There ought to be a law
Judgment day: May 23
Rail shippers want service legislation » PaGe 7
CWB law faces appeal » PaGe 9
SERVING MANITOBA FARMERS SINCE 1925 | Vol. 70, No. 19 | $1.75 May 10, 2012 manitobacooperator.ca
Hefty raise for railroads Revenue cap to rise 9.5 per cent By Allan Dawson
A young farmer’s business acumen wows Toronto judges Brett Sheffield says family, community and his diploma program mentor fostered his outlook
co-operator staff
G
et ready to dig a little deeper to ship this year’s harvest to export ports. The Canadian Transportation Agency has approved a hefty 9.5 per cent raise in the revenue cap, which is the maximum railways can earn from shipping grain, a boost that could cost farmers an extra $87 million or about $3 per tonne. The move is prompting farm groups to ask Ottawa for a review of the revenue cap formula. “We’ve seen with this increase how creative railway accounting can work to the railway’s advantage,” said Keystone Agricultural Producers president Doug Chorney May 2. He was alluding to changes in how the Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA) now calculates some railway costs. But calls for a full review of railway costs are muted, with some fearing it could make farmers worse off. Keystone Agricultural Producers’ (KAP) standing policy favours a review, but Chorney is wary. A year ago, then minister of State for transport Rob Merrifield warned a costing review could see farmers pay even more. “It’s (revenue cap) only gone up 6.2 per cent — less than the cost of living in a decade so it’s not something that’s getting out of hand on us,” he said. See RAIL RAISE on page 6 »
Pilot Mound’s Brett Sheffield, 26, was recently named Student Entrepreneur champion for Central Canada in a national program recognizing outstanding entrepreneurial skills. photo: lorraine stevenson
By Lorraine Stevenson co-operator staff /pilot mound
Publication Mail Agreement 40069240
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rett Sheffield didn’t think farming was in his future, but five years ago he made an abrupt U-turn and came home to start with 160 acres. The 26-year-old has since expanded his land base to 1,700 acres, and is nearly finished a two-year agricultural diploma program at the University of Manitoba. He also became owner of the local fitness centre in town last year. Buoyed about the prospects of being a full-time farmer and running the intown business, he’s as comfortable calling himself a businessman as farmer. Taking a business approach has helped him see the huge opportunities in agriculture, he says.
“As a business person you’re always looking for opportunities, rather than threats,” he said. “I’m always looking for the opportunities.” That outlook, aptitude and his skills for business recently earned him a prestigious award. He was named the 2012 Student Entrepreneur champion for Manitoba and Central Canada in the Advancing Canadian Entrepreneurship Program, a 25-year-old national charitable organization dedicated to teaching and igniting young Canadians to create brighter futures for themselves and their communities. Sheffield so impressed a panel of 30 judges in Toronto, he beat out four other student entrepreneurs possessing MBAs from Ontario and Quebec. He’ll be in
Calgary later this month to compete for a national title.
Good preparation
He credits the agriculture diploma program for preparing and training him to take an entrepreneurial approach to farming. He really benefited from being able to run ideas and questions past instructors, he said. “Scott Corbett (School of Agriculture instructor) was my mentor and he was great through the whole process, helping me with any questions I had and he always made time for me,” he said. “That was almost more valuable than anything else.” He and his father, with whom he See YOUNG FARMER on page 6 »
PLUS: Lake level controversy overflows » PAGE 8