricultural programs there hasn’t been assessed yet. “They’re being reviewed currently,” said Dean Turnquist, manager of corporate communications. He said the budget year goes to the end of June and decisions will be made later in May. He noted all programs are reviewed every year. At Lethbridge College, the fate of the agricultural technology program hasn’t been determined. Gwen Wirth, communications specialist for the college, said there haven’t been any decisions about budget cut implications yet.

Lakeland programs unaffected

Lakeland College has already determined that its agriculture courses and faculty won’t be affected by the cuts. “The board decided we have to support our core programming and none of the core programming was cut. And agriculture is a big part of our core programming,” said Glenn Charlesworth, president of Lake-

An Olds College spokesman says budget decisions will be made later in May. land College. The college is facing a $4-million reduction in funds, but the agricultural sciences faculty is being protected because of its recent success. Applications to Lakeland’s agricultural program continue to grow, Charlesworth said, and their graduates often receive multiple job offers. There are plans to expand the program in the future. Charlesworth said they are suspending nine programs the school offers in other areas. He said they had to decide if they wanted to spread the cuts over all different areas or if they wanted to stop doing 10 per cent of what they do and maintain quality in what was left. They opted for the latter.

The dean of the University of Alberta’s faculty of agricultural, life and environmental sciences (ALES) didn’t know the extent of probable cuts yet, but anticipates some impact. “The university’s faced with what’s essentially a 10 per cent gap between what we were promised and what we are getting, and that budget cut is going to apply across the institution,” said Dean John Kennelly. If the cut to the ALES faculty is proportional, Kennelly said they could be facing a $3-million reduction to their budget. That’s equivalent to 25 professors, though he suspects the cuts will hit a combination of staff and programming.

This hit comes after the faculty has already faced some reduced funding over the past few years. Kennelly said funds were promised by the province for programs identified as indemand such as nutrition and food safety. That funding didn’t come through as expected. To address that funding issue, they’ve managed to avoid filling positions as they become vacant. Kennelly said if the faculty is hit by these new budget cuts, it will have no choice but to reduce programs. The faculty is the most researchintensive faculty at the University of Alberta and its graduates are in high demand by industry, Kennelly said. He fears the excellence

built over the last 10 years will be undermined by the severity of the present cuts. As for the talk of eliminating duplicate programs across the province, he pointed out the government must approve any new program before it opens or before a program is shut down. “So the duplication we’re talking about, it’s duplication the government approved,” Kennelly said. Comments from Grande Prairie Regional College and the University of Lethbridge about any potential effects of budget cuts on their agricultural programming weren’t available by deadline. victoria.paterson@fbcpublishing.com

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APRIL 29, 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

A spring of anxiety for crop and livestock producers

Victoria Paterson, Calgary (403) 806-0522 victoria.paterson@fbcpublishing.com

PRODUCTION director Shawna Gibson Email: shawna@fbcpublishing.com

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An unusual spring, but a good summer could make it all right — at least that’s the hope

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By will verboven

Alberta Farmer | Editor

t press time one could sense an increase in the anxiety level of crop producers. The reason being that spring has yet to arrive anywhere in the province. It’s of particular concern in southern Alberta, the home of many speciality crops that need to be seeded early into a warming soil. Growers of sugar beets, potatoes, beans, corn and a host of vegetables are getting worried, not just with the late spring but the possibility of late frosts in May. The other side of the coin is that with a later start it will take an exceptional summer to avoid a late harvest and the spectre of early-September frosts. One can cite this as just a risk of coldclimate farming, but this has not been the trend in the last few years. One of the interesting benefits of global warming, at least for crops in this part of the country, has been earlier springs. Even an advancement of a week is critical as it allows for better and more timely land preparation for seeding. That helps the overall agronomics of any cropping plan and has a significant impact on better yields at harvest. This has worked particularly well for crops under irrigation where better technology has optimized the critical timing of water application to maximum effect. To add to the late spring woes, there has been small but steady snow and rainfall in most areas. Moisture is always welcome, but in the springtime it can add many days of seeding delay due to wet fields. Over the years at least with some crops, wet fields are becoming of increasing concern simply because of the immense size of machinery. Depending on the situation, big rigs can cause significant rutting or soil compaction on wet soils.

One could anticipate that considering these weather and moisture delays that significant seeding of many crops could be delayed well into late May. That’s no big deal in central and northern parts of the province where growers are used to seeding in late May and even early June, but it’s a very bad start for the south where most of the specialized crop production is located. On the other hand a wet spring is usually good news for pasture and hay crops, which makes livestock producers happy campers. There is good news for irrigation farming. The snowpack in the mountains seems to be average, and if there is a regular runoff, reservoirs will be full for most of the year. An ace in the hole for the industry has been the technology leaps that have seen water application efficiency increase by up to 20 per cent. Add into that canal replacement with pipelines, and water shortages are becoming less of a threat even if the snowpack is down. It’s one of those littlepublicized environmental success stories that the public doesn’t hear much about. It has a downside in that progress is used against the industry by green lobby groups as an indication that major irrigation infrastructure does not need to be further developed and expanded, but I digress. There is also anxiety brewing in the livestock industry. The cattle feedlot and beefpacking industries have seen significant per-head losses for some time now, with some lots empty due to financial distress. With losses of around $100 per head only the well financed will survive. Luckily we have sophisticated operators well versed with risk management techniques to survive this round. One does fear for cow-calf operators who will surely end up paying for a good chunk of those losses come this fall. The only thing that may save them from that marketing correction is that the cow herd continues

to decline and affects the feeder calf supply. But if there are fewer feedlot buyers and continued border restrictions that may not help them either. One of the causes of feedlot financial distress has been the high price of feed grains over the past year. There was hope for this year, as there were indications that corn seeding would increase significantly in the U.S. Midwest. More corn would put pressure on feed grain prices in Alberta as operators have shown no hesitation in bringing trainloads of corn into Alberta when the price is right. But lower feed grain prices might be an illusion being the late spring is also occurring in the U.S. upper Midwest where new corn acreage was being planned. To add to cattle industry anxiety has been the unfolding news from trade discussions and border issues. The USDA seems to have become quite belligerent in refusing to adequately address the WTO decision on COOL. That may be a negotiating ploy but it will invariably delay any resolution many months even a year down the road. This issue is absolutely critical to the beef industry being most of our exports still go to the U.S. On the EU free trade issue, deadlock seems to have set in and beef exports are one of the hurdles to signing an agreement. The EU has made origin of Canadian cattle an issue for beef exports. That seems a bit of a red herring. My view is that the EU has no intention of giving Canada any more beef access to their markets than the U.S. However, the EU trade agreement is not as big a concern as U.S. intransigence on COOL. So there you have it — almost universal anxiety for the ag industry in Alberta this spring. But then a good summer, timely rains and late frosts could change the crop and livestock situation to everyone’s benefit. I guess that’s the annual hope of agriculture in this province. Good luck to all.

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Who will Ritz listen to — the industry or the WCWGA?

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By Allan Dawson staff

ome in the industry wonder whether they are wasting their time discussing how to improve Canada’s wheat registration system. Recent history shows that while Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz offers to consult with all of the industry, he only listens to a few. “Ritz listens to the Wheat Growers and Grain Growers of Canada more than to his own staff and appointees,” one industry participant bluntly said recently. Examples include ending the Canadian Wheat Board’s monopoly without a farmer vote and abruptly scrapping kernel visual distinguishability as a requirement for wheat registration, even though the industry itself had a plan to phase it out. Now Ritz has asked all variety recommending committees, including wheat, to streamline the variety registration recommending process.

A year ago the grain industry reached a consensus on wheat variety registration, changes that would protect Canada’s wheat brand for Canada Western Red Spring wheat and durum, while enabling farmer access through the Canada Prairie Spring class to Dark Northern Spring wheats from the U.S. that are perceived to be higher yielding, albeit lower protein. Not good enough. The minority position promoted by the WCWGA would throw the system wide open to any variety brought forward. Disease and agronomy assessments that are now compulsory would become voluntary. There would be testing for end-use quality, but only to determine which class it fits and it would take place after it’s already in the system. No one opposes improving the wheat registration system. There’s talk of shortening the number of years of pre-registration merit testing, or reducing the number of test sites, having fewer check varieties, fewer quality measurements and a smaller recommending committee. But what the WCWGA suggests

would diminish the current wheat quality control system. And on that, it is a lone voice. The Canadian National Millers Association “holds the current variety evaluation and registration system in high regard.” “Don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater,” warned Terry James, Richardson International’s vice-president of export marketing, at last year’s Canada Grains Council annual meeting. Elwin Hermanson, chief commissioner of the Canadian Grain Commission (CGC), recently defended the system as the cornerstone to Canada’s wheat quality assurance system. You’d think the views of the second-biggest grain company operating in Canada, Canadian millers, the CGC and Ritz’s trusted friend would have some sway. Don’t count on it. According to the WCWGA, the changes would get improved varieties to farmers faster. But Todd Hyra, SeCan’s business manager for Western Canada, said last November the wheat registration

system doesn’t impede innovation, it’s lack of investment — mainly because there is a lack of return on investment. Farmers often grow saved wheat seed instead of buying new as they do with corn, soybeans and canola. It saves farmers money but limits what seed developers make selling new varieties. Whether the current system continues or not, farmers and end-users still need data, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada wheat breeder Ron DePauw told the wheat recommending committee at its annual meeting in February. Farmers need to know before seeding how a new wheat will perform and whether there’ll be a market. Millers, bakers and noodle makers need to know ahead how a new wheat will perform in their facilities. What DePauw didn’t say, but is obvious — it makes more sense to have that data before planting than after. allan@fbcpublishing.com

ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • APRIL 29, 2013

The crisis deepens in the West Australian wheat lands One economist says that if rural Australia were a member country of the euro zone, international financial markets would be refusing to finance the sector By Roger Crook

he closer West Australian farmers get to seeding time, which is any time after the end of April, the more intense the debate becomes whether the eastern Wheat Belt will ever be the same again. Now there are reports of farmers abandoning their land and walking off. Enough is enough for some. The old men are retelling their father’s tales of when the land was cleared with horses and of the Great Depression that followed. Times are tough and show no signs of improving. Breakfast meetings are being organized where men can meet at dawn, cook breakfast over a barbecue with their mates, drink coffee and tea and most importantly, talk. Then they go back to their farms, aware, comforted that they are not on their own — they are in this together — absolutely no one must feel lonely. The recent forecast of low wheat prices for 2014 is making a grim situation worse for those still waiting for budget decisions from their banks. Do you believe the forecasts? Do you revise down? These are the questions on everyone’s lips. “It’s the economy stupid,” is a famous saying from the Clinton era and it is applicable to not only the viability of growing wheat in the east of the West Australian Wheat Belt, but, if we are honest, to all Australian agriculture. Agriculture in this country is suffering from self-inflicted (financial) injury.

Graph: Ben Rees from ABARE Stats Emulating Admiral Lord Nelson at the Battle of Copenhagen, successive federal and state governments, have turned a blind eye on agriculture’s debt. Nelson won his battle; farmers are going to struggle to staunch the bleeding while their battle continues. What’s the problem? It’s simple really, basic economics. For the last 30 years the gross value of farm production in Australia has almost flatlined and rural debt has, literally, gone through the roof. Banks have kept on lending and farmers have kept on borrowing and now the lender is getting worried about the borrower, and this is the reason why: Like many crises, the first reaction from those involved has been to try and convince everyone, anyone, that they didn’t see it coming. With a graph like the one above, pleading debt-myopia is stretching the bounds of credibility with most observers, including me.

I believe it cannot be repeated often enough — farmers asked for money, the banks lent them what they wanted and farmers have not repaid those debts as and when they have fallen due. Now their industry is in serious trouble. Rural loans have been securitized. Do we have a mini subprime mortgage scandal on our hands? Nobody knows; A$66.2 billion is a lot of money to have lent to an industry that isn’t going anywhere and where the value of the main security for the loans, land, has done a rapid aboutface and is now falling in value. It’s a real catch-22. Banks get tough so more farms are forced on the market. There aren’t any buyers – this depresses land values, which changes the debt-toequity ratio for the rest, and then some fall over the credit limit cliff and they have to sell… and so on. Pouring kerosene on what is becoming a fiery debate is septuagenarian, econo-

mist and farmer from Queensland, Ben Rees, who believes in calling a spade a shovel. Ben produced this ‘chilling’ graph of farm production and debt. Ben argues, on those numbers, if Australian agriculture were in the euro zone it wouldn’t get finance. That’s scary stuff. There are those who disagree with Ben’s analysis and comments. The numbers Ben has used came from the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics, so the numbers are the numbers and not a figment of his imagination. As Ben has shown, no one today can plead ignorance because in 1994 concerns regarding rural debt were being raised and nothing was done. That’s nearly 20 years ago. The complete paper can be found at: www.benrees.com.au/. The Troika to which Ben refers are state and federal politicians and farm leaders. Many have been ‘around’ since the 1990s. Some have bristled at Ben’s comments and as far as I know haven’t provided an alternative to a bailout. The paradox to this crisis is Chinese interests announced last week they will be increasing their land holdings and so exporting ever-increasing amounts of grain direct to China from their farms in Western Australia. They also want to buy grain from other farmers. This move will bypass the state-wide, farmer-owned cooperative monopoly on grain handling in Western Australia. Roger Crook is a writer and former Austrialian farmer.

Price bubbles and commodity markets There is no evidence financial investors have increased price bubbles By John Kemp london / reuters

thoughtful new paper from researchers at the University of Illinois marks a significant step forward in research on how commodity futures prices are formed. Until recently, the academic and policy debate about futures price formation has been locked in an acrimonious and polarized standoff between market fundamentalists, who insist all price moves reflect supplyand-demand fundamentals, and those writers who blame speculators for every rise in food and fuel prices. Anti-poverty campaigners focus on the role of speculation because they want governments to impose more controls

on the cost of food and fuel. Free market economists stress the role of fundamentals to deny governments any ammunition to meddle. Both positions are extreme and unconvincing. Now Xiaoli Etienne, Scott Irwin and Philip Garcia have published an innovative paper examining the evidence for temporary price bubbles in markets where prices are otherwise driven by fundamental factors. According to the authors, futures prices for grains, livestock and soft commodities like sugar have all exhibited multiple bubbles over the last four decades, with bubbles more common in the 1970s and again in the 2000s than during the 1980s and 1990s. Bubbles pre-date the rising popularity of indexing strate-

gies and the “financialization” of commodity markets. There is no evidence bubbles have become more frequent or larger following the entry of more financial investors into commodity futures markets since 2005. “Bubbles existed long before commodity index traders arrived and the process of commodity market financialization started,” according to a paper on “Bubbles in Food Commodity Markets: Four Decades of Evidence” presented at an IMF seminar in Washington on March 21. In fact most of the biggest and long-lasting bubbles occurred in 1971-76. Financialization may have ensured bubble-like price movements are now smaller and reverse more quickly. “Compared to the post-2000 years, speculators and irration-

al traders (may have) played a greater role influencing prices in the 1970s because markets were less actively traded. The arrival of new traders in recent years, coupled with a dramatic increase in trading volumes, has increased market liquidity, apparently reducing the frequency of bubbles,” the authors write. The authors speculate bubbles may be driven by herding behaviour, momentum trading or other “noise traders.” “One possible explanation may be that markets are sometimes driven by herd behaviour unrelated to economic realities... As markets overreact to new information, commodity prices may thus show excess volatility and become explosive. “It may also be that there are many positive feedback trad-

ers in the market who buy more when the price shows an upward trend and sell in the opposite situation. When there are too many feedback traders for the markets to absorb, speculative bubbles can occur in which expectations of higher future prices support high current prices. “It may be fads, herding behaviour, feedback trading, or other noise traders that have long plagued futures markets were highly influential in recent price behaviour. Recent empirical evidence does suggest that herding behaviour exists in futures markets among hedge funds and floor participants.” The paper concludes with an appeal for more research to identify the source of bubblelike price behaviour.

Off the front

April 29, 2013 • Albertafarmexpress.ca

BEES } from page 1 include nosema spore and varroa mite counts, deformed wing virus, tracheal mite detection, EFB and AFB detection, antibiotic resistance determination, and virus detection. The lab will also create a database on incidence of bacteria, fungi, mites, and viruses that affect honeybees and identify “hot spots” of infestations. But the biggest issue for bee-

ALMA } from page 1 keepers is colony collapse disorder. Since 2006, honeybee mortality has been increasing worldwide, with Canadian beekeepers reporting overwintering losses averaging about 30 per cent for the last five years — double previous levels. This has triggered a worldwide search for causes, said Castillo, adding he hopes work at his lab will eventually

shed light on whether the losses are due to a surge of pathogens or perhaps environmental factors such as climate change, pollution or pesticides. Castillo, a native of Peru, completed a four-year international honeybee research project at Simon Fraser University before taking up his new post. The Peace Country is home to the greatest density of honeybee

Research at the new Bee Diagnostic Centre will focus on the recent rise in honeybee mortality. photo: thinkstock

“This is the first of its kind designed and outfitted exclusively for honeybee research.” Carlos Castillo NBDC applied scientist manager

colonies in the province, and bee research has been ongoing at the federal Beaverlodge Research Farm since 1992. “This is a national facility (that) will serve not only the local beekeeping industry, but beekeepers throughout Canada,” said Don Gnatiuk, president of Grande Prairie Regional College. “This opens the door to enormous potential for the future, including applied research in support of industry.” The lab is expected to perform approximately 1,500 diagnostic services each year for beekeepers and other clients.

ALMA CEO Gordon Cove hopes the budget cut is a one-time hit. back,” he said. “It’s a one-time hit.” Three staff positions were also cut. ALMA only employed 30 people. “That’s significant for us,” he said. Cove said ALMA will continue “full speed ahead” but will be more selective of what projects it decides to fund. Opposition parties’ agriculture critics all said ALMA does good work in research and supporting the livestock industry. Liberal MLA and agriculture critic, David Swann and his NDP counterpart David Eggen both called the $8-million cut “short sighted.” “That’s pretty dramatic and pretty serious for an industry that’s already struggling with market share,” Swann said. He said whether or not ALMA’s funds are restored in future budgets depends on the oil and gas sector, which he said the provincial coffers are too dependent on. “I think it sends a message that they’re not serious about supporting the industry,” Eggen said. He added that Alberta needs to diversify its economy and taking away money from supporting the livestock industry is counterproductive. Ian Donovan, the Wildrose and opposition agriculture critic, said whether it’s research or things like post-secondary schools, investment in the future is important. “I hope it’s just a one-year blip on it. From what I’ve been seeing (ALMA’s) been doing some good work,” Donovan said. victoria.paterson@fbcpublsihing.com

Brief New website devoted to century farm award

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Alberta Agriculture has developed a new website that recognizes the 1,400-plus farms that have received the Alberta Century Farm & Ranch Award, which salutes families who have owned and operated the same land for a minimum of 100 years. The site includes program information and a search feature by year awarded, municipality, community or family name. Currently, recipients from 2010 to 2013 are available, and further new and historic recipients will be included as they become available. www.agric.gov.ab.ca/ app68/centuryfarm

ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • APRIL 29, 2013

Beef grading agency dealing with several key issues Declining slaughter numbers, regulatory bottlenecks, and using X-ray technology to assess carcasses are among issues faced by the Canadian Beef Grading Agency BY CINDY DELALOYE

… only one plant has embraced the use of technology as a grading tool.

CBGA GENERAL MANAGER / CALGARY

decline in the number of slaughter animals leads to a decline in the number of graded animals, which typically results in plant closures and belt tightening. Such was the situation for the beef industry and grading in Canada in 2012. This scenario has been a bit unnerving for the selfemployed graders contracted by the Canadian Beef Grading Agency (CBGA), who paid on a piecework basis. According to 2012 data from federally inspected facilities in Canada, the CBGA graded 2.53 million head — a drop of 11 per cent from the five-year average from 2006 to 2010 of 2.85 million head. Unless our cow herd suddenly explodes and we retain and process more fed slaughter in Canada, this decrease will continue in 2013.

On the regulatory front

Accompanying the new Safe Food for Canadians Act, which received royal assent in 2012, is an extremely ambitious Canadian Food Inspection Agency agenda to modernize all the food regulations. This initiative generated proposals from the CBGA to facilitate the modernization of the Livestock and Poultry Carcass Grading Regulations. CBGA’s investigation of opportunities began with the development of an “options” discussion document on the future of these regulations. One proposed option received resounding support from

industry: A proposal for a simplified regulatory framework and a separate industry grade standards document. The ultimate benefit of this option would be to provide more responsiveness and industry input into any amendment of the standards. An example of the current lack of responsiveness is the joint industry proposal in 2011 to adopt U.S. yield classes and accompanying methodology. The minister of agriculture’s response was that any amendment must go through the established process involving the collection of information on the proposed amendment, the publication of a regulatory impact analysis statement, an opportunity for industry comment, and after the assessment of the comments, if positive, final publication and regulation. Unfortunately, no activity on amending the regulations has taken place to date. CBGA has no illusions about the position of

April 30: Young Farm Worker Safety Training Course, Olds College 8:30 am, Olds. Call: Henry 403-507-7912 May 2: Agriculture Employment Fair, 6325 Gateway Blvd 1:00 pm, Edmonton. Call: Jodi 780-644-5379 May 3/4: Bee-ginners Beekeeping Short Course, Agriculture Building, Airdrie. Call: AGINFO 800-387-6030 May 28/29: Alberta Milk Next Generation Forum, Sheraton Capri, Red Deer. Call: Karlee 780-5773305

do the five USDA yield classes and their accompanying 50-year-old algorithm reflect value any better? Perhaps the ALMA/BCRC project for measuring the Canadian Beef Advantage will reveal the truth. Unfortunately, that project is not scheduled to wrap up until 2015, so if the request to change the yield classes is addressed, industry may be putting the cart before the horse.

Measuring the Canadian Beef Advantage

Platform technology for rapid non– invasive carcass fat and lean predictions in beef carcasses is under development. This project, with CBGA as the figurehead project lead, is an assessment of lean yield in carcasses through X-ray technology. The objective is to ensure that yield equations reflect actual carcass value. If this technology is successful in measuring yield without complete dissection, as has been required

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Canadian Beef Grading Agency. www.beefgradingagency.ca

Trait Stewardship Responsibilities

WHAT’S UP Send agriculture-related meeting and event announcements to: will. verboven@fbcpublishing.com

grading on the industry priority totem pole — it is very far from the limelight as the industry’s focus is on health and safety, animal care, and sustainability. However, grading is the preferred method for carcass settlement and it is critical to keep that method in synchronization with the value of a carcass in the marketplace. However, the government’s reluctance to take action to address the request to change yield assessment in Canada may be a blessing in disguise. The perspective at the time of submission of the industry request was based on trade with the U.S. and opportunities for greater market value based on the Canadian Beef Advantage. Recent number crunching has come up with conflicting results and a second perspective. The industry will ultimately be the judge of which yield avenue to pursue. Despite the inadequacies of the current three Canadian yield classes in identifying true value,

in the past, it will be of enormous value to industry to ensure yield assessment methods keep pace with the influence of management and genetics on carcass yield. The majority of funding for this project has come from ALMA but it is also supported by BCRC and in-kind contributions from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. Despite all the time, money and effort that have gone into the development of technology to facilitate or perhaps eventually replace graders, only one plant has embraced the use of technology as a grading tool. JBS Food Canada Inc., at Brooks, Alta., continues to maintain the requirements to use the e + v technology as a grading tool. Once a carcass has been assessed by a grader to meet the minimum characteristics for Canada A and higher grades, technology is used for marbling and yield assessment. All other plants in Canada still use the human grader for assessment of the marbling and yield.

June 13: Alta Sheep Breeders Association Barn Burner, Cow Palace 7:30 am, Olds. Call: Rod 403-843-3032 June 20: UCVM Beef Conference 2013, Coast Plaza Hotel, Calgary. Call: Brenda 403-210-7309 July 10: 2013 International livestock Congress, Deerfoot Inn, Calgary. Call: Chantelle 403-6868407 July 19/20: 2013 World Plowing Championship, Olds College, Olds. Call: Kerry 403-556-4762

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

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NEWS » Markets }Dry Down Under

APRIL 29, 2013 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

Australians plant into dry soil

China corn planting delayed

Drought concerns are mounting in Australia’s eastern Grain Belt. The market in Australia has already started building a weather premium into new-crop wheat prices as farmers plant grain in dry soil in New South Wales and Victoria, parts of which have seen little rainfall over the past months. “We have some real issues in Australia at the moment as quite a few producers are saying that they are not going to plant anything now as they don’t have subsoil moisture,” said Ole Houe, an analyst with IKON Commodities. “There are cracks on the ground.” But many farmers are proceeding with seeding and gambling the rains will come. — Reuters

Wet weather is delaying seeding in China’s northeast Corn Belt while dryness is threatening emergence in parts of the northwest. A lower corn output in China, the world’s second-largest consumer of the grain, may further boost its imports which are forecast to hit a record high in the 2013-14 marketing year. Heavy rains and snow since October have flooded some cornfields in China’s northeast, including the country’s top corn-growing region Heilongjiang, which is also suffering from lingering low temperatures. — Reuters

New-crop concerns loom large over old-crop canola Assuming the numbers are accurate, we can’t keep up this pace of crushing and exporting

PHOTo: thinkstock By Phil Franz-Warkentin

CE Futures Canada canola contracts moved higher during the week ended April 19, with the largest gains coming in the old-crop months. Those gains nearby may be tied to the tightening supplies in Western Canada, but have as much to do with new-crop perceptions as anything else. Nobody is writing the crop off just yet, as farmers will make short work of spring seeding given the chance, but the slow spring melt will push the start date back in many areas. The later the seed is in the ground, the later it will be harvested in the fall. With exporters and domestic crushers already expected to be scraping the bottom of the barrel this year, the likelihood of a longer wait before new-crop canola hits the pipeline is heightening the need to ration what there is available. Provided the Statistics Canada production numbers for last year are at least semi-accurate, the current pace

of exports and domestic crush cannot possibly be maintained. Even if actual production was a couple of hundred thousand tonnes larger (as some industry participants have theorized), it will take considerably more than whatever fell through the cracks to meet the current demand. This tightening supply situation should keep nearby prices well supported heading into the summer. However, the interconnected nature of the wider markets means losses in soybeans or other broader economic issues could still cause canola prices to decline — just at a slower rate than everything else. On the charts, old-crop July canola finished the week at its highest levels since September, while new-crop November was more range-bound and barely at its highs for the month. Statistics Canada was to release its first official acreage estimates of the year on April 24. Any numbers will be quickly second-guessed due to weather issues that have popped up since the survey was conducted, but the secondguessing should provide some fodder

off of which the new-crop contracts may trade.

Corn-soy battle

Weather issues are also a factor in U.S. grains and oilseeds, but the impact of the late spring melt is a little more mixed south of the border. In the U.S., the annual battle for acres pitting corn against soybeans will be a contributing factor moving the futures over the next few weeks. Corn needs a longer growing season and is typically planted first. If it’s too wet for too long, some of that area originally intended for corn might end up with soybeans instead. While other issues, such as seed supply, will limit any acreage shifts, the idea is enough to be bullish for corn but bearish for soybeans. Over the past week, new-crop soybean prices moved lower while the front months posted small gains on the back of the tight supply situation. In corn, values were down across the board, but the larger losses were nearby. Wheat futures in Chicago bounced around within a narrow

range, but ended lower overall. Wheat in Kansas City was also lower, but spring wheat in Minneapolis managed to move higher, with adverse planting conditions in northern-tier U.S. states behind some of that strength. The advancing South American soybean and corn harvests are starting to take some of the heat off the tight U.S. supply situation, but logistics issues in Brazil should keep some export interest in the U.S. until soybeans start flowing more freely from the region. Overhanging all agricultural markets are persistent global economic issues. The Canadian currency dropped by over a penny relative to its U.S. counterpart over the week, which was relatively supportive for canola. However, that economic uncertainty which weighed on the currency does not bode well for end-user demand in the long run. Phil Franz-Warkentin writes for Commodity News Service Canada, a Winnipeg company specializing in grain and commodity market reporting.

ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • APRIL 29, 2013

CGC chief defends wheat registration, quality control process Elwin Hermanson says the commission is open to changes, but he rejects suggestions that it isn’t working By Allan Dawson co-operator staff

he wheat registration system combined with Canadian Grain Commission (CGC) oversight is the foundation for Canada’s wheat quality assurance system, says chief commissioner Elwin Hermanson. “We think that our system is a cornerstone to ensure consistent quality,” he told the Canada Grains Council’s annual meeting in Winnipeg April 2. “It’s important to our customers that the wheat that comes out of the Canadian spout in their country is consistent year after year. In other words, it’s always going to perform the same. Whether they blend it with other products they want Canadian wheat to be a reliable product.” That helps farmers by maintaining markets and avoiding trial and error when assessing new varieties, Hermanson added later in an interview.

to perform well enough, Hermanson said. “So if somebody says the Americans don’t do anything to maintain a grain quality assurance system and we’re playing in a game that no one else is competing with us, that’s not the truth,” he said. “Other countries that export are spending a great deal of effort and resources to maintain a grain quality system.” Australia has a wheat class system similar to Canada’s. New wheats are placed in the appropriate class based on its end-use quality. The Canadian National Millers Association (CNMA) also defends the current system. “CNMA holds the current variety evaluation and registration

system in high regard,” its president Gordon Harrison wrote in an op-ed last year. It’s largely because the process, which association members participate in, results in commercializing wheat and other cereals Canadian millers want. “Let us ensure that new varieties continue to respond to market demand and let us be clear, that CNMA in no way wishes to stand in the way of Canadian producer efforts to respond to global demand and opportunities,” Harrison wrote. “Canada’s current variety evaluation and registration system has ample scope for adaptation, and we look forward to being part of this evolution.” allan@fbcpublishing.com

The wheat variety registration system and the Canadian Grain Commission play an important role in assuring Canadian wheat quality says Elwin Hermanson, chief commissioner of the Canadian Grain Commission. PHOTo: allan dawson

2013 53rd 53rrd ANNUAL CPRA & PRCA APPROVED

“We’re concerned if someone just wants to throw it all out and think that a good grain quality assurance system is not necessary.”

WORLD AND CANADIAN CHAMPIONS WILL BE COMPETING

Elwin Hermanson

“We’re not stuck on the status quo,” he said. “They need to be reasoned changes with broad industry support. That’s the way we’ve made changes in the past and it works for us. “We’re concerned if someone just wants to throw it all out and think that a good grain quality assurance system is not necessary. We think it is very important.” In February, Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz asked the chairs of the committees who recommend whether new varieties should be registered or not to consider ways to streamline the process to give farmers faster access to improved varieties. The Western Canadian Wheat Growers Association (WCWGA) proposes seed developers alone decide which new varieties to register and commercialize, dropping the current requirement that new wheats meet certain agronomic, disease tolerance and end-use standards. New wheats would still be tested for quality and placed in the appropriate class, while agronomy and disease tolerance would be tested on a voluntary basis. Hermanson said it is incorrect to suggest the U.S. doesn’t have grades and grading factors. The United States Department of Agriculture accesses 8,000 samples from wheat breeders a year for quality at one of its laboratories, he said. Only one in 1,000 goes on to be grown commercially because they fail

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APRIL 29, 2013 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

Road ban season is upon us Different road ban systems work for different jurisdictions BY VICTORIA PATERSON AF STAFF/CALGARY

pring — the time when so may things return — warm weather, birds, flowers, thoughts of love, and of course, road bans. That’s the common term for restricting heavy vehicles from damaging roads as the frost comes out of the ground, but there isn’t a common system of applying the bans across the province. Both the province and municipalities set bans on the roads within their jurisdiction. Trent Bancarz, a spokesperson for Alberta Transportation, said the practice has been in place since the mid-1900s. The bans are most often imposed during the spring thaw, but can be put into place any time of year if conditions warrant it. Bancarz said newer roads often do not need the bans, but they are still needed to limit damage on older roads. He said that when the province inherited secondary highway responsibilities from the municipalities, they “got a bit of a hodgepodge.” Provincial road bans are often put in depending on weather conditions, but are usually physically inspected before the ban comes out, Bancarz said. Many factors go into the decision, including how the road was built and the material it’s made from. Bancarz said the ban is not just to protect the road from damage, but also to protect people from having their vehicles damaged or getting stuck. “I would hope people would be motivated to want a good road to drive on,” he said.

“I would hope people would be motivated to want a good road to drive on.” TRENT BANCARZ

Some municipal districts mirror the province in implementation and timing, while others have developed different ways to protect vulnerable roads. The County of Lethbridge introduced umbrella road ban practices covering most county roads about four years ago, said chief administrative officer Dennis Shigematsu. Previously they would put bans on non-truck standard roads but now most roads in the county are covered by the ban. Shigematsu said the country tries and gives agricultural operators a warning that road bans are about to go into place to give them time to haul first. “There are tickets given out and now that we’ve had the procedure in place for three or four years the ag community’s being co-operative,” Shigematsu said. “There’s a real symbiotic relationship required here.” Many of the roads in the county weren’t designed to handle heavy weight, having been built in the 1950s and 1960s, he said. They can be reconstructed to current standards, but the county is concentrating on reconditioning

Road bans are to protect roads and the vehicles that drive on them.

PHOTO: THINKSTOCK

roads instead because it’s more cost effective, Shigematsu said. Those reconditioned roads will still need to be protected by bans.

As necessary

In Smoky Lake County, road bans are only implemented if necessary. Otherwise, the county relies on communication with haulers to avoid damage to the roads. “We try to avoid road bans whenever possible. In order to do that we require the co-operation of our farmers and our industrial haulers, et cetera, to communicate with the county when they anticipate very large loads or a lot of loads,” said chief administrative officer Cory Ollikka. He said the county avoids road bans because it’s more cost effective to be proactive than it is to pursue active enforcement. Those needing to haul heavy loads will be granted permission, if possible, to haul in the early mornings or late at night when the frost is still in the ground. Ollikka said if there is no frost, and the hauler has to use the road, they can enter into a road-use agreement that will hold the user accountable for any damage. Ollikka said he thinks road bans were more common a decade ago, but as oil and gas activity picked up, enforcement became difficult and this newer system evolved. The County of Stettler’s system is similar to the province’s, with most roads being covered by a ban depending on area conditions. Terry Best, a community peace officer for the county, said bans have been in place as long as he’s been in the area, about 20 years. “Most of the county roads, certainly the ones that are gravel and within the boundaries of the county, are subject most times at this time of year to a 75 per cent weight restriction,” Best said. Some particularly fragile roads have a weight restriction year round. Provincial road bans are posted online or can be accessed by calling 1-855-ROAD-BAN. Many municipal districts post their bans online as well. victoria.paterson@fbcpublishing.com

19456-04rev DAS_Simplicity 13.167X9.indd 1

ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • APRIL 29, 2013

China readies to fight new bird flu Neighbouring countries are stepping up vigilance at airports in a bid to keep a deadly bird flu strain from spreading SHANGHAI/HONG KONG / REUTERS

A market vendor places poultry into a plastic bag at a poultry market in Hefei, Anhui province. Chinese authorities reported a strain of bird flu previously unknown in humans that has already killed five. PHOTO: REUTERS

hinese authorities slaughtered over 20,000 birds at a poultry market in Shanghai April 5 as the death toll from a new strain of bird flu mounted to six, spreading concern overseas and sparking a sell-off in airline shares in Europe and Hong Kong. The local government in Shanghai said the Huhuai market for live birds had been shut down and 20,536 birds had been culled after authorities detected the H7N9 virus from samples of pigeons in the market. Other live poultry markets in the city have also been closed. The total number of reported infections nationwide was reported to be 18 as of April 7. At least four of the dead are in Shanghai, a city of 23 million people and the showpiece of China’s vibrant economy. Shanghai authorities stressed the H7N9 virus remained responsive to the drug Tamiflu and those who were diagnosed early could be cured. “We currently have enough reserves of Tamiflu to meet with the current outbreak,” Wu Fan, director of the Shanghai Center for Disease Control & Prevention, told a news conference. Tamiflu is made by Roche Holding AG. Airline shares tumbled in European markets on fears the outbreak could become widespread. In Shanghai, the rising death toll prompted some residents to stay away from markets with live chickens and ducks. “I’m only getting my groceries at the large supermarkets now because I don’t think it is safe to visit the wet markets anymore,” said 38-year-old Shao Linxia, adding she had also stopped buying poultry since news of the bird flu surfaced.

Shadow of SARS

The 2002-03 epidemic of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) started in China and killed about one-tenth of the 8,000 it infected. Still, there were few signs of panic in Shanghai with shops remaining open, and the strain does not appear to be transmitted from human to human. “We have 14 cases in a large geographical area, we have no sign of any epidemiological linkage between the confirmed cases and we have no sign of sustained human-to-human transmission,” said World Health Organization spokesman Gregory Hartl

SuccESS in whEAt,

STaRTS WITh A SimplE FounDAtion.

before the two new cases were confirmed. But Hong Kong authorities were taking extra precautions. Additional staff would be deployed at immigration points to make random temperature checks of visitors in addition to the infrared full-body scanners already in place, Ko Wing-man, Hong Kong’s food and health secretary, told reporters. Vietnam banned imports of Chinese poultry. In Japan, airports have put up posters at entry points warning all passengers from China to seek medical attention if they have flu-like symptoms. In the United States, the White House said it was monitoring the situation and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said it had started work on a vaccine if it was needed. It would take five to six months to begin commercial production.

Analyzing samples

The virus has been shared with WHO collaborating centres in Atlanta, Beijing, London, Melbourne and Tokyo, and these groups are analyzing samples to identify the best candidate to be used for the manufacture of vaccine — if it becomes necessary. Any decision to mass produce vaccines against H7N9 flu will not be taken lightly, since it will mean sacrificing production of seasonal shots. That could mean shortages of vaccine against the normal seasonal flu which, while not serious for most people, still costs thousands of lives. Sanofi Pasteur, the world’s largest flu vaccine manufacturer, said it was in continuous contact with the WHO through the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Associations (IFPMA), but it was too soon to know the significance of the Chinese cases. Other leading flu vaccine makers include GlaxoSmithKline and Novartis. Preliminary test results suggest the new flu strain responds to treatment with Roche’s Tamiflu and GSK’s Relenza, according to the WHO. Experts said more needed to be done to determine the level of risk from the bird flu strain. “H7s are viruses that mutate often so it could disappear as a result of mutation or it could become much more aggressive, so it is important to study every one of the viruses that we isolate in humans and in animals,” Alex Thiermann, special adviser to the World Animal Health Organization’s (OIE) director general, told Reuters.

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4/10/13 10:51 AM

The latest Farm Credit Canada (FCC) Farmland Values Report says the average value of farmland in Alberta increased by 7.2 per cent during the second half of 2012. Alberta farmland values increased by 5.7 per cent and 4.5 per cent during the two previous six-month reporting periods. The average value of Canadian farmland increased by

10.0 per cent during the last six months of 2012. This followed gains of 8.6 per cent and 6.9 per cent in the previous two reporting periods.

PHOTO: THINKSTOCK

APRIL 29, 2013 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

Alberta’s spring run-off not likely to cause flooding woes, but rain always a danger Prepare a flood plan for your farm just in case: emergency program manager By Victoria Paterson af staff/calgary

PHOTo: thinkstock

he risk of flooding in Alberta this spring due to run-off is minimal, but there is still a risk from heavy rains, say Alberta government officials. Renee Hackney, a public affairs officer with Alberta Environment and Sustainable Resource Development, said a recent forecast shows there’s no specific flooding concerns due to run-off from the snowpack at this time. “The snowpacks on the mountains are currently around average. They’re pretty normal,” Hackney said. “There’s nothing of concern right now, other than seepage which is pretty normal.”

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Most flooding in Alberta is driven by rainfall, she said, which can only be forecasted a few days in advance. “So far this year we’re looking good.” The snowpack north of Drumheller is currently higher than average. However, Hackney pointed out in other areas of the province the ground is almost bare. She said her department does monitor river levels and contacts municipalities if they see a potential problem, as well as posting advisories on its website. Brad Andres, emergency program manager for Alberta Agriculture, said that website, as well as the Alberta Emergency Alert site, are two resources to watch if there’s a flooding concern. Andres said spring run-off is normally not much of a problem in Alberta, unlike Saskatchewan and Manitoba. However, he suggested those who live near creeks, rivers or streams keep an eye on the water, especially during ice breakup. He said everyone should have a plan on how to deal with potential flooding. “Pay special attention to animal housing and where they’re housed,” Andres said. He said to have a plan to move the livestock to higher ground, including a way to get food and water to them. “You don’t want them drinking the flood water in case of whatever contamination happens up stream,” he said. Operations that can’t move their animals, such as poultry or hog farms, should figure out how to protect their livestock in case of a flood. Andres said options could include trucking them to a neighbour’s place, or building a dike around the barn. “That’s really an individual farm thing,” he said. He reminded farmers if they’re planning on moving their animals in a flood to have an upto-date inventory and list of IDs. Other things to look for when coming up with a plan to address flooding issues are fuel and chemical storage. Andres said to make sure storage is either flood resistant or up high enough it won’t be affected. For crop farmers, the main danger from flooding is soil contamination. Andres suggested if a flood does occur, affected crop farmers get a specialist to explain how to check for contamination. “Everybody’s at risk for one of the monster downpours dumping in their yard,” Andres said, noting the worst rainfalls tend to happen in late April or early May. Rainfall flooding means contamination of crops is likely to come from your own property instead of up stream. While Andres recommends every farm have a plan to deal with flooding, he does suggest only putting as much time into it as there is risk. For instance, if your property is more likely to be hit by forest fires, focus on that danger. Practicality is necessary when coming up with a flood-emergency scheme. “Do the things that make common sense. Each farm’s going to be a little different,” Andres said. victoria.paterson@fbcpublishing.com

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ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • APRIL 29, 2013

U.S. WINTER WHEAT CROP HIT BY FREEZE

Don’t take scald rust resistance for granted BY ALEXIS KIENLEN AF STAFF / LACOMBE

arley growers shouldn’t take scald resistance for granted, says an Alberta Agriculture cereal pathologist. “Pathogens can overcome the varieties and different varieties may differ in background against a particular disease,” Kequan Xi said at the recent Cereal Disease Conference. “You rotate the varieties and the genetic background so this can make varieties last longer and hold up with high disease pressure and pathogen variation.” Researchers have been testing plots and nurseries in Edmonton and Lacombe for scald and net blotch (which often shows up when the former is present), as well as wheat stripe rusts. They’ve found a huge variation in resistance among different cereal varieties, said Xi. Jackson, Harrington and Argyle have good resistance to scald, and AC Metcalfe is rated low for scald susceptibility — but other commercial barley varieties lack resistance, he said. “The bad ones include CDC Earl, CDC McGuire, CDC Radiant and AC Lacombe,” said Xi. “These

lines were not bad when they were released, but after several years, they’ve become susceptible.” Ten years ago, researchers tested four varieties of barley (AC Metcalfe, CDC Dolly, Harrington and Seebee) and found both scald and net blotch and their disease resistance are affected by seeding dates. Varieties seeded in early May showed high levels of scald, but levels were quite low when seeding was done in midMay. Seeding dates did not seem to have quite as much of an effect on net blotch levels. Xi recommends producers use Alberta’s seed guide to find cultivars that are resistant to both scald and net blotch. Barley and wheat stripe rust pathogens are present in the central part of the province. The pathogen for wheat stripe rust affects both wheat and triticale, while barley stripe rust affects only barley. Researchers have also found a hybrid stripe rust with DNA that appears to have barley and wheat stripe rust pathogens. It attacks all three crops, especially winter wheat. Stripe rust was first found in Alberta a decade ago, and is becoming more common in central Alberta and around Lethbridge. Pockets of stripe rust have been found around

*Source: Independent feeding trial conducted at the Lethbridge Research Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC), Lethbridge, Alberta (2009-2010).

Cereal pathologist Kequan Xi says producers should choose resistant lines and rotate varieties

Kequan Xi, cereal pathologist with Alberta Agriculture PHOTO: ALEXIS KIENLEN Edmonton, but the disease hasn’t migrated north of there yet. “We did see lots of severe infection, especially on the wheat side,” said Xi. Stripe rust spores can overwinter in winter wheat or volunteer weeds or on old leaves, infecting next spring’s seedlings. Infection rates are influenced by a cereal variety’s resistance and environmental conditions. In one experiment, Xi and his team seeded several varieties of spring wheat and spring barley near winter wheat and spring wheat fields. By the end of season, the spring wheat had a high level of stripe rust, especially when seeded close to winter wheat. This led the scientists to believe stripe rust survives on winter

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U.S. wheat farmers are expected to write off portions of their winter wheat acreage after a recent freeze in key growing areas struck fields already suffering from drought, wheat experts said April 5.“We’ve got a significant amount of damage out there,” Travis Miller, agronomist with Texas A&M University, said in an interview. A plunge in temperatures in late March in parts of Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas damaged an as-yet-unknown portion of the new hard red winter wheat crop, delivering another blow to farmers whose fields were already suffering from an extended drought. — Reuters

Researchers have found a wide variation in scald resistance among different cereal varieties. PHOTO: L.J. DUCZEK/AARD wheat, causing early infections in spring. Producers can manage stripe rust by applying fungicides, said Xi. The effectiveness of a fungicide is dependent on the dis-

ease severity, the interval between application and disease emergence, cultivar resistance and application timing. akienlen@fbcpublishing.com

8.9% % 13-01-10 4:35 PM

APRIL 29, 2013 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

NEWS

A REAL HANDS-ON DEMONSTRATION

Arysta launches broadleaf/grass/ burn-down combo Arysta LifeScience has launched Inferno Duo Herbicide for spring wheat growers in Canada. Arysta says it combines the enhanced broadleaf activity of tribenuron (the same active ingredient in Express SG) with broadleaf and longer-lasting soil activity on grasses of flucarbazone. Inferno Duo also provides widespectrum burn-down when mixed with glyphosate. “Together with glyphosate, Inferno Duo will get tough weeds like dandelion, hawk’s beard, foxtail barley and Roundup Ready canola while adding extended control of wild oats and green foxtail,” Arysta’s Craig Brekkas said in a release. Inferno Duo can be applied up to one week prior to planting, or immediately after planting prior to crop emergence in spring wheat (excluding durum wheat). It is rainfast in one hour. Arysta says not to apply more than 15 g/ha of flucarbazone sodium herbicide, the equivalent of one application, or 31.5 g/ha of Inferno Duo pre-plant or post-plant pre-emergence per growing season. Four pouches in one package (1,018 g) treats 80 acres. Recommended water volume is 50-100 l/ ha (five -10 gal./ac.) for ground application.

Attendees get a demonstration on cow-milking techniques during Aggie Days at the Calgary Stampede grounds. Aggie Days aims to educate urban youth about farming. PHOTO: VICTORIA PATERSON

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Drought conditions retreat slightly in U.S. Plains

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REUTERS / Drought conditions are retreating slowly in the U.S. Plains, according to a report issued April 4 by a consortium of state and federal climatologists. The “Drought Monitor” report, which tracks the U.S. land area stricken by drought on a weekly basis, said the Plains, which has been the hardest hit by the ongoing drought, was seeing improvement thanks to recent rains and snow. Drought Monitor has reported a slow retreat of drought conditions since February due to snowfall and rainshowers. The improving conditions are closely monitored by agricultural experts as winter wheat crops are emerging after being planted last fall, and farmers are preparing to plant spring crops like corn and soybeans. But while conditions improved in Nebraska, Kansas and Oklahoma, drought grew worse in Texas, where nearly 44 per cent of the state is now in at least severe drought, the report said.

Albertafarmexpress.ca • April 29, 2013

Off-label glyphosate applications costly The injury is often unnoticeable but yields are reduced and so is revenue By Allan Dawson staff

armers are increasingly going “off label” applying higher rates of glyphosate to their Roundup Ready canola at a later crop stage than recommended, a survey commissioned by Monsanto Canada reveals. As a result farmers are losing three bushels an acre, Monsanto Canada said in a recent new release citing its own research. “The symptoms of injury are very subtle and not easy to diagnose so most farmers probably don’t even realize there is a significant financial impact because their crop doesn’t show any obvious signs of injury,” David Kelner, Monsanto Canada’s canola technical lead said. “At today’s market value, losing three bushels per acre translates to a loss of roughly $40 per acre or more due to crop injury caused by spraying off label,” said Jesse

Hamonic, Monsanto Canada’s canola trait marketing lead. “Effective control of weeds is critical to producing a highyielding crop so we understand that farmers want to do a good job of managing their weeds. But they may not fully appreciate how spraying too much, or spraying outside the application window, can have a detrimental impact on yield, and ultimately their bottom line.”

Adverse weather

When farmers spray too late it’s usually because they couldn’t spray earlier due to adverse weather, Gary Martens, an agronomy instructor at the University of Manitoba said in an interview. “Farmers would really like to spray at the three- to four-leaf stage,” he said. “I would think they are pretty well informed by now that that is the best time but unfortunately perhaps the field is too wet and they can’t get on it or it is too windy and then it gets

behind. And then what do you do, eight percentage points from not spray? No, because then your 2011. yield loss will be more than three The survey also found 30 per bushels an acre. I think farmers cent of farmers sprayed after the are taking the best of two bad six-leaf stage, as well as spraying alternatives.” above label rates, up four perMartens isn’t quite sure why centage points from 2011 survey farmers are upping rates, as they results. have been raised for the new Genuity Roundup Ready canola. Price drop Some weeds, such as wild buck- Retail prices for glyphosate have wheat, are hard to control, he said. dropped significantly in recent “If you get it early and stick to years. While most farmers agree maximum label rate you should that’s a good thing, the price be able to control wild buck- decrease makes it more affordable wheat,” Martens said. “Farmers to spray higher rates of glyphosate may be wanting to control some on their Genuity Roundup Ready perennials. You could get some canola in an attempt to enhance affect on Canada thistle and on weed control, Monsanto Canada’s dandelion. The thing I would go release said. The recommended label rate with instead of raising my rate is make sure I have good spray cov- of a Roundup brand agricultural erage and that I’m contacting all herbicide applied to Genuity Roundup Ready canola is either the weeds I’m trying to kill.” An online survey of 1,700 farm- two applications of 0.33 litres an ers conducted last year by Stratus acre or one application of 0.5 litres Agri-Marketing Inc. for Monsanto an acre applied at the zero- to sixleaf stage. Canada shows 45 per cent of farmT:8.125” Farmers encounter bad weather ers sprayed above label rates, up

and tough-to-control weeds every year making spraying decisions difficult, Hamonic said. By sharing the survey results and Monsanto Canada’s field trial research, it’s hoped farmers will make better spraying decisions that put more dollars in their pockets, Monsanto Canada said. “Effective control of weeds is critical to producing a highyielding crop so we understand that farmers want to do a good job of managing their weeds,” Hamonic said. “But they may not fully appreciate how spraying too much, or spraying outside the application window, can have a detrimental impact on yield, and ultimately their bottom line.” Monsanto Canada wants farmers to spray within label recommendations. “It really is the best way to ensure an ideal growing experience with the Genuity Roundup Ready canola system,” he said. allan@fbcpublishing.com

China set to increase corn imports due to weather losses Stronger imports could push up Chicago corn prices By Niu Shuping and Fayen Wong beijing / reuters

T:10”

hina is likely to import a record volume of corn in the next marketing year, as the world’s second-largest consumer takes advantage of a fall in global prices and after the domestic crop suffered damage from mould and wet weather delayed plantings. Imports are expected to reach between six and seven million tonnes in the 2013-14 marketing year beginning Oct. 1, according to estimates by three major industry analysts, surpassing a previous record of 5.2 million tonnes in 2012-13. Stronger Chinese corn imports could push up U.S. futures, which have fallen since hitting a record high last summer due to a U.S. drought. Chicago Board of trade prices dropped to a nine-month low of $6.26-1/2 a bushel on April 5. “U.S. new crop prices are pretty cheap, which will trigger imports both by feed mills and state-owned firms,” said Li Qiang, a senior analyst at Shanghai JC Intelligence (JCI), a private consultancy. The estimated import volume accounts for less than four per cent of China’s overall consumption. Feed mills and corn processors consume about 17 million tonnes a month. Since February, China has already purchased 1.3 million tonnes of U.S. corn to be harvested after September and feed mills would continue buying, traders said.

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APRIL 29, 2013 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

Customer complaints about Canadian wheat quality need investigating They come at a time when some question Canada’s emphasis on wheat quality assurance and the registration system By Allan Dawson fbc staff

f there is good news in a recent wire service story that told the world some customers are complaining about Canadian wheat that wimped out in the bakery, it’s that complaints over quality are so rare they become news. Chinese officials complained this past winter, suggesting that a lack of processing consistency in the CWRS class might prompt them to switch to buying Dark Northern Spring (DNS) wheats from the United States, Canadian International Grains Institute (Cigi) executive director Earl Geddes told the Canada Grain Council’s annual meeting April 2 in Winnipeg. Geddes said the complaint itself is manageable. The bigger question is how well prepared the industry is to collectively fill the customer service and brand maintenance role once played by the Canadian Wheat Board. The concerns over Canada Western Red Spring wheat lacking dough strength have come to the forefront just as pressure is increasing from some quarters of the industry to further deregulate the quality control system. “If we address it properly... I don’t think that this is insurmountable in any way to the point that the Canadian wheat brand will lose its position,” Geddes said, noting that when customers report an issue, it’s often a matter of assisting them with adjustments in the baking processes to get the performance they need. At the same time, he noted Canadian exporters aren’t accustomed to addressing this side of the wheat-selling business. Some industry officials say CWRS dough strength has weakened in recent years because some of the most widely grown varieties such as Unity, Lillian and Harvest, have weaker gluten strength. All three have strong agronomic benefits such as midge resistance or higher yields making them popular with farmers and now dominate the CWRS class. One hypothesis is wetterthan-normal growing conditions the past two growing seasons reduced gluten strength even more. Another is that larger volumes of wheat from specific locations are loaded directly on ships rather than blended

at export terminals. As well, protein strength wheat typically becomes stronger in storage and the wheat in question hadn’t been stored for as long as is typical. “It could be a variety problem, it could be a collection issue — that we’re not collecting the way we used to,” said Elwin Hermanson, chief commissioner of the Canadian Grain Commission. “There are all kinds of things it could be but we need together as an industry to find the right solution — if there is a problem. “I don’t think there’s an irreparable problem, but I think we’re hearing some concerns expressed that we should take seriously,” Hermanson told reporters at the same meeting. Bakers want flour that bakes the same every batch. Inconsistency increases cost. Part of the Canadian wheat brand has been consistency. Some unexplained variability is showing up in this crop year’s CWRS wheat, Canadian National Millers Association president Gordon Harrison said in an interview on the meeting’s sidelines. He said the inconsistency is showing up in water absorption, which affects dough strength. There are ways to adjust the milling and baking processes to compensate when problems arise, but it’s better if wheat meets the customer’s needs in the first place, Geddes said. Canada’s reputation for having the best wheat in the world is the result of its variety development and registration system, overseen by the CGC, he said. Farmers and grain companies contribute by delivering varieties to the right class. “If you want to have that brand image that wheat has... as the best in the world, then you have to work at it and you have to commit to it,” Geddes said. “The industry needs to decide which markets it wants to be in and which ones make the most sense.” Some say Canada should focus on medium-quality wheat. Those markets are as far away as those who buy higher-quality milling wheat, Geddes said. When prices are comparable most customers will buy CWRS wheat over DNS. Canada can capture other wheat markets because of its wheat classes. Each class has a specific end use, Hermanson said. In the new open market, other classes will now get more attention, he added.

Employees prepare bread products in a small road-side bakery in Beijing. Wheat performance in baking can be influenced by a number of factors ranging from variety, environment, agronomic to time in storage. PHOTo: REUTERS/Reinhard Krause

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Canadian wheat is branded as the world’s best. It’s up to Canada’s grain industry if it wants to continue the brand, says Earl Geddes, executive director of the Canadian International Grains Institute. If it does the industry has to deliver what it’s promising. PHOTo: allan dawson 19452-07 DAS LiquidAchieve_13.167X9.indd 1

Albertafarmexpress.ca • April 29, 2013

U.S. forecasters wary of drought after missing 2012 surprise Meteorologists ignored atmospheric data that might have tipped them to the impending drought By Christine Stebbins chicago / reuters

he U.S. drought of 2012, the worst since the dust bowl years of the 1930s, sent world food prices to record highs. The long, dry summer cost the government a record $16 billion in crop insurance payments. The Mississippi River shrank in the heat, and barge traffic slowed to a trickle. And U.S. weather forecasters never saw it coming. That’s why this year, as spring planting begins, meteorologists are adjusting forecasting techniques, trying to learn from what went wrong last summer and using 2012 weather data for what they hope will be an improved early alert system. “The drought of 2012 was such a singularity, only repeated a few times in a century,” said Harvey Freese, a top private weather forecaster. “The temperature and precipitation departures were two

standard deviations from normal. The year 1934 did begin to show up in our analog comparisons of past years, but we probably only dared to think about the possibility.” Both forecasters and their customers say improvement is needed over what happened during the first half of 2012. “People are calling it a ‘flash drought’ because it developed so suddenly,” Siegfried Schubert, a senior research scientist for NASA said, recalling the dry season that started last winter, persisted through the spring and summer, and now continues in the western Corn Belt and southern U.S. Plains. “I don’t think there were any models that predicted that.” Well-established agricultural forecasting services like MDA EarthSat Weather, Commodity Weather Group, World Weather, Freese-Notis and others were caught by surprise. Commodity traders and grain analysts pay richly for forecasts that can be reliable as far as three months in advance, but none of the firms

An underdeveloped cob of corn sits in a field at Wisconsin dairy farm in Sept. 2012. Forecasters now admit they didn’t see one of the most devastating droughts to hit the U.S. coming. PHOTo: REUTERS/Darren Hauck gave advance notice of last year’s drought during the winter or early spring. Meteorologists rely on esoteric weather conditions to forecast long-term U.S. weather trends, such as the La Niña and El Niño phenomena tied to changes in southern Pacific Ocean sea surface temperatures. A year ago, weather forecasters said the second-strongest La Niña in history faded in the winter of 2012 when sea surface temperatures began to warm.

Ignored data

Meteorologists took that as a sign that the U.S. Crop Belt should experience a fairly normal growing season. But they ignored atmospheric data that might have tipped them to the impending drought. “Even though the oceans were acting like they were not in La Niña anymore, the atmosphere was acting like we were,” said Joel Widenor, agricultural director for Commodity Weather Group. “Unfortunately, we didn’t pay attention to that soon enough to adjust our forecast last spring. It’s something we’re watching this year. We think it was a pretty big factor last year.” Widenor calls it the “GLAAM” factor. He has tweaked his forecasting techniques for this season using the global atmospheric angular momentum (GLAAM), an atmospheric index that measures the spinning of the Earth and its effect on weather. Hoping to catch signs of a drought earlier, he also is watching the weekly U.S. Drought Monitor, which tracks soil moisture, as well as water temperatures in the north Pacific Ocean, off the coast

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of Baja, California, and the northwest Atlantic Ocean. EarthSat’s senior meteorologist Don Keeney said his firm is studying previous big drought years and comparing them with current patterns, looking for any sign that drought-prone conditions will continue.

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But meteorologists as well as climatologists who study climate — the interaction of the sun, the atmosphere and the Earth — readily admit 2013 will be another tricky year to predict. La Niña and El Niño patterns this winter have been “neutral.” It boils down to educated guesswork, for1ecasters say. Or hunches based on years of experience. Iowa State University climatologist Elwynn Taylor in March 2012 looked at the La Niña trends and updated his prediction for a major drought to a 50-50 probability from 30-50. This year, Taylor says, the western Midwest is set up for another hot, dry summer, citing La Niña history. He says rockhard soils several feet below the surface are another flag the droughty conditions could continue this season. Taylor’s outlook aligns with recent comments from Nebraska state climatologist Al Dutcher, who says the cornhusker state’s 10-million-acre corn crop stands or falls on irrigation as well as rain. In fact, most weather forecasting models, including the U.S. government’s, are now leaning toward a hot, dry summer for the U.S. Crop Belt, especially west of the Mississippi River.

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APRIL 29, 2013 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

The language of meat is changing in a bid to boost consumer appeal There are new names being applied to more than 350 cuts of beef, pork By P.J. Huffstutter chicago / reuters

Under new U.S. meat identification standards, the lowly pork chop is no longer. It is now a porterhouse chop, rib-eye chop or New York chop. PHOTo: thinkstock

BQ fans, brace yourselves: “Pork butt” will soon be a thing of the past. In an effort to boost sales just ahead of the U.S. grilling season, and make shopping at the meat counter a bit easier, the pork and beef industries are retooling more than 350 names of meat cuts to give them more sizzle and consumer appeal. The revised nomenclature emerged after two years of consumer research, which found that the labels on packages of fresh cuts of pork and beef are confusing to shoppers, said Patrick Fleming, director of retail marketing for trade group National Pork Board. A stroll down the meat aisle had become baffling for shoppers look-

CHALLENGING YEAR AHEAD FOR VOLUNTEER CANOLA

DuPont™ Express® brand herbicides can help! For a while, last year’s prairie canola crop had the look of a recordsetter. For many growers, however, it didn’t happen that way. Yields came in less than expected in many areas across Western Canada. As it turns out, some of the seed that didn’t end up in the combine will make a comeback this spring – as volunteer canola. “We had some awful wind events last fall,” says Dan Orchard, Central Alberta Agronomist with the Canola Council of Canada. “It blew the canola swaths around and standing canola started shelling out, and this happened across the prairies. This is one reason I expect to see a lot more volunteer canola in 2013.” As Orchard explains, another factor supporting higher volunteer canola populations is the legacy of an unusual disease year in 2012. Long-time foe, sclerotinia, and a less common disease called aster yellows, took yields down a notch or two even before harvest, as crops shelled out prior to being swathed. “A lot of people thought they had a bigger crop than what ended up in the combine,” says Orchard. “That seed went somewhere and some of it will be coming back this year as volunteer canola.”

CONTROLLING VOLUNTEER CANOLA

For growers coming off a canola year, volunteer canola is one of the weeds they’ll be looking to control with a pre-seed burndown. Glyphosate, of course, won’t control volunteer Roundup Ready® canola. To get volunteer Roundup Ready® canola, growers will need to add another mode of action to their burndown application, like Express® brand herbicides.

any other products in Western Canada,” says Fehr. “You’ll get tremendous action on volunteer canola as well as many hard-to-kill weeds such as dandelion, narrow-leaved hawk’s-beard, flixweed, stinkweed and wild buckwheat.” Which Express® is right for the situation? As Fehr explains, if you’re seeding a cereal crop, Express® PRO can deliver up to 15 days† of extended control of un-emerged volunteer Roundup Ready®, InVigor® and conventional canola. Not all glyphosate add-ins can do this. In other words, with Express® PRO, growers have additional flexibility because they do not need to wait for weeds to emerge before the application. Express® SG, on the other hand, means maximum flexibility in terms of seeding options. Just 24 hours after application, you can seed a wide variety of crops, including cereal crops, canary seed, field peas, dry beans and soybeans*. An unusual set of circumstances made 2012 a challenging year for canola production and could make 2013 a busy year for volunteer canola. Still, as Fehr notes, volunteer canola is never a weed to take lightly. “Canola is very competitive,” he says, “and early removal of volunteer canola always supports higher yields as opposed to later removal. The sooner you get rid of that competitive factor, the better off your crop will be.”

Removing weeds like volunteer canola early with a pre-seed application allows the crop to get off to a great start. The crop is able to utilize the moisture and nutrients, not the weeds.

DUPONT™ EXPRESS® HERBICIDE: A SMOKING HOT START TO A PROFITABLE CROP

Doug Fehr, Saskatchewan-based Technical Sales Agronomist with DuPont Crop Protection, says many growers favor DuPont™ Express® brand herbicides as their glyphosate add-in. As a Group 2 herbicide, Express® controls volunteer canola resulting from the previous year’s Roundup Ready® or InVigor® canola crop. Adding Express® to Group 9 glyphosate also makes for far-sighted resistance management. “When you consider pre-seed, chem-fallow and post-harvest burndown, Express® SG and Express® PRO go down with glyphosate more than

Untreated check

Pre-seed application of Express® PRO plus glyphosate

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ing for a steak. When they would see packages of “butler steak” or “beef shoulder top blade steak, boneless, flatiron” — they would walk away with an empty cart, said Trevor Amen, director of market intelligence for the Beef Checkoff Program. So recently, the National Pork Board and the Beef Checkoff Program, with the blessing of officials with USDA, got the nod to update the Uniform Retail Meat Identification Standards, or URMIS. Though the URMIS system is voluntary, a majority of U.S. food retailers use it.

New names

So pork and beef industry officials say they hope the new names will show up in stores nationwide by this summer’s grilling season. If it does, the lowly “pork chop” will be gone. Instead, grocery retailers could be stocking stacks of “porterhouse chops,” “rib-eye chops” and “New York chops.” The pork butt — which actually comes from shoulder meat — will be called a Boston roast. “One of our biggest challenges has been the general belief among consumers that a pork chop is a pork chop,” said Fleming. “But not all pork chops are equal, and not all pork chops are priced equally.” So much for pork being known as the other white meat — a label the pork industry used for years to lure consumers away from chicken. In the beef aisle, a boneless shoulder top blade steak will become a flatiron steak, a beef under blade boneless steak will become a Denver steak. Not all names in the meat counter will change — ground beef will still be ground beef. The new retail names will also come with new labels for retail packages, which will tell consumers what part of the animal’s body the cut comes from, as well as include suggested cooking instructions.

Challenging times

This marketing move comes at a challenging time for the nation’s livestock sector, which has wrestled with historic high grain prices and devastating droughts. Overseas demand for U.S. meat has cooled as both Russia and China have concerns about possible traces of the feed additive ractopamine, which is used to make meat leaner. That has protein clogging the nation’s supply chain and the supply pork and beef in commercial freezers hit a record high for the month of February, according to Agriculture Department data. Also domestic sales have been slow as the relatively cool spring has quashed consumer interest in breaking out the backyard grill. While fresh beef and pork cuts have official names that are approved by USDA, compliance with using those naming conventions is voluntary for the industry, said Sam Jones-Ellard, spokesman for USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service. “There won’t be any changes to our naming conventions, but we’re supportive of this,” Jones-Ellard said. “Anything that simplifies the names of cuts of meat is a good thing for consumers.” At least one section of the meat department will stay the same: A spokesman for the National Chicken Council said that no such plans are in place to change the names of chicken cuts. A chicken breast, the official said, will remain a breast.

ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • APRIL 29, 2013

Temporary foreign worker program helps producers deal with labour shortage Foreign workers are critical to Alberta agriculture, but labour recruitment specialist says producers could do a better job of attracting local workers By Alexis Kienlen af staff / edmonton

he Temporary Foreign Worker Program is making headlines for the wrong reasons after a contractor to the Royal Bank used it to outsource the work of bank employees. But the program has been a boon for agriculture, attendees at the recent Alberta Farm Fresh Producers conference heard. Farm workers are in short supply for a host of reasons, said Al Dooley, agricultural labour recruitment specialist with Alberta Agriculture. Many young Canadians don’t want to move to rural areas, the work is physically demanding, doesn’t pay as well as the

Agricultural job fair being held in Edmonton By Alexis Kienlen af staff / edmonton

Alberta Agriculture, in partnership with Alberta Works and Alberta Human Services, will host a job preparation and employment fair, May 2 in Edmonton. Job seekers can get help with resumés and learn more about jobs in the industry, while employers will be able to attend sessions on hiring. Employers attending include meat processors, small fruit and vegetable producers and equipment dealers. “We’re getting quite a bit of diversity,” said Al Dooley, agricultural labour recruitment specialist with Alberta Agriculture. The need for workers varies across the sectors. The processing industry, especially meat processing, has had a long-time shortage of workers, he said. “The livestock area has a lot of challenges because it’s not seasonal and it’s long term. It tends to be fulltime and year-round.” Industries which rely more on seasonal workers may have an easier time recruiting workers for shorter periods, since they can hire summer students. The shortage of agriculture workers is a problem across the entire province, but varies by sector. The southern area has more greenhouses and requires seasonal labourers. Producers with dairies or hog operations have been dealing with a labour shortage for a long time. Alberta Agriculture has previously held job fairs but this is the first in partnership with Alberta Works. “We can find employers, but our linkages with the people who are looking for work are not so good,” said Dooley. The first job fair is a trial, but it’s likely there will be another fair in late fall or early winter. To register call 780-415-6368, or for more information call Al Dooley at 780-422-0907.

oilpatch, and may not offer chances for advancement. As well, primary agriculture is exempt from a number of employment standards, and Workers’ Compensation Board coverage is voluntary in many agriculture sectors, said Dooley. “These factors are not game changers, but they’re not necessarily strengths either,” he said. However, farming is attractive to those who like outdoor, physical work, and the local food movement has sparked a lot of interest in growing farm in young people — and farm employers should capitalize on that, he said. “Agriculture does a poor job of selling itself as something positive,” said Dooley. But if those who can’t find suitable candidates, farm employers

can turn to the temporary foreign worker program. They’ll have to advertise on jobbank.gc.ca, the federal employment website, and one other medium (such as newspapers or a website) for a minimum of 14 days. They can then submit Labour Market Opinion application (a form that details the hiring search) to Service Canada. The form is necessary for most types of foreign worker hires, said Dooley. Between 800 and 1,000 people, typically from Mexico or the Caribbean, come to Alberta each year under the Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program, which was created in the 1970s. They can stay for up to eight months, and employers must pay for their transportation; provide approved housing, pri-

vate health insurance, and WCB coverage; and pay no less than the minimum wage. Another avenue is the ‘Agriculture Stream,’ which can be used to bring more skilled workers in certain sectors (grain production is excluded). They can stay up to 24 months and skilled workers are eligible to apply for permanent residency. There are 5,000 spots available in Alberta each year under the Immigrant Nominee Program. “Basically what this program does is speed up the whole process of becoming a permanent resident,” said Dooley. “In some cases, it might take five or six years and this can speed it up to two years.” akienlen@fbcpublishing.com

Al Dooley, agricultural labour recruitment specialist with Alberta Agriculture. PHOto: Alexis Kienlen

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APRIL 29, 2013 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

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

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ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • APRIL 29, 2013

FARM MACHINERY Grain Handling

BUSINESS SERVICES

Combines

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FARM MACHINERY Combine – Various

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FARM CHEMICAL SEED COMPLAINTS

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ENGINES ASSORTED DEUTZ AND OTHER diesel engines. KMK Sales, (800)565-0500, Humboldt, SK. ENGINE REBUILD KITS FOR most makes and models of tractors, great selection, thousands of parts! Service manuals, super savings, Our 39th year, www.diamondfarmtractorparts.com. 1-800-481-1353

FARM MACHINERY FARM MACHINERY Haying & Harvesting – Baling WANTED: JD 7810 c/w fel & 3pth; sp or pto bale wagon; JD or IHC end wheel drills. Small square baler. (877)330-4477 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.

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FARM MACHINERY Combine – Accessories CIH 1010 22-1/2FT, STRAIGHT cut header, w/pu reel, excellent condition, $7,000, OBO (403)784-3248, Clive, Ab. 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.

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Spraying EquipmEnt FARM MACHINERY Sprayers MELROE 116 SPRA-COUPE 51FT w/15” spacings for better chemical coverage, floatation tires, economical VW engine w/4spd. trans. shedded, $6,250. (403)666-2111

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FARM MACHINERY Machinery Miscellaneous 1999 CAT 460 1300 sep. hrs, rake up $89,500; 2006 JD 567 mega-wide, mesh wrap, 5453/bales, $20,000; 1998 AGCO 9755, 530/int electronic, 18spd p/s, 3096/hrs, 4 remotes, 540 front weights, duals, $50,000 (403)665-2341, Craigmyle, AB. 3 BUNNING MANURE SPREADERS for rent, Custom corral cleaning, call Lawrence (403)588-4787; Bunning spreaders on trucks. Call Shane 403-588-1146 41FT FLEXICOIL 700 CHISEL plow/air seeder, W/harrows; 43ft-47ft. Leon chisel plow w/harrows; 40ft crowfoot/packer bar; IHC 12 bottom/plow; JD336 Square baler; CaseIH 8380 Haybine. (780)623-1008. ACREAGE EQUIPMENT: CULTIVATORS, DISCS, Plows, Blades, Post pounders, Haying Equipment, Etc. (780)892-3092, Wabamun, Ab. JD 7520 FWD 741 loader/grapple; Jd 4020 w/loader; JD 8820 914 Header PU & 30ft. head; MF 860 6cyl, pu & 20ft head; D7G Cats w/ripper, tilts; Ford 7000 diesel vac truck, mf 65 w/3pth, grain trucks, augers and cultivators. (306)236-8023

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RETIRED FROM FARMING: 1994 Case 9280 tractor, 12/spd. 20.8x42 duals, 4/hyd plus 1 aux. for air seeder, Outback w/E drive for auto steer, Approx. 3500/hrs; 1996 5000 Flexicoil air drill, 45ft. double chute, 9in. spacing, 4in. rubber packers; 2003 2340 air tank variable rate, AGSCO air seed treater attached; 2003 9650STS JD combine, 914 P header, 1448 engine hours, 1132 sep. hrs. will have green light done; 2003 2940 Premier (MacDon) swather w/2004 972 header, 25ft, 941 eng.hrs. 786 cutting hours; 2009 Flexicoil 100ft suspended boom sprayer, 68XL, 1600/Gal. fence line nozzle, raven power glide plus boom control, 4 boom shut offs, rinse tank, chemical rinse; 2007 Bourgault 6000 mid duty harrows, 70ft. 1998 MX 200 Case tractor MFD, duals 20.8Rx42, 3800/hrs. Outback auto steer; 47ft. 3 bar harrow, 2in. spikes; (403)556-2497, Wimborne, AB.

FARM MACHINERY Sprayers

2009 7430 PREMIUM 741 loader, grapple, mint condition, all options, 1410hrs, $117,500. check pictures at Kijiji ad #455508131 Call Rob @(403)933-5448 or (403)608-1116 JD TRACTORS, SPECIALIZING IN quality engine rebuild kits, great selection, thousands of parts, super savings, Our 39th year, 1-800-481-1353 www.diamondfarmtractorparts.com

FARM MACHINERY Tractors – Various

Barb Wire & Electric High Tensile Wire Spooler Adapter available to unroll new barb wire off of wooden spool

- Hydraulic Drive (roll or unroll wire) - Mounts to tractor draw bar, skidsteer or bobcat, front end loader, post driver, 3pt. hitch or deck truck (with receiver hitch & rear hydraulics) - Spool splits in half to remove full roll - Shut off/ Flow control valve determines speed - Works great for pulling out old wire (approx. 3--5 minutes to roll up 80 rod or 1/4 mile) The Level-Wind Wire Roller rolls wire evenly across the full width of the spool automatically as the wire is pulled in Ken Lendvay (403) 550-3313 Red Deer, AB email: kflendvay@hotmail.com Web: www.levelwind.com

RON SAUER

MACHINERY LTD. (403) 540-7691 ronsauer@shaw.ca

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 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, slimfi t, 12 gal. fuel tank ...................... $18,500 New Sakundiak 7x1200 (39.97’), 22HP Robin-Subaru eng.,w/Winter Kit, battery & fuel tank, new tires..... $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....................$9,250 18.4”x30” tractor grip tires on rims .......................... Call New Outback Max GPS Guidance Monitor Available................................................... Call New Outback MAX, STX, STS, E-Drive TC’s ................... Call New Outback 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 TC drive Hyd. Kits. (JD,Case, Cat & NH).................................................$500 WANTED: 8820 JD Combine, nice condition ** NuVision, Sakundiak & Farm King Augers, Outback GPS Systems, EK Auger Movers, Belt Tighteners, Sweeps, & Crop Dividers, Kohler Robin Subaru engines, Degelman, Headsight Harvesting Solutions**

FARM MACHINERY Machinery Wanted

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8100 Wilmar Sprayer JD 4710, 4720, 4730, 4830, 4920, 4930 SP sprayers JD 9770 & 9870 w/CM & duals CIH 3185, 3230, 3330, 4430, 4420 sprayers

GOOD SELECTION OF CASE QUAD TRACKS 500-550 & 600’’S

WANTED: NH 8500 ROUND bale wagon. Phone (406)883-2118 WANTED: NH BALE WAGONS & retrievers, any condition. Farm Equipment Finding Service, P.O. Box 1363, Polson, MT 59860. (406)883-2118 WANTED: POST POUNDER, PREFER trailer type. (403)886-4285

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“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

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APRIL 29, 2013 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

HEAT & AIR CONDITIONING

LIVESTOCK Sheep For Sale

The Icynene Insulation System®

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

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LIVESTOCK LIVESTOCK Cattle – Angus PB RED & BLACK Angus yearling bulls for sale. Canadian pedigrees, semen tested. Phone (780)336-4009, Kinsella, AB. “PUREBRED- BLACK ANGUS AND Polled Hereford bulls. 2yr olds. Buyer’s choice $2,500. Double N Ranch Sundre. Gerald & Shelley 403-638-2356 REGISTERED RED & BLACK ANGUS YEARLING bulls, quiet, various birthweights 70lb and up, semen tested, delivered, $2,500. Bellshill Angus, Lougheed Ab. (780)386-2150, 780-888-1374 UNREGISTERED RED ANGUS BULLS for sale, born April, Light birthweights, semen tested, $1800. Bellshill Angus (780)386-2150, (780)888-1087, Lougheed, Ab. YEARLING RED/BLACK ANGUS heifer bulls, light birth weight, $1,800. (780)888-2123, or (780)384-2354, (780)888-7585 Sedgewick, Alberta

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

LIVESTOCK Cattle – Hereford HEREFORD BULLS, YEARLINGS AND two year 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 5 Corner Cattle has Purebred Simmental yearling bulls for sale. Multi-polled. Fully gauranteed and delivered. Contact Wes Hill at (204)435-2585. Miami. MB. 5cornercattle@gmail.com SIMMENTAL BULLS FOR SALE, yearlings, full bloods and purebreds, horned & polled, strong Fleckvieh influence, Chalk Hill Simmentals, phone 403-638-4269

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

SEED / FEED / GRAIN

TRAVEL

SEED/FEED MISCELLANEOUS Feed Grain

KING SALMON

BUYING ALL TYPES OF feed grain. Also have market for light offgrade or heated, picked up on the farm. Eisses Grain Marketing 1-888-882-7803, (403)350-8777 Lacombe. FEED GRAIN WANTED! ALSO buying; Light, tough, or offgrade grains. “On Farm Pickup” Westcan Feed & Grain 1-877-250-5252

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MORAND STOCK TRIMMING/CALVING CHUTE; calf tipping squeeze; 150/bu creep feeder w/wheels; hay buster 1000/tub grinder; steel frame calf shelters; 3/bale feeder; Hesston BP25 baleprocessor. (780)623-7975 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

778-983-2018 PAUL MOWER 403-304-1496

claudegourlin@hotmail.com www.salmoncharters.ca

DAVE KOEHN 403-546-0060

PRINCE RUPERT BRITISH COLUMBIA

LINDEN, ALBERTA CANADA

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.

SEED/FEED MISCELLANEOUS Hay & Straw

PETS

150 LARGE ROUND TIMOTHY/GRASS mix, $50/Bale, 75 no rain, 75 little rain. (403)888-9714

PETS & SUPPLIES

5000 SQUARE HAY bales, Horse quality, shedded, $4/per bale (780)967-2593, Calahoo, Ab.

Border Collie Pups out of excellent working parents. Pups guaranteed. Over 20 years breeding, $250. Pam McIntyre (204)365-0372 www.riverhillsranchltd.com

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

Rural & Cultural Tours

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

FARMING IS ENOUGH OF A GAMBLE...

WATER PUMPS New Water Pumps

Ranch for Sale by Retiring Owners: 23 quarters; 3 deeded, 18 leased, 2 rented. 600-ac Grain/Hay. House 3456 sqft Cattle ,machinery. Call Larry: 204448-2053 Cell 204-447-7587 larlyn@inetlink.ca

REAL ESTATE Land For Sale 320 ACRES BORDERING THE town of Crossfield, huge development potential, half mile to golf course, 15 minutes to Balzac Racetrack and Ironcross mall, 20 minutes to Calgary airport. Would make great equestial centre with miles of dirt trails connected to property. $4,200,000. (403)224-2265

TRAVEL

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

Tough brand new PTO driven, 12 inch auger pumps. Hose, Reel, PTO shaft available. Will not plug or seize. Delivery in MB or East SK. $7000. Contact Jan; (204)868-5334. cardaletechcorp@gmail.com

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ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • APRIL 29, 2013

China bird flu death toll rises

U.S. cattle placements rise

An elderly man in eastern China died of bird flu Apr. 23, bringing the death toll from a strain that recently emerged in humans to 22, a provincial health agency reported. It brought to 108 the number who have contracted the disease since the first deaths were reported in China last month. Authorities say many of those who became sick worked with poultry. Investigators have yet to determine human-to-human transmission. “Investigations into the possible sources of infection and reservoirs of the virus are ongoing,” the World Health Organization said Apr. 22. Some bird samples have tested positive and China has culled thousands of birds and shut down some live poultry markets. — Reuters

The number of cattle placed in U.S. feedlots last month rose unexpectedly, a government report showed Apr. 19, in what looked like a catch-up movement from ranches after harsh winter weather in February delayed their arrival. The USDA showed the number of cattle put into feed yards in March rose six per cent from a year earlier to 1.899 million head. The average analyst estimate was for a 1.5 per cent decline. Analysts said wintry weather in February created a backlog of young cattle that landed in feeding pens in March.

Lakeland offers livestock emergencyhandling course Plans are underway to make the course available through distance learning

The training course will focus on use of one of the eight emergency-handling trailers deployed across Alberta.

The training course, which begins this spring, will focus on training emergency responders and others who may be involved in these incidents, and in the use of a new fleet of livestock-handling equipment trailers for the province that was announced several months ago.

akeland College has announced a new training course on safe handling of livestock after transport accidents or other emergencies with loose livestock. The training course, which begins this spring, will focus on training emergency responders and others who may be involved in these incidents, and in the use of a new fleet of livestock-handling equipment trailers for the province that was announced several months ago. The trailers were deployed in several counties/municipalities and one non-profit organization, based on animal movement volumes and strategic co-ordination plans. These included MD of Willowcreek — Claresholm; Cypress County — Medicine Hat; Westlock County — Westlock; Vermilion River County — Vermilion; and the Alberta Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), which deploys an Alberta-wide roaming unit. This

adds to an existing fleet of three trailers located in Red Deer County, Hanna, and Ponoka, for a total of eight trailers in the province. The course will be offered by the college’s Emergency Training Centre and School of Agriculture instructors at Vermilion. Support for the trailers and the course development was provided by Growing Forward II along with a range of livestockindustry groups and stakeholders including Alberta Farm Animal Care (AFAC), which represents all the major livestock producer organizations in the province. The first offerings of the twoday course are planned to start in late April. There has already been a strong response in registrations and interest. “The pilot phase and the early response and feedback have been just excellent,” Denis Cunninghame, manager, training services at Lakeland College said in a release. “For emergency

responders and others who can benefit from this equipment and knowledge, the trailers and the training combined will provide a brand new resource to dramatically improve their capability in dealing with incidences involving livestock.” Cunninghame said plans are underway to make the course available through distance learning in a format that allows local emergency services departments to train staff using their own instructors. Initial course offerings at the college will run two days, seven hours per day, typically on weekends to accommodate volunteer departments. The course is open to any emergency responder, such as fire, EMS or law enforcement, along with agriculture services personnel, SPCA, veterinarians and others. More information will be available on the Lakeland College Emergency Training Centre website at www.emergencytraining.ca.

Biocontrol bugs can eat each other UBC study says more is not necessarily better for biocontrol staff

ore bug species are not necessarily better for biological control of invasive weeds, says a study by University of British Columbia UBC biodiversity experts. A UBC release says that most biocontrol programs combine many different enemies — typically about three different species, but sometimes as many as 25 — with the hope that at least one will prove effective. However, some combinations of enemy species can actually end up competing or interfering with each other, instead of attacking the weed. “It’s important to get the right combination of biocontrol agents, as testing species is costly and time consuming, and no amount of testing can eliminate the risk that something unexpected will occur with the introduction of a new species,” Andrea Stephens, lead author on the paper published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B, said in the release. The researchers did a metaanalysis — a review of several studies on the subject. Of the 75 combinations investigated, about a quarter appeared to have a smaller combined impact than expected. The researchers suggest simple species combination rules could improve the effectiveness of biocontrol programs. One of the studies researchers analyzed focused on three agents (two species of weevils and a fly) that have been released in western North America to control two species of invasive plants, diffuse and spotted knapweed. The weevils consume the fly larvae, nullifying the effectiveness of the fly.

While effective in controlling invasive knapweed on western rangeland, the Larinus minutus weevil can also feed on larvae of a fly used for knapweed control. PHOto: UBC

APRIL 29, 2013 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

Getting the most of the dollar spent on dietary energy An increased number of ingredients used for energy sources has made the job of feed formulation more challenging BY BERNIE PEET

ith the cost of dietary energy more than doubling in the last eight years, it’s vitally important to optimize the efficiency with which it is utilized. Meeting the energy specifications of a typical grower diet now represents about 85 per cent of the cost of the diet and over 50 per cent of the total costs of pig production, John Patience of Iowa State University said at the recent London Swine Conference in Ontario. “One of the most critical questions revolves around the relationship between caloric density of the diet, daily caloric intake by the pig and pig growth rate — which in turn relates to barn throughput,” he said. “Whereas in the past, barn throughput was closely linked with low feed cost and maximizing net income, with rising feed costs, maintaining barn throughput has become increasingly expensive.” This means that, for some farms, growth rate must be reduced to increase net income. Prior to 2005, formulating for energy in the diet was simpler because a limited range of energy sources was used. But today, a wider number of ingredients is used and the relative cost of the energy in those ingredients changes over time, making formulation more difficult. For example, in 2005, energy from fat cost about 60 per cent more than energy from corn — today that differential is only 36 per cent, he said. “Energy from DDGS used to cost 41 per cent more than from corn, but today it is only 16 per cent more,” said Patience (see Table 1). “These changing price relationships will influence how much of a given ingredient is likely to be used in a feeding program. This, in turn, will put

Understanding the grower-finishing pig’s energy intake curve is now vital to optimize the use of energy in the feed. pressure on the upper limits a nutritionist assigns to certain ingredients and can change purchasing practices, especially if forward booking is employed.” The net impact of changing energy costs can be minimized by considering all aspects of pricing changes, including ingredient cost relationships, he said.

Maintenance cost is high

Maintenance is a very important aspect of energy utilization in the pig, but one that is often overlooked, Patience said. About one-third of the energy that the pig eats goes to maintenance, 20 per cent is used in

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protein deposition and 46 per cent in fat gain, he noted. “To maximize efficiency, we must reduce the energy spent for maintenance,” he said. “This can be done by optimizing thermal comfort, minimizing social stressors and maintaining the highest possible health standards because fighting disease uses up energy.” Maximizing growth rate by various means reduces the time spent in the barn, which results in fewer days of maintenance energy costs, he said. Reducing maintenance energy costs increases the amount of energy that is directed towards lean gain. The pigs’ energy intake impacts how comfortable they feel in the barn, said Patience. “Unthrifty pigs eat less than their healthy contemporaries and, because of this, they are chilled at a temperature that is perfectly comfortable for healthy pigs,” he said. “Therefore, unthrifty pigs need to be kept in warmer and less drafty conditions, for example by providing localized heating or covering their lying area.” Every additional day that the pig is in the barn represents another day’s worth of maintenance, so this maintenance cost is very much under the control of the producer, he pointed out. TABLE 1

Individual farm response

With the rising cost of energy in pig diets, maximizing barn throughput may not be the most profitable strategy, says Dr. John Patience. However, when feed costs are high, it may be financially advantageous to feed a less expensive diet and accept the associated slower growth because the overall cost of production is lower, he added. “Certainly, in the traditional Corn Belt of the U.S., the trend to lower energy diets is very clear, and is one of the drivers for the construction of new grow-out facilities, he observes.

It is important to know the response of pigs on an individual farm to changes in dietary energy density. “Under most commercial conditions, lowering dietary energy concentration is likely to reduce daily energy intake and thus growth rate,” he said. “There are exceptions to this broad generalization. If your farm is one of these exceptions, you have much greater flexibility in adjusting dietary energy concentration than would otherwise be the case, because you have the option of feeding a lower-energy diet and maintaining growth rate.” Individual farms or systems must develop their own feed intake curves that apply to their farm, and not depend on universal data obtained from some other remote, and possibly very different, location, he said. Understanding daily energy intake is crucial to success, as it provides the foundational knowledge required to determine how the pig will respond to changes in diet cost and energy content, he said. Bernie Peet is president of Pork Chain Consulting of Lacombe, Alberta, and editor of Western Hog Journal

THE CHANGING COST OF DIETARY ENERGY Energy Content

2005 Cost

Mcal NE/kg1

$/tonne

¢/Mcal NE

$/tonne

¢/Mcal NE

Corn

2.67

103

3.86

259

9.70

Soybean meal

2.13

302

14.18

524

24.60

Corn DDGS

2.11

115

5.45

238

11.28

Wheat shorts

2.04

4.07

238

11.07

Fat: AV blend

7.24

445

6.15

955

13.18

Ingredient

2013 Cost

NE values as presented by NRC (2012); Corn DDGS assumed to contain about 8.5% ether extract (fat). Ingredient prices gratefully obtained from Matt Ische, KenPal Farm Products Inc., Centralia, Ont.

ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • APRIL 29, 2013

Meat and eggs make front-page news Industry needs a more proactive response to address an evolving animal welfare issue BY BRENDA SCHOEPP

he Calgary Herald ran the story on the front page and it was not about politics, religion or tragedy. The story was about the Calgary Co-op’s members’ non-binding resolution for management to consider phasing out the purchasing of pork and eggs produced in confinement cages. This reflects what some Calgary Co-op consumers have been asking for. Industry’s response was to protect the current system and to warn that the alternative was higher prices. The test will be whether consumers vote with their wallets. Their loyalty to higher-priced items may be determined over time. In the debate there are the usual pros and cons of offering non-caged product. The first con is always price, as is the potential shortage of product from these open-production systems. The pros are supported by animals themselves. As David Webb said in the Calgary Herald article, there is already a movement in the egg industry to ensure that chickens can be chickens and have extra space and perches as well as a place to have a little scratch. And although the Herald reported that this is currently five per cent of the egg market, Webb confirmed that growth was huge at a full 27 per cent last year.

As an industry, we must prepare for increased media coverage and be ready with the answer.

Regardless of the debate on “should we or should we not” afford animals with a more natural environment, the fact that the story was front-page news is rivetting. Agriculture is under the microscope and that tells us that folks do really care. The Herald is unlikely to run a story for which there would be no reader interest. They know what captures the reader and they also know that Calgary Co-op is popular with consumers. Can it be done? Of course. Cage and crate free has been legislated in Europe for years. Certainly the cost of production is higher, but so is the number of live pigs and the margin is better. That is because consumers have proven themselves as willing to pay more. So the question of whether consumers will pay more may be related to how we tell the story. The Whole Foods grocery chain has an animalcare label that reflects detailed animal welfare practices. More than 200 producers in Canada contribute to the handful of Canadian Whole Foods stores. The story through the label sells in a big way and animal welfare

has proven itself as a driver at the retail shelf.

Plenty of warning

As for the fear of product having to come from offshore because of a shortage, that could be challenged. There is no indication that a possible new procurement program at Calgary Co-op will be for all meat offerings. Nor will it happen tomorrow, and there is no evidence that the move will force a displacement of Canadian product. There is always time for industry to adjust, and it has had a decade of fair warning. Fast-food chains have demanded cage- and cratefree animal welfare practices because in the long run it was cheaper to spend the money and

do it than to not. Tim Hortons is the latest to announce that it will participate in cage- and crate-free procurement. The meat industry has a choice in production practices, while at the same time being accountable to consumers and inform them of what it is they are eating. There is no middle ground here. Meat trades in a transparent world. Just a few days after the Herald article, the Windsor Star ran a news article entitled “Ontario doctors call for ban on antibiotics in livestock feed.” Farmers responded by saying that meat prices would rise. The kicker was the beautiful photograph of cattle, implying this was a bovine problem. The folks interviewed were from the beef

industry and the response was a weak rhetoric from the pork debate claiming that consumers would pay more and reminding readers that the problem is global in context. In the case of antimicrobial residue in foods, Canada does not fully address imported product. The lack of the same regulations regarding imported product is core to the discussion of overall food safety. Banning cages, crates and pens and legislating antimicrobial use in Canada does not mean that Canada accepts only imported meat product with the same production criteria. There is no such trade restriction on imported goods. As for the claim from Ontario doctors, they are making a huge claim without

fully supportive evidence. Yet the story is out there — in large print — with a cattle photo. As an industry, we must prepare for increased media coverage and be ready with the answer. It is our time in the meat industry to be proactive and look at other production systems that work, are profitable and meet consumer demand for animal welfare and wellness. Brenda Schoepp is a Nuffield Scholar who travels extensively exploring agriculture and meeting the people who feed, clothe and educate our world. A motivating speaker and mentor she works with young entrepreneurs across Canada and is the founder of Women in Search of Excellence. www.brendaschoepp.com

APRIL 29, 2013 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

What to watch for in the early days of a foal’s life Recognizing both normal and abnormal signs is important in averting a health crisis By carol shwetz, dvm

oung foals are both precocious and precarious creatures. They are precocious in being able to arrive in the early hours of the morning and nurse and shadow their dams within hours of arrival. Yet they are precarious should they succumb to any illness which leaves them struggling for survival. Recognizing healthy behaviour and development of the young foal is critical to identifying when something is amiss. Initial stages of illness in young foals are subtle and unfortunately can be easily overlooked, which is why early detection of problems is critical to a favourable outcome. It is an emergency if a foal that initially appears healthy suddenly deteriorates, and no matter the cause, quick intervention is vital. At birth a normal foal is bright and alert to its surroundings. It will quickly assume a sternal position and attempt to rise. Ideally a vigorous foal stands and nurses easily within two hours. Foals that have not nursed within two to three hours may need assistance or medical attention. Ingestion of colostrum, the mare’s first milk, within a critical time frame is crucial to the foal’s short- and long-term health. This colostrum is energy and nutrient dense, most renowned for its ability to “jump-start” a healthy immune system. Colostrum also has laxative properties which assist the foal in passing his first stool, called meconium. The meconium is usually dark-greenish brown or black, and sticky. It is typically passed in the first three to four hours after birth. Meconium

which is retained causes the foal to express abdominal discomfort, straining to defecate, swishing its tail, and eventually becoming reluctant to nurse. An enema is indicated in foals that have not passed their meconium within 12 hours of birth. The young foal will lay down and sleep often. It will nurse frequently, sometimes nursing 20 or more times a day. This is normal. Within days the newborn foal “fills out” from its gangly newborn state, continuing to grow and strengthen daily.

The practice of keeping foals safe in stables for the first few weeks may be detrimental to the adult horse.

Scours

Generally foals develop diarrhea or scours seven to 12 days after birth. As this timing often coincides with the mare’s first heat cycle it is often referred to as “foal heat diarrhea.” This normally runs its course with no apparent ill effects towards the foal and is speculated to be a natural reaction as the foal’s digestive tract matures. Many foals begin experimentally eating manure at

around 10 days. This practice does not seem to be harmful to the foal. It is not uncommon for a foal to begin life with weak legs. It may be down in the pasterns/fetlocks, having contracted tendons or deviations of the distal limbs. These generally self-correct with moderate/modest exercise within the first few days of life as the soft tissues strengthen and/or adjust. Severe deviations or ones not improving may require veterinary consultation. Early activity is essential to the foal’s physical development. The practice of keeping foals safe in stables for the first few weeks may be detrimental to the adult horse. Muscular and hoof development benefits from many steps on varied terrain surfaces. Naive hooves expand fully with weight bearing, keeping the frog in contact with the ground. This stimulates development of the caudal part of the young horse’s foot which provides a vital pillar of support as the 100-pound foal matures into a 1,000-pound horse. Healthy foals are curious and inquisitive, constantly engaging with their environment. Whenever they become dull or lose their focus on the mare there will be a problem. Weak, troubled foals lose strength nursing and will have “milk nose” or dried milk on their face. As healthy foals keep the mare nursed and her udder relieved, whenever the mare’s udder is distended the foal is not thriving. Other not-so-subtle signs of distress in a young foal are nasal discharge, abnormal respiration, coughing, watery diarrhea, lameness, urine leakage from the navel, and abnormal swellings of the umbilicus

Within days the newborn foal “fills out” from its gangly newborn state, continuing to grow and strengthen daily. or around the genitals. These are indications for veterinary involvement. Since the health status of a young foal can change rapidly, recognition of both normal and abnormal signs of health during the first few weeks of life is essential to averting a crisis. Carol Shwetz is a veterinarian specializing in equine practice at Westlock, Alberta

Calgary Co-op meets with Alberta Pork before deciding on gestation stall ban It’s tough to change hog housing in current pork market, says Alberta Pork’s executive director By Victoria Paterson af staff / calgary

algary Co-op is the latest food company casting a critical eye on the use of gestation stalls in the pork sector, but the company is working with Alberta Pork before taking action. Co-op members passed a nonbinding resolution last month that would see the company stop selling pork from farms using the stalls within five years. The move needs the approval of the co-op’s board, but company officials have met with Alberta Pork and won’t make any hasty decisions, said Cindy Drummond, the co-op’s communications manager. “We support the industry and the safe treatment of animals, and I think the pork producers are saying the same thing,” she said. If the no-stall resolution is implemented, the co-op will look at a reasonable time frame before it stops selling pork from those farms in its 24 stores, she said. The executive director of Alberta Pork commended the company for taking a levelheaded approach, and said he hopes the public will pay attention when a draft of a new

national code of practice for pork producers comes out in June. “It’s based on science, not on emotion,” said Darcy Fitzgerald. Although the public may be skeptical, producers are truly committed to using the most humane production practices available, he said. “I know we always say economics and welfare don’t go together — but they really do,” said Fitzgerald. “I mean, it’s in the best interest to have the best animals and the healthiest animals.” He noted group housing was once the norm, and gestation stalls were adopted in order to reduce aggression in herds and ensure every pig had adequate water and food. “There’s problems in both systems. It all comes down to management,” Fitzgerald said. Much of the opposition to stalls is coming from people opposed to animal agriculture. It’s also coming at a time when it’s tough for producers to afford changes to their production systems. “It’s much easier in a climate where you’re actually making money,” Fitzgerald said. “Our guys are probably losing $35 a pig and they’re being asked to make more changes.” victoria.paterson@fbcpublishing.com

Gestation stalls were adopted in order to reduce aggression in herds, says Alberta Pork’s executive director.

}Heavy snow

ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA • APRIL 29, 2013

CN takes winter weather hit

Floods halt Mississippi River traffic

Canadian National Railway Co. operations took a big winter weather hit, the country’s largest rail operator said Apr. 22, as extreme cold and heavy snow in Western Canada slowed operations and nipped into profits. “CN faced a number of operational challenges in the first quarter, including extreme cold and heavy snow in Western Canada, which hampered operations, congested the network and constrained volume growth,” chief executive Claude Mongeau said in a statement. Net income for the period ended March 31 fell to $555 million from $775 million in the same period last year.

Barge shipping on the Illinois River and parts of the Mississippi River was at a standstill last Monday as flooding forced the closure of numerous locks and crews worked to recover dozens of barges that broke free in flood-swollen currents. The U.S. Coast Guard closed a section of the Illinois River near Peoria to all traffic to protect levees, and was considering shipping restrictions in other areas as heavy currents made navigation treacherous. The shipping headaches come just three months after near-record-low water threatened to close the Mississippi River along a busy stretch from St. Louis to its confluence with the Ohio River at Cairo, Illinois. — Reuters

Why snow doesn’t always melt when it’s above freezing ‘Radiational cooling’ may sound technical, but it may explain a common springtime phenomenon

PHOTo: thinkstock by daniel bezte

recently came across a weather article that was a purely academic discussion about radiational cooling. It was one of those articles that at first glance seemed to be purely a discussion for true weather geeks, meteorologists and university professors, with very little if anything to do with an everyday understanding of the weather, at least for us lay people. I read the article and tried my best to understand it and then moved on, putting the information into the back of my mind, but as the week went on I found I had an “aha” moment when some of the information in the article clicked into something I have noticed happening with our weather. I’ll attempt to summarize what the article was discussing, hopefully without getting too boring or technical. Then I’ll go into my “aha” moment and see if you too have noticed this, and I’ll leave it to you to decide if this is a possible explanation.

The focus of the article on radiational cooling was that there are apparently two definitions of just what it is, and then of course, which definition is the correct one. The first definition, the most common one, is more than likely what most people would use. It states radiational cooling occurs when an object’s temperature decreases. To me and most people this definition makes perfect sense. If an object is cooling and its temperature is decreasing, that means it is giving off or radiating its heat into the surrounding environment, thus the term radiational cooling. So now you’re probably thinking: If the definition of radiational cooling is so simple and intuitive, then how can there be a second definition, and why argue about it? The second definition, I believe, has merit, but is a little more technical and therefore difficult to understand. Before I try to explain this second definition I have to first discuss the differences between shortwave radiation and long-wave radiation. When the sun shines on an object, the energy from the

sun is referred to as solar radiation or shortwave radiation. The length of the wave has to do with the amount of energy available: the shorter the wavelength, the higher the energy level. When objects on Earth give off heat, they give it off in the form of long-wave radiation.

Snow and ice are very good at absorbing long-wave radiation. That’s why you may have heard the phrase “Fog eats snow.” The second definition of radiational cooling ties directly into this. It states that if the amount of long-wave radiation entering a region is less than the amount of long-wave radiation moving out of a region, then the net result is radiational cooling. In the first definition, an object is warmed up by the incoming shortwave radiation and as long

as it is increasing in temperature there is no radiational cooling. In the second definition, an object or region can be warming up, but still be cooling — sounds a little strange, doesn’t it? With this definition it sounds like there might never be radiational warming, only cooling. What we have to remember is that warm air entering or flowing into a region will warm that region up; however, that warming is not coming from shortwave radiation but rather from the heat given off by the warmer air, which is long-wave radiation. So we can have times when there will be radiational warming and not just cooling.

Re-radiating

Now where does my “aha” moment fit into this? Have you ever noticed during the spring melt that on some days the temperature will be above 0 C and the snow will be melting everywhere, even in the shade? On other days, even though the temperature is the same, melting only seems to occur in the sunny areas and not in the shade? Now I know there are a number of factors that can influence

this, such as overnight temperatures, wind speed et cetera, but I have noticed that even when these factors have not really come into play you still see this happening. The cause, I believe, is radiational cooling. An interesting thing about snow and ice is that they are very good at absorbing longwave radiation. That is why you may have heard the phrase “Fog eats snow.” It’s not that the fog actually does something to the snow; rather, the fog is absorbing, then re-radiating, long-wave radiation back to the ground — and this long-wave radiation is helping to melt the snow. If atmospheric conditions are such that long-wave radiation can easily escape or leave an area, that area will experience radiational cooling even if the sun is shining and the temperatures are warming up. We can see this in the snowmelt, usually when the temperatures are in the +1 to +7 C range. Even though the air is warm enough to melt the snow, in the shade very little if any will often melt because that snow is cooling radiationally — something to think about.

APRIL 29, 2013 • ALBERTAFARMEXPRESS.CA

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