MBC130207

A PESKY PREVIEW Put these crop pests on your radar » PG 20

EU CURBS PESTICIDES Honeybees need protection » PG 27

FEBRUARY 7, 2013

SERVING MANITOBA FARMERS SINCE 1925 | VOL. 71, NO. 6

Time to step up on farm safety Lax safety rules are a liability issue

By Lorraine Stevenson CO-OPERATOR STAFF / ELM CREEK

I

t’s time to bring farm safety out of the Stone Age, a Manitoba farm leader told participants attending last week’s Farm Safety Expo here.

“We all know someone who has been injured and some know someone who’s been killed,” said Dan Mazier, vice-president of Keystone Agricultural Producers as a show of hands went up around the room. “That’s just totally unacceptable.”

Mazier delivered a blunt message; attitudes on the farm towards safety must change. But he was speaking to a receptive audience at the event co-hosted

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Skepticism greets push for innovation Government wants to tap into emerging markets, meet demand for healthy products, and encourage environmental and energy sustainability, but some regions want water pipes

By Daniel Winters CO-OPERATOR STAFF / BRANDON

T

he federal and provincial governments are making innovation a central plank in their agricultural spending, but some would rather see the funds spent on more mundane necessities of farm and rural life — like water.

The revamped Growing Forward 2 program will see Ottawa and the province invest $176 million in strategic innovation programs over five years.

But not everyone who came to a public consultation on a bitterly cold night in Brandon last week was impressed.

“We came here tonight because we thought you had a pool of money that we could bid on and do something with it. Now it’s just a bunch of goofy stuff,” said Denis Carter, reeve of the Rural Municipality of Woodworth northwest of Brandon.

Not so, said Loni Scott, assistant deputy minister of the Agri-Food and Rural Development division of Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives.

“I don’t know if it’s really ‘goofy stuff,’” she said. “Really, it’s about agriculture and food-processing competitiveness through innovation.”

But some at the consultation said regional water pipelines are the higher priority.

David Single, reeve of the RM of Westbourne, noted the two levels of government pledged to “drought-proof” the province in an agreement signed well over a decade ago.

Herb Isaac, a retired beekeeper who lives northwest of Sinclair, stands next to his water supply — a 1,250-gallon tank on the back of a flatbed truck. Southwestern Manitoba municipal officials say Growing Forward 2 programs don’t acknowledge that basic infrastructure is still lacking in many areas. PHOTO: DANIEL WINTERS

“A good part of it was done, but we’re being left out,” said Single.

“If we can’t grow the stuff because we don’t have the full infrastructure, we can’t even think about going the rest of the way. There are people hauling water in this weather and it’s not fun. It’s also darned expensive and not good for the environment.”

Scott confirmed funding for regional

water pipelines was not in the new agreement signed by provincial and territorial ministers in September of last year.

“It’s always a choice of where you want to invest money,” said Scott, adding that expanding water supplies via new pipes would be “very expensive.”

See INNOVATION on page 6 »

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The Manitoba Co-operator | February 7, 2013

INSIDE

Did you know?

LIVESTOCK

Celebrate Food Freedom Day February 14

Waiting for better times But hog sector recovery could take awhile

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Make your Valentine feel special with leftovers Canadian Federation of Agriculture release ottawa

C

CROPS Farmers help pay for research So why don’t they own some of its results?

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FEATURE Who will feed China?

Officials now say it can’t produce enough

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CROSSROADS They grease combines don’t they?

Simple maintenance on the operator needed too

4 5 10 11

Editorials Comments Livestock Markets Grain Markets

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What’s Up Weather Vane Classifieds Sudoku

oined Food Freedom Day by the Canadian Federation of Agriculture (CFA), February 14 is the calendar date when the average Canadian will have earned enough income to pay his or her grocery bill for the entire year.

“Food Freedom Day is a chance to acknowledge the abundant, safe and secure food supply we enjoy in Canada. It can also serve as a time to consider our individual role and impact we have in the food system, whether that be as a consumer, farmer, processor or retailer,” said CFA president Ron Bonnett.

“While Canadian farmers are making continuous efforts to improve productivity, there are several angles to sustainability to consider. The sustainability of our food supply and making our dollar go as far as possible is a concern we all share and a solution we can all be a part of. One way we can have significant impact is in reducing food loss at the production and consumption level,” Bonnett added.

In 2009, total Canadian food waste amounted to $27 billion; this equates to $774.07 in food dollars wasted per person, according to a study done by the George Morris Centre. The proportion of food loss along the Canadian Food Value Chain breaks down as follows (see chart).

Without any food waste along the food value chain, the date for Food Freedom Day would have been February 5 this year.

“From the farm to the dinner table, far too much food is being wasted and the consequences are serious. With an ever-increasing global population and depleting natural resources,

Breakdown of food loss along the Canadian Food Value Chain source: Gooch et al, 2012

wasting food makes no sense — ethically, economically or environmentally,” Bonnett added.

“The good news is that we can do something about it. We can take responsibility as individuals and follow basic tips to save food. To improve industry efficiency along the food chain, government and industry must work together to develop a food strategy for Canada. The industrydriven National Food Strategy can be a starting point for discussion and includes several key objectives addressing efficiencies in the food system.

“Together we can minimize wasteful practices and make sure our strong agriculture and food heritage is maintained for this generation and generations to come,” Bonnett concluded.

READER’S PHOTO

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ONLINE Visit www.manitobacooperator.ca for daily news and features and our digital edition. (Click on “Digital Edition” in the top right corner.) At our sister site, AGCanada.com, you can use the “Search the AGCanada.com Network” function at top right to find recent Co-operator articles. Select “Manitoba Co-operator” in the pull-down menu when running your search. photo: charlene kaartinen

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The Manitoba Co-operator | February 7, 2013

Seized horses to go on the block

KAP delegates urged to ‘get the word out’ on agriculture’s O many accomplishments

By Daniel Winters co-operator staff

It’s not all bad: Farmers urged to share some of the positive stories their industry has to offer

By Shannon VanRaes co-operator staff

I

f you can’t see the silver lining, take a closer look.

There are plenty of positive stories in the farming world, and you don’t have to look far to find them, delegates were told at the annual general meeting of Keystone Agricultural Producers (KAP).

Agriculture has created 62,000 jobs in Manitoba alone, said KAP president Doug Chorney, adding the organization has been promoting the good news through the Agriculture In The Classroom program.

“People don’t attribute that amount of employment to agriculture... and we have to get that word out,” he said. “We are an economic cornerstone of our province.”

Todd Lewis heartily agrees.

“I think there is a whole education portion that just needs to be put forward to the Canadian public, we’ve got a great story to tell,” said the vice-president of the Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan.

That story includes Saskatchewan’s push to increase the value of its gross farm receipts by 50 per cent — to $15 billion — by 2030, he said.

“Our province has recognized agriculture as a major driver in the economy, this is a growth initiative,” said Lewis.

“You don’t see TV crews going out to visit farms that are harvesting a good crop and able to pay all their bills, that’s not news in the world of modern media.”

Doug Chorney

Even the recent bankruptcy of Big Sky Farms in Saskatchewan and receivership of Puratone in Manitoba have positive elements when you consider that both companies had no trouble finding interested buyers, he said.

“There is value to what’s there,” he said.

But there’s a tendency to dwell on the negative, delegates were reminded.

“My entire farming career has really been a black cloud of negative news,” said Chorney.

“There are really good stories to tell in agriculture and I think we need more of that.”

That means working to get more positive stories into mainstream media, he said.

“Certainly the flood of 2011 got a lot of attention because of

Doug Chorney speaks to farmers during Keystone Agricultural Producers annual general meeting in Winnipeg. Photo: Shannon VanRaes

the devastation that it had on rural communities and farmers,” he said.

“But you don’t see TV crews going out to visit farms that are harvesting a good crop and able to pay all their bills — that’s not news in the world of modern media.”

Last summer KAP and other organizations sponsored a twomonth-long advertising campaign called Share the Harvest, which highlighted the contributions of Manitoba farmers.

The organization will continue to highlight the contributions of farmers as the Lake Friendly initiative expands in 2013, Chorney said.

“We get a lot of attention from regulators as the cause of problems with freshwater in Manitoba, but we get virtually no credit for the positive things we do to mitigate nutrient loading,” he said.

Some of KAP’s initiatives have drawn criticism from members for being too positive, but Chorney said without sharing positive stories, there’s little hope of recruiting a new generation of farmers.

“I think you have to be positive sometimes, you cannot be negative all the time,” he said. shannon.vanraes@fbcpublishing.com

WH - X - 6x6.625 - FBC MB Cooperator_AGI 2012-12-05 4:54 PM Page 1

fficials hope 10 MorganAppaloosa-cross horses seized by provincial animal welfare officers from an unattended pasture in the Langruth area will soon have a new home.

“They are going to auction mart and I’m trying to line up a bunch of people to buy them,” said Richard Callander, a councillor in the RM of Lakeview.

“If somebody can get them for $100 to $150 maybe they could take them home and make something out of them.”

Callander became involved after the horses, which were owned by an elderly couple in the municipality, were seized under orders from the chief veterinarian’s office in early January. The owners, who have since moved to a nursing home, also had a number of domestic pets seized last year. They were issued an order restricting them from owning animals for three years.

Callander had appealed the seizure on the owner’s behalf, saying the roundup was carried out under questionable circumstances and several horses from the herd had gone missing.

He said the Office of the Chief Provincial Veterinarian agreed to deliver the horses to the auction mart in Gladstone on the condition that the elderly owners dropped their appeal against the seizure.

Callander said the horses may have been living in a semi-feral state, but the Morgan influence might add a touch of draft-horse docility to their nature.

In the news release, the province said the horses were deemed to be “at large” and “the process of capturing and seizing” them was completed on Jan. 14.

daniel.winters@fbcpublishing.com

CWB says ad met its objective Public reaction has been generally positive

By Laura Rance Co-operator Editor

T

he chief strategy officer for CWB says the agency stands by its controversial ad depicting a cowgirl stuck on a fence, saying most people like it.

“We’ve got more feedback than I ever expected,” said Dayna Spiring about the ad that has been running in farm newspapers in recent weeks.

Spiring acknowledged there have been some complaints about the ad from those who find the image degrading to women. But “overall, feedback was more positive than negative.”

She said the “on the fence” theme was chosen to reflect the fact that because of all the changes that have taken place in the western grain-marketing scene in the past year, such as the move to the open market and sale of Viterra, many farmers have delayed pricing their grain.

In the past, most wheat-marketing decisions were made by late autumn due to Canadian Wheat Board contracting pro-

visions. CWB wanted to draw attention to that reality as well as highlight its voluntary pooling programs as options for farmers who remain undecided, she said.

“We had to cut through the clutter and make sure we got farmers’ attention,” Spiring said. “This ad achieves that objective.”

The suggestion to use the 1969 print from pin-up artist Gil Elvgren’s collection came from an outside advertising agency.

Spiring said it’s too soon to tell whether the advertising has convinced more farmers to commit grain to the voluntary pools. “But traffic on our website and farmers getting information on the winter pools has increased substantially since the ad started running,” she said. laura@fbcpublishing.com

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The Manitoba Co-operator | February 7, 2013

OPINION/EDITORIAL

A model worth considering

S

askatchewan Pulse Growers took an unusual step in the late 1990s. They took control of the research and development into new varieties suited to Saskatchewan’s growing conditions.

How? They decided to pay for it themselves, drawing on a one per cent of gross sales checkoff collected from growers. In 1997, the SPG initiated an agreement with the University of Saskatchewan’s Crop Laura Rance Development Centre to finance the developEditor ment of new and improved varieties.

Those varieties are available royalty free to Saskatchewan pulse growers. It seems to have been a wise decision on the part of an organization that invests 60 per cent of its annual budget into research and development.

Monitoring by economists Richard Gray and Terry Scott, last updated in 2008, concluded that $1 of producer checkoff invested in research generated more than $31 in returns to the industry, with $20 of that going directly back to producers, the SPG website says. Producers have earned an average of 20 per cent per year return on investment from their checkoff contributions.

Pea yields for varieties grown in the province have increased 40 per cent. Aside from those direct benefits, producer-funded variety research into pulses has contributed to value-added diversification in the province as well as to improved soil health and carbon sequestration.

Not surprisingly, the agreement with the CDC was renewed for another 15 years beginning in 2005.

This research financing model has helped ensure an ongoing drive for improved varieties, which increases the industry’s global competitiveness. But it has also ensured that growers are getting their fair share of the returns from those improvements.

Canada’s wheat industry should be looking at this model carefully as it addresses the growing call for changes that would attract more private-sector varietal development in wheat.

As evidenced at the recent Keystone Agricultural Producers meeting, many farmers would prefer to keep their right to save and plant their own seeds. We see merit in this for more than nostalgic reasons.

The environment in which farmers must operate is constantly changing; there is evidence to suggest it is now changing more rapidly. Seed grown in that environment, even if it is varietally pure, constantly evolves as well. The evolution for hybrid seeds or seeds available only for annual lease, is arbitrary and controlled. They can’t respond to those environmental signals.

Maybe non-public sources of research funds are needed. But farmers would be wise to keep a piece of the action.

Growing forward or left behind?

Western Manitoba municipal officials who came to hear about the Growing Forward 2 program at a recent meeting in Brandon weren’t impressed with what they heard.

The latest suite of federal and provincially funded programs to help agriculture is all about enhancing innovation, marketing and international competitiveness for Canada’s agriculture and food sector.

But even though there appears to be a lot of money on the table over the next five years — $698 million for AgriInnovation, $341 million for AgriMarketing and $114.5 million for AgriCompetitiveness — it’s not clear how the people living in their communities will benefit.

Oh sure, every farmer benefits in some way when international market access improves, regulations are streamlined and industry capacity is supported through leadership and youth development.

But their ability to tap into some of the opportunities that might be created by such measures is limited by simple things most Canadians take for granted, such as secure access to water.

Hauling water for the live-

stock by truck through the winter isn’t much fun, and it’s not the kind of lifestyle that attracts young people back to the farm.

But it’s also a detriment to further economic development in an area, whether it’s the livestock industry, food or fibre processing.

Much of eastern Manitoba is now connected to water by pipeline.

The western part of the province is not as fortunate.

We suspect there aren’t enough people left living in some of the western areas to justify the expense of providing this basic service. But without it, there is little chance of the kind of development that brings in more people.

So there it sits. Despite the name and all the fancy language about accelerating “the pace of innovation by supporting research and development activities in agri-innovations and facilitating the demonstration, commercialization and/ or adoption of innovative products, technologies, processes, practices and services,” GrowingForward 2 will be leaving these regions further behind. laura@fbcpublishing.com

Cut the booze before the beef: Health study Beef ranks low on the list for disease risk Canada Beef Inc.

A

t the end of December 2012, an important health study was released and created a fair bit of buzz in nutrition circles. The study, “The Global Burden of Disease Study (2010),” published in the medical journal Lancet, was an examination of a variety of factors with the goal of estimating each one’s relative contribution to disease and disability. It is the largest systematic study ever compiled to look at this.

When health studies are published that involve beef in some way, this is an opportunity for Canada Beef to weigh in and influence how the study gets communicated. In the case of positive beef stories, this is an opportunity to disseminate the key results, and in the case of negative beef stories, Canada Beef has a responsibility to provide another viewpoint and, where appropriate, a defence.

The “The Global Burden of Disease Study (2010)” found that the three leading risk factors for global disease burden were high blood pressure, tobacco smoke and alcohol use. The study identified diets low in fruits and high in sodium as the most prominent dietary risk factors for disease.

In case you are curious, here’s what made the top 20: 1. High blood pressure 2. Smoking 3. Alcohol use 4. Household air pollution 5. Low fruit consumption

OUR HISTORY:

A

6. High body mass index 7. High fasting blood glucose 8. Childhood underweight 9. Ambient pollution 10. Physical inactivity 11. High sodium intake 12. Low nuts and seeds intake 13. Iron deficiency 14. Suboptimal breastfeeding 15. High total blood cholesterol 16. Low whole grains intake 17. Low vegetable intake 18. Low omega-3 intake 19. Drug use 20. Occupational injury As you will notice, red meat is not on the list. The researchers evaluated red meat; it actually ranked dead last in the list of the 43 factors they examined.

This study is important as the findings provide us with the opportunity to position beef in a broader context with respect to risk factors for disease. When health professionals have facts, there can be appropriate prioritization of health efforts and messaging. For example, this study shows that low-fruit and high-sodium intakes are leading dietary factors contributing to disease globally.

It so happens that Canadians’ intake of fruit and vegetables is largely inadequate, and sodium intakes are too high. Clearly then, these are priorities. In contrast, Canadians consume a moderate amount of red meat (74 g/day on average), in line with Canada’s Food Guide. Thus, our messaging to health professionals is to remind them that efforts to increase vegetable and fruit intake and reduce sodium intake are likely to be beneficial, whereas advice to limit red meat, such as beef, is likely to prove ineffective.

February 1972

s far as we can tell, this “fits in your trunk” snowmobile advertised in our Feb. 3, 1972 issue did not catch on, but stories over the next few weeks remind us that some issues never go away. On the U.S.-Canadian hog dispute front, Prime Minister Pierre Elliot Trudeau had announced a deficiency payment of $25 million or about $5 per hog due to “disastrous levels” of prices. The calculation took into account the effect of the U.S. surtax. Agriculture Minister H.A. Olson asked that “sound reasoning and business judgment is made before there is any rush back into overproducing hogs.”

Hog payments were not the only thing on Mr. Trudeau’s mind that week. In the same issue, Ottawa columnist Henry Heald welcomed the arrival of Justin Pierre James Trudeau. “With a heritage like yours, you can hardly lose. Anybody who can arrange to be born on Dec. 25 doesn’t need much help. The phrase ‘with a silver spoon’ is most inadequate to describe the potential for your future.”

Elsewhere in that issue, an op-ed piece from Unesco warned that human tinkering with the climate could lead to a disappearance of Arctic sea ice.

And in grain company merger news, circa 1972, it was announced that the Prairie Pools had offered to purchase Federal Grain, the largest private company at the time. The purchase of 1,092 country and terminal elevators was later successful, giving the Pools 60 per cent of the handling capacity on the Prairies.

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The Manitoba Co-operator | February 7, 2013

COMMENT/FEEDBACK

Corn area under threat as key states look to more profitable soybeans Secondary corn-producing states may find more value in soybeans

By Gavin Maguire CHICAGO / REUTERS

T

Letters

he corn market’s consistent outperformance of soybeans so far in 2013 has helped cement expectations that overall corn planted area within the United States will see a year-overyear increase across all major corngrowing states at the expense of soybeans and other crops.

But there are some key states where soybeans have gotten the upper hand lately, both in terms of an acreage footprint and overall crop value, opening the door to a reduction in corn acres even in the heart of the traditional Corn Belt.

Most agronomists and agricultural economists cite corn’s superior return-per-acre profile as the chief reason why farmers across the Midwest will dial up corn seedings this spring and pare back the production of other spring-planted crops.

And certainly from a purely economical perspective cor n does appear to have the upper hand when compared with the projected cost and revenue potential of other widely planted crops.

Ag economists at the University of Illinois — which runs one of the top agri-focused programs in the country — estimate that corn planted on top-tier land that also grew corn last season could yield a return of $571 per acre, while corn planted where soybeans were produced in 2012 could return $643 an acre.

In comparison, the projected return for soybeans on land that produced corn a year ago is roughly $445 an acre. Estimates for Iowa — the country’s top corn-growing state — are similar.

Even so, large-scale commodity crop growers base their planting decisions on more than just economic return potential alone, as crop rotation requirements, crop insurance mandates and general production risk diversification all contribute to the decision-making process.

This particularly applies to growers who farm ground that is less productive than that found across Illinois and Iowa, and where the bushels-per-acre estimates used in

We welcome readers’ comments on issues that have been covered in the Manitoba Co-operator. In most cases we cannot accept “open” letters or copies of letters which have been sent to several publications. Letters are subject to editing for length or taste.

We suggest a maximum of about 300 words.

Please forward letters to Manitoba Co-operator, 1666 Dublin Ave., Winnipeg, R3H 0H1 or Fax: 204-954-1422 or email: news@fbcpublishing.com (subject: To the editor)

revenue forecasting are routinely lower and so can eat into prospective financial returns.

CORN & SOYBEAN VALUE, OUTPUT, AREA & YIELD BY PRODUCER GROUP

Crowd control

While it is true that each farm manager tweaks production decisions based on farm-level considerations, there is a tendency for growers to act in tandem in terms of crop production because their land shares similar attributes. This leads to widespread planting of the same crops across the same areas.

The corn market’s 100 per cent price increase over the past five years has also produced greater uniformity of crop production in certain areas and has led to certain states being increasingly defined by the production of that crop versus any other.

Iowa, Illinois, Nebraska, Minnesota and Indiana are often known as the ‘Big 5’ in terms of corn production, and together account for more than 50 per cent of the total corn-planted area and nearly 60 per cent of total U.S. production.

And when you look at the growth in the gross dollar-based value of the corn crop over the past 10 or so years, it is easy to see why growers in those states have proved happy to intensify corn production over that period.

Since 2002, the value of the corn produced in those ‘Big 5’ states has increased by more than 200 per cent from roughly $13.7 billion to $42.8 billion in 2012. That 2012 tally comes despite the disappointing crop yields that year amid drought conditions, and is down more than $5 billion from the alltime high recorded the year before.

That total compares starkly to the dollar amount received by growers of corn in the second tier of growing states within the United States — South Dakota, Kansas, Ohio, Wisconsin and Missouri — which was less than $14 billion in 2012 and topped out at less than $15.5 billion the year before.

Less productive soils account for the steep revenue differential seen, and are the chief reason why growers within that band of states may be tempted to cut back on cornplanted area in 2013 even as their counterparts in the Big 5 states continue to extend corn production.

Open letter to Gerry Ritz I am writing to you as a concerned citizen of Canada regarding recent print and online advertising by the Canadian Wheat Board (CWB).

As a woman, mother, and fourthgeneration Canadian of agricultural heritage, I was deeply offended and shocked by the pin-up-style image and the demeaning portrayal of women. My great-grandparents cleared land and dealt with great hardship and adversity when they came to Canada in the 1880s. At all times, the women in my family have been critical to the success of their farm businesses and indeed the very survival of their families.

This degrading view of womanhood is an insult not only to me and my

Graphic Source / REUTERS

Growers within second-tier states not only routinely record substantially lower crop yields per acre, but also often face higher overall production costs as they attempt to make up for natural soil deficiencies through heavy chemical and fertilizer usage.

Furthermore, due to poorer overall soil quality in those states, growers outside the Big 5 in general experienced much sharper yield reductions in the drought last year versus normal.

Key contenders

While growers across all states outside of the Big 5 can be considered serious candidates for cutbacks in corn plantings in 2013, there are three states that stand out as especially likely to favour soybeans over corn this year — Ohio, Missouri and North Dakota.

These three states ranked eighth, 10th and 12th in terms of average corn production over the 2008-12 period, and so are not inconsequential when it comes to contributing to the overall corn production total.

However, in terms of soybean output, they ranked sixth, seventh and eighth in 2012, and have made consistent increases in terms of overall soy output over the past several years.

daughters, but to the fine, intelligent, hard-working farm women to which we owe our very existence.

I have seen the pin-up ad run twice in print, so far, in both the Western Producer and in the Manitoba Cooperator. I was equally dismayed that these established agricultural publications who owe their existence to the upstanding farm families of Canada, most of which consist of married couples with children, would accept such inflammatory and offensive material that openly diminishes the status and contributions of women.

I recognize times are tough for advertisers, but what of professional ethics?

I will also be writing to these publications to complain and ask for a formal, published apology.

Indeed, soybean-planted area in each state has been consistently higher than that of corn for the past 10 years at least.

The chief reason for this lies in the state-level overall value of the soybean crop relative to the corn crop, which in those states has been more or less equal to corn in recent years even though in other states corn’s overall value has been consistently above soybean’s.

Another soy-supportive factor has been the average crop yields recorded by those states in recent years, which on the whole have been closer to the national average in soybeans than in corn.

The fact that the soy crop’s value has been at least equal to corn’s in those states in recent years, combined with the area’s track record of delivering solid soybean yields, makes it likely that growers in those states will continue to dial up soybean production going forward.

At the same time, the recent experience of disappointing corn yields — along with the relatively higher expense of growing corn compared to soybeans — make it likely that corn area in those states could come under pressure in 2013.

Gavin Maguire is a Reuters market analyst.

Further, as a current student at the University of Manitoba, in the department of women’s and gender studies, I will be circulating these concerns through every possible avenue available to me as a concerned citizen of Canada to ensure that this type of abuse does not go unpunished.

Someone within the CWB had to approve this ad; that someone should be removed from their position. It’s 2013, and women should not have to be fighting against sexualized, degrading portrayal in advertising. It is absolutely inconceivable that this piece of garbage made it to print.

Pamela Hadder Winnipeg, Man.

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The Manitoba Co-operator | February 7, 2013

FROM PAGE ONE INNOVATION Continued from page 1

Inadequate water supplies in the southwest corner of the province make it difficult to operate livestock operations, said Ross Tycoles, from Pipestone.

“It’s about survival,” said Tycoles. “Innovation is great, but in the western part of the province, even in wet years, there’s no water.”

Attendees at the meeting, one of five consultations held in the province, were given an overview of Growing Forward 2, which ups funding for strategic investments aimed at industry innovation by 50 per cent, or $35 million a year.

“There is far more that could be done and that is needed than the dollars will enable,” said G erald Huebner, director of MAFRI GO Teams.

The goal is to help Manitoba farmers and the food sector adapt to a changing world, including emerging markets, new consumer demand for healthy prod-

“It’s always a choice of where you want to invest money.”

Loni Scott

ucts, environmental sus tainability, declining energy availability, and volatility in foreign exchange rates.

Huebner pointed to China’s recent pledge to triple dairy production — a change that could open doors for Canadian providers of genetics, technology or forages — and to consumers’ growing interest in “eco-labelling,” which aims to assess the overall environmental impact of products or process.

In a g l o b a l i z e d w o r l d , Manitobans have to invest to stay competitive, he said.

“Simply (put), how can we do it better, cheaper and faster with more profitability in a way that’s adaptable and sustainable?” said Huebner.

The latter point was an i s s u e f o r Ia n Ro b s o n , a rancher from Deleau.

He s a i d p r o g r a m s a r e needed to address society’s and industrial agriculture’s tendency to “overwhelm the land” with ever-increasing demands for more productive acres, even as urban encroachment, erosion, and “potential” losses due to herbicide contamination and disease issues reduce the amount available.

“Never mind the human resources necessary to produce food,” said Robson.

“The resources of talent to work the land are becoming fewer in North America.” daniel.winters@fbcpublishing.com

Former top bureaucrat says driving innovation in agriculture won’t be easy Bringing innovative products to market a challenge

By Alex Binkley co-operator contributor / ottawa

G

o v e r n m e n t d o e s n’t understand the financial risk or the long-term commitment required to turn a bright idea into an innovative product and then bring it to market, says a former senior bureaucrat with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada.

Fostering innovation is one of the centrepieces of the revamped Growing Forward 2 program, and that’s a major change in attitude, economist Doug Hedley said at a recent agriculture economics conference. In past, governments have feared companies will profit from discoveries made by publicly funded research, he said.

But a new attitude won’t automatically lead to a host of innovative new products, he warned.

The timeline for new products is long — as much as a decade or more — and governments will usually only commit to a couple of years of funding for a particular program, he said. And while the private sector could, in theory, cherrypick promising governmentT:10.25” funded research conducted

by universities, it’s not an easy process, said Hedley, a senior federal mandarin for nearly three decades.

“Governments aren’t connected well enough to appreciate the financial risk private companies take on or the longterm nature of developing a product,” he said.

As well, both government and university researchers focus on projects that can be used to write papers for publication and win awards, he noted.

Another challenge is that few Canadian companies have any research capacity and foreignowned ones would only consider research work here if it came with assistance from government or other partners, he added.

Ottawa supports exploratory research through the Natural S c i e n c e s a n d En g i n e e r i n g Research Council while Growing Forward leans toward the collaboration needed to bring new products and techniques to market.

Hedley said Canada should continue traditional wheatbreeding research, in combination with work on the wheat genome, to develop improved varieties.

Living in the land of pump jacks

By Daniel Winters Co-operator Staff

For the past 45 winters, Herb Isaac has always kept a close eye on the temperature outside and the level of his 2,000-gallon cistern.

Whenever the mercury rises a tad, the retired beekeeper who lives a few miles northwest of Sinclair, fires up his flatbed truck with the 1,250-gal. white plastic tank on the back and makes a run for treated water at the municipal well in Reston, about 20 miles away.

“I don’t wait until it gets bone dry,” said Isaac, who now sells a range of new and used apiary equipment.

“If I need 800 gallons and the weather is nice, I go haul myself 800 gallons.”

To keep trips to the well to a minimum, Isaac and his wife are careful how they use water. They have installed water-saving toilets from Australia, low-flow showerheads, and a water-saving dishwasher and washing machine.

A beekeeping operation doesn’t use much water, but Isaac’s neighbours who run cattle operations feel the pinch when their wells run dry.

Last year, his neighbour was forced to haul water every day for the cattle and the house, he said.

The Isaacs are all set to be hooked up to a regional water pipeline, but a delay in completing the system this fall means that they’ll have to spend another winter hauling water.

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7

The Manitoba Co-operator | February 7, 2013

FARM SAFETY Continued from page 1

by KAP and Manitoba Farmers with Disabilities.

Mazier said farmers aren’t doing even the simple things to make the job site safer, such as wearing a high-visibility vest more often, or keeping a first aid kit handy for an emergency.

Nor are they tackling the bigger issues beyond personal safety. Farmers who hire people to work for them have no protocols for training new workers to do their jobs safely. Few have taken time to understand how Workplace Safety and Health legislation applies to their businesses, he said.

“People just aren’t aware we have to do this,” said Mazier, the first speaker of a half-day safety seminar geared to family farms.

“We’ve got a bunch of different excuses. Farmers’ No. 1 excuse is that ‘farming is different’ (than other industries). It’s time to say ‘we can do a lot better than this.’”

The only thing that makes farming different is that when fines are imposed or safety lapses enforced, the investigator is knocking on the door of a farmer’s personal residence, not calling in at the job site, he added.

Farm injury and fatality statistics are evidence not much is being done in prevention; the latest data gathered by the Canadian Agr icultural In j u r y Re p o r t show since 2000 the number of deaths on farms around the country has dropped to 89 a year from 118.

“And, at this point in time, most farms in the province don’t have those (records),” he said. “Your farm is vulnerable to that.”

What’s also unknown is what percentage of farmers with paid employees have signed up for Workers Compensation Board coverage, which became mandatory at the beginning of 2009.

That year the province rolled agriculture in with other highrisk industries, and made it mandatory that all paid farm employees be covered by workers’ compensation.

Dwight Doell, director of SAFE work services with WCB, who also spoke at the seminar, said coverage pays replacement wages, and rehabilitative services to workers injured in the workplace and will also cover job retraining if a worker can never return to their job.

“It’s a really good benefit if a horrible situation happens,” he said.

Having coverage also protects an employer from being sued because an injured worker covered by WCB cannot pursue legal action against their employer.

Farm owners can also opt to

“We’ve got a bunch of different excuses.

It’s time to say ‘we can do a lot better than this.’”

DAN MAZIER

Farmers have an obligation as business owners to be aware of Workplace Safety and Health legislation and comply with it, says KAP vice-president and Elton-area farmer Dan Mazier. PHOTO: LORRAINE STEVENSON

purchase voluntary coverage for themselves and the WCB no longer looks at farm profitability when accessing eligibility for personal coverage.

“We used to get into that, but we’ve made some changes there,” he said.

The cost of coverage depends on the size of the farm payroll.

If the farm payroll is $20,000 the cost of WCB coverage, calcu-

lated with a farm rate formula of 2.36 would be $472.

But if that seems a small price to pay to protect an injured worker from financial hardship and the farm from a lawsuit, it’s not known to what extent farmers are registered for WCB coverage.

A WCB spokesman says there is no way of tracking how many of the total farms with employ-

ees are registered for WCB coverage.

“We generally find out if people aren’t covered only if an injury occurs and then we find out there was no coverage,” said Warren Preece.

WCB’s agricultural payroll has tripled since 2008, which was the last year WCB coverage was voluntary for farm workers. It now has 1,671 farm accounts.

Preece said the WCB is doing more to inform farmers that, if they’re hiring people to work for them, buying WCB coverage is no longer voluntary, but required by law.

“I think we have a big audience of people who needs to hear that message,” he added. lorraine@fbcpublishing.com

Low buy-in

KAP has had a hard time getting buy-in for its Safe Farm Program. Since 2010 the farm organization has employed a farm safety specialist, offering free farm safety assessments to farmers who have employees and pay into Workers Compensation Board.

Participation includes an offer of two visits by the safety specialist, the first to do a thorough job site assessment and identify risk management strategies, the second visit to review a prepared report and evaluate actions taken.

KAP did 32 initial farm visits, but were only asked back to five farms for the followup visit. The program ends in March.

They struggled, especially at the beginning, to get farmer participation, Mazier said.

“We were told ‘this is going to cost money.’”

But ignoring legal obligations as a business owner to improve the safety of the workplace is also going to cost you, other speakers last week said.

Fa r m e r s a r e e x t r e m e l y exposed from liability perspective if they aren’t doing due diligence, said Jeff Shaw, the Brandon-based provincial farm safety co-ordinator who talked about SAFE Farms, a safety prevention initiative supported by Workplace Safety and Health and the Workers Compensation Board.

Hired hands

Most farms now have hired help, either as seasonal or yearround hands, or contractors, yet Shaw and his team see farms where it’s not clear what training in safe work procedures has been offered.

“If you have a worker on your farm who becomes hurt and you have an investigation team and the RCMP and everything else at your farm, they’re going to be asking for training records, safe work procedures,” he said.

Let’s Get GrowInG! Growing Forward 2 is an investment of $3 billion in strategic initiatives to assist farmers like you find innovative ways to expand markets and stay competitive.

Learn more about these and other federal, provincial and territorial programs that can help you manage your business risks.

Growing Forward 2 programs focus on: • • • •

Innovation Competitiveness Market Development Business Risk Management

To find out more about federal programs and application deadlines, visit

www.agr.gc.ca/growingforward2 or call 1-877-246-4682 today!

Modern. Innovative. Growing.

AAFC_001E_Manitoba Cooperator_REV2.indd 1

13-01-28 4:41 PM

8

The Manitoba Co-operator | February 7, 2013

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The Manitoba Co-operator | February 7, 2013

9

13-01-16 2:26 PM

10

The Manitoba Co-operator | February 7, 2013

LIVESTOCK MARKETS Cattle Prices Winnipeg

February 1, 2013

Domestic demand supports feeder cattle prices

Steers & Heifers — D1, 2 Cows 62.00 - 68.00 D3 Cows 50.00 - 57.00 Bulls 75.00 - 85.00 Feeder Cattle (Price ranges for feeders refer to top-quality animals only) Steers (901+ lbs.)

110.00 - 117.00 (801-900 lbs.)

117.00 - 128.00 (701-800 lbs.)

120.00 - 133.00 (601-700 lbs.)

125.00 - 140.00 (501-600 lbs.)

130.00 - 157.00 (401-500 lbs.)

140.00 - 165.00 Heifers (901+ lbs.)

100.00 - 110.00 (801-900 lbs.)

105.00 - 113.00 (701-800 lbs.)

107.00 - 115.00 (601-700 lbs.)

110.00 - 124.00 (501-600 lbs.)

115.00 - 135.00 (401-500 lbs.)

125.00 - 145.00

Heifers

Alberta South $ 115.50 - 117.00 117.00 - 117.00 69.00 - 79.00 60.00 - 71.00 — $ 120.00 - 130.00 121.00 - 134.00 126.00 - 140.00 132.00 - 149.00 145.00 - 170.00 160.00 - 185.00 $ 110.00 - 122.00 114.00 - 126.00 117.00 - 129.00 122.00 - 137.00 129.00 - 147.00 140.00 - 158.00

($/cwt) (1,000+ lbs.)

(850+ lbs.)

(901+ lbs.)

(801-900 lbs.)

(701-800 lbs.)

(601-700 lbs.)

(501-600 lbs.)

(401-500 lbs.)

(901+ lbs.)

(801-900 lbs.)

(701-800 lbs.)

(601-700 lbs.)

(501-600 lbs.)

(401-500 lbs.)

Futures (February 1, 2013) in U.S. Fed Cattle Close Change February 2013 127.63 1.76 April 2013 132.80 2.45 June 2013 128.30 1.50 August 2013 129.33 1.58 October 2013 133.35 1.28 December 2013 134.33 0.66 Cattle Slaughter Canada East West Manitoba U.S.

Feeder Cattle January 2013 March 2013 April 2013 May 2013 August 2013 September 2013

Cow-calf producers are up against high costs of gain Phil Franz-Warkentin

Ontario $ 111.28 - 134.64 114.38 - 126.93 57.07 - 76.29 57.07- 76.29 74.86 - 86.40 $ 122.94 - 141.02 112.88 - 136.92 105.95 - 137.19 114.66 - 150.35 125.47 - 160.83 119.95 - 161.91 $ 114.24 - 124.17 110.99 - 125.32 104.11 - 128.71 107.98 - 134.90 110.87 - 140.66 108.32 - 143.42

Close 146.30 149.55 152.58 155.03 160.25 161.65

Change 1.70 1.60 1.41 0.78 0.38 0.23

Cattle Grades (Canada)

Week Ending January 26, 2013 46,352 10,529 35,823 NA 625,000

Previous Year­ 51,806 14,023 37,783 NA 601,000

Week Ending January 26, 2013 604 19,160 14,040 478 599 10,724 18

Prime AAA AA A B D E

Previous Year 292 18,394 19,882 951 657 8,055 180

Hog Prices Source: Manitoba Agriculture

(Friday to Thursday) ($/100 kg) MB. ($/hog) MB. (All wts.) (Fri-Thurs.)

MB. (Index 100) (Fri-Thurs.)

ON (Index 100) (Mon.-Thurs.)

P.Q. (Index 100) (Mon.-Fri.)

Current Week 171.00E 158.00E 160.33 165.55

Futures (February 1, 2013) in U.S. Hogs February 2013 April 2013 May 2013 June 2013 July 2013

Last Week 168.39 155.77 157.04 159.70

Close 87.60 89.35 96.38 98.10 98.08

Last Year (Index 100) 173.49 159.29 159.15 164.20

Change 0.55 -0.32 -0.09 0.50 0.67

Sheep and Lambs Winnipeg — — — — — —

Chickens Minimum broiler prices as of May 23, 2010 Under 1.2 kg................................... $1.5130 1.2 - 1.65 kg.................................... $1.3230 1.65 - 2.1 kg.................................... $1.3830 2.1 - 2.6 kg...................................... $1.3230

Turkeys Minimum prices as of February 10, 2013 Broiler Turkeys (6.2 kg or under, live weight truck load average) Grade A .................................... $2.025 Undergrade .............................. $1.935 Hen Turkeys (between 6.2 and 8.5 kg liveweight truck load average) Grade A .................................... $2.015 Undergrade .............................. $1.915 Light Tom/Heavy Hen Turkeys (between 8.5 and 10.8 kg liveweight truck load average) Grade A .................................... $2.015 Undergrade .............................. $1.915 Tom Turkeys (10.8 and 13.3 kg, live weight truck load average) Grade A..................................... $1.975 Undergrade............................... $1.890 Prices are quoted f.o.b. farm.

CNSC

T

he large volume of cattle moving through Manitoba’s auction yards during the week ended Feb. 1 were met with fairly good demand, as prices were generally steady to firmer compared to the previous week when numbers were much smaller.

“The market was showing a little bit of strength,” said Buddy Bergner of Ashern Auction Mart. Most of the demand for the feeders was coming from Canadian feedyards to the west and the east, he said.

The softer Canadian dollar also brought up some buying interest for the butcher animals from the U.S. — but a lack of feed in the U.S. kept any feeders from moving south.

At the Ashern yard, top-quality feeder steers improved by a few dollars from the previous week, while the plainer animals and heifers held steady. Cows and bulls were also steady on the week.

Bergner said feed supplies are also getting very tight in Manitoba — and what feed there is, is very high priced.

The lack of feed supplies would make it tough for some producers to make it through the winter, with many people scrambling to bring in supplies while they can. “The cattle market isn’t bad, but the price of everything else is so high,” said Bergner.

The feedlots bringing in the animals these days likely contracted a fair bit of grain earlier in the year, so they are not hurting to the same extent with rising feed costs, said Bergner.

“The income just isn’t coming in,” he added.

Toronto 69.35 - 94.96 129.05 - 144.52 134.04 - 142.89 137.66 - 153.43 124.83 - 207.21 —

SunGold Specialty Meats 40.00 - 60.00

Eggs Minimum prices to producers for ungraded eggs, f.o.b. egg grading station, set by the Manitoba Egg Producers Marketing Board effective June 12, 2011.

New Previous A Extra Large $1.8500 $1.8200 A Large 1.8500 1.8200 A Medium 1.6700 1.6400 A Small 1.2500 1.2200 A Pee Wee 0.3675 0.3675 Nest Run 24 + 1.7490 1.7210 B 0.45 0.45 C 0.15 0.15

Goats Kids Billys Mature

Winnipeg (100/head) — — —

Toronto ($/cwt) 118.00 - 205.00 — 58.42 - 189.34

Horses <1,000 lbs.

1,000 lbs.+

Winnipeg ($/cwt) — —

Toronto ($/cwt) 10.00 - 39.00 21.14 - 42.10

“The cattle market isn’t bad, but the price of everything else is so high.” buddy bergner

Ashern Auction Mart

The high cost of gain means cow-calf producers are better off selling their animals now, rather than waiting for them to put on more weight, as there are no extra profits to be had in feeding the cattle themselves, said Bergner. “They’ve already been feeding them for free since December.”

Calving season will start up in March, and bred cows have been moving through the yards for the past two weeks. “They’re not bringing much more than market price,” said Bergner, adding that the lack of feed was also a problem there.

A hay shortage in the Interlake meant some producers were being forced to ship bales in from 100 miles away, said Bergner, who added that “the freight is just killing them.”

High feed prices are causing some cattle producers to start looking at their land in a different light, with many producers taking cattle land and turning it into grain land, said Bergner.

At current grain prices it makes sense, “but if we ever get a bumper crop, who will use all of this grain?” he asked.

Phil Franz-Warkentin writes for Commodity News Service Canada, a Winnipeg company specializing in grain and commodity market reporting.

news

U.S. cattle herd at 61-year low Ranchers have begun retaining breeding stock

Other Market Prices $/cwt Ewes Lambs (110+ lb.)

(95 - 109 lb.)

(80 - 94 lb.)

(Under 80 lb.)

(New crop)

$1 Cdn: $ 1.001U.S. $1 U.S: $.9987 Cdn.

COLUMN

(Friday to Thursday) Slaughter Cattle

Slaughter Cattle Grade A Steers Grade A Heifers D1, 2 Cows D3 Cows Bulls Steers

EXCHANGES: February 1, 2013

By Theopolis Waters chicago / reuters

T

he U.S. cattle herd shrunk for a sixth straight year in 2012 due to high feed costs tied to drought and that should mean consumers will continue paying record-high prices for beef.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture Feb. 1 said the U.S. cattle herd as of January 1 was 89.30 million head, down 1.6 per cent from a year earlier and the smallest U.S. herd since 1952. Analysts expected a 1.8 per cent decline.

However, the data suggests ranchers are beginning to retain female breeding stock, the foundation for herd rebuilding, possibly in anticipation of even higher cattle prices.

“Ranchers are retaining heifers because of record prices for feeder cattle and the futures market is saying we’re going to get higher,” said University of Missouri live-

stock economist Ron Plain. Friday’s herd inventory results also reaffirms results issued in the government’s report in July 2012 in which the U.S. cattle herd at the start of 2012 was 2.3965 million head larger than 60 years earlier, but dropped below that level around April 2012.

U.S. cattle numbers have declined for several years as producers have encountered a number of hardships including mad cow disease that reduced U.S. beef exports for several years, a recession that hurt domestic beef consumption, a lengthy drought that damaged pastures, and record-high feed prices.

Those who raise, feed and process cattle in the central and western U.S. Plains this year felt the heat from the worst dry spell in more than 50 years. It raised feed and hay costs to all-time highs last summer.

Chicago Board of Trade corn futures in December averaged $7.24-1/8 per bushel, the fourth highest as drought damaged the crop. Prices reached a record high of $8.43-3/4 on August 10.

The smaller cattle herd has increased retail beef prices, with a record high of $5.15 per lb. set in November 2012. That slipped to $5.11 the following month but was still up from $5.01 a year earlier.

Looking for results? Check out the market reports from livestock auctions around the province. » PaGe 36

11

The Manitoba Co-operator | February 7, 2013

GRAIN MARKETS Export and International Prices

column

Last Week

All prices close of business January 31, 2013

Efforts to ration demand support canola futures New forecasts don’t rely on beans from Argentina Dwayne Klassen CNSC

C

anola futures on the ICE Futures Canada trading platform continued its slow but steady upward trek during the week ended Feb. 1. Strength in the futures contract was maintained by the need to ration the tightening canola supply situation in Western Canada.

There has not been any kind of letup in the need to cover commitments by domestic processors, who have been actively raising cash bids in hopes of securing enough supplies. Export outlets have also been busy trying to cover sales on the books, which has only served to further increase the value of canola. There were again unconfirmed rumours of fresh sales being made during the week.

The upside price push in canola was complimented by the advances experienced by CBOT (Chicago Board of Trade) soybean values. The Canadian dollar, which moved back to parity with the U.S. dollar, also was generally supportive of the gains seen in canola. Bullish chart signals were also conducive to the continued upward momentum seen in the commodity.

For three-times-daily market reports from Commodity News Service Canada, visit “ICE Futures Canada updates” at www.manitobacooperator.ca.

With the March canola future able to penetrate resistance at $600, the contract then made a push to the next line of resistance which was pegged at the $622 level.

If the bulls are to maintain control, the contract will need to have a number of closures above that level to confirm that the commodity is ready to try to move to the next leg up. As of Friday (Feb. 1), there had been two settlements above that area.

Dryness issues in the soybean-growing regions of Argentina were also helpful in keeping the upward price potential in canola intact.

The upside in canola was tempered by bouts of profit-taking and from steady levels of elevator company hedge selling, particularly in view of Prairie farmers taking advantage of the $14-or-better cash bids being offered by these companies and domestic crushers.

Activity in the milling wheat, durum and barley market on the ICE platform remained non-existent. There wasn’t even any arbitraging of values by ICE Futures Canada seen during the reporting period.

CBOT soybean futures posted some significant advances during the reporting period, with the push higher attributed to steady demand from the export sector as well as from concerns that the dryness in

the soybean-growing areas of Argentina has been worsening instead of improving, despite weather outlooks calling for beneficial precipitation.

Much of the export demand that surfaced for U.S. soybeans was said to have come from China.

Private forecaster Informa later in the week lowered its soybean output estimate for Argentina to 54.6 million tonnes.

This was down 3.9 million tonnes from the company’s January projection. The company acknowledged the dryness has lowered the yield potential of the soybean crop there. Further losses in production were seen if the dry weather lasted into February.

However, despite the production loss in the Argentine soybean crop, Brazil’s soybean output was on the rise. Informa pegged Brazil’s soybean 2013 soybean crop at 70.3 million tonnes, which was up 4.1 million from its January forecast.

For compar ison purposes, the U.S. Department of Agriculture in its Jan. 11 supply/demand report estimated Brazil’s soybean crop at 82.5 million tonnes and Argentina’s at 54 million.

The weather situation in South America will certainly remain a key factor in determining the price direction of CBOT soybean futures in the weeks ahead. However, concerns about acreage in the U.S. this spring have also been helping to gently fuel some upward price momentum in the commodity.

Market participants have been quietly watching the mood of farmers in the U.S. and have noticed that these producers are not exactly thrilled about putting the crop into the ground. Keeping in mind the soybean availability in South America, this still has brought forward ideas that values for U.S. soybeans will need to climb in order to encourage enough acres get planted to the crop to meet commitments.

Corn futures on the CBOT also managed to move to higher ground during the week, with support stemming mainly from the dry weather situation in Argentina, which is also stressing yield potential.

Corn production estimates for Argentina have been lowered to around the 25-million-tonne range, representing a drop of two million from projections made in January. USDA, in its Jan. 11 report, pegged Argentina’s corn output at 28 million tonnes.

The upside in corn was hard earned, given that there was little on the export and domestic demand front. Bearish chart signals also worked against the commodity making any kind of significant push to the upside.

The price trend in wheat futures on the Chicago, Minneapolis and Kansas City exchanges continued to be to the downside during the week. The continued absence of demand from the export sector encouraged some of the price weakness, with chart-based liquidation by speculative and commodity fund accounts helping to undermine values.

The downward price trend was tempered in part by the dry weather situation in Argentina, which was also believed to be hurting wheat output there. However, production estimates from that country by market participants have been left unchanged — which then begs the question on whether there has been any kind of damage.

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

Week Ago

Year Ago

Wheat

Chicago wheat (nearby future) ($US/tonne)

287.03

287.03

240.10

Minneapolis wheat (nearby future) ($US/tonne)

319.36

319.36

303.93

Coarse Grains US corn Gulf ($US)

—

—

—

US barley (PNW) ($US)

—

—

—

Chicago corn (nearby future) ($US/tonne)

285.24

285.24

249.80

Chicago oats (nearby future) ($US/tonne)

230.19

230.19

195.01

Chicago soybeans (nearby future) ($US/tonne) Chicago soyoil ($US/tonne)

525.47

525.47

449.24

1,135.35

1,135.35

1,145.28

Winnipeg Futures ICE Futures Canada prices at close of business February 1, 2013 barley

Last Week

Week Ago

March 2013

241.50

241.50

May 2013

242.50

242.50

July 2013

243.00

243.00

Canola

Last Week

Week Ago

March 2013

624.50

612.50

May 2013

614.00

602.10

July 2013

604.30

591.80

Special Crops Report for February 4, 2013 — Bin run delivered plant Saskatchewan Spot Market

Spot Market

Lentils (Cdn. cents per pound)

Other ( Cdn. cents per pound unless otherwise specified)

Large Green 15/64

20.00 - 21.00

Canaryseed

Laird No. 1

19.90 - 21.00

Oil Sunflower Seed

Eston No. 2

19.00 - 21.75

Desi Chickpeas

25.25 - 28.00 — 27.00 - 28.75

Field Peas (Cdn. $ per bushel)

Beans (Cdn. cents per pound)

Green No. 1

Fababeans, large

—

Medium Yellow No. 1

14.50 - 16.50

Feed beans

—

Feed Peas (Cdn. $ per bushel)

8.15 - 9.00

No. 1 Navy/Pea Beans

—

Feed Pea (Rail)

No. 1 Great Northern

—

Mustardseed (Cdn. cents per pound)

No. 1 Cranberry Beans

—

Yellow No. 1

38.70 - 40.75

No. 1 Light Red Kidney

—

Brown No. 1

34.75 - 36.75

No. 1 Dark Red Kidney

—

Oriental No. 1

26.40 - 27.75

No. 1 Black Beans

—

No. 1 Pinto Beans

—

5.00 - 9.00

Source: Stat Publishing SUNFLOWERS

No. 1 Small Red

—

No. 1 Pink

—

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Argentina wheat policy sows uncertainty

By Hugh Bronstein buenos aires / reuters

Wheat farmers and exporters in Argentina say the government should announce new-crop export quotas as soon as possible if it wants to spur sowing and lock in high global prices after years of declining output.

Argentina is a major world supplier of wheat, soy and corn at a time when consumer nations are clamouring for South American grains to compensate for disappointing harvests in breadbaskets Russia, the United States and Australia.

However, the government

limits wheat and corn exports to ensure ample domestic food supplies.

Growers say the policy keeps them guessing about how much wheat to plant and some have swapped to alternative crops that can be exported freely like soy and beer barley.

David Hughes, who manages 7,500 hectares in Argentina’s main agricultural province of Buenos Aires, wants the government to announce the upcoming season’s exportable wheat quota

by March.

But there has been little certainty about when the government will announce each season’s quota. Wheat planting in Argentina starts in late May and ends in August, with most seeds going into the ground in June and July.

12

The Manitoba Co-operator | February 7, 2013

COLUMN

Canola bounces off of support and resumes the uptrend Reading a chart not only tells you where you are, it tells you where you are going David Drozd Market Outlook

A

fter dropping $90/tonne from the high of $657.50 in September, at the time of this writing, prices on the March 2013 canola futures contract have rallied $50/ tonne since the USDA report was released on January 11, 2013.

Thanks to phenomenal demand and improving basis levels, cash prices are back to the crop-year high ($14.50/ bushel). For far mers with near-term cash flow commitments, this seasonal rally in January couldn’t have come at a better time.

One of the unique aspects of charting and technical analysis is its ability to cut through the news. The news is always

the most bullish at the top and it is for this very reason some farmers may have been reluctant to sell in September 2012.

The front-page headlines w e re d e p i c t i n g t h e w o r s t drought in the United States Midwest since the 1950s. Bullish news causes farmers to let their guard down, as they are lulled into a false sense of security believing prices will remain high or possibly rally further.

However, the charts told a different tale. On Sept. 4, 2012, reversal patterns (sell signals) appeared on the charts in the soybean complex — alerting experienced traders to the impending downturn, which spilled over to the canola market.

Bull markets die under their own weight because of long liquidation. This occurs when the longs liquidate their futures positions. At first, the

smart money sells to take profit and eventually the others sell to cut losses. In this environment, prices collapse regardless of tight stocks.

Not until the long liquidation is over, do prices turn back up. This is evident of the open interest declining on the break and increasing once prices exceeded $600/tonne on the nearby canola futures contract.

The news is always bearish at the bottom. Leading up to the USDA report on Jan. 11, 2013, the news of a potential record soybean crop in South America loomed over the market. This in turn caused some farmers to panic and sell a portion of their canola and soybeans on the fear of prices going lower.

However, the charts portrayed a different picture.

Based on the monthly chart, the major uptrend in the can-

CANOLA MARCH 2013 Chart as of January 31, 2013

ola market was firmly intact with the harvest low of $570 proving to be a strong area of support.

Reading a chart is similar to

reading a road map. It not only tells you where you are, but where you are going.

On Monday, Jan. 14, 2013, the day after the USDA report, prices on the daily March 2013 canola chart gapped higher.

This gap is illustrated in the accompanying chart and is called a breakaway gap, which is a key indicator that prices are about to rally. Since then, prices have exploded $50/ tonne higher.

A gap is a price range within which no trading takes place.

In this case, the current day’s low price is higher than the previous day’s high, which is an upside gap.

The breakaway gap depicts a major shift in dynamics. Seldom will prices fail to do what is expected when a breakaway gap materializes.

Prices then completed the rectangular formation, which is a pattern seen at market bottoms. Resistance was at $600 and support came in at $570.

The breakout from a rectangle is considered to be highly reliable as a forecasting tool.

Measuring the height of the rectangle and extrapolating it above the upper boundary at $600 provides a minimum measurement to $630.

Market psychology

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The rectangle basically outlines a trading range in relative balance, with neither buyers nor sellers able to gain a lasting advantage. Prices were trendless until the buying at the upper boundary exceeded the selling. This is when the scales were tipped and prices broke out of the formation.

This not only cleans out the supply of contracts offered for sale, which had previously halted the advance, but it puts all shorts into a losing position. Short covering and fresh buying above $600 causes the market to rally.

Send your questions or comments about this article and chart to info@ag-chieve.ca.

David Drozd is president and senior market analyst for Winnipeg-based Ag-Chieve Corporation. The opinions expressed are those of the writer and are solely intended to assist readers with a better understanding of technical analysis. Visit Ag-Chieve online at www. ag-chieve.ca for information about grainmarketing advisory services, or call us toll free at 1-888-274-3138 for a free consultation.

13

The Manitoba Co-operator | February 7, 2013

Red tape causes farmers to see red

Whether it’s being asked to fill in a seeding survey during planting season or enduring bureaucratic paper chase to get permission to clean out a ditch, farmers say the regulatory burden is worsening CO-OPERATOR CONTRIBUTOR / OTTAWA

T

h e b l i z z a rd o f r u l e s, regulations and forms is getting steadily worse, and farmers are fed up to the gills with red tape, according to a new survey.

In fact, filling out paperwork was the No. 1 beef of 79 per cent of farmers it recently surveyed, says the Canadian Federation of Independent Business.

“Overregulation, confusing paperwork, and bad customer service are crippling agriculture businesses and stifling i n n ov a t i o n ,” s a i d Ma r i l y n Braun-Pollon, the organization’s vice-president for agribusiness.

Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz insists his government has “made significant reductions to the amount of red tape that farmers face.

“Farmers don’t make their money by filling out forms,” said Ritz. “We will continue our work with industr y to reduce red tape so that farmers can focus on producing quality products and boosting their bottom lines.”

The Canadian Federation of Agriculture is keeping an eye on this effort, specifically a government pledge to act on 90 proposals for reducing paperwork for businesses.

The proposals “target some of the main issues farmers have been asking for, to free up their businesses to allow f o r m o re i n v e s t m e n t a n d growth,” said federation president Ron Bonnett.

“These changes will no doubt strengthen Canadian agriculture’s position in the marketplace.”

There are plenty of areas where a little common sense would help, said Braun-Pollon.

“For farmers, red tape takes many forms — it can be contradictory information from the Canadian Food Inspect i o n A g e n c y, a d u m b r u l e from Fisheries and Oceans saying you can’t clean out a man-made ditch, or a Statistics Canada survey filled with questions that don’t apply to their business,” she said.

“It all adds up to a lot of wasted time and money.”

Sur vey comments reveal f a r m e r s’ f r u s t r a t i o n w i t h regulators that often don’t understand the challenges of running a farm. For example, a number of respondents complained about Statistics Canada conducting surveys during spring seeding — one of the busiest times of the year for farmers.

“Farmers feel really disrespected by government agencies that don’t understand t h e re a re t w o re a l l y b u s y times of year — seeding and harvesting,” said Braun-Pollon. “Asking business owners to meet compliance deadlines during these two peak seasons is the equivalent of the Canada Revenue Agency trying to do a retail audit on Boxing Day.” Twenty-eight per cent of farmers surveyed said that if they had known the regulatory burden they would face,

“Farmers don’t make their money by filling out forms.”

GERRY RITZ

they might not have gone into farming.

But government isn’t always to blame for red tape, said the executive director of Grain Growers of Canada.

“Some of it is due to retailers and other buyers who want suppliers to meet particular criteria,” said Richard Phillips.

Farmers wanting to sell to the highest-paying markets often have to offer proof they are following specific practices, he said.

“You have to do the paperwork to get access to them.”

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14

The Manitoba Co-operator | February 7, 2013

WHAT’S UP

Century celebration calf

Please forward your agricultural events to daveb@fbcpublish ing.com or call 204-944-5762.

Feb. 7: CWB farmer meeting, 9:30 a.m., RM of Langenburg conference room, Langenburg, Sask. For more info or to register call 204-756-5000.

Feb. 7-8: Manitoba Beef Producers annual general meeting, Victoria Inn, 3550 Victoria Ave., Brandon.

For more info call 1-800-772-0458 or visit www.mbbeef.ca.

Feb. 8: CWB farmer meeting, 9:30 a.m. to noon, Drop-In Centre, Binscarth. For more info or to register call 204-756-5000.

Cindy Jack, a member of the Gainsborough Combined 4-H Club near Portage la Prairie, helps the newborn calf delivered by her 4-H cow to the warm-up box. The calf was born as 4-H celebrates 100 years in Canada. photo: barb jack

Feb. 8: Farm Succession Seminar, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Steinbach Legion.

Registration $20. For more info or to pre-register call MAFRI at 204346-6080 or 204-268-6094.

Feb 12-13: Western Canadian Holistic Management Conference, George P. Buleziuk Centre and Russell Inn, Russell. For more info call 204622-2006 or visit mbforagecouncil. mb.ca/western-canadian-holisticmanagement-conference-3/.

Feb. 13-14: Canadian Association of Agri-Retailers convention, Fairmont Banff Springs, 405 Spray Ave., Banff. For more info visit www. caar.org or call 1-800-463-9323.

Feb. 14: Food entrepreneurs’ workshop: “Steps to commercialization: Food retail or food service,” 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Morden Friendship Centre, 306 N. Railway St., Morden. To pre-register call 204-822-5461.

Food Matters Manitoba presents

Feb. 19: CWB farmer meeting, 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., Grandview Hall, Grandview. For more info or to register call 204-756-5000.

3

Feb. 19: H@ms Marketing Services’ Manitoba West and H.B. Marketing joint annual district meeting, 1:30 p.m., Glesby Centre, 11 Second St. NE, Portage la Prairie.

For more info call 1-800-899-7675.

Feb. 22: H@ms Marketing Services’ Manitoba East annual district meeting, noon, Smitty’s Restaurant, Steinbach. Lunch included. For more info call 1-800899-7675.

Feb. 23: Manitoba Outstanding Young Farmers (OYF) annual banquet, 6 p.m., Elkhorn Resort, Onanole. For more info call 204-448-2162 or visit www.oyfcanada.com.

Feb. 25-26: Wild Oats Grainworld ag outlook conference, Fairmont Winnipeg, 2 Lombard Place. For more info visit wildoatsgrainworld. com or call 1-800-567-5671.

Feb. 26: Deerwood Soil and Water Management Association annual meeting, Community Hall, Miami.

For more info call Les McEwan at 204-744-2344.

Growing Local, Going Strong March 1 & 2, 2013 Marlborough hotel, 331 smith street

Workshop theMes: diY/Food skills • Food & health • Food Justice • indigenous & northern • sustainable agriculture to register or for more information: 204.943.0822 • growinglocal@foodmattersmanitoba.ca

www.foodmattersmanitoba.ca

Feb. 26-28: Canadian Federation of Agriculture annual general meeting, Delta Ottawa City Centre, 101 Lyon St., Ottawa. For more info call 613236-3633 or visit http://cfa-fca.ca.

Feb. 28: H@ms Marketing Services’ Heartland Marketing annual district meeting, 1:30 p.m., Community Hall, Starbuck. For more info call 1-800-899-7675.

March 1-2: Growing Local Conference, Marlborough Hotel, 331 Smith St., Winnipeg. For more info visit www.foodmattersmani toba.ca or call 1-800-731-2638.

March 1-2: Manitoba Sheep Association workshops and annual general meeting, 900-1 Research Rd., Monsanto office, Smart Park, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg.

To register (deadline Feb. 25) call 204-421-9434 or email mb@ mbsheep.ca.

15

The Manitoba Co-operator | February 7, 2013

Growth lies with finished products not commodities Canada’s once huge trade surplus in farm and food products has fallen into almost a deficit position

By Alex Binkley co-operator contributor / ottawa

C

anada suffers from “a commodity mentality” and needs to export more processed foods, says the chair of the Canadian Agri-Food Policy Institute.

The country is also missing the boat in servicing the fastgrowing economies in Asia, Latin America and eastern Europe, says Ted Bilyea, a former executive vice-president of Maple Leaf Foods.

“Currently, half of our trade is with our NAFTA partners,” Bilyea said at a recent trade conference. “And we are losing ground

news

Pullet marketing board hearings in the works

in both food manufacturing and primary agriculture processing.”

What was once a huge trade surplus in farm and food products has fallen “almost into a deficit position” and that’s worrisome news for farmers, he said.

“If our processing sector suffers, it will affect primary agriculture,” he said.

Bilyea called on government to support research to help food processors develop new products that would interest foreign consumers.

That view was echoed by another expert, who noted the emerging economies are forecast to grow at double the rate of developed countries.

“The challenge for Canada is whether it can tap into these markets, especially India and China, which accounted for half the world’s economic growth since 2006,” said Colin Carter, a Canadian-born agriculture economics professor from the University of California.

Canada exports $12.4 billion worth of farm and food products, good for sixth place in world rankings but behind much smaller New Zealand, he said.

“Canada has 4.4 per cent of the trade in processed products and 30 times the arable land of New Zealand,” he noted. “That means Canada doesn’t have a

high share of the world trade considering its resources and being next door to the United States.”

Carter urged the dairy and poultry sectors to consider whether supply management is worth being shut out of export markets.

“The demand for poultry products has risen by 30 per cent and it’s like that with dairy as well,” he said. “It’s projected that three-quarters of the growth in meat buying will be for poultry.

It will be far more than for beef or pork.”

Diversification of exports has been a priority for the pork sector over the last two decades,

said the executive director of the Canadian Pork Council.

“We now sell 30 per cent of our output to the U.S. where it used to be 65 per cent,” said Martin Rice. “Two-thirds of our production is destined for export.”

However, the number of farms producing pigs has dropped to 7,330 last July compared to 62,600 in 1976.

One of the big handicaps for the industry is high tariffs on Canadian pork in South Korea and limited access to the European market, which might be corrected under the free trade agreement currently being negotiated, Rice said.

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By Alex Binkley co-operator contributor / ottawa

After two years of incubation, Canada’s 550 pullet growers are one step away from getting their own marketing board.

The Pullet Growers of Canada filed an application to form a marketing board last summer and now the Farm Products Council of Canada has agreed to launch public hearings into the request.

Dates for the hearings will be set in March, and individuals and groups have until Feb. 14 to file submissions to the council. If the application is approved, pullet growers will be able to set prices and establish quotas, which is how the other sectors of the chicken, egg and dairy industries work currently.

To succeed, the pullet growers, whose bid is supported by the Egg Farmers of Canada, will have to show their marketing plan is in the interest of pullet and egg producers, processors and consumers; doesn’t violate existing trade agreements; and can garner federal and provincial support.

In an interview last fall, Pullet Growers chair Andy DeWeerd said work on the proposal began two years ago. He said his members need a marketing board to ensure they get a fair return on their production and to generate funding for a new code for animal care.

Canada’s 550 pullet producers specialize in raising female chicks from hatchling eggs to be sold as replacement laying hens for the table egg industry.

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16

The Manitoba Co-operator | February 7, 2013

WEATHER VANE

Android friendly.

The Manitoba Co-operator mobile app is available for Android mobile phones.

Download the free app at agreader.ca/mbc

A w e t M a r ch ma k e s a sad ha r v e st . . . . A d r y and c o l d M a r ch n e v e r b e g s its b r e ad .

Warmer temperatures ahead Issued: Monday, February 4, 2013 · Covering: February 6 – February 13, 2013 Daniel Bezte Co-operator contributor

I

t looks like this forecast period will start off with another Alberta clipper.

This low is forecast to track across Nor th Dakota on Wednesday, bringing a shot of light snow to souther n regions of Manitoba. As with the other clipper systems, only a couple centimetres of snow are expected.

It doesn’t look as though we’ll see cold air move in behind this system, as the West Coast ridge of high pressure weakens, allowing our flow to become more westerly.

Temperatures should moderate over the week, with high temperatures by the weekend climbing to around the -8 C range.

Central regions might see a little light snow on Saturday as a weak trough moves through, otherwise it looks like nice, quiet winter weather. A much stronger

system is expected to move through central regions late on Monday and into Tuesday. This system will likely bring five to 10 cm of snow to extreme northern regions, with only a few flurries over southern areas. Winds ahead of this system will become fairly strong from the south.

These south winds will bring in mild air and we could see temperatures pushing the 0 C mark on Tuesday.

Colder air will start moving back in behind this system as Arctic high pressure begins to sag southward again. We could see some more light snow late next week as a system develops to our south along the edge of the Arctic high, but confidence in this is not that high.

Usual temperature range for this period: Highs, -19 to -4 C; lows, -32 to -12 C. Daniel Bezte is a teacher by profession with a BA (Hon.) in geography, specializing in climatology, from the U of W. He operates a computerized weather station near Birds Hill Park.

Contact him with your questions and comments at daniel@bezte.ca.

WEATHER MAP - WESTERN CANADA

This issue’s map shows the total amount of snow cover across the Prairies as determined by Environment Canada. I do a fair bit of tidying up of the data displayed to make it easier to read. Because of this, the data on the map should be seen as giving you a general idea of how much snow there is across the Prairies. There hasn’t been a big change in the overall snow cover since mid-January. Eastern and northern regions have seen a bit of an increase in snow depth, while some melting has occurred over southern Alberta.

Warm January, cold February?

January’s cold snap wasn’t very unusual, except for the accompanying snowfall

By Daniel Bezte co-operator contributor

F

rom some of the comments I’ve been hearing over the last couple of weeks you would think that January must have been on track to be one of the coldest Januaries ever. It seems as if one week of really cold weather has created one horr i b l y c o l d w i n t er! I guess everyone has already forgotten about the first 10 days of January when the temperatures across much of southern Manitoba peaked in the +3 C range on at least three different days.

When you think about it, it does make some sense that some people feel January was a really cold month. If we look back over the last couple of years we really haven’t seen much in the way of cold winter weather. In fact, we have to go back to January 2011 to find the last time most areas saw temperatures colder than -35 C. So, just how cold was January 2012? Well, the only official data I have to work with are Winnipeg’s, as both Brandon and Dauphin are not reporting data online. Hopefully for next month I will be able to access a new data source and will be able to make a more detailed

Usually, when cold arctic air moves in, the strong high pressure that accompanies it keeps any precipitation out of the region.

Table: February averages

High

-9 C

Low

-19 C

Mean

-14 C

Precipitation

examination of temperatures across the region. Based on Winnipeg’s data, January 2012’s mean daily temperature actually came out a full 1° above the long-term average. The Winnipeg region has a mean daily high temperature of -11 C with a mean overnight low temperature of -22.3 C giving an average temperature of -16.7 C. As I pointed out earlier, the first 10 days of the month were very mild, with highs breaking into the pluses on several days. Over the following week temperatures cooled down to more seasonable values. Then on Jan. 19 to 20, the bottom fell out as the first significant cold snap since the winter of 2010-11 hit. We saw overnight lows plunge into the midminus 30s with some locations (including that of yours truly) seeing lows close to -40 C. This was a true winter cold snap, with daytime highs str uggling to get to -20 C. The last

week of the month saw milder weather before a reinforcing shot of cold air moved back in on the last day of the month.

The cold snap we saw in Januar y wasn’t unusual by any means, and as far as I was able to tell no records were broken. There was, however, something a little strange or unusual about the cold snap: the snow that we had while it was occurring. Usually, when cold arctic air moves in, the s t ro n g h i g h p re s s u re t h a t accompanies it keeps any precipitation out of the region.

This year we seemed to see a series of lows and highs rapidly moving through our region bringing a few centimetres of snow every couple of days. Combine these snowfalls with a heavier dump of snow earlier in the month, and January ended up recording about 30 millimetres of water-equivalent snowfall, which is about 10 mm more than average.

Who called it?

15 mm

This means that overall, January 2012 was warmer and wetter than average. Looking back at the different predictions, it appears no one was able to call it right. The closest two were Environment Canada and the Old Farmer’s Almanac, which both called for near- to slightly above-average temperatures and near-average amounts of precipitation.

Now we’ll move onto February’s forecast. Environment Canada calls for above-average temperatures for regions south of the Trans-Canada Highway and near-average temperature north of this line. Its precipitation forecast is opposite to that of the temperature, with a call for near-average amounts in the far south with above-average amounts over central and northern regions.

The Old Farmer’s Almanac predicts colder-than-average conditions over the eastern Prairies, with above-average

temperatures over western regions. It also predicts precipitation amounts will be light, with only five millimetres expected during the month.

Looking to the good folks over at the Canadian Farmers’ Almanac, it appears they call for below-average temp e ra t u re s f o r Fe b r u a r y a s they use the words cold and brisk several times to describe the month. They do mention some light snow or flurries here and there, with a chance of stormy weather around the 19th, so I think I would have to say they call for near- to below-average amounts of precipitation.

Fi n a l l y, h e re a t t h e C o operator, I once again have the advantage of making my monthly forecast a couple of days into the month. With the cold start to the month and the medium-range weather models not showing any major warmups over the next couple of weeks, I would have to say the odds of having a below-average month, temperature-wise, look pretty good. The mediumrange models also don’t show any significant storm systems affecting our region, so I’ll have to go with us seeing belowaverage amounts of snow. Now, as always, it’s time to sit back and see what will happen!

17

The Manitoba Co-operator | February 7, 2013

CROPS

Head of Western Grains Research Foundation is studying the idea of a farmer-owned breeding company, but says any decision is a long way off

By Shannon VanRaes CO-OPERATOR STAFF

Rob Brunel wants farmers to take control of wheat breeding. PHOTO: ALLAN DAWSON

“In a sense, with the public institutions and universities to date, we don’t own that research, but we certainly have a share in the commercial profits that come out of it.”

DAVE SEFTON

interested in variety development, said Sefton, warning a lack of research would also be detrimental to grain producers.

“We need to be good custodians of your dollars, as private farmer investors, to ensure that we retain some ownership of that research,” he said.

The

TM

G

rain producers want their research dollars to benefit them, and not big corporations in the post-single-desk world.

“At what point are we going to stop funding research and selling it off and paying for it again and again,” Rob Brunel asked at the recent Keystone Agricultural Producers annual general meeting.

He said he doesn’t want to see wheat go the way of soybeans, corn and canola — crops now dominated by large biotech companies.

“Wheat is the last major crop left where we can still use our own seed and save our own seed,” he said.

Other producers echoed that concern.

“Grain companies are now marketing our grain and I have to accept that,” said former Canadian Wheat Board director Wilf Harder.

“But it seems to me they always want us to do the research... and they keep the profits.”

There are challenges, conceded Dave Sefton, chairman of the Western Grains Research Foundation.

That organization’s funding formula changed with the end of the single desk, and may change again under Growing Forward 2, he said. In the past, a refundable checkoff to support WGRF was collected on sales of wheat and barley sold through the Canadian Wheat Board. In 2011 it invested $6.3 million into wheat and barley research.

Since the end of the single desk, its checkoff is collected on all sales of wheat and barley sold through licensed facilities under a program administered by the Alberta Barley Commission.

Producers pay 48 cents per tonne of wheat and 56 per tonne of barley. The proceeds support WGRF, the Canadian International Grains Institute (Cigi) and the Canadian Malting Barley Technical Centre (CMBTC).

Serving Prairie farmers will remain the foundation’s goal, he said.

There have been internal discussions — but no decision — on entering the field of variety development, possibly through the formation of a breeding company, Sefton said. Moreover, the organization, currently funded by a transitional checkoff program, would need stable long-term funding for undertaking such an effort, he said.

Although the end of the single desk has seen new players come into the market, not all are

proving ground.

Farmers don’t want their research dollars to boost fortunes of big corporations

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18

The Manitoba Co-operator | February 7, 2013

Private-sector investment needed in wheat research More private investment in wheat research is worth higher seed prices, an economist says

By Alex Binkley CO-OPERATOR CONTRIBUTOR / OTTAWA

W

h e a t re s e a rc h i n Canada needs a game-changing development or the crop will become a poor cousin to corn and canola, says Murray Fulton of the University of Saskatchewan.

“We need a drastic change in wheat research,” Fulton, chairman at the Johnson-Shoyama Graduate School, told a conference organized by the Canadian Agriculture Economic Society.

Wheat yields have fallen well behind those of the other two crops and is at risk of becoming a marginal crop because government research funding has declined and life science companies have invested in corn and canola, he said. New ways must be found to spur private support for wheat research because of the time and expense required

to bring new varieties to the market.

Fulton said farmers must accept higher seed prices to encourage breeders to invest in expanded wheat research. While governments need to partner with life science companies to encourage additional research, “what we really need are bold policy moves to educate producers. They could gain many new varieties.”

Fulton was one of three speakers on the topic of the grain economy in an open-market environment. Earl Geddes, executive director of the Canadian International Grain Institute, said western farmers are seeing a shift in varietal demand from buyers.

“We won’t know for a couple of years whether farmers will make more money without the Canadian Wheat Board monopoly, but they can certainly diver-

sify their crops to respond to market demand,” he added.

The growing world population will bring more attention to the need for food security, he said.

Canada can play a role in that if it produces innovative products that meet the food requirements of countries like China and India.

Jean-Marc Ruest, vice-president of corporate affairs and commercial litigation with Richardson International Ltd., said that in addition to the end of the CWB monopoly, Prairie agriculture is adjusting to the overhaul of the Canadian Grain Commission and proposed railway service legislation.

One issue up for debate is whether Canada should continue to focus on providing high-quality wheat or focus on lower-quality varieties that could be more attractive to emerging economies where the growth in

“We need a drastic change in wheat research.”

MURRAY FULTON

University of Saskatchewan

demand is greatest, he said. At the same time, Canada needs to work on building its reputation “as a most reliable supplier that people can count on for what they want on a dependable and timely fashion.”

One positive development for grain companies in the changes is that they can ship wheat, canola and other crops as co-loads on a vessel rather than filling a ship with just one crop, he noted.

“This makes much more efficient management of the elevator system and other resources. It opens up the possibility of much different sales opportunities than existed before.”

The CGC reforms could still leave farmers and grain buyers paying for more services than they need, in part because there is no requirement for the commission to offer services in competition with private providers, he added. “Buyers don’t want to pay for all these services.”

Although it doesn’t go far enough, the rail legislation is important because “currently there are no consequences to the railways for service failures,” he added. Shippers are still questioning “how they can take advantage of the possibilities the legislation provides.”

Soybean root rot pathogen breaks the rules The finding changes the understanding of how the pathogen evolves and how it can be controlled.

By Daniel Winters CO-OPERATOR STAFF

F

or every rule there’s an exception.

Agriculture and AgriFood Canada researchers have discovered a devastating soybean pathogen has developed a means of breaking Mendel’s laws, which sets out the rules on how genetic characteristics are passed on via inheritance.

The discovery could lead to better control of soybean root rot disease, a major problem worldwide, says researcher Mark Gijzen.

“There’s some other factor that is controlling virulence on soybeans,” said Gijzen, noting the pathogen — called Phytophthora sojae — has an “extremely unusual” ability to work around plant defences.

Virulence is the measure of the pathogen’s ability to attack soybeans, and Gijzen and his team have found that it wasn’t passed on by normal means of inheritance from parent organisms to their offspring described by Mendel’s laws. Instead, it uses something called transgenerational gene silencing to pass on traits that enable it to infect and kill soybean plants.

“A good analogy would be a person who had inherited the genes for brown eyes yet they had blue eyes,” said Gijzen. “ Tra n s g e n e ra t i o n a l g e n e silencing is an epigenetic phenomenon, meaning the unit of inheritance is not the DNA sequence of the gene but

“A good analogy would be a person who had inherited the genes for brown eyes yet they had blue eyes.”

elevate your performance.

DR. MARK GIJZEN

rather some other self-propagating factor. In this case we believe it to be small RNA molecules. This has big implications that will affect the evolution of this pathogen and how we control it.”

Soybean root rot causes an estimated $40 million to $50 million in crop damage each year in Canada, and another $1 billion to $2 billion worldwide.

Canadian researchers have been seeking ways to combat it since it first showed up in southern Ontario in the 1950s.

But lately scientists have been rethinking how genetics work, and whether genes are solely responsible for passing on traits. The relatively new field of epigenetics has found evidence for mysterious and hitherto unknown factors in plant and animal evolution such as environmental stress.

The discovery could help seed companies develop new types of resistant varieties or make more effective use of fungicides. daniel.winters@fbcpublishing.com 19449-03 DAS_CHE Elevate 13.1667X9.indd 1

19

The Manitoba Co-operator | February 7, 2013

Soya protein can be replaced by rapeseed protein in human diets

LOOKING FOR A NIBBLE

Nutritionists at Jena University have identified an additional dietary protein source for humans Jena University release JENA, GERMANY

T

Ida the donkey passes the time with hat tasting while the farrier trims another donkey.

PHOTO: SUZANNE PADDOCK

o d a y, m o re t h a n 5 0 0 million people are suffer ing from a lack of a d e q u a t e p ro t e i n i n t h e i r diet. Each year, the number of human beings increases by 80 million, a figure which is equivalent to the present population of Germany. Thus, providing enough food, particularly sufficient protein for the increasing populace is a challenging task for societies all over the world.

O n a p r o s p e c t i v e b a s i s, a progressively smaller propor tion of human protein requirement can be provided by a n i m a l p r o t e i n s s u c h as meat, eggs, and milk.

“However, by feeding valuable plant protein to animals, almost two-thirds of it is wasted as it is transformed into animal protein,” Professor Dr. Gerhard Jahreis, nutritionist at Friedrich Schiller University Jena (Germany), says.

Rapeseed oil with its high nutritional value due to significant amounts of omega-3 fatty acids has gained a strong place in the human diet in recent years. Professor Jahreis said.

“Annually, 60 million tons of rapeseed are harvested worldwide, corresponding to about 15 million tons of rapeseed protein which is fed only to animals. We are taking a keen interest in making this important protein source available for human consumption.”

The research team at Jena University has now conducted the first human study world-

wide on the use of rapeseed protein for human nutrition.

Results from the study have recently been published in the internationally renowned journal Clinical Nutrition.

For the study, cold-pressed rapeseed oil was firstly produced under mild conditions. In co-operation with a Canadian company, a protein isolate extracted from the residue was used in a study involving 28 volunteers.

The study participants consumed either rapeseed protein isolate or soya protein isolate. After ingesting the protein meals, eight blood samples were drawn from each participant and the postprandial amino acid response in blood was analyzed. “Our f i n d i n g s h a v e s h ow n t h a t there is no difference in the bioavailability between these two protein sources. Thus, soya, mostly cultivated in South and Nor th Amer ica, and diversely used in the production of foods, can be fully replaced by rapeseed protein harvested in Europe,” he said.

Cu r re n t l y, l e g i s l a t i o n i n Europe prevents the use of rapeseed protein for human nutrition. It requires registration as a “novel food” by the European Union. Ireland has already agreed to its use. In Germany, producers capable of isolating rapeseed protein are already waiting in the wings.

The findings of the present study from the research group at the University of Jena repre s e n t a b i g s t e p t ow a rd s authorizing approval of rapeseed protein for use in human nutrition.

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The Manitoba Co-operator | February 7, 2013

Put these crop pests on your radar Some are here, some might be here, while others are expected to show soon

By Allan Dawson co-operator staff

W

hich pest is going to strike where next and how hard ranks right up there with weather forecasting for jobs that are difficult to get right.

But extension agronomists say these are some of the yield robbers on their watch list.

Soybean cyst nematode

This pest hasn’t been found in Manitoba yet, but it could already be here, said Holly Derksen, a plant pathologist with Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives (MAFRI). If it isn’t, it’s almost certain to show up soon.

Soybean cyst nematodes have been working their way north in the United States arriving on Manitoba’s doorstep in Pembina County, North Dakota in 2011.

“One thing to keep in mind is that wherever soybeans have been grown soybean cyst nematode has followed,” Albert Tenuta, an extension plant pathologist with Ontario’s Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs at the Manitoba

Special Crops Symposium in Winnipeg last year.

“It is the No. 1 soybean (pest) in North America and the yield losses on average are probably twice those of what we’d see with... seedling-root rot diseases. In Ontario we probably lose $10 million to $30 million a year, or have in the past, to soybean cyst nematode. Those (losses) have declined over time.”

Soybean cyst nematodes are very small parasitic roundworms (Heterodera glycines) that attack soybean roots, robbing plants of nutrients, disr upting water uptake and making it easier for root diseases to infect plants.

“The most common symptom of soybean cyst nematode, in the field above ground, is no symptoms whatsoever,” Tenuta said.

That is until the nematode populations build. Then stunted and chloric plants show up and yields decline.

Soybean cyst nematodes are soil-borne and spread via wind, water, machinery or plant transplants.

The key to managing it is early detection. To that end the

“One thing to keep in mind is that wherever soybeans have been grown soybean cyst nematode has followed.”

Albert Tenuta

Manitoba Pulse Growers Association is funding Mario Tenuta (Albert’s brother), a professor of soil microbiology at the University of Manitoba, to search for soybean cyst nematodes in the province.

It’s akin to trying to find a needle in a haystack. Soil samples from 50 higher-risk fields are being collected, he said.

Fields include those close to the border that have grown soybeans and also may have been flooded by the Red River.

Growing tolerant soybean varieties, Derksen said, can control soybean cyst nematodes. While none are commercially available in Manitoba yet, it’s presumed seed compa-

Cereal leaf beetle larva. photo: john Gavloski, MAFRI

nies are working on developing them. Control is easier before populations explode.

“Hopefully we can learn from Ontario and North Dakota, which has been dealing with this, and figure things out before it gets to that point,” Derksen said.

Aster yellows

This unusual and complex disease, which damaged canola crops across Western Canada in 2012, is not new, but outbreaks have been relatively

uncommon. However, the gaps between infestations are narrowing, said Chrystel Olivier, an entomologist with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada in Saskatoon.

“It s e e m s t o b e o n t h e increase,” she said.

Previous outbreaks occurred in 2007, 2000 and 1957.

“The problem is we have those south winds coming from the U.S. earlier almost every year,” she said.

“Ten years ago they started coming in at the beginning of

news

U.S senators propose interim support washington / reuters Congress would revive disaster-relief programs for farmers and ranchers hurt by drought and other natural catastrophes under a stop-gap bill introduced on Jan. 25 by two key Senate committee leaders.

Producers could get up to $100,000 each for losses in 2012 and this year. In particular, ranchers would benefit because they do not have access to federally subsidized insurance, as farmers do for their crops.

The bundle of disaster programs, covering livestock, tree and fruit and vegetable producers, ran out of money in 2011.

Attempts to restart them last year failed.

Big Apple proceeding with ban on big-gulp drinks new york / reuters / New York City will give restaurants and food outlets a three-month grace period before imposing fines for serving the large, sugary drinks that will be banned.

The ban, the first of its kind in the nation, was imposed after excessive soda drinking was fingered as a significant cause of obesity and other health problems.

Under the new rules, most restaurants and food outlets will not be allowed to serve non-alcoholic, sugar-sweetened drinks

in cups larger than 16 oz., the equivalent of a “small” drink at McDonald’s restaurants.

Although the ban takes effect in March, violators will be notified but not fined for the first three months. From June onward, violators will be subject to a $200 fine.

The American Beverage Association is fighting the ban in court, arguing it robs consumers of their right to choose.

Farmers upping their insurance coverage london / reuters / Farmers have spent 20 per cent more on agricultural insurance in recent years to protect against crop losses from increasingly frequent bad weather events, according to reinsurer Swiss Re. The rise in extreme weather disasters, such as last year’s widespread U.S. drought, has reduced food output at a time when the world’s population is expected to grow by a third by 2050, the world’s second-biggest reinsurer said in a report.

Global agricultural insurers took in $23.5 billion in annual premiums in 2011, up by a fifth from 2005, Swiss Re said.

China and India accounted for nearly twothirds of the $5 billion in premiums paid in emerging countries. Swiss Re said the agriculture insurance market could still grow fourfold in emerging markets.

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The Manitoba Co-operator | February 7, 2013

nomic in most crops because they come in waves.

“When the leafhopper comes they need less than a day to inoculate the disease and once the disease is in the plant there is nothing you can do,” Olivier said.

The best answer is to develop resistant varieties.

Clubroot

Alfalfa weevil larvae. photo: john Gavloski, MAFRI

May and now we have them coming in at the beginning of April. The winters are warmer so the chances of the leafhopper surviving are higher.”

Aster Yellows phytoplasma

are wall-less bacteria and obligate parasites of plant phloem tissue spread mainly by infected leafhoppers.

Leafhoppers feed on infected plants and then blow north into

Canada infecting a wide range of plants, including canola, wheat and carrots.

There’s no chemical control. Fungicides don’t work and spraying leafhoppers isn’t eco-

Even though the DNA of this disease was found in two unrelated Manitoba fields in 2011, Derksen still considers Manitoba clubroot free — for now.

“I’m honestly surprised we haven’t found it yet,” she said.

“I do think it’s going to show up eventually.”

Clubroot, which cuts yields in cole crops, including canola, was first found in the Edmonton area in 2003. Since then it has spread to more than 600 fields and as far south as Lethbridge.

In 2011, two infected canola fields in north-central Saskatchewan were identified.

Clubroot (Plasmodiophora brassicai), is a soil-based pathogen known as a protist — an organism with plant, animal, and fungal characteristics.

The best control is keeping it out of fields in the first place. The disease, which damages canola roots, is soilborne so farmers are urged to clean equipment after being in infected fields, Derksen said.

Although clubroot seems to prefer acidic soils it’s believed it can do just fine in Manitoba.

Farmers can control the disease by growing clubroot-resistant varieties.

Goss’s Wilt

This bacterial disease, which attacks corn, was first suspected in Manitoba in 2008 and confirmed in 2009 in two Roland-area cornfields. Now it’s ubiquitous throughout Manitoba’s Corn Belt, Derksen said.

Goss’s Wilt overwinters on corn stubble as well as several weeds, including barnyard grass and green foxtail, but the bacterium can survive on corn residue in the soil for 10 or more years.

It’s spread by wind and rain and enters corn plants through abrasions — even microscopic ones — caused by hail or wind.

It normally first shows up in patches and then throughout a field in subsequent years.

“In the odd field where there has been lots of moisture there have been yield losses of up to 30 bushels an acre,” Derksen said.

“We know on a windy day in fall corn stubble moves so if can definitely move from field to field.”

Once a field is infected, the best control is to plant corn hybrids resistant to the disease.

Because Goss’s Wilt is a bacterium, fungicides are ineffective.

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It’s possible that a new race has developed overcoming the tolerance in current varieties of winter wheat, Derksen said.

It could also mean this rust, which normally appears when temperatures are cooler, might be able to do well under warmer conditions.

Like other rusts, striped rust normally blows in from the United States, but the fungal disease is believed to have overwintered in Alberta and Saskatchewan in 2010-11.

St r i p e d r u s t , s o n a m e d because it deposits postures in stripes along wheat leaves and

stems, reduces plant photosynthesis and ultimately yield.

Fungicides will control it, but only if applied before the plant is infected.

“Once it shows up it’s too late,” Derksen said.

Alfalfa weevil

This insect has been in Manitoba for a while, but only in recent years has it sometimes been an economic pest, said MAFRI entomologist John Gavloski.

Alfalfa weevil larvae, green legless worms with a white stripe down their back, eat alfalfa leaves. Where their numbers are high they can reduce hay yields and seed production.

One option for hay producers is to cut the alfalfa when it reaches the bud or early-bloom stage, Gavloski said. Then they usually starve or desiccate to death.

“It’s good to have a look just before it (alfalfa) starts to bloom,” he said. “Then farmers have time to do something.”

There are insecticides registered to control alfalfa weevils.

Check MAFRI’s Guide to Field Crop Protection. Some products are more effective than others.

“They are a tough insect to kill it seems,” Gavloski said.

Gavloski doesn’t know why alfalfa weevil populations have risen to damaging numbers in some fields.

“Sometimes when a pest is new to an area it takes awhile for the biocontrol to catch up and stabilize,” he said. “We’re hoping eventually the natural enemies will help keep them down but that remains to be seen.”

That’s why farmers should avoid applying insecticides if they can because they risk killing insects that can control the weevil.

They’re also har mful to honey- and leafcutting bees.

Both are important to seed production, but leafcutters are essential.

Cereal leaf beetle

This is a relatively new pest in Manitoba, which to date, hasn’t caused any economic damage to wheat crops. But farmers should be watching for this insect, Gavloski said. Spray only when economic thresholds are reached. “ Yo u d o n’t w a n t p e o p l e out there spraying at levels that aren’t really economical because they’re taking out parasites, which have been successfully introduced to control cereal leaf beetle and they risk creating a situation where it becomes a big problem because it doesn’t have its most important natural enemies,” he said.

Cereal leaf beetles were first found in wheat south of Minitonas and near Swan River in 2010.

Parasitic wasps were introduced and it appears they’re controlling the beetle, whose larva feeds on wheat leaves.

High populations can reduce wheat yields.

Cereal leaf beetle larvae are small. They coat themselves in their own feces and resemble a small drop of oil. They don’t eat right through the leaf, leaving a small white trail behind.

Cereal leaf beetles can be moved around easily in cereal straw.

“My gut feeling is it will get moved around,” he said. “I wouldn’t be surprised if we start seeing it in other parts of Manitoba, especially western Manitoba.” allan@fbcpublishing.com

22

The Manitoba Co-operator | February 7, 2013

Lynas moves from GM foe to friend The British environmentalist says he was dead wrong to oppose GM crops

By Gord Gilmour STAFF / BRANDON

W

hen Mark Lynas took the stage here Jan. 23 as keynote speaker at the 2013 edition of Manitoba Potato Production Days, he knew he was likely a strange and exotic creature to his audience.

The British environmentalist and author has been involved in the environmental movement since the mid-1990s and for many years he was an ardent anti-GMO activist.

“I might not be the first person to speak here who has been critical of GMO crops — but have you ever had anyone speak to you who’s trashed GM crops in the field and lived to tell about it?”

Lynas asked the audience.

So what had brought him to Brandon to speak to a group of potato farmers in the middle of a January cold snap?

A change of heart, or perhaps more accurately his head. In recent years, he has realized that he was guilty of a double standard with his views on GM crops.

“I first became aware of GM crops in 1995 and 1996, just after I had finished university and started my work as an environmentalist,” Lynas said. “I didn’t know much about it, other than it involved a company called Monsanto that wanted to pollute our food supply with GM soy.

“I was, however, speaking from a position of near-total ignorance.”

Ignorance

Just how little he knew about GM crops was highlighted by the very different approach he took about another issue he cares passionately about — global warming.

Reeling off facts and figures at the front of the room, he underlined how much of that knowledge he had absorbed over the years.

“I know that some of you probably hold different views on global warming, and I would welcome that discussion,” Lynas said.

“The key point, however, is that I felt to participate in discussions meaningfully, I had to become an

Thailand struggles to find storage space for rice BANGKOK / REUTERS Thailand, struggling to find storage for a rice-buying scheme that cost the country

Mark Lynas (inset) was once one of these activists dressed in protective clothing to portray GM crops as toxic. Now he says these crops hold the key to world food security. PHOTO: REUTERS/STAFF

“I think the public, and more importantly, the media, have moved on. They’re willing to listen to the other side of this argument in a way they never were a few years ago.”

MARK LYNAS

expert on the science and I spent literally years in the library doing just that. As I did, I found myself telling people over and over again that we had to stick with peerreviewed scientific literature and look at what the scientific consensus was.”

At the same time, he continued to dash off unresearched antiGMO articles in various British newspapers.

“It’s really quite embarrassing to me, looking back,” Lynas said, flashing up a clipping from the Guardian newspaper.

“The truth was, a similar scientific consensus has emerged about GM crops, which says that they are perfectly safe,” Lynas

its crown as the world’s biggest exporter of the grain, will rent private warehouses to store this month’s harvest, government officials say.

February’s harvest will add five million to seven million tonnes to stocks, on top of the 20 million tonnes of milled rice

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said. “A lot of the things I had come to believe turned out to be mythology.”

Today Lynas is a full-out supporter of the drive to adopt GM crops. He says continued human population growth will make food production that’s environmentally sustainable even more important.

“As an environmentalist, I see this as a very important issue and GM crops will be a very important part of this,” Lynas said.

Lynas noted that modern, industrial-scale farming might not be as folksy as the attractive little organic farm, but it has a key attribute — efficiency. It produces more food on less land

the government has bought in an intervention scheme kicked off in October 2011 aimed at helping farmers by paying prices above the market rate.

The government will rent an additional 180 warehouses over the next few weeks to accommodate the grain, a Commerce

and from an environmental perspective, every acre of land left uncultivated is a victory for biodiversity.

“If we wanted to produce as much food as we do today, using technology and practices from 1961, we would need to cultivate significantly more land,” Lynas said. Worldwide, that figure would be roughly equivalent to adding the equivalent of two South American continents to our arable land base.

“If we still used that level of technology, two things could have happened. There would be no Amazonian rainforest, no trees, the earth would have been decimated. Or the human population would have been decimated.”

Safe and legitimate

Better to use the safe and legitimate technology that is available, and keep uncultivated acres uncultivated and provide humans with their nutritional needs, he said.

Lynas said that in the face of a near-total scientific consensus on the safety of GM crops, it was

Ministry official said. There are already 60 warehouses across the country storing the grain it has bought so far.

Despite the costs of the ricebuying policy, the government says the program is needed to help poor farmers, who form the majority of the population.

bordering on unconscionable for activists from wealthy nations to stand in the way of their adoption.

“I’m very lucky. My children have never gone to bed hungry, because I am fortunate enough to live in a wealthy nation, as are all of you,” Lynas told the audience. So while Greenpeace and other activist groups lead campaigns and block the adoption of things like Golden Rice, which addresses vitamin A deficiencies, children continue to die and go blind.

“They are doing this while children are dying of preventable nutrition-linked diseases,” Lynas said. “They have the luxury of doing this because I’ve never met anyone from Greenpeace who wasn’t very well fed indeed.”

But slowly the tide appears to be turning. Lynas cited a recent attempt to organize protests around the development of an aphid-resistant GM wheat at the Rothamsted Research facility in the U.K. by a group dubbing itself Take Back the Flour.

Lynas described himself as helping the scientists with their public response as a form of selfimposed penance for his earlier crop destruction efforts.

The protest fizzled, as Lynas illustrated with a photo of it in his presentation.

“You can see that group under a single tree in the distance — that amounts to the entirety of the remaining anti-GM movement in Britain,” Lynas said. “In fact, about two dozen of them had to be imported from France by bus because there weren’t enough of them left in England.

“I think the public, and more importantly, the media, have moved on,” Lynas said. “They’re willing to listen to the other side of this argument in a way they never were a few years ago.”

This is a good thing, because the need for GM crops has become even more pressing as those years have passed.

“We need to accelerate, not stop,” Lynas told the audience.

“Without this, we’re heading into a very chilling century indeed.”

The government has said it expects losses from the rice intervention scheme to amount to about 80 billion baht, or $2.6 billion, by last September, equivalent to about a fifth of Thailand’s projected budget deficit in the last fiscal year.

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The Manitoba Co-operator | February 7, 2013

Agriculture Canada sees biggest wheat area in 10 years Wheat area is seen at 25.3 million acres while canola acres will drop to 21.3 million acres WINNIPEG / REUTERS

C

anadian farmers will plant the biggest wheat area in 10 years in 2013 and slightly less canola, the federal Agriculture Department said in its first planting forecast of the year.

Attractive prices and a modest shift away from canola and other crops should entice farmers into planting more wheat, according to the forecast for the 2013-14 crop-marketing year from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada.

Canola plantings are expected to be tapered back due to strong prices for other crops, high input costs for canola, and concerns about

disease and insects. Yields of the yellow-flowering oilseed, used mainly for vegetable oil, were disappointing last year, mainly due to unfavourable weather.

Canada is the world’s biggest producer of canola, or rapeseed, and the world’s sixth-largest wheat grower. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada calculates its estimates using analysis, not a farmer survey.

The department’s estimate for all-wheat plantings is 25.3 million acres, up six per cent from last year. It forecasts production at 28.5 million tonnes.

Despite a big harvest last year, robust wheat exports look to whittle down stocks by July 31, the end of the current 2012-13

marketing year, to 5.3 million tonnes, the lowest level in five years.

Agriculture Canada pegged canola-seeded acreage at 21.3 million acres, down about one per cent from last year.

Canola production could be higher, however, assuming that yields improve. The department estimated the harvest at 15.5 million tonnes, up sharply from 13.3 million tonnes last year.

A bigger canola harvest will be badly needed to replenish supplies next autumn, with Ag Canada forecasting recordlow stocks of 350,000 tonnes

by July 31 due to strong global demand.

The department’s forecasts for plantings of wheat and

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canola are bigger than the average industry estimates found in a Jan. 11 Reuters poll. The survey found traders and analysts expect plantings of 24.7 million wheat acres and 19.7 million acres of canola.

Ag Canada’s estimate for durum plantings is 4.8 million acres, up a tad from 4.7 million acres last year, while it expects farmers to seed barley on 7.8 million acres, up from 7.4 million.

Oat plantings look to be 2.6 million acres, down from 2.9 million acres in 2012, due to an expected drop in price.

The more closely watched Statistics Canada will issue its first planting estimates based on a farmer survey on April 24.

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Enforcer wild buckwheat. stle, stinkweed, mitts on Russian thi his ts ge he ce On teer ’ beard and volun wk’s narrow leaved ha it’s lights-out! canola... it’

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Mosaic profit falls on weak China sale REUTERS / Mosaic’s quarterly operating profit fell 30 per cent and the fertilizer producer said it expects potash margins to fall further in its current quarter, a reflection of its recent low-priced contract with China.

China has been aggressively negotiating for lower potash prices.

In December, Sinofert Holdings signed a deal with Canpotex — the sales agency for PotashCorp, Mosaic and Agrium — at a steep discount.

Mosaic chief executive Jim Prokopanko blamed low demand and smaller rivals.

“Others were willing to do something on pricing,” he said in an interview. “However, we think volume is coming back.”

Mosaic said it expects to sell between 1.5 million and 1.8 million tonnes of potash in its third quarter, with prices ranging from $370 to $400 per tonne, down from $443 per tonne in the second quarter.

Prokopanko said he expects demand for fertilizer to grow.

“Basic farm fundamentals are starting to overtake a sentiment in the world,” he said.

“Farmers, at these high grain prices, don’t want their plants to suffer without proper nutrition.”

Ag secretary says get rid of direct farm subsidies NASHVILLE / REUTERS Congress should reform U.S. farm subsidies and end a $5-billion-a-year “direct payment” as part of delivering an overdue overhaul of the farm program this year, says Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack.

Instead, the farm safety net should be built on the federally subsidized crop insurance system, he said.

“We need a five-year Farm Bill and we need it now,” said Vilsack, who has been appointed for President Barack Obama’s second term.

Farm-state lawmakers have proposed $23 billion to $35 billion in cuts in Agriculture Department programs over 10 years.

The administration proposed $31 billion, including an end to the direct payment and scaling back crop insurance subsidies for big farmers.

The Farm Bill would cost roughly $500 billion, with the bulk of the money going to food stamps for the poor.

24

The Manitoba Co-operator | February 7, 2013

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Crank up the rate all you want, glyphosate alone still misses a number of hard-to-kill weeds.

With hotter-than-hot systemic activity, DuPont™ Express® herbicide doesn’t just control weeds, it smokes them from the inside out, getting right to the root of your weed problems with performance that glyphosate alone can’t match. Say goodbye to hard-to-kill weeds like narrow-leaved hawk’s beard, flixweed, stinkweed, dandelion and volunteer canola.

Powered by Solumax® soluble granules, Express® dissolves completely into solution for more effective weed control and easier, more consistent sprayer cleanout. It’s no wonder Express® goes down with glyphosate more than any other brand in Western Canada.

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25

The Manitoba Co-operator | February 7, 2013

Multiple Modes of action take glyphosate to the next level Advertisement

Managing resistance before resistance manages you.

W

estern Canadian farmers continue to benefit from tools such as glyphosate for non-crop weed control practices including pre-seed, chemfallow and post-harvest herbicide applications. Those applications are an important tool in reducing weed competition for moisture and nutrients, and – particularly for pre-seed applications – can help guarantee the best start for a new crop.

effective non-crop Use of groUp 2 Herbicides Pre-seed weed control is a practice that began in cereal crops, and is increasingly popular as an increasing number of Western Canadian farmers adopt minimum tillage practices.

But in recent years, growers have seen an increase in the number of documented cases of weed resistance in Western Canada, proving glyphosate alone can no longer do the job. Now, researchers suggest that mixing herbicides with multiple modes of action and using them in the same spray will go a long way in helping to control glyphosate-resistant weeds, and preventing new herbicide-resistant weeds from developing.

Understanding resistance Weeds become resistant when they’ve had too much of a good thing.

Practices and crops that work well one year are less effective in consecutive years, if there’s no break in routine. That’s why healthy rotation – of crop types, practices and herbicides – is essential.

It’s becoming increasingly clear that using glyphosate alone will not control glyphosate-resistant kochia and may increase the risk of glyphosate-resistance occurring in other weed species in the future. With the emergence of Roundup Ready® volunteers, as well as hard-to-kill weeds that are not controlled by glyphosate alone, growers have found that including an add-in like DuPont™ Express® brand herbicide helps to control these weeds and manage resistance.

Managing resistance Crop rotation Ideally, any healthy field will have a rotation of at least three crop types.

Research suggests it is equally important to incorporate a host of other natural methods of weed control such as higher seeding rates, the use of clean seed, mowing out suspected resistant weed patches before they go to seed and using herbicides according to label directions.

Utilizing multiple modes of action Herbicides are categorized into 17 different groups according to how they target a weed. For example, Sulfonylurea (member of Group 2) herbicides control weeds by inhibiting the enzyme acetolactate synthase, which is essential to their growth.

“If at all possible, producers should use mixtures of herbicides that use multiple modes of action in the seeding year,” says Ken Sapsford, University of Saskatchewan. “It’s one further step to help stop resistance from developing.”

Group 2 herbicides are a highly effective way to control weeds – but like other herbicide groups they need to be used appropriately, and utilized with herbicides from other groups in the same spray to help manage resistance.

In spring, particularly if the crop rotation included a crop such as RR canola, DuPont scientists recommend a pre-plant/burndown herbicide treatment such as Express® brands (Group 2) or PrecisionPac® NC-00439 or NC-0050 (Group 2) as an add-in with glyphosate to take advantage of multiple modes of action. Because both Group 2 and Group 9 herbicides have activity on many of the same weeds, growers automatically get multiple modes of action where they need it most. In certain areas, adding a third mode of action such as dicamba, 2,4-D or MCPA (Group 4) is advisable, and can be recommended by an agronomist.

“We know that if we control those weeds early with a burn-off and then come in and seed, controlling those weeds and conserving moisture is the best option,” says Ken Sapsford, University of Saskatchewan.

The Express® brands significantly improve control of tough weeds such as dandelion and narrow-leaved hawk’s beard in a pre-seed burn-off or post-harvest burndown. Not only will growers improve their weed control but they will also be hitting weeds with actives from two different groups to help manage weed resistance.

tHe race is on The race is on among the world’s leading crop protection companies to tackle the development of weed resistance, and DuPont Crop Protection is committed to working with growers and retailers on solutions that protect the use of all the best tools.

A tank mix of Express® brand herbicides plus glyphosate provides multiple modes of action, allows for the sequential application of a different mode if needed, and gives a crop a running start for a productive growing season. DuPont will continue to promote the use of multiple modes of action in a single spray, because it is an effective way to control problem weeds. DuPont is also committed to designing single and multiple active ingredient products with efficacious use rates and realistic performance claims – and DuPont is nimble enough to meet specific field needs and adjust recommendations based on what’s going on in the field.

13-01-30 5:32 PM

26

The Manitoba Co-operator | February 7, 2013

Salmonella linked to ground beef sickens 16 in U.S.

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Several people became ill after consuming a raw ground beef dish

By Eric M. Johnson reuters

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ixteen people across five states have fallen ill from salmonella poisoning, several from a raw ground beef dish served at a single restaurant, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Jan. 28.

Local, state and federal health and regulatory officials said the likely cause of the Salmonella Typhimurium outbreak was Jouni Meats Inc. and Gab Halal Foods, both of Michigan.

Most of the people sickened were in the Midwest — two in Illinois, one in Iowa, three in Wisconsin and nine in Michigan, where the meat shops are located, the CDC said. One sick person was identified in Arizona.

Seven people reported eating a raw ground beef dish at a restaurant, the CDC said, adding that roughly half of the people were hospitalized, although none died.

“The restaurant served raw beef to customers and had acquired the raw beef from two retailers,” the CDC said in a statement, without naming the restaurant.

Last week Jouni Meats recalled approximately 500 pounds of ground beef and Gab Halal Foods recalled about 550 pounds of ground beef, the CDC said.

Jouni Meats sold the meat, used to make a raw Middle Eastern ground beef dish called kibbeh, without a label between Dec. 4 and 9 to customers, including a Detroit-area restaurant, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Gab Halal Foods also sold bags of ground beef in clear plastic at around the same time to customers and the same restaurant, located in Macomb County, local and federal officials said.

Khalil Jouni, owner of Jouni Meats, on Monday said he believed the ground beef had been safe when he distributed it and may have become tainted somewhere down the line.

“I produce meat to other restaurants, and my customers, and none of them got sick,” Jouni said. “I make sure everything is very clean.”

Gab Halal Foods, which Jouni said is owned by his brother, could not be reached for a comment.

The illness from the foodborne organism usually causes diarrhea, fever and abdominal pain. It can be fatal for the elderly, young children and those with weakened immune systems.

The CDC warned people not to eat raw or undercooked beef and to return or throw out recalled products.

“This is especially important for children under the age of five years, older adults and people with weakened immune systems because these people are at a higher risk for serious illness,” the CDC said.

27

The Manitoba Co-operator | February 7, 2013

EU Commission wants curbs on pesticides to protect bees Neonicotinoid pesticides pose an acute risk to honeybees

By Claire Davenport brussels / reuters

T

he European Comm i s s i o n s a i d Ja n . 3 1 it wanted EU member states to restrict the use of pesticides linked to the decline of bees.

The commission said it was asking EU countries to suspend the use of neonicotinoid insecticides — among the most commonly used crop pesticides — on sunflower, rapeseed, maize and cotton.

“We are requesting member states suspend for two years the use of this pesticide on seeds, granulates and sprays for crops which attract bees,” commission health spokesman Frederic Vincent told a briefing. “ We h o p e t h e r e g u l a tion can be adopted before March,” he said, adding that the commission expected it to be implemented at the latest by July 1, 2013. The commission had presented its proposal to member states and was waiting for their response.

The spokesman said there would be an exception for maize seed in 2013, where the commission would authorize neonicotinoid use unless member states wanted to implement restrictions.

A report from the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) earlier this month said three widely used neonicotinoid pesticides, made by Switzerland’s Syngenta and Germany’s Bayer, posed an acute risk to honeybees.

Fears over the effects on bees led France to ban Syngenta’s Cruiser OSR for rapeseed in June last year.

Syngenta said at the time it would appeal against that decision.

A sharp fall in bee populations around the world in recent years, partly due to a phenomenon known as colony collapse disorder, has prompted criticism of pesticide use.

But the EFSA report found no link between use of the pesticides and colony collapse, which has seen bee populations fall rapidly across Europe and North America.

Syngenta defended its products in full-page advertisements published in two major French newspapers Jan. 31, saying they were fully respectful of the environment and that none of the allegations had been proven when used in open fields.

“As of today no clear correlation has been established b e t we e n t h e u s e o f t h e s e products and the decline in colonies,” Syngenta’s chairman Martin Taylor wrote in an open letter to the French farm minister.

In a separate statement, Syngenta said the commiss i o n’s c a l l f o r re s t r i c t i o n s would spell “a significant loss to farmers and the economy,” adding that bee populations were primarily under threat from diseases and poor nutrition.

“We are requesting member states suspend for two years the use of this pesticide on seeds, granulates and sprays for crops which attract bees.”

Frederic Vincent European commission health spokesman

France is the largest crop producer in the European Union.

Other EU states — Germany, Slovenia and the Netherlands — have introduced restrictions on pesticides and calls have got louder for EU-wide action.

Sergej, a member of the city beekeeper organization, works with bees at Lobau recreation area in Vienna. A growing number of urban beekeepers’ associations, such as Vienna’s Stadtimker, are trying to encourage bees to make their homes in cities, as pesticides and crop monocultures make the countryside increasingly hostile. Photo: REUTERS Lisi Niesner

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28

The Manitoba Co-operator | February 7, 2013

China to speed up rural land reform, ensure food supply The government has listed its priorities for rural sector in 2013

beijing/ reuters

C

A woman picks tea leaves at a tea plantation in Moganshan, Zhejiang province Photo: REUTERS/Carlos Barria

hina will draw up policies aimed at speeding up the transfer of rural land as part of efforts to improve efficiency and promote large-scale commercial farming, the government said Jan. 31.

The central government said in its “No. 1 document” for 2013, focusing on modernizing agriculture, it would grant more subsidies to large-scale landholders, family farms and rural co-operatives as it tries to provide more incentives to bring economies of scale to the fragmented countryside.

The “No. 1 document” is a key indicator of policy priorities and has focused on rural matters every year since 2003.

“The development of China’s

rural sector has entered a new stage along with the deepening industrialization and urbanization,” the government said in the document, which was published by the official Xinhua news agency.

It listed grain security and farm product supply as top priorities, with China seeking to boost production as it urbanizes and industrializes. The relocation to the cities of more than 200 million migrant workers has slashed the rural workforce and boosted food demand, leading to a growing dependence on imports.

The government will continue to support domestic farm prices by increasing state stockpiles, it said. The policy has sent domestic prices much higher than international levels, requiring even tighter regulations of imports.

The government will continue to purchase and stockpile corn, soybeans, rapeseed, cotton and sugar while strengthening the import tariff and quotas system, it said, without giving details.

China would also draw up measures to stimulate agriculture commodity futures trading and introduce new futures products.

The government provided no details in the document.

The government will strengthen monitoring on imports of “sensitive” farm products and crack down on smuggling, it said, without elaborating.

Land transfers

Consolidating land under the control of larger commercial farms has remained a big challenge for the government, with a large number of leaseholders still unwilling to give up the safety net that their small farms provide.

The government is concerned that allowing large-scale land transfers will enable authorities to sell more scarce farmland to profitable non-agricultural sectors. It also fears a rising tide of rural unrest in the face of land grabs and pollution from heavy industry.

The government aims to improve the land registration system in the coming years to “offer legal proof to farmers in cases of land transfers,” it said in the document.

Farmers in China do not directly own most of their fields.

Instead, most rural land is owned collectively by a village, and farmers get leases that last for decades.

In theory, the villagers can collectively decide whether to apply to sell off or develop land. In practice, however, local governments usually decide land sales and get the bulk of revenues.

Chinese academics have long called for land system reforms to permit direct land transfers by farmers.

Food security has long been a preoccupation of the ruling Communist Party, but imports last year accounted for about 12 per cent of total food supplies and senior officials have already ruled out selfsufficiency as an option.

But the government has remained reluctant to endorse large-scale imports, and the government is also expected to promise to better regulate trade.

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29

The Manitoba Co-operator | February 7, 2013

COUNTRY CROSSROADS CON N EC T I NG RU R A L FA M I L I E S

Warm-up exercises reduce injury A 15-minute stretch can make a big difference, says physiotherapist

By Lorraine Stevenson co-operator staff /brandon

S

itting for long periods of time, then suddenly jumping off the equipment to lift something heavy or engage in a rough, repetitive task is a recipe for an injury.

And those are so often the workplace ingredients and circumstances farmers cite when they come through the doors of the West Fit Physiotherapy and Sports Clinic in Brandon with some kind of musculoskeletal disorder.

Staff there see all sorts of painful injuries to weightbearing joints and backs among farmers, which have

resulted from heavy lifting in improper positions, or sudden bending, kneeling or twisting, often by bodies that are fatigued, physiotherapist Karrah Nelissen told an Ag Days audience last month.

“Farming is a very physical occupation,” she said.

“And these kinds of injuries are more common than you know.”

W h a t c a n h e l p p re v e n t t h e m ? C o r re c t p o s t u re i s important. Learning proper lifting techniques is key. And so is developing a daily habit of incorporating a few stretching exercises into a work routine, she said.

Many farmers lift from awkward positions, often because

they’re in tight or confined spaces, she said. But using the leg muscles to lift, keeping loads close to the body, and legs shoulder-width apart for a stable base all help prevent lifting-related injuries, including the all-too-frequent disc injuries therapists see.

I m p r ov i n g p o s t u r e a n d reducing slouching meanwhile can reduce the soreness workers feel in their necks, shoulders and upper backs, especially after long periods in one position.

“It’s going to make a huge difference with muscle tension and you’ll feel less aches and pains,” she said.

Being warmed up, through a series of stretches, for a physi-

If you use these postures repetitively or for a long period of time:

Sitting

Forward Bending

cally demanding job is key to warding off strains, sprains and other injuries.

She put her Ag Days audience through several types of gentle stretches for the neck, back and demonstrated easy circular motions for wrists and ankles. The exercises were all done seated, proving they can be easily done while in the cab.

It’s simple and easy to incorp o ra t e w a r m - u p e x e rc i s e s into your daily work routine, Nelissen said.

“It’s no more than 15 minutes of your time,” she said.

Sprains and strains have been found to be Canada’s leading type of farm-related injuries, with overexertion the leading cause of these injuries,

ahead of livestock handling and machine-related work.

Overexertion causes 84 per cent of all strains and sprains injuries sustained in agricultural work, according to one study by the former Canadian Agricultural Injury Surveillance Program.

Statistics Canada has reported that approximately 15 per cent of agricultural-related injuries are back injuries.

National safety week campaigns in years passed have focused on encouraging farmers to think through their work and work habits to find ways to reduce the risk of sprains, strains and falls. lorraine@fbcpublishing.com

SAFE LIFTING TECHNIQUE

• Get in close to the object you are lifting.

• Keep your head and shoulders up and your feet shoulder-width apart.

• Bend at the hip joints, and keep that slight inward curve in your lower back.

• Try to keep the shoulders over the knees and the knees over the toes.

• Step and turn with the feet, not the back.

• Don’t hold your breath while lifting.

A good resource The Farm Safety Association has an online guide with illustrations for stretching exercises that help reduce fatigue and prevent injury among farm workers.

If you use these postures repetitively or for a long period of time:

Neck bending

Neck bending

www.farmsafety.ca/public/other/stretches%20and%20postures%20at%20work-e.pdf

If you use these postures repetitively or for a long period of time:

Crouching

Kneeling Without Padding

illustrations: Farm and Ranch Safety and Health Association (FARSHA)

30

The Manitoba Co-operator | February 7, 2013

COUNTRY CROSSROADS

RecipeSwap

Send your recipes or recipe request to: Manitoba Co-operator Recipe Swap Box 1794, Carman, Man. ROG OJO or email: lorraine@fbcpublishing.com

OPERATION DONATION Food drive helps buffer February’s dip in food bank donations

Lorraine Stevenson Crossroads Recipe Swap

I

f you’re a Farmers’ Almanac reader, you’ll have heard of the ‘Wolf moon’ of January and February’s ‘Hunger moon.’

Aboriginal people gave these names to the months of winter because there wasn’t much food around. The heavy snow of February made hunting very difficult.

A different sort of ‘hunger moon’ hangs over those with empty refrigerators or cupboards today, and little means to put much food in them.

This is a lean time for food banks too.

After Christmas, donations to Winnipeg Harvest and local food banks can drop by as much as 40 per cent between January and March. The hungry among us are out of sight and out of mind.

Fortunately, Operation Donation shines through.

This is a mid-winter food drive, supported by the Manitoba Teachers Society and led by Manitoba children in elementary and mid-

dle years schools to help Harvest and regional food banks stock up again.

Operation Donation began in 2000 with a handful of Winnipeg schools. Each child brought one non-perishable food item to school during a designated week.

Operation Donation runs February 25 to March 1 this year, with about 75 schools collecting canned soups, baby food, pasta and other non-perishable food items. An increasing number in smaller Manitoba towns are participating nowadays, and notably rural schools have been first to sign up, say food bank staff.

All food collected goes directly to the food bank of the community or the participating school, explains Colleen McVarish, development manager at Winnipeg Harvest. Winnipeg Harvest does not handle or distribute any donated food outside of Winnipeg; the food goes directly from school to food bank.

The bulk of schools are inside the city, but in divisions such as Parkwest, Seine River, Borderland, Sunrise, Beautiful Plains, Garden Valley, and the Interlake, young folk have collected thousands of pounds of food over the years, and together, that one non-perishable item per child really adds up.

Winnipeg Harvest’s 10 Most Wanted Items

Apple, Parsnip And Sweet Potato Crumble

Canned fish and poultry Canned fruit and vegetables (packed in own juice) Canned stew, chili, brown beans Peanut butter (light) Baby food (jars of chicken, beef, vegetable or fruit, infant cereal such as oatmeal, barley or rice; formula with added iron) Whole grain/wheat pasta Rice (brown, converted or parboiled) Canned spaghetti sauce or tomatoes Cereal — high fibre, non-sugar coated Canned soup — lentil, pea, vegetable

I made this recipe and found it took about 20 minutes preparation time, plus cooking time.

The unsweetened apple juice I used made it a little tart. You might want to consider sautéing half a mild onion to add to the mix. This is a very pretty dish and makes a great addition to a potluck supper.

Maybe it’s their bland colour, or you boil them, or your mother told you they were good for you.

Whatever the reason, not a lot of us relish the parsnip. But this long-storage vegetable, cooked creatively produces delicious soups and side dishes. Don’t believe me? Try these recipes and see what you think.

4 c. parsnips, cut into large chunks 4 c. sweet potatoes, cut into large chunks 1-1/2 c. chicken broth 1-1/2 c. apple juice 1 tbsp. butter 3 apples, peeled and chopped 1 tsp. dried thyme leaves Salt/pepper to taste 1 c. fresh bread crumbs 1/3 c. walnuts, chopped 1/3 c. cheddar cheese, grated 3 tbsp. butter, melted 2 tbsp. brown sugar

In a large saucepan, cook parsnips and carrots, covered, in a small amount of boiling, salted water for five to seven minutes or until vegetables are tender. Drain well. Meanwhile, for glaze, in a medium saucepan; combine maple syrup, butter, mustard and nutmeg. Bring just to boiling. Stir in cooked parsnips and carrots.

Cook about one minute or until glazed. Serve immediately. Serves 4.

In a large saucepan; combine parsnips, sweet potatoes, broth and apple juice. Bring to a boil.

Cover and reduce heat to medium low, cooking for 10 minutes. Partially uncover and cook for 10 to 15 minutes or until fork tender. Drain off all but 1/2 cup of the broth. Mash vegetables.

Meanwhile, in large skillet; heat butter over medium-high heat. Add apples. Cook, stirring occasionally, for three to four minutes. Sprinkle on thyme, salt and pepper. Continue to cook, stirring often, for two to four minutes or until apples are caramelized and soft. Stir apples into mashed vegetables. Pour into greased baking dish. In a medium bowl; add bread crumbs, walnuts, cheese, melted butter and brown sugar. Toss until crumbly. Sprinkle evenly over vegetables. Bake in preheated 375 F oven for 30 minutes or until golden. Serves 8.

Source: Peak of the Market

Source: Peak of the Market

Maple Parsnips 1-1/3 c. parsnips, thickly sliced 1 c. medium carrots, cut into julienne strips 1/4 c. maple syrup 1 tbsp. butter 2 tsp. Dijon mustard 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg

Last year Operation Donation collected a total of 43,233 lbs. of non-perishable food items. That donation is then matched in fresh vegetables from Peak of the Market. Canada Safeway also now matches the schools’ contribution and Manitoba Public Insurance is also on board, last year taking in another 12,312 lbs. at its outlets around the province.

With matched donations, the grand total was 166,635 lbs. of food in 2012.

It helps make up that seasonal shortfall, says McVarish.

“We’ve been averaging probably about 45,000 lbs. from the schools over the last couple of years,” she said. “We can’t count on it, but we hope we achieve it because we definitely need it and use it.”

Operation Donation also drives home another message about the face of hunger and food insecurity in Manitoba; almost half of those who eat food from food banks (47 per cent) are kids themselves.

“This is children helping children,” McVarish said.

Is the school your child attends taking part?

Schools can register online. For more information about Operation Donation online please log on to http://winnipegharvest.org/ operation-donation.

Easy Parsnip Potatoes 1 lb. potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks 1 lb. parsnips, peeled and cut into chunks 1/3 c. milk 1 tbsp. butter Salt and pepper to taste

In a large saucepan; add potatoes, parsnips and water to cover. Bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes or until tender.

Mash with potato masher. Add milk, butter, salt and pepper to taste. Serves 4.

Source: Peak of the Market

PHOTO: THINKSTOCK

Recipe Swap If you have a recipe or a column suggestion please write to:

Manitoba Co-operator Recipe Swap Box 1794 Carman, Man. R0G 0J0 or email Lorraine Stevenson at: lorraine@fbcpublishing.com

31

The Manitoba Co-operator | February 7, 2013

COUNTRY CROSSROADS

Storage checkup

As the winter progresses, don’t forget to check on the stored produce

By Albert Parsons Freelance contributor

D

uring the winter it’s easy to get caught up with the many activities that prevail in our Prairie communities. Couple that with work and family responsibilities, and it is sometimes difficult to remem-

ber to check all the garden produce that we have stored away for the winter. Vegetables as well as flower bulbs and corms should be checked periodically during the winter to ensure that they are storing well and to ward off any problem before it gets out of hand. I remembered to do this recently and here’s what I found.

In the refrigerator:

Like many people, I have a second refrigerator that is used for overflow during holidays or celebrations when there doesn’t seem to be enough space in the kitchen fridge to hold all the food. I also use this extra refrigerator to store winter vegetables.

I checked the carrots and beets,

stored in plastic bags with holes punched in them. They were fine, although one bag of carrots had a couple going bad so I dumped the bag out, took out the spoiled ones and put the good ones in a new bag. The cause of the spoilage turned out to be quite simple — I had missed punching holes in the bag and the carrots were too wet.

The beets were fine although they are beginning to get soft so they’ll have to be used soon.

Unlike the carrots, which are topped and tailed before storage, beets still have their tails and the leaves and stems were removed but the beets themselves were not cut into as they would bleed.

The kohlrabi, simply placed uncovered on the refrigerator racks, are wintering fine.

In the cold room:

Buttercup squash are gradually turning orange and so far no sign of rot around the stem. photo: ALBERT PARSONS

I don’t actually have a cold room but use the heated garage, which serves the same purpose.

It is a humid environment kept at about 5°. Here potatoes in cardboard boxes are keeping well; no sign of sprouting yet!

Most of the smaller potatoes have been used; the larger ones keep best so those are used last.

Dahlia, canna, calla, and elephant ear roots are stored

in cardboard boxes in the garage as well. Upon opening the boxes, I found the roots are storing well. They are not dehydrating nor are they producing shoots of new growth, which often happens if the bulbs are stored in too warm an environment. My many pots of oxalis, stacked one atop the other, and covered with newspaper to keep out the light, are showing no signs of premature growth; they are still dormant. I do not water them and they were stored after the foliage was allowed to dry off and the soil was no longer moist.

In the basement:

The basement is fully finished so it is warm and the air is quite dry in the winter. The winter squash (buttercup) are stored here and also onions (both red and white). They are in boxes and baskets and are fine. The squash are gradually beginning to turn orange but so far have not started to spoil around the stems, where any rot usually starts. So far, things seem to be storing quite well!

Albert Parsons writes from Winnipeg, Manitoba

Move over, apples

An orange a day may be more powerful to keep the doctor away

By Julie Garden-Robinson NDSU Extension Service

“

M

om, I’m going to have an orange,” my teenage daughter said as she passed by me on her way to the kitchen sink.

“That’s good. There’s a plastic orange peeler in the drawer,” I said.

I was pleased that she knew she should wash her hands and then rinse the whole fruit under running water before peeling it.

I had prepared a simple lunch consisting of vegetable soup, crackers, cheese, deli meat and milk. She added the missing food group, fruit.

“My hands are going to smell like an orange. This white stuff is hard to remove,” she said as she scored the rind with the peeler.

“The white part is called the albedo or pith. It’s a good source of fibre such as pectin,” I said.

“Albedo is a strange word,” she said as she divided the orange into segments. She was humouring me with her interest during my impromptu fruit lesson. She popped a segment in her mouth and deemed it “delicious” and “juicy.”

Navel and Valencia oranges are two common varieties. My daughter was eating a navel orange, which has a “belly button” on one end. Navel oranges appear as though another tiny orange is beginning to grow on the end opposite the stem. They are seedless,

easily peeled and in good supply from January through March.

Valencia oranges have seeds and abundant juice. While they usually are associated with the summer months, you often can buy them from February through October.

Most oranges get their characteristic colour from carotenoid pigments. The orange peel or rind is called the flavedo, and contains flavourful, essential oils.

Some recipes, such as those for marmalades, call for the orange zest (grated peel). The zest adds flavour to recipes.

If you aren’t expecting it, the colour of some oranges may surprise you when you slice them. Blood or Moro oranges have burgundy-coloured flesh. The dark red comes from the anthocyanin pigments they contain. Anthocyanins act as antioxidant compounds that may help fight cancer and other diseases.

Oranges are rich in nutrients, including vitamin C and potassium. Some researchers have rated oranges higher than apples in their power to “keep the doctor away.”

Researchers have shown that oranges and other citrus fruits may play a role in preventing heart disease and cancer.

At only 80 calories per medium-size fruit, oranges are a nutritional bargain and portable snack. One orange provides a full day’s supply of vitamin C, which our body uses to build collagen to keep our skin healthy, among its many functions.

Vitamin C is known as ascorbic acid, which means “no scurvy.” Scurvy is

a now-rare disease that results from a vitamin C deficiency. During long voyages, early sailors experienced aching joints, skin breakdown and b l e e d i n g g u m s.

When they ate citrus fruits on their voyages, they no longer suffered from the disease.

Therefore, they became known as “limeys.”

Are you eating about two cups of fruit per day?

While drinking juice may seem e a s i e r, w h o l e fruits and vegetables offer the fibre advantage.

As a result of their fibre content, we may feel full more readily when we eat whole fruit, compared with drinking juice.

Julie Garden-Robinson, PhD, R.D., L.R.D., is a North Dakota State University Extension Service food and nutrition specialist and professor in the department of health, nutrition and exercise sciences.

Photo: thinkstock

32

The Manitoba Co-operator | February 7, 2013

COUNTRY CROSSROADS Red-breasted nuthatch Photos: DONNA GAMACHE

A good winter for birders Several species present in unusually large numbers

By Donna Gamache Freelance contributor

T

h e t e r m b i rd i r r u p tions (also known as eruptions), sounds like it might be something dangerous, but it just means a year when an unusually large number of a certain bird invades a region. This can be an exciting event for birders.

Some winters there may be a larger-than-usual number of snowy owls in the southern Prairies, or they may be noticed much farther south.

This may be due to an excellent season in the North for hatching the young ones, or perhaps due to a shortage of food sources there.

Snowy owls feed mainly on lemmings, which are cyclical, dying off every few years.

When this happens, the owls often migrate south. Such was the case last winter when snowy owls irrupted far to the south. The northern U.S. states had hundreds of sightings. Some were seen as far south as Kansas and Missouri, while others were viewed along the eastern coast, even in New York City. Snowy owls w e re a l s o

widespread in coastal British Columbia. A December 2011 article from Vancouver said that 26 snowy owls were counted in the False Creek area one day.

So far this winter the number of snowy owls seems more typical. The type of bird irruption that is being experienced across North America involves several species, but particularly pine grosbeaks, redpolls, red crossbills, white-winged crossbills and red-breasted nuthatches.

None of these birds are unusual here, but statistics from all across southern Manitoba show they are present in much larger numbers. It appears that the dry summer may have contributed to a

Male and female red crossbills

Reduce, recycle, reuse

By Albert Parsons Freelance contributor

M

y wife acts as the recycling police in our household; I dare not throw even the smallest piece of paper into the garbage without fear of reprimand and she constantly surprises me with her ingenuity when it comes to her efforts to reduce, recycle and reuse.

One day I noticed a curious-looking bar of soap in the soap dish in the bathroom — obviously one of her recycling projects! She had collected the end bits of bars of

This mixture of soap bits is one of our ways to recycle and reuse. photo: ALBERT PARSONS

soap for quite some time, and had added a few of those hotel soaps that were lying around but never used. (Does anyone else accumulate a collection of these?)

The soap pieces had been put into a dish with enough hot water added to soften them so that they melded together. The concoction cooled and hardened before it was eased out of the dish. She had used a rather open dish, fearing that she would not be able to get the bar out intact from a smaller, straight-sided dish.

I was actually quite astonished at how much soap we would have wasted had we discarded all these pieces of almost-finished bars. Recycled and reused, this bar of soap will keep us going for some time, and every time we use it, we will be patting ourselves on the backs (notice how I now have assumed some credit for this endeavour?) for doing our bit to help the environment by reducing, recycling, and reusing — one bar of soap at a time!

Albert Parsons writes from Minnedosa, Manitoba

widespread crop failure of fruiting and cone-bearing trees farther north, driving these birds out of their borealforest habitat.

The redbreasted nuthatch seems to have been e x p l o d i n g s o u t h w a rd , with reports from nearly all the southern U.S. states, starting in early fall. It appears that last year was a particularly good one for the nuthatch with the result that more young ones were fledged. Then by late summer, the number of cones available wasn’t nearly enough, especially in Eastern Canada, and the southward migration began.

Even Manitoba birders have benefited. My own backyard station in MacGregor is lucky to attract one red-breasted nuthatch a winter; this year there has been at least four regulars.

Redpolls are also particularly numerous in the province, with many backyard feeders reporting 15 to 20 re g u l a r v i s i t o r s. O n e birder said he has a dozen pine grosbeaks gorging throughout the day at his feeding station, while

mine has up to 10 red crossbills. (Crossbills are on the move throughout the U.S., too, as far south as Kansas and California.) Poor berry crops affected by the drought may have caused movement of the pine grosbeaks and Bohemian waxwings, while a poor crop of white birch and alder seeds may influence the redpoll irruption.

For birders such as myself, who make weekly counts for the Backyard Feeding Project, it’s been an interesting time. Last winter I struggled to count eight to 10 species over the two-day counting period, but this year I’ve had 12 to 14 species most weeks.

While bird migration i s f a m i l i a r a n d p re d i c t able, irruptions are gener-

ally unpredictable. This year’s irruptions should make for some interesting numbers when the annual Great Backyard Bird Count is held — February 15 to 18.

If you would like to contribute information for this, check out the website at www.birdsource.org/gbbc/.

Information from a year with irruptions is particularly valuable, as statistics are kept and examined to help determine why differences occur from year to year, and particularly as to how climatic changes might affect bird life.

Anyone interested in submitting more frequent reports might consider joining Project Feeder Watch.

Information is available at http://www.birds.cor nell. edu/pfw/.

Donna Gamache writes from MacGregor, Manitoba

Reader’s Photo

Stopping by for a pine cone seed in the Erickson, Manitoba area. PHOTO: CINDY MURRAY

Welcome to Country Crossroads If you have any stories, ideas, photos or a comment on what you’d like to see on these pages, send it to:

Country Crossroads, 1666 Dublin Ave., Winnipeg, Man. R3H 0H1, Phone 1-800-782-0794, fax 204-944-5562, Email susan@fbcpublishing.com I’d love to hear from you. Please remember we can no longer return material, articles, poems or pictures. – Sue

33

The Manitoba Co-operator | February 7, 2013

LIVESTOCK

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

h u s b a n d r y — t h e s c i e n c e , S K I L L O R ART O F F AR M IN G

Russia to ban U.S. turkey as well as beef and pork over feed additive Turkey is now included in the ban

Len Penner, president of Cargill Ltd., speaks during the Manitoba Swine Seminar in Winnipeg.

Photo: Shannon VanRaes

Battered Manitoba hog sector hopes better days are coming soon There is no word yet whether governments will backstop stabilization

By Shannon VanRaes co-operator staff

D

on’t expect the hurt to disappear overnight, Manitoba pork producers are being warned.

The U.S. drought sent feed prices soaring last year, and it’s no wonder, Andrew Dickson told attendees at the annual Manitoba Swine Seminar.

“You can’t have three billion bushels of corn disappear out of the feed grains industry and not have an impact on all of its major users,” said the general manager of the Manitoba Pork Council.

Even a bumper crop this year won’t likely drop prices to previous lows.

“Grain values won’t stay at record levels — but the norms will be higher,” said Len Penner, president of Cargill’s Canadian operations, predicting grain prices will settle on a new, higher plateau.

What that means for Manitoba’s exportreliant hog sector remains to be seen.

Washington’s country-of-origin labelling law has also had a major impact on Manitoba’s hog sector, and the U.S. has yet to comply with an order from the World Trade Organization to comply with trade laws.

In the interim, the Manitoba Pork Council wants a stabilization program to help producers stay afloat. It has proposed a refundable, universal levy, but still needs the provincial government to agree to act as a guarantor.

Dickson said it’s a bad time to be asking any government for money. “The fiscal position of the federal government at the moment isn’t the best,” said the general

“Right now the Canadian market is essentially wideopen for European imports, but we have very little access to the European Union in terms of tonnage and quotas.”

Andrew Dickson

manager. “They’re running a huge deficit, and we’re coming in and asking for financial assistance.”

It’s also hoped a pending trade deal with European Union will reach a successful conclusion.

“Right now the Canadian market is essentially wide open for European imports, but we have very little access to the European Union in terms of tonnage and quotas,” Dickson said.

Generating sales in Europe, which

would also mean conforming to its animal welfare rules, might take awhile but would be a boost for battered industry, he said, adding the sector must continue to move ahead.

“We continue to have very productive sows,” he said, but added that advantage could “wither” as American producers are expected to close the current productivity gap in the next five to 10 years. shannon.vanraes@fbcpublishing.com

moscow / reuters Russia will ban imports of U.S. turkey due to concerns about the use of the feed additive ractopamine, Russia’s Veterinary and PhytoSanitary Surveillance Service (VPSS) said in a statement Feb. 4.

The service will impose a temporary ban on U.S. turkey starting from Feb. 11, it said.

It earlier decided to ban imports of U.S. beef and pork from the same date for the same reason.

Ractopamine is a growth stimulant used to make meat leaner and which is banned in some countries because of concerns that it could remain in the meat and cause health problems, despite scientific evidence showing that it is safe.

Russia imported 356,800 tonnes of poultry worth $516 million from non-CIS countries between January and October 2012, customs data showed.

The United States Feb.1 strongly objected to Russia’s decision to ban all imports of U.S. beef and pork because it could have traces of the feed additive ractopamine, a growth stimulant to make meat leaner.

“These actions threaten to undermine our bilateral trade relationship,” Andrea Mead, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Trade Representative’s office, said. “They are not consistent with international standards and appear to be inconsistent with Russia’s WTO (World Trade Organization) commitments.”

Russia’s VPSS said in a statement it would impose a temporary ban on U.S. beef and pork starting on Feb. 11.

The move has been in the works for weeks and appears to be one of several tit-for-tat moves taken by Moscow since the U.S. Congress passed legislation in December to punish Russian human rights violators.

Ractopamine is banned in some countries because of concerns that residues could remain in the meat and cause health problems, despite scientific evidence it is safe.

“We... continue to call on Russia to suspend these unjustified measures and restore market access for U.S. beef and pork products,” Mead said.

Russia got 7.5 per cent of its imported beef and 11.4 per cent of its imported pork from the United States from January to September 2012.

34

The Manitoba Co-operator | February 7, 2013

COLUMN

Getting the most from herd-recording data Banff speaker outlines key factors which he believes make the biggest contribution to the number of quality pigs weaned per sow.

Bernie Peet Peet on Pigs

T

here are literally dozens of different swine herdrecording programs.

Most producers use a computer-based system to monitor performance, but do producers extract maximum value from their data?

Ron Ketchem, a partner in Swine Management Services of Fremont, Nebraska, thinks not. Speaking at the Banff Pork Seminar, he described how his company analyzes d a t a f r o m m o re t h a n 8 0 0 farms and 1.4 million sows, with 24 different herd-recording systems, to show producers how they can improve and where they stand relative to their peers.

Ketchem notes that the SMS database includes herds producing fewer than 15 pigs/ mated female/year, but that 16 farms produced over 30 pigs during the previous 12 months. He discussed some of the key factors which he believes make the biggest contribution to the number of quality pigs weaned per sow.

Wean to first-service interval

Table 1 shows data from 602 farms that wean over 20 pigs per mated female, sorted by wean to first-service interval.

“Wean to first-service interval influenced pigs weaned per mated female, per cent

bred by day seven, per cent repeats, farrowing rate and total pigs bor n,” Ketchem explains.

In o rd e r t o i m p rove t h e inter val, he suggests feeding sows more aggressively in farrowing starting the day of farrowing and using an ad lib feeder. He also advises that weaned sows are given extra feed until they are bred, to give a flushing effect, and that daily boar exposure is s t a r t e d t h e d a y s ow s a re weaned. Finally, he says that sows should be bred immediately they are in standing estrus, and not delayed for a period.

Influences on farrowing rate

Farrowing rate is strongly related to breeding herd output, says Ketchem. “Farms w i t h a f a r r ow i n g r a t e o f 90-plus per cent weaned 26.10 pigs per mated female per year compared to 20.40 pigs where farrowing rate was less than 75 per cent,” he says.

Ketchem suggests that AI technicians should be given good training and be well super vised in order to get the best conception rates. He also advises planned breaks to prevent fatigue. Analysis of records related to the technician, time of day and semen batch can be used to identify areas for improvement.

“S e m e n m a n a g e m e n t i s an important component of farrowing rate, Ketchem believes, noting that SMS data has shown large differences between different batches

Table 1: 602 farms over 20 pigs weaned / mated female / year – ranked by wean to first service interval Top 10%

Top 25%

Top 50%

Total farms

Bottom 50%

Bottom 25%

Bottom 10%

Wean to first service interval

5.2

5.5

5.9

6.9

7.9

8.8

10.1

Pigs weaned/ mated female/ year

25.91

25.45

25.17

24.47

23.82

23.69

23.53

Bred by 7 days, %

93.60

92.50

90.30

85.90

81.80

78.70

75.00

Repeat services, %

6.80

6.60

7.40

8.00

8.50

8.60

9.50

Farrowing rate, %

85.70

86.10

85.40

85.10

84.80

85.30

84.60

Total born

13.48

13.29

13.22

13.09

12.97

13

12.95

Piglet survival, %

79.90

80.10

80.20

79.80

79.50

79.00

79.40

Weaning age

19.81

19.89

19.67

19.79

19.91

19.95

19.78

of semen. “When the semen arr ives, always record the batch number and the check temperature of semen bags on the outside and inside of the bag,” he says. “Also, record daily high/low temperatures in the semen cooler to monitor any fluctuation in temperature setting for semen storage cooler.”

He advises rotating semen at least once per day and arranging storage of semen by delivery date so the older semen is used up first.

Litter size increasing

Over the last seven years, total pigs born for all SMS farms increased from 11.70 to 13.20 pigs per litter. The top 10 per cent of farms went from 12.41 to 14.18 pigs for 1.77 more pigs. “A most influential number is total born

for first-litter gilts because the first litter determines the potential for lifetime production numbers,” Ketchem says. “To get P1 females off to a good start replacement gilts need to have at least one recorded skipped heat before breeding and if possible spend at least 14-plus days in a gestation crate pre-breeding. In farms we work with at least one skipped heat having 0.20 to 1.0-plus more pigs on their first litter.”

Increasing litter size is the reason that the average percentage piglet survival rate has hardly changed over the last five years, according to Ketchem. He highlights the importance of farrowing management in minimizing stillb i r t h s a n d p o s t - f a r row i n g deaths.

“We suggest extending farrowing supervision to address stillborns,” he says. “Having someone attending sows farrowing for 18 hours per day — 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. — will allow them to attend 87.9 per cent of the farrowings.” He stresses that impor tance of reducing chilling of pigs by drying them with a towel or coating them with drying agents. “The

Ron Ketchem analyzes data from more than 800 farms and 1.4 million sows.

normal rectal temperature of pigs is 102-plus F at birth.

Pigs that are not dried within five to 10 minutes lose fourplus degrees of body heat and can take up to one-plus hour to warm back up.”

Death loss and NPDs

Sow death loss is a significant issue in the Nor th Amer ican industr y and Ketchem emphasized the importance of rapid identification and treatment of sick animals. He advises improved staff training on how to spot sick or lame females and having written SOPs on how to handle and treat them.

No t i n g t h e h i g h c o s t o f female non-productive days, he advised that all second returns are culled, as their farrowing rate is likely to be little more than 50 per cent.

Some older first-service returns may also be culled if service targets can be met and all sows that have locomotion or lameness issues should be culled.

Bernie Peet is president of Pork Chain Consulting of Lacombe, Alberta, and editor of Western Hog Journal.

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35

The Manitoba Co-operator | February 7, 2013

WHO issues its first guidelines for sodium intake for children The UN agency is ramping up the fight against diet-related diseases

By Stephanie Nebehay GENEVA / REUTERS

T

he World Health Organization (WHO) has for the first time recommended limits on children’s daily consumption of sodium, which it hoped would help in the global fight against diet-related diseases becoming chronic among all populations.

In advice to its 194 member states Jan. 31, the UN agency noted high sodium levels were a factor behind elevated blood pressure, which increases the risk of heart disease and stroke, the No. 1 cause of death and disability worldwide.

Heart disease, stroke and other non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as diabetes, cancer and chronic respiratory disease kill more people globally each year than all other causes combined, the agency said.

“D i e t - re l a t e d N C D s a re chronic, and take years and decades to manifest; thus, delaying the onset of these diseases could improve lives and result in substantial cost savings,” it said.

“Thus, addressing, during childhood, the problem of elevated blood pressure and other risk factors for NCDs that could manifest later in life

is crucial to combat NCDs,” it said.

The guidelines vary depending on the child’s size, age and energy needs, and apply to children over the age of two.

The WHO also somewhat revised its recommendations for adults, down to less than 2,000 mg of sodium intake per day, from the current 2,000 mg, in addition to a recommendation of at least 3,510 mg of potassium a day.

“Currently, most people consume too much sodium and not enough potassium,” the WHO said. Potassium-rich foods include beans and peas, nuts, vegetables such as spinach and cabbage, and fruits such as bananas, papayas and dates.

Sodium is found naturally in many foods such as milk products and eggs but is present in much higher levels in processed foods, the WHO said. One 100gram serving of bacon, pretzels or popcorn has nearly as much sodium as the daily recommended maximum, for example, at about 1,500 mg.

Sticking to the WHO’s recommendations would mean people would consume roughly equal amounts of potassium and sodium every day, whereas most people consume twice as much sodium as potassium, the WHO said.

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36

The Manitoba Co-operator | February 7, 2013

LIVESTOCK AUCTION RESULTS Weight Category

Ashern

Gladstone

Grunthal

Heartland

Heartland

Brandon

Virden

Killarney

Ste. Rose

Winnipeg

Feeder Steers

Jan-30

Jan-29

Jan-29

Jan-31

Jan-30

Jan-28

Jan-31

Feb-01

No. on offer

1,917

664

686

2,423

2,560

859

2,116

475

Over 1,000 lbs.

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

100.00-109.00

900-1,000

122.00-127.50

110.00-123.00

n/a

110.00-126.00

118.00-127.50

120.00-126.75

120.00-127.00

110.00-125.00

800-900

118.00-130.50

113.00-127.50

120.00-127.00

115.00-130.00

120.00-130.00

120.00-127.50

122.00-130.00

116.00-128.00

700-800

125.00-141.00

120.00-134.50

125.00-133.00

120.00-138.00

124.00-138.00

126.00-136.00

125.00-145.25

120.00-134.00

600-700

130.00-155.00

125.00-145.00

130.00-142.00

125.00-140.25

129.00-142.50

132.00-141.00

130.00-148.00

125.00-137.00

500-600

130.00-164.00

130.00-163.00

140.00-161.50

135.00-155.00

138.00-158.00

140.00-160.00

145.00-160.00

135.00-154.00

400-500

144.00-154.00

135.00-164.00

158.00-179.00

145.00-175.00

149.00-174.00

158.00-170.00

150.00-175.00

145.00-160.00

300-400

n/a

140.00-166.00

160.00-175.00

160.00-185.00

n/a

145.00-170.00

n/a

150.00-171.00

Feeder heifers 900-1,000 lbs.

n/a

90.00-104.00

n/a

n/a

108.00-120.50

n/a

n/a

100.00-114.00

800-900

108.00-119.50

90.00-118.50

105.00-114.00

105.00-118.50

113.00-121.75

n/a

110.00-119.00

107.00-117.00

700-800

115.00-125.25

100.00-120.00

114.00-121.50

110.00-121.00

114.00-122.50

118.00-129.25

118.00-123.00

110.00-122.00

600-700

110.00-128.50

110.00-128.00

118.00-125.50

115.00-128.00

118.00-129.00

119.00-127.25

120.00-128.00

115.00-127.00

500-600

115.00-135.00

120.00-142.50

125.00-142.00

120.00-142.00

122.00-138.00

120.00-135.00

123.00-136.50

120.00-139.50

400-500

120.00-134.00

130.00-155.00

138.00-150.00

135.00-148.00

130.00-150.00

135.00-145.00

130.00-150.00

128.00-150.00

300-400

n/a

130.00-151.00

145.00-160.00

137.00-150.00

n/a

135.00-150.00

130.00-152.00

135.00-155.00

No. on offer

200

n/a

157

230

n/a

n/a

228

125

D1-D2 Cows

60.00-69.00

n/a

n/a

65.00-71.75

63.00-68.00

54.00-63.00

52.00-63.00

60.00-66.00

D3-D5 Cows

52.00+

n/a

48.00-54.00

58.00-64.00

35.00-62.00

n/a

40.00-50.00

52.00-58.00

Age Verified

65.00-71.00

n/a

n/a

n/a

65.00-71.00

60.00-71.00

61.00-69.00

n/a

Good Bulls

Slaughter Market

70.00-88.50

75.00-83.50

74.00-79.75

n/a

75.00-82.00

77.00-84.00

72.00-79.00

75.00-83.00

Butcher Steers

n/a

n/a

n/a

100.00-104.00

100.00-104.00

n/a

n/a

n/a

Butcher Heifers

n/a

n/a

n/a

95.00-102.50

97.00-102.00

n/a

n/a

n/a

Feeder Cows

n/a

45.00-72.00

58.00-68.00

72.00-80.00

67.00-80.00

n/a

n/a

65.00-75.00

Fleshy Export Cows

n/a

n/a

58.00-64.00

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

Lean Export Cows

n/a

n/a

50.00-57.00

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

* includes slaughter market

(Note all prices in CDN$ per cwt. These prices also generally represent the top one-third of sales reported by the auction yard.)

B:10.25” T:10.25” S:10.25”

By 2050, there will be 9,000,000,000 hungry people and less farmland than there’s ever been. On August 19–25, 2013, the world’s youth will gather at the global 4-H Youth Ag-Summit to advance solutions to this growing crisis of agricultural sustainability.

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37

The Manitoba Co-operator | February 7, 2013

Cows fed flaxseed produce more nutritious dairy products, says OSU study The milk contained more omega-3 fatty acids and less saturated fat OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY RELEASE

D

a i r y c ow s t h a t a re fed flaxseed produce more nutritious milk, according to a new study by Oregon State University.

Their milk contained more omega-3 fatty acids and less saturated fat, the study found.

Diets high in saturated fat can increase cholesterol and cause heart disease, while those rich in omega-3 and other polyunsaturated fatty acids may reduce the risk of heart disease, studies have shown.

Traditional cattle feed mixtures of corn, grains, alfalfa hay and grass silage result in dairy products with low concentrations of omega-3 and other polyunsaturated fats,

“They loved it, they ate it like candy.”

GERD BOBE

according to Gerd Bobe, the lead scientist on the study, which has been published online in the Journal of Dairy Science.

Te n p re g n a n t c ow s a t OSU’s dairy were fed different amounts of flaxseed — up to seven per cent of their daily diet. Researchers attempted to pinpoint the amount of flaxseed that would maximize the amount of omega-3 in milk and dairy products without

negatively affecting their production and texture.

“We were looking for a sweet spot,” said Bobe, an expert in human and animal nutrition.

“Too much of a good thing can be bad, especially when trying to maintain consistency with dairy products.”

Collaborators in OSU’s food science and technology department assisted in turning milk into butter and fresh cheese, which were then tested for texture and nutritional composition.

The study found that feeding cows up to six pounds of extruded flaxseed improved the fat profile without negatively affecting the production and texture of the milk and other dairy products. Extru-

sion presses raw, ground flaxseed into pellets with heat.

At six pounds per day, saturated fatty acids in whole milk fat dropped 18 per cent, polyunsaturated fatty acids increased 82 per cent, and omega-3 levels rose 70 per cent compared to feeding no flaxseed. Similar improvements were observed in butter and cheese.

Still, saturated fat accounted for more than half of the fatty acids in the dairy products while the increase in polyunsaturated fats compromised no more than nearly nine per cent of the total.

Researchers also noted that the refrigerated butter was softer and less adhesive thanks to fewer saturated fatty acids.

Also, the cows produced the same amount of milk while eating flaxseed.

Although flaxseed costs more than traditional cattle feeds, Bobe hopes that it still could be an affordable feed supplement for cows because products enriched with omega-3 can sell for a premium at the grocery store.

“Many consumers already show a willingness to pay extra for value-added foods, like omega-3-enriched milk,” he said.

One thing is for sure, he said: Dairy farmers will have no trouble convincing cows to eat flaxseed.

“They loved it. They ate it like candy,” he said.

NEWS

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U.S. cattle placements fall seventh straight month The report was viewed as bullish for cattle futures

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1

FBC SAT MCO EQUIP ADMAT 01/2013

The number of cattle placed in U.S. feedlots in December fell for a seventh straight month, a government report showed Jan. 25, in a sign of high feed costs continuing to roil the industry after the worst drought in half a century.

The decline was against trade expectations for the first monthly increase in placements since May. The U.S. Department of Agriculture showed placements down one per cent from a year earlier to 1.664 million head, extending its string of monthly declines since May. The average analyst estimate was for a 3.8 per cent increase.

USDA put supply of cattle in feedlots on Jan. 1 at 11.193 million head, or 94 per cent of the year-ago total. Analysts polled by Reuters, on average, expected 95.5 per cent.

The government also said the number of cattle sold to packers, or marketings, in December was down two per cent from a year earlier, to 1.745 million head versus forecast for a 6.9 per cent reduction. Analysts viewed the cattle report as bullish for Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures.

38

The Manitoba Co-operator | February 7, 2013

FARMER'S

MARKETPLACE Call to place your classified ad in the next issue: 1-800-782-0794

Selling?

FAX your classified ads to: 204-954-1422 · Or eMAiL your classified ads to: mbclassifieds@fbcpublishing.com

Classification

index Tributes/Memory Announcements Airplanes Alarms & Security Systems AnTiqueS Antiques For Sale Antique Equipment Antique Vehicle Antiques Wanted Arenas

Your guide to the Classification Categories and sub-listings within this section.

Roofing Building Supplies Buildings Business Machines Business Opportunities BuSineSS SeRViCeS Crop Consulting Financial & Legal Insurance/Investments Butchers Supply Chemicals Clothing/Work wear Collectibles Compressors Computers

AuCTiOn SALeS BC Auction AB Auction Peace AB Auction North AB Auction Central AB Auction South SK Auction MB Auction Parkland MB Auction Westman MB Auction Interlake MB Auction Red River Auction Various U.S. Auctions Auction Schools

COnTRACTinG Custom Baling Custom Feeding Custom Harvest Custom Seeding Custom Silage Custom Spraying Custom Trucking Custom Tub Grinding Custom Work Construction Equipment Dairy Equipment Electrical Engines Entertainment Fertilizer

AuTO & TRAnSpORT Auto Service & Repairs Auto & Truck Parts Autos Trucks Semi Trucks Sport Utilities Vans Vehicles Vehicles Wanted

FARM MAChineRy Aeration Conveyors Equipment Monitors Fertilizer Equip Grain Augers Grains Bins Grain Carts Grain Cleaners Grain Dryers Grain Elevators Grain Handling Grain Testers Grain Vacuums

BeeKeepinG Honey Bees Cutter Bees Bee Equipment Belting Bio Diesel Equipment Books & Magazines BuiLDinG & RenOVATiOnS Concrete Repair Doors & Windows Electrical & Plumbing Insulation Lumber

New Holland Steiger Universal Versatile White Zetor Tractors 2WD Tractors 4WD Tractors Various Farm Machinery Miscellaneous Farm Machinery Wanted Fencing Firewood Fish Farm Forestry/Logging Fork Lifts/Pallets Fur Farming Generators GPS Health Care Heat & Air Conditioning Hides/Furs/Leathers Hobby & Handicrafts Household Items

hAyinG & hARVeSTinG Baling Equipment Mower Conditioners Swathers

Swather Accessories Haying & Harvesting Various COMBineS Belarus Case/IH Cl Caterpillar Lexion Deutz Ford/NH Gleaner John Deere Massey Ferguson Versatile White Combines Various Combine Accessories Hydraulics Irrigation Equipment Loaders & Dozers Parts & Accessories Salvage Potato & Row Crop Equipment Repairs Rockpickers Snowblowers/Plows Silage Equipment Specialty Equipment

LAnDSCApinG Greenhouses Lawn & Garden LiVeSTOCK CATTLe Cattle Auctions Angus Black Angus Red Angus Aryshire Belgian Blue Blonde d'Aquitaine Brahman Brangus Braunvieh BueLingo Charolais Dairy Dexter Excellerator Galloway Gelbvieh Guernsey Hereford Highland Holstein Jersey Limousin Lowline Luing Maine-Anjou Miniature Murray Grey Piedmontese

SpRAyinG Sprayers Spray Various TiLLAGe & SeeDinG Air Drills Air Seeders Harrows & Packers Seeding Various Tillage Equipment Tillage & Seeding Various TRACTORS Agco Allis/Deutz Belarus Case/IH Caterpillar Ford John Deere Kubota Massey Ferguson

Pinzgauer Red Poll Salers Santa Gertrudis Shaver Beefblend Shorthorn Simmental South Devon Speckle Park Tarentaise Texas Longhorn Wagyu Welsh Black Cattle Composite Cattle Various Cattle Wanted LiVeSTOCK hORSeS Horse Auctions American Saddlebred Appaloosa Arabian Belgian Canadian Clydesdale Draft Donkeys Haflinger Miniature Morgan Mules Norwegian Ford Paint Palomino Percheron Peruvian Pinto Ponies Quarter Horse Shetland Sport Horses Standardbred Tennessee Walker Thoroughbred Warmblood Welsh Horses For Sale Horses Wanted LiVeSTOCK Sheep Sheep Auction Arcott Columbia Dorper Dorset Katahdin Lincoln Suffolk Texel Sheep Sheep For Sale

Sheep Wanted LiVeSTOCK Swine Swine Auction Swine For Sale Swine Wanted LiVeSTOCK poultry Poultry For Sale Poultry Wanted LiVeSTOCK Specialty Alpacas Bison (Buffalo) Deer Elk Goats Llama Rabbits Emu Ostrich Rhea Yaks Specialty Livestock Various Livestock Equipment Livestock Services & Vet Supplies Miscellaneous Articles Miscellaneous Articles Wanted Musical Notices On-Line Services ORGAniC Organic Certified Organic Food Organic Grains Personal Pest Control Pets & Supplies Photography Propane Pumps Radio, TV & Satellite 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

Oilseeds Pulse Crops Common Seed Various

ReCReATiOnAL VehiCLeS All Terrain Vehicles Boats & Water Campers & Trailers Golf Carts Motor Homes Motorcycles Snowmobiles Recycling Refrigeration Restaurant Supplies Sausage Equipment Sawmills Scales

FeeD/GRAin Feed Grain Hay & Straw Hay & Feed Wanted Feed Wanted Grain Wanted Seed Wanted Sewing Machines Sharpening Services Silos Sporting Goods Outfitters Stamps & Coins Swap Tanks Tarpaulins Tenders Tickets Tires Tools

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 Lentil Peas Pulses Various peDiGReeD SpeCiALTy CROpS Canary Seeds Mustard Potatoes Sunflower Specialty Crops Various COMMOn SeeD Cereal Seeds Forage Seeds Grass Seeds

TRAiLeRS Grain Trailers Livestock Trailers Trailers Miscellaneous Travel Water Pumps Water Treatment Welding Well Drilling Well & Cistern Winches COMMuniTy CALenDAR British Columbia Alberta Saskatchewan Manitoba CAReeRS Career Training Child Care Construction Domestic Services Farm/Ranch Forestry/Log Health Care Help Wanted Management Mining Oil Field Professional Resume Services Sales/Marketing Trades/Tech Truck Drivers Employment Wanted

✁

Classified Ad Order Form MAiL TO: Manitoba Co-operator, Box 9800, Winnipeg, Manitoba R3C 3K7

FAX TO:

204-954-1422

Name: __________________________________________________________ Address: ___________________________________________ Province: ____________________________

phOne in: TOLL FREE IN CANADA:

1-800-782-0794

Phone #: ______________________________

Town: ____________________________________________

Postal Code: _________________________

plEASE pRInT youR AD BEloW:

Classification: ___________________________ ❏ I would like to take advantage of the Prepayment Bonus of 2 FREE weeks when I prepay for 3 weeks.

❏ VISA

________________ x

$0.45

x

No. of weeks ____________________ = ____________________ Minimum charge $11.25 per week

❏ MASTERCARD

Add $2.50 if being billed / Minus 10% if prepaying: ______________________

Card No.

Add 5% GST: ______________________

Expiry Date: Signature: _______________________________________________ Published by Farm Business Communications, 1666 Dublin Avenue, Winnipeg, MB R3H 0H1 WINNIPEG OFFICE Manitoba Co-operator 1666 Dublin Avenue, Winnipeg, MB R3H 0H1 Toll-Free in Canada 1-800-782-0794 Phone 204-954-1415 in Winnipeg FAX 204-954-1422 Mailing Address: Box 9800, Winnipeg, Manitoba R3C 3K7

AGREEMENT The publisher reserves the right to refuse any or all advertising for any reason stated or unstated.

Advertisers requesting publication of either display or classified advertisements agree that should the advertisement be omitted from the issue ordered for whatever reason, the Manitoba Co-operator shall not be held liable. It is also agreed that in the event of an error appearing in the published advertisement, the Manitoba Co-operator accepts no liability beyond the amount paid for that portion of the advertisement in which the error appears or affects. Claims for adjustment are limited to errors appearing in the first insertion only.

While every endeavor will be made to forward box number replies as soon as possible, we accept no liability in respect to loss or damage alleged to a rise through either failure or delay in forwarding such replies, however caused, whether by negligence or otherwise.

noon on THuRSDAyS (unless otherwise stated)

Or (204) 954-1415 in Winnipeg

plEASE noTE: Even if you do not want your name & address to appear in your ad, we need the information for our files.

No. of words

ADVeRTiSinG DeADLine:

CAUTION The Manitoba Co-operator, while assuming no responsibility for advertisements appearing in its columns, exercises the greatest care in an endeavor to restrict advertising to wholly reliable firms or individuals.

However, please do not send money to a Manitoba Co-operator box number. Buyers are advised to request shipment C.O.D. when ordering from an unknown advertiser, thus minimizing the chance of fraud and eliminating the necessity of a refund where the goods have already been sold.

At Farm Business Communications we have a firm commitment to protecting your privacy and security as our customer. Farm Business Communications will only collect personal information if it is required for the proper functioning of our business. As part of our commitment to enhance customer service, we may share this personal information with other strategic business partners. For more information regarding our Customer Informa-

TOTAL: ______________________ tion Privacy Policy, write to: Information Protection Officer, Farm Business Communications, 1666 Dublin Ave., Winnipeg, MB R3H 0H1.

Occasionally we make our list of subscribers available to other reputable firms whose products and services might be of interest to you. If you would prefer not to receive such offers, please contact us at the address in the preceding paragraph, or call 1-800-782-0794.

The editors and journalists who write, contribute and provide opinions to Manitoba Co-operator and Farm Business Communications attempt to provide accurate and useful opinions, information and analysis. However, the editors, journalists and Manitoba Co-operator and Farm Business Communications, cannot and do not guarantee the accuracy of the information contained in this publication and the editors as well as Manitoba Co-operator and Farm Business Communication assume no responsibility for any actions or decisions taken by any reader for this publication based on any and all information provided.

ADVERTISIng RATES & InfoRMATIon REgulAR ClASSIfIED • Minimum charge — $11.25 per week for first 25 words or less and an additional 45 cents per word for every word over 25. Additional bolding 75 cents per word. GST is extra. $2.50 billing charge is added to billed ads only.

• Terms: Payment due upon receipt of invoice.

• 10% discount for prepaid ads. If phoning in your ad you must pay with VISA or MasterCard to qualify for discount.

• Prepayment Bonus: Prepay for 3 weeks & get a bonus of 2 weeks; bonus weeks run consecutively & cannot be used separately from original ad; additions & changes accepted only during first 3 weeks.

• Ask about our Priority Placement.

• If you wish to have replies sent to a confidential box number, please add $5.00 per week to your total. Count eight words for your address. Example: Ad XXXX, Manitoba Co-operator, Box 9800, Winnipeg, R3C 3K7.

• Your complete name and address must be submitted to our office before publication. (This information will be kept confidential and will not appear in the ad unless requested.)

DISplAy ClASSIfIED • Advertising copy deviating in any way from the regular classified style will be considered display and charged at the display rate of $32.20 per column inch ($2.30 per agate line).

• Minimum charge $32.20 per week + $5.00 for online per week.

• Illustrations and logos are allowed with full border.

• Spot color: 25% of ad cost, with a minimum charge of $15.00.

• Advertising rates are flat with no discount for frequency of insertion or volume of space used.

• Telephone orders accepted • Terms: Payment due upon receipt of invoice.

• Price quoted does not include GST. All classified ads are non-commissionable.

39

The Manitoba Co-operator | February 7, 2013

AUCTION DISTRICTS Parkland – North of Hwy 1; west of PR 242, following the west shore of Lake Manitoba and east shore of Lake Winnipegosis.

Westman – South of Hwy 1; west of PR 242.

Interlake – North of Hwy 1; east of PR 242, following the west shore of Lake Manitoba and east shore of Lake Winnipegosis.

Red River – South ofHwy 1; east of PR 242.

The Pas

Birch River

Swan River Minitonas Durban

Winnipegosis

Roblin

Dauphin

Grandview

Ashern

Gilbert Plains

Fisher Branch

Ste. Rose du Lac Russell

Parkland

Birtle

Riverton Eriksdale

McCreary

Gimli

Shoal Lake

Langruth

Neepawa

Gladstone

Rapid City

Melita

1

Brandon

Carberry

Waskada

Killarney

Pilot Mound Crystal City

Elm Creek

Sanford

Ste. Anne

Carman

Mariapolis

Lac du Bonnet

Beausejour

Winnipeg

Austin Treherne

Westman Boissevain

Stonewall Selkirk

Portage

Souris

Reston

Interlake

Erickson Minnedosa

Hamiota

Virden

Arborg

Lundar

St. Pierre

242

Morris Winkler Morden

Altona

Steinbach

1

Red River

ANNOUNCEMENTS

AUCTION SALES Auctions Various

WE GUARANTEE RESULTS ON EQUIPMENT AUCTIONS

LEO & SYLVIA HRUSHOWY of Rorketon, MB intends to sell private lands: SE7-29-16W, NE, NW, SE, SW8-29-16W & transfer the following Crown lands: NW6-29-16W by Unit Transfer. If you wish to comment on or object to the eligibility of this unit please write to: Director, MAFRI, Agricultural Crown Lands, PO Box 1286, Minnedosa MB R0J 1E0; or Fax (204)867-6578.

ANTIQUES ANTIQUES Antiques For Sale 2 SETS OF LIGHT driving harness; 2 sets of general purpose leather harness; Scotch tops; Antique ivory spread rings; several horse collars; several leather halters; cutter tongue eaveners & neck yokes; a good selection of antique horse machinery. Phone:(204)242-2809.

AUCTION SALES

Call Us Today!

Advertising Deadline for Spring Catalog: March 1st

AUCTION SALES Manitoba Auctions – Interlake MCSHERRY AUCTION SERVICE LTD Estate & Moving Auction Sat., Feb. 9th 10:00am Stonewall, MB. 12 Patterson Dr. Antiques: Oak DR Suite; Pine Bed; Oak Dresser; Painted Cabinets; Oak Lawyers Stacking Bookcase; Oak Peg & Ball Pump Organ; Piano Stool; Cedar Chest; Ashtray Stand; National Candy Store Cash Register, 1909 Wpg Beach Attractions; Gramophone; Wood Phone; Bubble Gum Machine; Field Writing Desk; Wood Heater; Mantle Clock; Railway Lantern; Coal Oil Lamps; Russian Pics; War Pic; Jewelry; Watches; Balance Scale; Hudson Bay Blanket; CNR Spittoon; Native Drum; Native Beaded Jacket; Icelandic Jackets; Military & English Saddle; Vintage Outboard; License Plates; Cast Toy Stove; Vintage Mechanical Bank; Lincoln Metal Grader; Reliable Toys; Metal Soldier; Lge Toy Collection; Power Rangers; Ninja Turtles; Super Hero Figurines; Hundred Nazi Stamps; 2) RWing Butterchurn 1) 8-gal 1) 3-gal; 2) 1-gal RWing Crocks; RWing Crocks, 3, 4, 5, 6, gal; RWing 8-gal Water Cooler; Fenton; Soap Carvings; Walt Disney Cookie Jars; Household: Dishwasher; Fridge; Stove; 2) Deep Freeze 1) Upright 1) Chest; 2) Single Medi Beds; Toys; Tools & Misc: Pressure Washer; Hand Tools; Power Tools; Tool Box; Metal Locking Cabinets; Drafting Tools; Scuba Diving Equip.

Stuart McSherry (204)467-1858 or (204)886-7027 www.mcsherryauction.com

AUTO & TRANSPORT AUTO & TRANSPORT Auto & Truck Parts STEEL SERVICE TOOLBOX FOR 1/2, 3/4 or 1-ton truck, 6-compartment, 79-in wide, 8-ft long, front of box to middle of axle 58-59-in, good shape, $1000 OBO. Phone:(204)669-9626.

1-800-667-2075 hodginsauctioneers.com SK PL # 915407 • AB PL # 180827

BUILDING & RENOVATIONS Roofing

PRICE TO CLEAR!!

75 truckloads 29 gauge full hard 100,000PSI high tensile roofing & siding. 16 colours to choose from.

B-Gr. coloured......................70¢/ft.2

Multi-coloured millends.........49¢/ft.2

Ask about our blowout colours...65¢/ft.2 Also in stock low rib white 29 ga. ideal for archrib buildings BEAT THE PRICE INCREASES CALL NOW

FOUILLARD STEEL SUPPLIES LTD. ST. LAZARE, MB. 1-800-510-3303

AUTO & TRANSPORT Autos

AUTO & TRANSPORT Vehicles Various

1980 LINCOLN CONTINENTAL, 2-DR, 352 motor, could be easily restored. $1,000 OBO Phone: (204)669-9626

OVER 200 VEHICLES LOTS OF DIESELS www.thoens.com Chrysler Dodge (800)667-4414 Wynyard, Sk.

AUTO & TRANSPORT Trucks

BUILDINGS

2007 GMC CLSC CREW DSL 4x4, cloth seats, 6.6 box, one owner, $19,900; 2006 F350 Diesel Crew Lariat, 6.6 box, leather seats, extended warranty included, $15,900. Trades considered. Financing available. Free delivery to Manitoba, Sask & NW/Ontario. Call Anytime (204)895-8547 Glenn.

AFAB INDUSTRIES IS YOUR SUPERIOR post frame building company. For estimates and information call 1-888-816-AFAB(2322).

Website: www.postframebuilding.com

FOR SALE: 04 CHEVY 2500 4x4, 4-dr, gas, new safety, new steer tires, flat deck w/tool boxes, $8500. Phone:(204)871-0925.

CONCRETE FLATWORK: Specializing in place & finish of concrete floors. Can accommodate any floor design. References available. Alexander, MB. 204-752-2069.

AUCTION SALES Manitoba Auctions – Interlake

AUCTION SALES Manitoba Auctions – Interlake

FARM LAND FOR SALE

INVITATION TO TENDER & BID BY PHONE AUCTION Please accept our invitation to tender and become eligible to take part in this upcoming land auction. By completing a tender you will be able to take part in the phone bid auction for these parcels of land known as DES SW6-22-3E / SE6-22-3E / NE6-22-3E / SE5-22-3E / NE5-22-3E / NW5-22-3E/ DES NW9-22-3E all in the R.M. of Bifrost.

Tenders close Thursday February 21st at 5:00pm local time.

Phone auction will take place Wednesday February 27th at 1:00pm local time.

To receive a tender package please contact Fraser Auction 204-727-2001 More info is available on our web site www.fraserauction.com

I would like to thank you in advance for your interest in this land auction. Should you have any questions regarding this auction and or the process in which it will be conducted please feel free to contact me directly on my cell 1-204-724-2131 or e-mail scott.campbell@fraserauction.com

FRASER AUCTION SERVICE

1-800-483-5856 • www.fraserauction.com

AUCTION SALES U.S. Auctions

AUCTION SALES U.S. Auctions

AUCTION SALES U.S. Auctions

OPENING: Monday, February 4 • CLOSING: Monday, February 18 AUCTIONEER’S NOTE: All equipment is located at 3099 Hwy. 7 SW, Montevideo, MN, and must be removed by February 28, 2013. Shop fees apply for any service assistance required outside of normal loading. For trucking info, contact Bruce at the dealership at (320) 269-6466 or Dave at B&D Transport, (218) 334-3840.

GPS EQUIP. (con’t) Starfire ITC SF1 receiver, S/N329102 Starfire ITC SF1 receiver, S/N339043

GRAIN CARTS (con’t) 1994 Parker 650 gravity box, 650 bu., S/N93137

PREVIEW:

Monday-Friday 7am-6pm Saturdays 7:30am-4:30pm

PLANTERS 2001 JD 1770 MaxEmerge COMBINES vacuum planter, 24x30”, LOADOUT: 2009 JD 9870, STS, ContourS/N690178 Master, 955 sep. hrs./1,542 eng. 1998 JD 1770 MaxEmerge Tues, Feb 19 - Thurs, hrs., S/N730243 vacuum planter, 16x30”, Feb 28, 2013 2008 JD 9870, STS, ContourS/N675663 *After Feb. 28, regular Master, 1,249 sep. hrs./1,773 1998 JD 1710 vacuum shop rates will apply eng. hrs., S/N725971 planter, 12x30”, 2010 JD 9770, STS, ContourS/N675588 Master, 672 sep. hrs./888 eng. 1990 JD 7300 MaxEmerge hrs., S/N738339 vacuum planter, 12x30”, 2001 JD 9750, STS, ContourS/N200381 TRACK TRACTORS Master, 1,958 sep. hrs./2,963 1990 White 5100 planter, 2007 JD 9630T, powershift, 36” eng. hrs., S/N686192 12x30”, S/N602289 belts, 3,699 hrs., S/N901065 2001 JD 9650, STS, Contour1998 JD 8400T, deluxe cab, Master, 1,888 sep. hrs./2,748 FIELD CULTIVATORS powershift, 24” belts, 6,335 hrs., eng. hrs., S/N690746 2008 JD 2210 field cultivator, S/N902481 2000 JD 9650, STS, Contour45-1/2’, S/N6072 Master, 3,329 sep. hrs./5,196 2008 JD 2210 field cultivator, 4WD TRACTORS eng. hrs., S/N685638 55-1/2’, S/N8088 2010 JD 9630, deluxe cab, 1996 JD 9600, Level Land, 2005 JD 2210 field cultivator, 1,106 hrs., S/N18786 DAM, DAS, 2,441 sep. hrs./3,713 44-1/2’, S/N2012 2004 JD 9620, deluxe cab, 2003 JD 2200 field cultivator, 5,132 hrs., new rear end in 2010, eng. hrs., S/N667796 1992 JD 9500, DAM, 2,706 sep. 46-1/2’, S/N1089 S/N22388 hrs./3,915 eng. hrs., S/N640897 1998 JD 985 field cultivator, 2003 JD 9520, 5,533 hrs., 1991 JD 9500, Level Land, 55-1/2’, S/N592 S/N11088 DAM, DAS, 3,121 sep. hrs./4,910 1998 JD 980 field cultivator, 2010 JD 9430, deluxe cab, eng. hrs., S/NH09500X642168 38-1/2’, S/N11107 1,893 hrs., PowerGuard ext.

1994 Case-IH 1688, specialty warranty until July 2013, DISC RIPPERS rotor, AHH, RS, 2,361 sep.

S/N18177 2011 JD 2700 disc ripper, hrs./3,561 eng. hrs., 1993 JD 8970, 855 Cummins, 18’, S/N740264 S/NJCC0121605 24 spd., 3 hyd., 6,743 hrs., 2011 JD 2700 disc ripper, S/NRW8970H001005 FLEX & PICKUP HEADS 14’, S/N740255 1994 JD 8870, 24 spd., 2010 JD 635F flex head, 2001 JD 512 disc ripper, 3 hyd., 9,987 hrs., S/N3166 S/N736949 17-1/2’, S/N550 1997 Case-IH 9390, 2005 JD 635F flex head, 1999 JD 512 disc ripper, 24 spd., 4 hyd., 4,030 hrs., S/N712085 22-1/2’, S/N210 S/N69271 2005 JD 635F flex head, 1997 Brent CPC disc ripper, S/N711396 17-1/2’, S/N2007390 MFWD TRACTORS 2011 JD 8335R, MFWD, deluxe JD 635F flex head, OTHER TILLAGE S/N711688 cab, 1,275 hrs., PowerGuard EQUIPMENT 2002 JD 930F flex head, warranty until July 14, 2013, 2005 JD 2410 chisel plow, S/N697667 S/N44451 30’, S/N1054 2008 JD 8430, MFWD, deluxe 2000 JD 930F flex head, JD 1610 chisel plow, 25’, S/N687505 cab, 2,927 hrs., S/N21529 S/N12-977 1996 JD 7800, MFWD, deluxe 1997 JD 930 flex head, Wil-Rich chisel plow, 38’, S/N671168 cab, 9,857 hrs., S/NP015511 S/N12-603 1978 JD 200 pickup head, 1991 JD 4255, MFWD, JD 724 mulch finisher, 30’, S/N320494 powershift, hrs. unknown, S/NP00724X003090 S/N10122 CHOPPING 1976 JD 4630, HFWD, quad OTHER EQUIPMENT CORN HEADS range, 9,995 hrs., Stud King MD38 single axle 2011 JD 612C chopping S/NRW4630H018247 corn head, 12x22”, S/N740182 header trailer, 38’, S/N2310 2001 WIC defoliator, 12x22”, 2009 JD 612C chopping 2WD TRACTORS corn head, 12x22”, S/N730285 S/N236201 1993 JD 7800, 16 spd. power Loftness 264BS shredder, quad, deluxe cab, 10,710 hrs., 2010 JD 608C chopping 22’, S/NT2-49 corn head, 8x30”, S/N735634 S/N2503 Century 750 pull-type 2010 JD 608C chopping 1976 JD 4430, quad range, tandem axle sprayer, corn head, 8x30”, S/N735788 9,659 hrs., S/N52630 60’ boom, S/NB121146 2009 JD 608C chopping 1973 JD 4430, quad range, Haul All 475 seed tender, corn head, 8x30”, 5,607 hrs., S/N8377 S/N2710286 S/NH0608CC730390 Deutz SM45 rotary disc TRACTOR LOADERS & 2008 JD 608C chopping mower, 7’, S/N6434708 SKID STEER LOADER corn head, 8x30”, S/N725236 1996 Loftness snowblower, JD 265 loader, 96” bucket, 2009 JD 606C chopping 9’, S/N34B-79 grapple fork, corn head, 6x30”, S/N730140 2011 JD 825I Gator, S/NWOO265X006129 2008 Geringhoff RD 2010 Westendorf TA76 chopping corn head, 16x22”, S/N20783 loader, 8’ bucket, grapple, S/N9166816221B LAWN & GARDEN bale spear, mts. for JD 4640, 2007 Geringhoff RD 2010 JD Z925 ZTrak lawn S/NA3007 LAWN & GARDEN (con’t) chopping corn head, 18x22”, tractor, 60” mid-mount deck, 2003 JD X475 lawn tractor, 62” 2001 JD 240 skid steer S/N907371822B 340 hrs., S/N12742 deck, 480 hrs., S/N20946 loader, 51 hp., 3 cyl., 72” 2011 JD Z920 ZTrak lawn 2010 JD X320 lawn tractor, 48” STANDARD construction bucket, 608 hrs., tractor, 54” mid-mount deck, deck, 116 hrs., S/N123981 CORN HEADS S/NKV0240A340857 2002 JD 1435 lawn tractor, 7 Iron 297 hrs., S/N2260 1997 JD 1291 corn head, 72” commercial front-mount deck, 2008 JD Z850 ZTrak lawn 12x22”, S/N670722 GPS EQUIPMENT tractor, 72” mid-mount deck, 370 1,685 hrs., S/N11781 JD GreenStar II 1800 display, 2001 JD 893 corn head, 8x30”, hrs., S/N10220 2002 JD 245 lawn tractor, 54” S/N696197 deck, 465 hrs., S/N61612 S/N202088 2010 JD X540 lawn tractor, 54” 2003 Snapper Turf Cruiser airJD GreenStar II 2600 display, 1979 JD 643 corn head, 6x30”, deck, 164 hrs., warranty until April cooled, 61” deck, 614 hrs., S/N387621 S/N173939 2014, S/N51320 S/N21398435 JD GreenStar II 2600 display, GRAIN CARTS S/N218065 2005 Frontier GC-1107 grain JD GreenStar basic key card cart, 750 bu., 18” corner auger, to include HarvestDoc, S/NJMGC11070301090 FieldDoc, and mapping, 2004 Brent 1084 Avalanche S/N151367 grain cart, 1,000 bu., JD GreenStar brown box Bruce 320.269.6466 S/N20720117 display & processor, 2004 Brent 1084 Avalanche S/N218200 grain cart, 1,000 bu., For additional info contact Brad Olstad at JD ATU 100 universal S/N082-1026 Steffes Auctioneers 701.238.0240 steering wheel, wheel S/N109966 Kinze 800 grain cart, 800 bu., JD SF II AutoTrac key card S/NSNLM800 for original brown box 2010 Demco 450 gravity box, display & processor, 450 bu., S/N3226 S/N160492

Kibble Equipment Inc.

Complete terms, lot listings and photos at www.IQBID.com

IQBID is a division of Steffes Auctioneers Inc., 2000 Main Avenue East, West Fargo, ND 58078 701.237.9173. Brad Olstad ND319

BUSINESS SERVICES BUSINESS SERVICES Crop Consulting

FARM CHEMICAL SEED COMPLAINTS We also specialize in: Crop Insurance appeals; Chemical drift; Residual herbicide; Custom operator issues; Equipment malfunction; Yield comparisons, Plus Private Investigations of any nature. With our assistance the majority of our clients have received compensation previously denied. Back-Track Investigations investigates, documents your loss and assists in settling your claim.

Licensed Agrologist on Staff.

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

STRONGEST POSTS INDUSTRY-WIDE Toll Free:1-877-239-0730 www.mcdiarmid.com/farm

40

The Manitoba Co-operator | February 7, 2013

CLOTHING / WORKWEAR INDUSTRIAL SEWING MACHINES SALES & Service for Sergers walking foot for machines & Patchers. Sewing for wedding dresses, costumes, all garments & alterations. Also leather, shoe repairs & upholstery. Call Anne or Doug (204)727-2694 cell (204)574-4213 mabrolund@hotmail.com

FARM MACHINERY Tractors – John Deere

Combine ACCessories FARM MACHINERY Combine – Accessories

1974 JD 4430, CAB w/heater & A/C, new 18.4 x 38 rear tires w/factory duals, 540 & 1000 PTO. 12,500-hrs on tractor, engine was rebuilt at 9,000-hrs. Comes w/148 JD loader, manure bucket, dirt bucket & bale prong. W/joystick control. Asking $24,000. Phone Dave:(204)743-2145 Mornings & evenings or Days (204)526-5298. Cypress River, MB.

CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT

1993 JD MODEL 6300 MFWD, open station, c/w 640 self levelling JD loader, good rubber, excellent condition, $25,000 OBO. Phone (204)967-2157, Kelwood.

CATERPILLAR D6B SER#1134, standard shift w/Johnson bar, hydraulic angle dozer, good undercarriage, pup start, tractor in good shape, ready to work, $13,000 OBO. Phone:(204)669-9626.

LINKBELT LS98 CRAWLER CRANE 50-ft. boom, CAT D318 motor, long under carriage c/w all rigging including 3-yd Sauerman bucket for dredging gravel machine, ready to go to work, $20,000 OBO. Phone:(204)669-9626.

FARM MACHINERY FARM MACHINERY Fertilizer Equipment FERTILIZER SPREADERS, 4-9 TONNE, Large Selection, $2,000 up; 10T Tender, $2,500; Vicon 3-pt Spreader, $350; Valmar 240 Applicator, $1,000; B-Line Trail Type 50-ft., $2,000. Phone (204)857-8403.

FARM MACHINERY Grain Bins BIG BINS & FLOORS at old prices, 20,000-56,000bu. bins holding prices until spring. NEW MOISTURE CABLES! Call Wall Grain for details (204)269-7616 or (306)244-1144 or (403)393-2662.

CUSTOM BIN MOVING Book now! Fert Tanks.

Hopper Bins/flat. Buy/Sell. Call Tim (204)362-7103 or E-mail Requests binmovers@hotmail.com SUKUP GRAIN BINS Flatbottom or hopper, heavy duty, setup crews available, winter pricing now in effect. Call for more info Vince (204)998-9915

FARM MACHINERY Grain Cleaners

SPECIAL OFFER Can-Seed Equipment Ltd. has received some Buhler Sortex Demo machines and we are able to pass this unique sale onto you.

We have a Z+1BL, Z+1B and a Z+1VL available for $65,000 to $93,500 these full colour optical sorters come with 1 year warranty.

Call Can-Seed Equipment Ltd today at 1-800-644-8397 for more details on these great deals!

FARM MACHINERY Parts & Accessories WISCONSIN MOTOR PARTS FOR VG4D: crank shaft, heads, fly wheel, starter, manifold and carb, $1000 OBO. Phone:(204)669-9626.

Harvest Salvage Co. Ltd. 1-866-729-9876 5150 Richmond Ave. East BRANDON, MB. www.harvestsalvage.ca New, Used & Re-man. Parts

Tractors Combines Swathers

FYFE PARTS

1-800-667-9871 • Regina 1-800-667-3095 • Saskatoon 1-800-387-2768 • Winnipeg 1-800-222-6594 • Edmonton “For All Your Farm Parts”

www.fyfeparts.com The Real Used FaRm PaRTs sUPeRsToRe Over 2700 Units for Salvage • TRACTORS • COMBINES • SWATHERS • DISCERS Call Joe, leN oR daRWIN (306) 946-2222 monday-Friday - 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.

WATROUS SALVAGE WaTRoUs, sK. Fax: 306-946-2444

NEW MC DRYERS IN STOCK w/canola screens 300-2,000 BPH units. Why buy used, when you get new fuel efficient & better quality & control w/MC. Call Wall Grain for details (204)269-7616 or (306)244-1144 or (403)393-2662.

NEW SUKUP GRAIN DRYERS w/Canola screens, LP/ NG, 1PH/3PH, Various sizes, Winter pricing now in effect. Call for more info Vince (204)998-9915

FARM MACHINERY Tillage & Seeding – Air Drills CASE IH/CONCORD 4010 AIRDRILL 2000 model, 10-in spacing, 5-plex, edge-on shanks, flat face packers, 2400 tow-between tank, DSL engine fan drive, shedded, low acres, options on hyd. fan drive, openers, mid-row banders, auto-rate NH3, etc. $44,000. Call (204)324-3647.

FARM MACHINERY Tillage & Seeding – Air Seeders FOR SALE: BOURGAULT 3225 aircart, well maintained, always shedded. Asking $15,000. Also looking for Bourgault cart w/3 tanks, 3-m.

Phone:(204)461-0706 or (204)467-5608.

FARM MACHINERY Tillage & Seeding – Seeding 7200 JD 12R30 FRONT-FOLD planter, rebuilt 2010, liquid starter kit, $12,000 OBO. Phone (204)526-5017.

FARM MACHINERY Tillage & Seeding – Tillage WANTED: 54-FT FIELD CULTIVATOR w/mulchers, in good shape. Phone Days or Evening (204)743-2145 or Cell:(204)526-5298.

WANTED: SUNFLOWER-MORRIS EXPRESS DISC Airdrill, 40-45-ft in width, in good shape.

Phone Days or Evening (204)743-2145 or Cell:(204)526-5298.

solutions

for troublesome gauge wheels

www.canseedequip.com FARM MACHINERY Grain Dryers

FOR SALE: 4955 JD Tractor, front wheel assist, 3-pth, quick hitch. New radial tires all around, including duals. Powershift, front weight. Clean & mechanically sound.

Only $46,000.

Phone: (204)376-5458 or (204)642-2091.

HEADER TRAILERS & ACCESSORIES. Arc-Fab Industries. 204-355-9595 charles@arcfab.ca www.arcfab.ca

NEW WOBBLE BOXES for Macdon JD, NH, IH, headers. Made in Europe, factory quality.

Get it direct from Western Canada’s sole distributor starting at $995. 1-800-667-4515. www.combineworld.com

NEW & USED TRACTOR PARTS NEW COMBINE PARTS

FARM MACHINERY Combine – Case/IH 2008 CASE-IH 2588 combine w/2015 PU, 476 sep hrs, 594 engine hrs, Pro 600 monitor, y/m, rice tires, hopper topper, shedded, heavy soil machine, $170,000 open to offers.

(204)735-2886, (204)981-5366.

FOR SALE: 2005 CASE IH 8010 combine, AWD, 45-32 front tires, means 45-in wide, 28Lx26 rear tires, approx 1950-separator hrs w/spreader & chopper, 30-ft draper header, $150,000; 2008 Case IH 8010, AWD, 45-32 front tires, 28Lx26 rear tires, spreader & chopper, approx 800-separator hrs, w/30-ft flex draper header, $250,000.

Phone:(204)871-0925.

FARM MACHINERY Combine – John Deere 1997 JD 9600, COMPLETE w/Trelleborg tires, always shedded, field ready, $65,000 OBO. Phone:(204)745-8333.

2-2008 JD 9870 COMBINES for sale. First w/994/696-hrs, 900/65R32 fronts, 18.4R-26 rears.

Second combine w/1248/942-hrs, 18.4/38 duals & 18.4/26 rears. Complete w/harvest smart feedrate & Greenstar autotrac. Both come/w small & lrg wire concaves, 615 PU’s, always shedded, VGC. Asking $240,000 each. If interested please call (204)799-7417.

FARM MACHINERY Combine – Various

STEINBACH, MB. Ph. 326-2443 Toll-Free 1-800-881-7727 Fax (204) 326-5878 Web site: farmparts.ca E-mail: roy@farmparts.ca FARM MACHINERY Salvage TRACTORS FOR PARTS: IHC 1486, 1086, 886, 1066, 966, 1256, 656, 844, 806, 706, 660, 650, 560, 460, 624, 606, 504, 434, 340, 275, 240-4, W9, WD6, W6, W4, H, 340, B-414; CASE 4890, 4690, 2096, 2394, 2390, 2290, 2090, 2470, 1370, 1270, 1175, 1070, 970, 870, 1030, 930, 830, 730, 900, 800, 700, 600, 400, DC4, SC; MF 2745, 1805, 1155, 1135, 1105, 1100, 2675, 1500, 1085, 1080, 65, Super 90, 88, 202, 44, 30; JD 8640, 3140, 6400, 5020, 4020, 3020, 4010, 3010, 710; Cockshutt 1900, 1855, 1850, 1800, 1655, 1650, 560, 80, 40, 30; Oliver 66; White 4-150, 2-105; AC 7060, 7045, 7040, 190XT, 190, 170, WF; Deutz DX130, DX85, 100-06, 90-06, 80-05, 70-06; Volvo 800, 650; Universal 651, 640; Ford 7600, 6000, 5000, Super Major, Major; Belarus 5170, 952, 825, 425, MM 602, U, M5; Vers 700, 555, 145, 118; Steiger 210 Wildcat; Hesston 780. Also have parts for combines, swathers, square & round balers, tillage, press drills, & other misc machinery. MURPHY SALVAGE (204)858-2727 or toll free 1-877-858-2728 .

FARM MACHINERY Snowblowers, Plows FOR SALE: CAPITAL I one way plow, VGC, ready to plow, currently set up w/wheel loader quick attach brackets, but will remove for greater application, $9,000 OBO. (204)649-2276

Tillage & Seeding FARM MACHINERY Tillage & Seeding – Air Drills COMBINE WORLD located 20 min. E of Saskatoon, SK on Hwy. #16. 1 year warranty on all new, used, and rebuilt parts. Canada’s largest inventory of late model combines & swathers.

1-800-667-4515 www.combineworld.com

2004 SEEDHAWK 45-FT, 10-IN spacing w/Raven NH3 controller, w/Flexi-coil 2320 tank, well maintained, $39,500 OBO. leonplett@gmail.com (204)364-2354.

36-FT & 44-FT JD 730 5 w/787 carts, $18,000 $19,000; 787 carts $12,000 - $14,000. Can deliver. Brian (204)856-6119 or (204)685-2896, MacGregor, MB.

STEVE’S TRACTOR REBUILDER specializing in JD tractors in need of repair or burnt, or will buy for parts. JD parts available. Phone: 204-466-2927 or cell: 204-871-5170, Austin.

FARM MACHINERY Tractors – Various 1950 OLIVER 80, DIS-HYDRAULIC; 1986 4x4 Ford truck, new tires; 1986 Dodge van, 318-motor; 1983 Chevy Impala; Suzuki ATV, new tires; Sears riding lawn mower. (204)263-5291 1982 HESTON FIAT 1880 DT w/front wheel assit, 160-hp, comes w/894 Allied motor w/manure bucket, dirt bucket & bale prong. New 20.8 x 38 rear tires, 16.9 x 28 front tires, 70% thread left. 1000 PTO, triple hyd., Cab has heater & A/C. In good running order w/9,900-hrs. Asking $26,000. Phone Dave:(204)743-2145 Mornings & evenings or Days (204)526-5298.

Big Tractor Parts, Inc. Geared For The Future

STEIGER TRACTOR SPECIALIST

RED OR GREEN 1. 10-25% savings on new replacement parts for your Steiger drive train.

2. We rebuild axles, transmissions and dropboxes with ONE YEAR WARRANTY. 3. 50% savings on used parts.

www.bigtractorparts.com

Patent #2719667

FARM MACHINERY Haying & Harvesting – Various

Combines

FARM MACHINERY Tractors – 2 Wheel Drive

1-800-982-1769

Large Inventory of new and remanufactured parts

2009 NH 7090 ROUND baler, wide PU & endless belts, big tires, auto wrap, less than 7,000 bales, shedded. Phone (204)388-4975

FOR SALE: 7420 MFWD, auto-quad, LHR, 3-pt., 3 hyd, 741 FEL; 7320 MFWD, PQ, LHR, 3-pt, 3 hyd, 1,800-hrs, w/wo loader; 2, 4650 MFWD, 15-SPD, 3-pt, factory duals; 2, 4455 MFWD, 3-pt, 15-SPD, w/280 FEL; 4450 MFWD, 15-SPD, 3-pt; 3155 MFWD, 3-pt w/loader; 2955 MFWD, 3-pt, w/wo loader; 2950 MFWD, 3-pt, w/260 FEL; 4430 Quad, 3-pt, painted; 4240 8-SPD powershift, 3-pt, 2 hyd; 2130 3-pt., 146 loader; JD 725 FEL; Front Weights for 30, 40, 50 series. All tractors can be sold w/new or used loaders. MITCH’S TRACTOR SALES LTD Box 418 St. Claude, MB R0G 1Z0 Phone: (204)750-2459

Dugald MB 204-866-3558

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

FARM MACHINERY Tillage & Seeding – Various 80 used 4-IN. PAIRED ROW DUTCH openers (bodies & tips) VGC, $80. Phone (204)648-4945.

FOR SALE: 33-FT FLEXI-COIL 5000 air drill, w/1720 TBH air tank, heavy trips, 3/4-in Atom Jet Carbide hoe-tips on 7.2-in spacing, steel press wheels & liquid fert. kit, good cond., side-slide markers also avail.

Call (204)867-2087 (204)867-7117, Horner Cattle Co., Minnedosa.

JD TANDEM DISC AW model, 20-in. blades, 9-in. spacing, 13-ft. wide, good shape, $2,000 OBO. Phone:(204)669-9626.

KIP KELLY GRAVITY CLEANER #300, has 2 decks, powered by 7.5-HP electric motor, $6450; 2) Forever Grain cleaners 36x42-in, powered by 1-HP electric motor, $3450; 1) 36-ft 4x6-in all-steel bucket elevator, $3795. 1) 7-inx45-ft Brandt grain loader, $750. Phone:(306)728-3760 lv msg, Melville SK.

TracTors FARM MACHINERY Tractors – White FOR SALE: 2-105 WHITE tractor, complete new engine & frame 10-hrs ago, rear tires approx 80%, LPTO, the high-low shift, nice tractor, $9500.

Phone:(204)871-0925.

FARM MACHINERY Tractors – Case/IH 1982 CASE IH 5288, 160-hp, cab w/heater & A/C. New 20.8 x 38 rear tires w/factory duals, 1000 PTO. Tractor’s in very nice condition, w/9,300-hrs, engine & trans. just recently rebuilt. Asking $18,000. Phone Dave:(204)743-2145 Mornings & evenings or Days (204)526-5298. Cypress River, MB. 93 CASE 7140 MFD, 20.8x42 rear tires, all new tires & batteries, 710 loader w/bucket & grapple, runs & drives excellent, $45,000 OBO. Call (204)526-7139 or (204)827-2629.

Call our toll-free number to take advantage of our Prepayment Bonus. Prepay for 3 weeks and we’ll run your ad 2 more weeks for free. That’s 5 weeks for the price of 3. Call 1-800-782-0794 today!

FARM MACHINERY Machinery Miscellaneous FOR SALE: 4.5-TON DIAMOND shaped slide-in fertilizer box; 12-row, 30-in S-tine row crop cult.; John Blue NH3 kit w/hitch; 100-g slip tank w/hand pump. Phone:(204)535-2453.

FOR SALE: DRILL STEM 2 & 3-inch. Contact Jack at (204)841-4045.

GRAVITY WAGONS NEW 400B, $7,100; 600B, $12,000; Used 350B, $2,500 up; Parker 650B, $10,500; Parker 750B, $14,900; Large Selection Grain Carts Brent 620, $10,000; JM 750, $12,500; JM 875, $20,000; Ficklin 700B Hyd Dr., $13,500; Grain Screeners Hutch #1500, $2,200; Hutch #3000, $5,000; HiCap 5-48, $2,500; DMC 54, $5,000; Kwik Kleen 5-7 Tube, $3,500 up; Valmar Applicator, $850; New Hyd Post Auger for Skidsteer, $2,250; Grapple Bucket, $1,600; Pallet Fork, $850. Phone (204)857-8403.

SAKUNDIAK GRAIN AUGER 7 X 43 w/18-HP Brigg, $900; JD 800 Swather 18-ft head, $900; NH round baler 851, $900; JD #444 corn header, 4 x 36-in row, will fit M.F. combines, $3000; 18-ft M.F. sunflower head, $900; Melroe harrow #403, 60-ft w/cyl, $900; Coil packers 3 x 7-ft, $600; Hay rack, $250. Phone (204)828-3396, Graysville.

SKIDSTEERS GEHL #4510 $7,000; NH865 $12,900; Gehl #6625 $12,900; Snowblowers: JD 7ft $1,500, International 7-ft $1,500: Schweiss 8-ft single auger $800; Scrapers Crown 6-yd $5,000; Fieldmaster 4-yd $3,900; New 10-ft Land Levellers $2,250, 12-ft $2,450; 3PH 9-ft blade $900; Used 7ft 3PH blade $600; 11-ft 3PH rotary ditcher $1,250; Woods 6-ft pull-type mower $1,600, JD 5-ft $1,000, NH 9-ft sicle mower $2,200 IH Mirmill $1,500; Henke 36-in rollermill $5,000; 20-in rollermill $2,000. Phone:(204)857-8403

FARM MACHINERY Machinery Wanted WANTED: 250-300-GAL. Phone (204)724-5673.

3-PTH

SPRAYER.

WANTED: 927 JOHN DEERE flex header w/PU reel (with air?) Fibre glass dividers; Wanted: Harrow packer bar w/P30 packers, approx 60-80-ft.

Phone (204)385-2857.

HEAT & AIR CONDITIONING

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

www.penta.ca

1-800-587-4711

Factory Direct Outlet SELLING FAST - BOOK NOW Don’t be disappointed!

DELUXE WOOD & WATER OUTDOOR FURNACES CSA APPROVED Now available North American wide at prices never seen before

$

Mastercard, Visa &Interac available

4997

This is not a misprint!!

FC30HD Unit plus accessories

Introductory Doorcrasher Special

You receive base pump, rad hose, insulation, fittings, rust inhibitor PLUS our FC30HD (can heat 1 building) WOOD WATER FURNACE Some claim this is “North America’s Hottest Deal!”

Friesen Built Inc. 1-866-388-4004

1-204-388-6150

IRON & STEEL 2 1/8, 2 3/8, 2 7/8, 3 1/2-in oilfield pipe; 3/4, 7/8, 1in sucker rod; 4.5, 5.5, 7-in., 8 5/8, 9 5/8s casing pipe. (204)252-3413, (204)871-0956.

FREE STANDING CORRAL PANELS, Feeders & Alley ways, 30ft or order to size. Oil Field Pipe: 1.3, 1.6, 1.9, 1 7/8, 2-in, 2 3/8, 2 7/8, 3 1/2. Sucker Rod: 3/4, 7/8, 1. Casing Pipes: 4-9inch. Sold by the piece or semi load lots. For special pricing call Art (204)685-2628 or cell (204)856-3440.

LIVESTOCK LIVESTOCK Cattle Auctions EDIE CREEK ANGUS has 28 Meaty, Moderate, Maternal, Black & Red Angus bulls for sale. March 16th at Ashern Auction Mart. Easy Calving, Easy Fleshing. Developed as 2 yr olds to breed more cows for more years! Great temperaments, many suitable for heifers. www.ediecreekangus.com (204)232-1620

REGULAR SALE Every Friday 9AM

NEXT SHEEP & GOAT SALE

Wednesday, February 20 @ 1:00 pm

BRED COW SALE Monday, February 11

Featuring 18 holstein heifers due to calve immediately, 30 good simmental x cows

Gates Open: Mon.-Wed. 8AM-4PM Thurs. 8AM-10PM Friday 8AM-6PM Sat. 8AM-4PM We Will Buy Cattle Direct On Farm For more information call: 204-694-8328 Jim Christie 204-771-0753 Scott Anderson 204-782-6222 Mike Nernberg 204-841-0747

www.winnipeglivestocksales.com Licence #1122

Many Sons of Red Denbie Samson 20S In Sale

Denbie Ranch and Guests Bull Sale Sat., Feb. 16th, 2013

at 1:00 p.m.

Ste. Rose Auction Mart Selling: • 30 Long Yearling Red Angus and Hybrid Bulls • 1 Two Year Old Red Angus Bull • 8 Two Year Old Charolais Bulls Select Group of Red Angus and Red Angus, Sim X Heifers For info. Contact: Denbie Ranch

Denis & Debbie Guillas

Box 610, Ste. Rose, MB R0L 1S0 204-447-2473 or Cell 204-447-7608 Email: denbie@xplornet.ca

View Catalogue at srauctionmart.ca

41

The Manitoba Co-operator | February 7, 2013

LIVESTOCK Cattle Auctions

LIVESTOCK Cattle – Red Angus

GRUNTHAL LIVESTOCK AUCTION MART. LTD. Hwy #205, Grunthal • (204) 434-6519

GRUNTHAL, MB.

AGENT FOR T.E.A.M. MARKETING

REGULAR CATTLE SALES

every TUESDAY in February at 9 am PLUS - Monday, Februay 11th Sheep & Goat Sale with small animals at 12:00 Noon.

Saturday, February 16th Bred Cow & Heifer Sale at 10:00 a.m.

Monday, February 25th Sheep & Goat Sale with Small Animals at 12:00 Noon

Sales Agent for

HIQUAL INDUSTRIES

We also have a line of Agri-blend all natural products for your livestock needs. (protein tubs, blocks, minerals, etc) For on farm appraisal of livestock or for marketing information please call

Harold Unrau (Manager) Cell 871 0250 Auction Mart (204) 434-6519 MB. Livestock Dealer #1111

WWW.GRUNTHALLIVESTOCK.COM

LIVESTOCK Cattle – Angus 150 BRED YEARLING BLACK Angus heifers, AI bred June 11th to Final Answer & half of them to Right Answer. Heifers from SW Sask, to start calving March 24th, call Harry Dalke (204)822-3643, cell (204)362-4101, Morden MB. 60 ANGUS CROSS OLDER bred cows $1000/HD for all, $1200/HD you pick. Phone (204)242-2865 ANDERSON CATTLE CO. Bull Sale Mar. 28th 2013 at Valley Livestock Sales, Minitonas, MB. 30+, 2 yr old Red & Black Angus bulls. (204)734-2073 DYMOND FARM HERD DISPERSAL SALE. Herd Dispersal of 90 Black Angus X cows, bred to Black or Red Polled Simm bulls; 16 Angus X heifers, bred to Black Angus. All have had Express 10, Scour Bos’, Ivomec, age verified to start calving March.

Lots of young cows selling at Killarney Auction Feb 14th, 2013 at 11:00am. For info or to view at farm before call David (204)242-2889 or (204)242-4146.

F BAR & ASSOCIATES ANGUS bulls for sale.

Choose from 20, two yr old & yearling Red & Black Angus bulls. Great genetics, easy-handling, semen tested, delivery avail. Call for sales list. Inquiries & visitors are welcome. We are located in Eddystone, about 20-mi East of Ste Rose, or 25-mi West of Lake Manitoba Narrows, just off Hwy 68. Call Allen & Merilyn Staheli (204)448-2124, E-mail amstaheli@inethome.ca FOR SALE: BULLS, we sold the cows, 8 Black & 1 Red Angus. Phone:(204)748-2873 STEWART CATTLE CO. & GUESTS BULL SALE 50 Black Angus bulls & 10 Simm Angus bulls, 12 PB Angus Heifers, February 28th, 2013 at 1:30pm Neepawa Ag-plex, Neepawa, MB. Contact Brent Stewart (204)773-2356 home, (204)773-6392 cell.

View catalogue online at www.stewartcattle.com stewartcows@wificountry.ca

LIVESTOCK Cattle – Black Angus 128 1 IRON BLACK ANGUS BRED HEIFIERS. Sourced from reputation herd in SW Sask. extremely uniform group of commercial heifers, bred to easy calving, easy fleshing, forage based Black Angus bulls. Exposed to bulls for 70 days, to start calving April 10th. Full herd health program including 1st Scourguard shot. Avg weight 1100-lbs. For more info, pictures, video, pricing options, (freight available) call Richard (204)424-5895 or (204)392-3764 email richlanefarms.mb@gmail.com Le Broquerie MB.

LIVESTOCK Cattle – Simmental

LIVESTOCK Cattle Various

DB MICHIELS RED ANGUS purebred 2-yr old bulls for sale. Yearling bulls & heifers available.

Contact David (204)870-7070 or (204)526-0942, Holland, MB. Email dmichiels10@gmail.com

Rendezvous Farms

FOR SALE: 4 CHAROLAIS cross cows, w/month old calves, $1400; 2 bred cows.

Phone:(204)825-8354 or (204)825-2784.

FORSYTH F BAR RANCH have for sale 35 yearlings & 10 2-yr old registered Red Angus bulls, bulls will be semen tested & delivered. For info contact Roy (204)448-2245, Eddystone, MB.

Bull & Female Sale

9th Annual

Monday, 1:00 p.m.

February 11

WWW.REDDIAMONDFARM.COM 18 MTH OLD PB Red Angus bulls for sale. Check out our bull catalogue online. We guarantee & deliver. Phone Michael Becker (204)348-2464, Whitemouth.

LIVESTOCK Cattle – Charolais FOR SALE: PUREBRED CHAROLAIS bulls, 1-1/2 yr olds & yearlings, polled, some red factor, some good for heifers, semen tested in spring, guaranteed & delivered, R & G McDonald Livestock, Sidney MB. Phone:(204)466-2883, cell (204)724-2811.

Selling 91 Simmental Bulls

HIGH QUALITY BLACK ANGUS & polled Hereford 2-yr old bulls for sale. Bar H Land & Cattle Co. Phone:(306)743-2840. Langenburg SK.

LIVESTOCK Cattle – Gelbvieh 40 BRED COWS, bred Gelbveih, calving Mar Apr, 25-30 1st to 2nd time calvers, can feed till March.

Your choice, $1,600. Phone (204)388-4975.

POLLED RED & BLACK Gelbvieh bulls, yearling, 2-yr old. Semen tested & delivered. Also 10-15 commercial yearling heifers. Call Maple Grove Gelbvieh (204)278-3255.

LIVESTOCK Cattle – Hereford FOR SALE: POLLED HEREFORD & Black Angus bulls. Good selection of yearlings & 2-yr olds, semen tested & delivery available. Call Don: (204)873-2430.

Selling 56 Reds, 30 Fullbloods and 5 Blacks Also selling 23 open heifers

View catalog at www.transconlivestock.com

Rendezvous Farms Ste. Rose, MB

LIVESTOCK Cattle – Holstein ONE SERVICE AGE POLL Holstein bull. Sired by Forest Lawn P latte P-Red & Hickorymea Overtime P; One 1037 New Holland pull-type bale wagon.

Phone (204)836-2030 or (204)526-7531.

LIVESTOCK Cattle – Limousin TRIPLE R LIMOUSIN, HAS 2013 herdsires for sale. Red & Black yearling & 2 yr olds. 40+ Look for open house in early Apr. Pick from the largest herd of PB Black Limousin in MB. Bred for calving ease or Performance. 2 yrs guaranteed option on bulls.

Your source for quality Limousin genetics. Call Art (204)685-2628 or (204)856-3440.

BLACK AND RED POLLED BULLS Quiet, Fertility Tested, Guaranteed. View online @ www.cherwaylimousin.ca or phone (204)736-2878 info@cherwaylimousin.ca

LIVESTOCK Cattle – Maine-Anjou FOR SALE: 2-YR OLD & yearling polled Black Maine-Anjou bulls, low birth weights & good performance. Guaranteed & delivered in spring. Will take hay on trade. (204)523-8408.

LIVESTOCK Cattle – Simmental FOR SALE: RED FACTOR yearling Simmental bulls. Call (204)445-2326, Langruth MB. PRAIRIE PARTNERS BULL & FEMALE SALE, MARCH 12/2013. Killarney Auction Mart, 40 low birth weight, Polled power house meat machines.

Red, Black, Fullblood Fleckvieh. Also a select group of 20 PB & commercial open hfrs. View bulls online at www.bouchardlivestock.com For info or catalogue call Fraser Redpath (204)529-2560, Gordon Jones (204)535-2273, Brian Bouchard (403)813-7999, Wilf Davis (204)834-2479. For updates check our NEW website www.simmentalbreeders.ca

CRANBERRY CREEK ANGUS BULLS for sale on the farm. Bulls are registered, will be semen tested.

Choose now, we will deliver at the end of April.

Hand fed for longevity, not pushed, these bulls have a great disposition. A.I. sired by Pioneer, Final Answer, Coalition, Mohnen Dynamite, Game Day, natural sires are S Square Tiger & Cranberry Creek Networth. All EPD’s & weights available. For more info please call David & Jeanette Neufeld (204)534-2380, Boissevain.

OSSAWA ANGUS AT MARQUETTE, MB has 2-yr old & yearling bulls for sale. For more information Phone:(204)375-6658.

REGISTERED BLACK ANGUS, JAN & Feb born bulls for sale. Hand fed, many half brothers to highest selling heifer calf in last falls Keystone Klassic Sale. Call or E-mail Topview Acres:(204)546-2150 or kltopham@goinet.ca WWW.REDDIAMONDFARM.COM 18 MTH OLD PB Black Angus bulls for sale. Check out our bull catalogue online. We guarantee & deliver. Phone Michael Becker (204)348-2464, Whitemouth.

Classifieds

LIVESTOCK Sheep For Sale

LIVESTOCK Cattle Various

ROCKING W SPRING HORSE SALE Keystone Centre, Brandon, MB. Huge Tack Sale: Fri., Apr 19th. Horse Sale: Sat., Apr 20th. Catalogue deadline Mar 1st. (204)325-7237 rockingw@xplornet.com www.rockingw.com

LIVESTOCK Horse Auctions

10 QUALITY ANGUS HEIFERS, calving Feb-Mar, bred to easy calving Red Angus bull, $1350 firm.

Phone:(204)728-7308.

150 BRED HEIFERS. Blacks, Tans, Reds bred to Red Angus heifer bulls. Herd health program, plus pelvic measure & preg checked, start calving March 20. Your choice $1300. Volume Discount. Jim Abbott (204)745-3884 or cell (204)750-1157 Carman, MB. 200 BRED HEIFERS, REDS, Blacks, Tans, full herd health program, bred to Black & Red Angus bulls, to start calving April 1st, 2013. All heifers were sourced out of reputation herds.

Phone:(204)325-2416.

25 BRED COWS Angus/ Simm/ Char. Bred to Red Angus & Red Angus/ Simm X Bulls. Bulls out June 25th. Full herd health program, asking $1,250.

Phone evenings (204)539-2428, Benito, MB. BRED COWS FOR SALE $1,075 & up. Phone (204)425-3016.

BRED HEIFERS, 55 BLACK Angus & Baldies, top genetics bred to Black easy calving Simmental Maple Lake Bull. You pick $1500, take all- discount.

(204)782-8312, Stonewall.

Swine LIVESTOCK Swine For Sale FOR SALE: BERKSHIRE BOARS & gilds, also Tamworth. Delivery available at cost. Call Troy Collingridge (204)750-1493, (204)379-2004, (204)750-2759 or (204)828-3317.

LIVESTOCK Swine Wanted

WANTED: BUTCHER HOGS SOWS AND BOARS FOR EXPORT

ORGANIC Organic – Grains

Bioriginal Food & Science Corp., based in Saskatoon, is actively buying Organic Flax for the 2012 crop year.

If interested, please send a 5lbs sample* to the following address: Attn: Sandy Jolicoeur Bioriginal Food & Science Corp.

102 Melville Street Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7J 0R1 *Please state the Variety & Quantity for Sale

For more information, please contact Sandy at:

306-975-9251 306-975-1166 sjolicoeur@bioriginal.com PERSONAL SHARE YOUR LIFE, as it’s meant to be! Look forward to someone special in 2013. CANDLELIGHT MATCHMAKERS is here to help you. Confidential, Photos & Profiles to selected matches, Affordable, Local. Serving MB, SK, NW Ontario. Call/Write for info: Box 212, Roland, MB, R0G 1T0, (204)343-2475.

PETS PETS & SUPPLIES BORDER COLLIE PUPS REGISTERED, from champion working lines, black & white, born Dec 5th, 2012. Pictures, info.. www.wall2wallsheep.com Phone:(204)664-2027 wall2wallsheep@yahoo.ca PB AUSTRALIAN BLUE HEELER pups for sale, parents excellent cattle dogs, have been raising pups for 30 yrs. Phone (204)365-0066 or (204)365-6451.

REAL ESTATE REAL ESTATE Houses & Lots AGASSIZ HOMES custom builds quality RTM homes! Call us about our 1,408-sq.ft. 2013 spec home. Manitoba New Home Warranty on all our homes. agassizhomes@gmail.com or (204)371-8985

REAL ESTATE Farms & Ranches – Manitoba FARM RANCHLAND TENDER Approx 1,354-ac farm including 1993 House, & outbuildings located in the RM of Ochre River, MB is tendered for sale.

Tenders must be received at the office of Johnston & Company, Barristers & Solicitors, Box 551, Dauphin, MB, R7N 2V4, Attn: J.D. DEANS on or before March 22nd, 2013. The highest or any tender may not necessarily be accepted. For detailed info Contact Larry Garton (204)648-4541 or view online: www.gartonsauction.com FARM SPECIALIST: COUNT ON GRANT TWEED, informed, professional assistance for sellers & buyers. www.granttweed.com Call (204)761-6884 anytime. Service with integrity.

FOR SALE BY TENDER 334.62-acres of good pastureland in Riverside Municipality. East half of 32-6-17 good water, fences & corrals, holds 40-50 cow/calf pairs, approx 100-acres could be worked up. Very scenic & would be nice for a house or hunting cabin. Tenders close March 1st. Inquiries phone (204)824-2571, send tenders to E. Chalanchuk Box 20 Nesbitt MB, R0K 1P0.

COMPLETE HERD DISPERSAL 225 Char X Simm cows. 25 Reds & Blacks, exposed to Char bulls June 25th, young herd. Discount prices on larger lots. Phone (204)732-2481, evenings.

P. QUINTAINE & SON LTD. 728-7549 Licence No. 1123

FOR SALE: 45 COWS calving Feb 21, 2013; 10 heifers calving Mar 15, 2013; 3 bulls. Phone (204)352-4440 Glenella, MB.

Specialty

REAL ESTATE Farms & Ranches – Wanted

LIVESTOCK Specialty – Bison/Buffalo

BUYING OR SELLING Hazel Free in MB. You need an Experienced Realtor. Buyers preapproved before showing. Ranches, Grain Land, Pastureland, Hunting, Recreation Land, Dairies, Homes, Farms, Cottages, Suburban & Rural Property. www.manitobafarms.ca Call Harold Delta Real Estate at (204)253-7373.

Kopp Farms Simmentals

20, 2012 HEIFER CALVES, 20, 2011 heifers, 10, 2010 heifers. Excellent stock to add to your herd or a great starting package. (204)447-3332, Ste Rose du Lac, MB.

B E E F

Offering Approx. 110 Bulls

B U L L S

Offering Approx. 45 Heifers

A great way to Buy and Sell without the ef for t.

WANTED: ALL CLASSES OF feeder cattle, yearlings & calves. Dealer Licence# 1353. Also wanted, light feed grains: wheat, barley & oats.

Phone:(204)325-2416. Manitou, MB.

Horses

February 18, 2013 - 1:00PM

HERD DISPERSAL: 33 BLACK Angus cow calf pairs for sale 16 which were 1st calvers. Cows just finishing calving. Also 8, 2 yr old open heifers & 6, 1 yr old open heifers. If interested please call Jeff (204)612-1734

HEALTHY HAY (SAINFOIN.EU) SAINFOIN seed for sale. Bloat-free perennial forage. Highly digestible, palatable & nutritious. www.primegrains.com/prime-sainfoin.htm (306)739-2900 jhusband@primegrains.com

Call or Text Anytime David Maguet Cell: 204-447-7573 Gerald Maguet Cell: 204-447-5037

ON THE FARM - AMARANTH, MB

FOR SALE: POLLED BLACK Angus & Hereford bulls. Good selection of yearlings & 2-yr olds, semen tested & delivery available. Call Don: (204)873-2430.

LIVESTOCK Cattle Wanted

MJ MILLAR RANCH Lundar, MB. 1,200 ewe sheep operation is seeking Full & Part Time employees.

Immediate start date. See website for more details www.mjmillarranch.com Contact Mitch Millar (204)280-0822 mitch@mjmillarranch.com

9th Annual Bull & Female Sale

RIVERBANK FARMS HAS YEARLING & Extra Aged Red, Red Blaze Face & Fullblood Simm Bulls for sale. Fully Quaranteed. Select your herdsire now, we will feed, semen test & deliver him when you need him. Bulls have not been clipped or trimmed. Assess them in their natural everyday working clothes.

Call Ray Cormier at (204)736-2608. Save money by buying direct from the farm. Just 5-mi South of Winnipeg.

FOR SALE: ANGUS HEREFORD cross heifers, bred for calving ease, fertility & maternal traits, out of purebred cows & bulls. Guilford Hereford Ranch, Call Don (204)873-2430.

HERD DISPERSAL OF 40 young cows, Charolais Angus cross & hereford cross bred Charolais, bulls exposed May 18, vac program, & Ivomec, includes 6 bred heifers & 13 second calvers, herd avg. under 5-yrs old. (204)638-8502 or (204)648-5186, Dauphin.

WWW.REDDIAMONDFARM.COM 18 MTH OLD PB Polled Charolais bulls for sale. Check out our bull catalogue online. We guarantee & deliver.

Phone Michael Becker (204)348-2464, Whitemouth.

3 2-YR OLD BLACK Angus bulls w/experience. Also, Yearling Black Angus bulls. Holloway Angus.

Souris, Manitoba. Phone: (204)741-0070 or (204)483-3622.

BOTANY ANGUS FARM & Leaning Spruce Stock Farm have for sale yearling & 2 yr old Black Angus bulls. Come early, a deposit will hold your purchase until Spring. For more info & prices contact Ryan Shearer (204)824-2151 or (204)761-5232.

FOR SALE: 60 HOME-RAISED Angus cross heifers, bred to Black Angus bulls, to calve late March.

Total health program current, performance guarantee. Call (204)867-2087 or (204)867-7117, Horner Cattle Co., Minnedosa.

Ste. Rose Auction Mart Ste. Rose, MB

18TH ANNUAL CATTLEMAN’S CONNECTION BULL SALE Fri., Mar. 1st, 2013 1:00pm. Heartland Livestock, Brandon, MB. Selling 75 yearling Black Angus Bulls. For catalogue or more info call Brookmore Angus Jack Hart (204)476-2607 or (204)476-6696 e-mail brookmoreangus@mts.net Sales Management Doug Henderson (403)350-8541 or (403)782-3888.

BLACK CROSS-BRED HERD DISPERSAL 180 Black Angus X Maine-Anjou bred cows, 30 bred heifers. Closed herd, full health program. Calving starts April 1. Ph: Marcel (204)981-6953.

FOR SALE: 60 BRED heifers Blacks, Tans, Red. Bred to proven Red Angus bulls, also 30 bred cows Charolais & Reds, herd health program + pelvic measure & preg check. Start calving April 1st 2013.

Your choice on heifers $1400, or choice on cows $1300. Stan Armstrong (204)745-7505.

ORGANIC

Semen tested & guaranteed Remember, bull shopping doesn’t have to be a gamble.

Kopp Farms produces bulls that are beneficial to the beef industry.

View Catalogue & Sale Videos Online www.koppfarms.com

LIVESTOCK Livestock Equipment 2-350 DEL AIR HEAT exchangers, 3-3-in choretime flex augurs, 70-ft each. Phone:(204)535-2453 ALTERNATIVE POWER BY SUNDOG SOLAR, portable/remote solar water pumping for winter/summer. Call for pricing on solar systems, wind generators, aeration. Carl Driedger, (204)556-2346 or (204)851-0145, Virden.

FOR SALE: DRILL STEM 2 & 3-inch. Contact Jack at (204)841-4045.

HEAVY BUILT CATTLE FEEDERS/TROUGHS 3/8-in. steel, 500 or 750-gal capacity, 4-ft.x18-ft. size, good for any type of feed or water, lifetime quality, $495 & up. Phone (204)362-0780, Morden.

KELLN SOLAR SUMMER/WINTER WATERING System, provides water in remote areas, improves water quality, increases pasture productivity, extends dugout life.

St. Claude/Portage, 204-379-2763.

GOOD QUALITY GRAIN & Cattle Farms wanted for Canadian & Overseas Clients. For a confidential meeting to discuss the possible sale of your farm or to talk about what is involved, telephone Gordon Gentles (204)761-0511 www.homelifepro.com or Jim McLachlan (204)724-7753, www.homelifepro.com Home Professional Realty Inc. WANTED: A MIXED FARM in Western MB or Eastern SK. 1/2-2 sections, consider livestock & equipment also. Contact Phil Schwarz (204)842-3491, Box 40 Birtle MB, R0M 0C0.

REAL ESTATE Land For Sale LARGE, APX. 2,000-AC, HIGH-PRODUCING Newdale clay loam soil farm, North of Brandon.

Phone:(204)856-3140 or Office:(204)885-5500.

Royal LaPage Alliance. Buying or Selling? Farm Specialist Henry Kuhl.

MOSTLY PASTURE W/SOME OF it can be grain farm land, NW8-13-5, SW8-13-5, NW7-13-5, SE24-13-6 located North of High Bluff, MB. For additional info call (204)857-8108.

PORTABLE WINDBREAKS, CALF SHELTERS, free standing rod & pipe panels, fence line & field silage bunks. Also sell Speed-Rite & 7L Livestock fence equipment, drill pipe & sucker rod. Phone (204)827-2104 or (204)827-2551, Glenboro.

PASTURELAND 1/2 SECTION OF SE 10-17-13W & SW 10-17-13W in the Municipality of Lansdowne Ken Oswald (204)386-2223.

MUSICAL

IS ENOUGH OF A GAMBLE...

FARMING

76 NOTE KEYBOARD, $299; Deluxe Banjo, $699; Lapsteel, $269; Mandolin- Banjo, $499; Drumscymbals, $399; Double Base Drum Paddle, $150; 300W Base Amp, $399. Hildebrand Music, Portage La Prairie Mall (204)857-3172.

For Information or Catalogue Inquiries call 204-843-2769

Advertise in the Manitoba Co-operator Classifieds, it’s a Sure Thing!

Edmunds Cell: 204-856-3064 Steven’s Cell: 204-843-0090

1-800-782-0794

42

The Manitoba Co-operator | February 7, 2013

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PEDIGREED SEED Cereal – Various

PROPERTY FOR SALE

BY OWNERS BY TENDER Property Description: Approximately 6 acres on Highway 17 West, Granite Lake Area, Ontario, KM 184 DES KR1281 PART 1 PARCEL 27439 Buildings: Three bedroom house, shop, two storage buildings When submitting an offer, please note: 1. Land and buildings are on a “as is” basis and inspection can be arranged (by appointment only) by contacting Mr. Bill Perchuk at 807-7332287.

2. The highest, or any, offer will not necessarily be accepted by the owners.

3. The date of closing will be no later than June 30, 2013.

4. A certified cheque or bank draft in the amount of $5,000.00 payable to BDO Canada LLP must accompany the Offer. Cheques/bank drafts accompanying unsuccessful Offers (as determined by the owners) will be returned by April 30, 2013.

5. No inventory, furniture, equipment, tools or shop equipment are included as part of the sale.

6. Offers are binding upon acceptance and will not be subject to any conditions precedent.

7. The Vendors will be responsible for the taxes on the property up to the date of closing.

DAME USED 8. NOTRE HST (if any) will be over and above theOIL offered & FILTER DEPOT amount.

9. Title to the land will be transferred free and • Buy • Buyand Batteries clearUsed of allOil encumbrances liens.

• Collect Used Filters • Collect Oil Containers

Signed and sealed Offers (for the owners’ Southern and Western Manitoba consideration) will be received up to 4:00 pm on March 31, Tel: 2013204-248-2110 by delivering or mailing to:

Call, email or mail us today!

1·800·782·0794

Email: subscription@fbcpublishing.com M S E R : 12345 2010/ 12 P UB John Smith Company Name 123 E x a m p l e S t .

Town, Province, POSTAL CODE

REAL ESTATE Land For Sale

Your expiry date is located on your publication's mailing label.

BDO Canada LLP 300-301 First Avenue South Kenora, Ontario P9N 4E9 Attention: D.A. Parfitt, FCPA, FCA

3 PARCELS OF PASTURELAND available for rent in RM of Lakeview. Approx 1000-acres in total. Call (204)445-2326, Langruth MB.

U.S. Subscribers

❑ 1 Year: $55.44* ❑ 2 Years $96.00*

❑ 1 Year: $150.00 (US Funds)

*Taxes included

RECREATIONAL VEHICLES Campers & Trailers FOR SALE: 1997 26-FT Fifth Wheel, Triple E Topaz. No slides, rear kitchen, A.C. Excellent cond., always shedded, $10,900.

Call Denis (204)228-8031.

FOR SALE: 1994 TRIPLE E 35-ft. motor home w/43,000-km, fully loaded, $20,000. (204)822-4382

RECREATIONAL VEHICLES Snowmobiles

Advertise your unwanted equipment in the Classifieds.

Call our toll-free number and place your ad with our friendly staff, and don’t forget to ask about our prepayment bonus. Prepay for 3 weeks and get 2 weeks free!

1-800-782-0794.

Payment Enclosed ❑ Cheque

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wheat, Conlon barley, Lightning flax, Souris oats, Meadow peas

Earn up to 10% SAVINGS! early payment discounts volume discounts

www.zeghersseed.com RECYCLING

BuyUsed Used Oil Oil ••Buy NOTRE •• Buy Buy Batteries Batteries DAME ••Collect CollectUsed Used Filters Filters • Collect Oil Containers Containers USED • Collect Oil• Antifreeze OIL & Southern,Southern Eastern, and Manitoba Western Western FILTER Manitoba DEPOT Tel: 204-248-2110

MOBILE DIMENSION 128 SAWMILL, 4-cyl, VW, gas, 3 blades, hyd deck & trailer, asking $18,000.

Phone:(204)848-2254

PEDIGREED SEED

RECREATIONAL VEHICLES

BLOWOUT COMPLETE WALL-TO-WALL. New & used for all: Snow, MC, ATV, scooters, mopeds, etc.

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Canadian (204)582-4130. Start saving today.

Canadian Subscribers

2013 PEDIGREED SEED VARIETIES: Carberry, Glenn, Harvest, Kane & Pasteur

SAWMILLS

REAL ESTATE Land For Rent

RECREATIONAL VEHICLES Motor Homes

ATTACH YOUR MAILING LABEL HERE

Phone: 204-526-2145 Toll Free: 1-866-526-2145 Email: info@zeghersseed.com

PEDIGREED SEED Cereal – Various

PEDIGREED SEED Specialty – Potatoes QUALITY RED NORLAND POTATOES for sale 50-lb bag, $13; 25-lb bag, $7; Big Round Wheat Straw Bales. Call (204)728-8453, Brandon.

PEDIGREED SEED Specialty – Various

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

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Great profit potential based on high yields, high prices and low input costs.

Attractive oil premiums and free on-farm pick-up.

Flexible contracting options available as well.

For more information, please contact Bioriginal at:

DE DELL DELIVERS! CANADA’S Only “Non-GMO Only” Family Owned & Operated Seed Corn Company! Great Non-GMO Hybrids. Certified Organic Seed Corn. Silage Hybrids. Bruce Bauman (807)483-1423.

DURAND SEEDS: CERT AC Carberry, Harvest wheat; Souris Oats; Conlon Barley; CDC Bethune & Sorrel flax; Mancan & Koma Buckwheat; Canola & Forage seed. (204)248-2268,(204)745-7577, NotreDame, MB. JAMES FARMS LTD: Carberry & Pasteur Wheat, Tradition Barley, Souris & Summit Oats, Hanley Flax, Various Canola, Sunflower & Soybean seed varieties, Forage seed. Customer processing. Seed treating & delivery available. Early payment discounts. For info (204)222-8785, toll free 1-866-283-8785, Winnipeg.

PUGH SEEDS: CERT AC Barrie, Carberry, Kane, Somerset, HRS Wheat. Souris Oats, Conlon Barley, Sorrel Flax. Phone (204)274-2179 or (204)871-1467, Portage.

SANDERS SEED FARM Cert, Reg, FDN Carberry, Domain, Kane, Harvest, Glenn Wheat, Cert Celebration Barley Canterra Canola varieties also.

Phone (204)242-4200, Manitou, MB.

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

SEED / FEED / GRAIN SEED/FEED MISCELLANEOUS Hay & Straw 1ST & 2ND CUT alfalfa & alfalfa grass hay in 3x3 med. square bales, delivery available. Willow Bee Ventures, Gimli MB, (204)642-3259 or (204)642-3043.

250 36X36X8-FT BALES OF reed canary hay, approx 850-lb per bale, dry & green $120/metric tonne or $46 per bale, OBO. Bales near Winnipeg & delivery available. Gerald Friesen (204)822-3633 (204)362-0678.

4X4 SQUARE WHEAT STRAW bales, about 600 for sale, asking $20 per bale. Phone:(204)248-2407 or (204)723-5002, Notre Dame.

TAKE FIVE

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Sudoku 2 9

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If you're not the owner/operator of a farm are you: q In agri-business (bank, elevator, ag supplies etc.) q Other total farm size (including rented land)_______________ Year of birth________ q I’m farming or ranching q I own a farm or ranch but i'm not involved in it's operations or management

My Main crops are: No. of acres 1. Wheat ____________ 2. Barley ____________ 3. Oats ____________ 4. Canola ____________ 5. Flax ____________ 6. Durum ____________ 7. Rye ____________ 8. Peas ____________ 9. Chick Peas ____________ Livestock Enterpise No. of head 1. Registered Beef ____________ 2. Commercial Cow ____________ 3. Fed Cattle (sold yearly) ____________ 4. Hog Weaners (sold yearly) __________

My Main crops are: No. of acres 10. Lentils ___________ 11. Dry Beans ___________ 12. Hay ___________ 13. Pasture ___________ 14. Summerfallow ___________ 15. Alfalfa ___________ 16. Forage Seed ___________ 17. Mustard ___________ 18. Other (specify) ___________ Livestock Enterpise No. of head 5. Hog farrow-to-finish (# sows) ______ 6. Finished Pigs (sold yearly) _________ 7. Dairy Cows ___________ 8. Other Livestock (specify) __________

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Occasionally Farm Business Communications makes its list of subscribers available to other reputable firms whose products and services may be of interest to you. If you PReFeR NOt tO ReCeIve such farm-related offers please check the box below. q I PReFeR MY NAMe AND ADDReSS NOt Be MADe AvAILABLe tO OtHeRS

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7 7

4

6 5

Last week's answer

4 2 5 8 1 3 7 6 9

6 1 3 7 5 9 2 4 8

9 7 8 4 2 6 5 1 3

5 9 4 1 7 2 3 8 6

8 6 1 5 3 4 9 2 7

2 3 7 9 6 8 1 5 4

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1 5 9 6 8 7 4 3 2

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4 9

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43

The Manitoba Co-operator | February 7, 2013

SEED/FEED MISCELLANEOUS Hay & Straw

SEED/FEED MISCELLANEOUS Grain Wanted

LARGE QUANTITY OF WHEAT straw bales, 4x4x8. Can deliver. Phone Phil:(204)771-9700.

La Salle, MB.

BUYING:

OAT STRAW & BARLEY Straw for sale, medium square bales. Phone (204)483-2990.

SECOND & THIRD CUT alfalfa in 3 x 4 square bales. Hay is tested, stored inside, delivery available. Morris, MB. Phone:(204)746-4505.

WHEAT & OAT STRAW bales for sale, 3 x 3 x 8.

Phone (204)343-2144 or cell (204)745-0085.

Wheat & Barley Straw Square Bales

CAREERS Professional

TRAVEL

Rural & Cultural Tours

Ukraine/Romania ~ May-June 2013 Austria/Switzerland ~ June 2013 Ireland ~ June 2013 International Plowing Match/ Canadian Rockies ~ July 2013 Alaska Land/Cruise ~ August 2013 Italy/Greek Isle Cruise ~ Oct 2013 Mississippi Cruise ~ Oct and Nov 2013 Smoky Mountains/Nashville Tour ~ Oct 2013 Branson/Tennessee Tour ~ Oct 2013 Texas Land Tour ~ November 2013 Australia/New Zealand Grand Tour ~ Jan 2014

HEATED & GREEN CANOLA • Competitive Prices • Prompt Movement • Spring Thrashed “ON FARM PICK UP”

1-877-250-5252

We are buyers of farm grains.

*Tours may be tax Deductible

Select Holidays 1-800-661-4326 www.selectholidays.com Wheat Straw 3’x3’x7’ square bales approx. 600lbs Tarped short to medium length rotary straw RFV:65.77 Protein: 7.14 Moisture: 15.1 Barley Straw 3’x3’x7’ square bales approx. 600lbs Tarped short to medium length rotary straw RFV: 66.11 Protein: 7.81 Moisture: 13.12 Asking $22.00 per bale at the stack Will deliver within 200km for an extra $4.00 per bale Contact Joel @ (204) 761-8891

SEED/FEED MISCELLANEOUS Grain Wanted

Vanderveen Commodity Services Ltd. Licensed and Bonded Grain Brokers

37 4th Ave. NE Carman, MB R0G 0J0 Ph. (204) 745-6444 Email: vscltd@mts.net Andy Vanderveen · Brett Vanderveen Jesse Vanderveen

A Season to Grow… Only Days to Pay!

WE BUY OATS Call us today for pricing Box 424, Emerson, MB R0A 0L0 204-373-2328 *6-Row* *6-Row*

MALT BARLEY BARLEY MALT

2013 Malt Contracts Available Box 238 Letellier, MB. R0G 1C0 Phone 204-737-2000 Toll-Free 1-800-258-7434 Agent: M & J Weber-Arcola, SK. Phone 306-455-2509

Celebration Celebration&& Tradition Tradition We buy feed barley, feed wheat, WeMALT buy feed barley, feed wheat, MALT BARLEY BARLEY oats, corn & canola oats,soybeans, soybeans, corn canola *6-Row* *6-Row* Celebration&&Tradition Tradition Celebration COME SEE US IN COME SEE US AT AT AG AG DAYS DAYS IN We buy feed barley, feed wheat, CONVENTION HALL We THE buy barley, feed wheat, THEfeed CONVENTION HALL oats,soybeans, soybeans, corn & & canola canola oats, BOOTH corn 1309

• Vomi wheat • Vomi barley • Feed wheat • Feed barley • Feed oats • Corn • Screenings • Peas • Light Weight Barley You can deliver or we can arrange for farm pickup.

Winnipeg 233-8418 Brandon 728-0231 Grunthal 434-6881 “Ask for grain buyer.”

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

FARMERS, RANCHERS, SEED PROCESSORS BUYING ALL FEED GRAINS Heated/Spring Threshed Lightweight/Green/Tough, Mixed Grain - Barley, Oats, Rye, Flax, Wheat, Durum, Lentils, Peas, Canola, Chickpeas, Triticale, Sunflowers, Screenings, Organics and By-Products √ ON-FARM PICKUP √ PROMPT PAYMENT √ LICENSED AND BONDED SASKATOON, LLOYDMINSTER, LETHBRIDGE, VANCOUVER, MINNEDOSA

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We continue to grow our business, and have an immediate opportunity for skilled labourers. Having a mechanical aptitude and a strong work ethic is essential for success in this position. An agricultural or food processing background is preferred.

Visit our website, call us for more information at 1-866-526-2145

CAREERS

Email your cover letter and resume to

CAREERS Farm / Ranch

Attention Shawn or Doug.

F/T EMPLOYMENT ON GRAINFARM near Starbuck, MB. Duties to assist in all aspects of grainfarming including mechanical, welding& trucking.

Class 1 license is required or willing to obtain. For more info call PAGE FARMS at (204)735-2373 or (204)981-4234.

work@zeghersseed.com

Box 426, Holland, Manitoba R0G 0X0 Fax: 1-204-526-2524

www.zeghersseed.com It doesn’t get any better than this. Prepay your ad for 3 weeks and get 2 weeks free! Call today! 1-800-7820794.

MJ MILLAR RANCH Lundar, MB. 1,200 ewe sheep operation is seeking Full & Part Time employees.

Immediate start date. See website for more details www.mjmillarranch.com Contact Mitch Millar (204)280-0822 mitch@mjmillarranch.com

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

1-800-782-0794.

CAREERS Oil Field

CAREERS Oil Field

TRAILERS Livestock Trailers 2005 SOONER ALUMINUM TRAILER 20-ft. long 7-ft. wide & 7-ft. high, center gate, excellent condition, $12,000. Phone (204)736-2807, evenings.

EXISS ALUMINUM LIVESTOCK TRAILERS. Rebates offered on all 2013 models. Only 3 left: one 16-ft, two 24-ft. Available at Sokal Industries Ltd. Phone:(204)334-6596 or Email sokalind@mymts.net

TRAILERS Livestock Trailers WANTED: GOOSE NECK V-NECK aluminium 6 x 16 tandem axle stock trailer. In good shape. Phone Days or Evening (204)743-2145 or Cell: (204)526-5298.

TIRES

TRAILERS Trailers Miscellaneous 1995 TRANSCRAFT, 53-FT TRIDEM aluminumsteel combo, air-ride, tool box, bale ext., $8500 OBO; 2002 Doeppker, 53-ft Tridem aluminum-steel combo, air-ride, tool boxes & bale ext., $12,000 OBO. Phone (204)526-7139 or (204)827-2629

BOOTH 1309

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2013 Malt Contracts Available 2013 Malt Contracts Available Box 238 Letellier, MB. R0G 1C0 Box 238 Letellier, MB. R0G 1C0 Phone 204-737-2000 Phone 204-737-2000 Toll-Free 1-800-258-7434 2013Toll-Free Malt Contracts Available 1-800-258-7434 2013 Malt Available Agent: M &Contracts J Weber-Arcola, SK. Box 238 Letellier, MB. R0G 1C0 Agent: MLetellier, & 306-455-2509 J Weber-Arcola, SK. Box 238 MB. R0G 1C0 Phone Phone 204-737-2000 Phone204-737-2000 306-455-2509 Phone Toll-Free 1-800-258-7434 Toll-Free 1-800-258-7434 Agent: M & J Weber-Arcola, SK. Agent: M & J Weber-Arcola, SK. Phone 306-455-2509 Phone 306-455-2509

TIRES

WAREHOUSE, PACKAGING, FORKLIFT OPERATORS NEEDED

24-FT HEAVY DUTY FLAT-DECK, 2) 7000-lbs axles w/10 ply tires, leveling king-pin, VGC. Phone:(204)768-9090.

BRANDON TRAILER SALES “You will like our prices!” “It’s that Simple!” “Let’s compare quality & price!” “Certainly worth the call!”

Phone (204)724-4529. Dealer #4383

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, $356; 16.9-28 12 ply $558. Factory direct. More sizes available new and used.

1-800-667-4515. www.combineworld.com

STOCK TRAILERS GOOSENECK 6X16 $3,500; 7x22 $3,300; 48-ft Loboy $6,500; 8.5x25 GN flatbed w/ramps $5,500; single axle converter $1,900; double $2,000; decks for 3/4-1-ton trucks: 9-ft $2,350, 11-ft $2,850. Phone:(204)857-8403.

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44

The Manitoba Co-operator | February 7, 2013

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45

The Manitoba Co-operator | February 7, 2013

WORLD NEWS

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FA R M I NG N E W S F ROM A BROA D

EU farm subsidy reforms cut payments to the wealthiest farms The Queen is among the wealthiest landowners who will see deep cuts to their farm subsidies

By Charlie Dunmore BRUSSELS / REUTERS

E

urope’s wealthiest landowners, including Britain’s Queen Elizabeth and Spain’s Duchess of Alba, will see deep cuts to their future farm subsidies under proposals from members of the European Parliament Jan. 23.

Annual payments to the top recipients of agricultural subsidies should be capped at 300,000 euros from 2014, the European Parliament’s influential agriculture committee said.

The committee was voting on legislative proposals from the European Commission to overhaul the bloc’s common agricultural policy (CAP) from 2014. The policy currently consumes 55 billion euros a year, making it the largest single area of EU spending.

It is not yet clear whether the committee’s position will be followed by the full parliament, but the vote will guide the assembly’s negotiations with EU governments on the CAP reform, which are expected to begin in March.

Queen Elizabeth II received more than eight million euros in EU farm payments between 2000 and 2009 for royal estates including Sandringham in Norfolk and Balmoral in Scotland, transparency campaigners FarmSubsidy.org said.

Under the rules being proposed, the Queen would have received only three million euros over the same time frame.

The group estimates that more than 1,500 CAP beneficiaries received in excess of a million euros in 2011, the most recent year for which data are available.

The money saved by capping the largest payments would be retained by governments and used to fund rural development projects, while agricultural co-operatives would be exempt from the subsidy limit, a spokesman for the committee said.

Sugar reform delay

Committee members voted to maintain the bloc’s system of strict national sugar production quotas and minimum prices for sugar beet until 2020, rather than scrapping them from 2015 as proposed by the commission.

That would delay the lifting of an annual limit on EU sugar exports fixed under a World Trade Organization agreement, currently set at 1.35 million tonnes.

Members also weakened planned new environmental measures that farmers must take in order to qualify for a portion of their direct subsidies.

These included a requirement bitterly opposed by farmers to leave seven per cent of their land fallow. The committee reduced the level to three per cent from 2014, rising to five per cent in 2016.

Any move to increase the level beyond that would have to be agreed in new legislation, the committee said.

Lawmakers watered down

Britain’s Prince William (l) and his father Prince Charles check on their Ayrshire dairy cattle at Home Farm on Duchy land in Gloucestershire, western England in this photo taken in 2004. The royal family is among the wealthy farmers in the EU who will see deep cuts to their farm subsidies. PHOTO: REUTERS/MICHAEL CRABTREE

plans to share subsidies out more fairly within EU countries according to farm size, by giving governments the option to maintain a certain level of inequality in 2019 — the proposed deadline for redistribution.

But the committee wants to accelerate moves to distribute subsidies more equally between EU countries. Producers in Italy, Belgium and the Netherlands currently receive more than 400 euros in direct subsidies per hectare on average, compared with less than 150 euros per hectare in the EU’s Baltic states.

Airports and golf clubs would no longer be eligible for EU payments under plans to only pay subsidies to “active farmers” only, although governments would be free to redefine which businesses would be excluded.

The committee was voting on more than 8,000 amendments to the draft legislation on CAP reform proposed by the commission in October, the highest number in the parliament’s history.

The current reform is the first time the parliament has a joint say on EU agriculture

policy along with EU governments.

The debate on CAP reform is taking place in parallel with talks between EU leaders on the bloc’s budget for 2014-20, which is expected to include a cut of about 10 per cent in agricultural spending compared with the current budget period.

The prospect of less farm spending in future has led governments and the parliament to scale back some of the reforms proposed by the commission in an effort to mollify the powerful EU farm lobby.

England’s wettest year drives down farm incomes Pig and dairy farmers are among the hardest hit as feed costs climb on lower crop yields LONDON / REUTERS

F

arm incomes are set to fall in England in 2012-13 with pig and dairy producers among the hardest hit as feed costs climb and the wettest year on record reduces crop yields and quality, Britain’s Farm Ministry said Jan. 31.

Specialist pig farms are expected to see a 50 per cent fall in incomes to 19,000 pounds ($30,000) per farm and those of dairy farms projected to decline 42 per cent to 50,000 pounds.

The 2012-13 season runs until the end of February.

The figures showed a third consecutive fall for pig farmers whose income is now barely more than a quarter of the 75,500 pounds reported in 2009-10.

“An unprecedented increase in the cost of feed which accounts for 60 per cent of the cost of producing a pig was not sup-

ported by an increase in the price that farmers were paid for their pork,” Zoe Davies, general manager of the National Pig Association, said.

“This put many businesses under severe pressure with the net result that around 17,500 sows were lost from the national herd last year,” she added.

The beginning of the year had been dry, with the government calling a drought summit in February, but the deluge began in April and continued for much of the rest of the year, saturating farmland and causing widespread flooding on several occasions.

“The figures make sobering reading but will be no surprise for many in the industry,” National Farmers Union chief economist Phil Bicknell said in a statement.

“Rising costs outstripped farm gate price changes for dairy and pork producers at times over the last year. More recently, we

Friesian cows from the dairy herd stand in the yard at Offham Farm in Arundel, southern England. British dairy farms were hard hit by higher costs due to last year’s wet conditions. PHOTO: REUTERS/LUKE MACGREGOR

can add the plummeting lamb price to the list of challenges the industry faces,” he added.

The ministry said the dairy sector was hit not only by a rise in feed costs but also by the need to purchase higher volumes due to a combination of reduced grazing days and low-quality home-produced forage.

Feed wheat prices in Britain for nearby delivery rose to a record high of 227 pounds a tonne in November last year as rains drove yields down to a 23-year low. A year earlier the price had fallen to as low as 140 pounds.

Income for cereal farmers in England fell by 11 per cent to 84,000 pounds with higher prices more than offset by lower yields and quality.

Poultry was the best-performing sector with income expected to be unchanged at 21,000 pounds per farm.

“In this sector, while feed costs are predicted to increase, a higher output from both broiler and egg production is also expected, resulting in average incomes being unchanged,” the ministry said.

46

The Manitoba Co-operator | February 7, 2013

World seed banks get secure funding to protect the genetic diversity of food crops The funding will secure stores of 700,000 seeds of food crops

By Alister Doyle OSLO / REUTERS

S

cientists have agreed on a $109-million plan to strengthen the world’s biggest seed banks of crops such as rice and wheat to help protect and develop new varieties resistant to climate change and other threats.

The Global Crop Diversity Trust and the CGIAR Consortium of agricultural researchers said on Jan. 31 that a five-year plan would help secure storage of more than 700,000 samples of crops at 11 existing gene banks from the Philippines to Belgium.

“This will drive the creation of a real global system” to help safeguard food crops, Cary Fowler, outgoing head of the Bonn-based Tr ust, told Reuters in a telephone interview.

The funds will allow the collections to expand, put m o re i n f o r m a t i o n a b o u t genetic makeup of seeds on the Internet, and enable duplication of more seeds, partly to ensure that con-

NEWS

Adequate snow cover fuels optimism for winter wheat crop

By Phil Franz-Warkentin COMMODITY NEWS SERVICE CANADA

Adequate snow cover across much of Western Canada should bode well for the winter wheat crop.

However, there are concerns in some areas that the crop wasn’t far enough along before entering dormancy, Jake Davidson, executive director of Winter Cereals Canada, said at a recent growers’ meeting in Saskatoon.

“I don’t think we’re in as bad shape as many people think,” said Davidson, adding most areas have enough moisture to “kickstart anything that’s ready to go” in the spring.

However, there is a lack of snow cover in the southwestern corner of Saskatchewan.

The end of the Canadian Wheat Board’s single desk allowed many winter wheat growers to sell last year’s crop early and have “cash in their pockets before their other crops even came off,” said Davidson. Much of that production was sold in the U.S. Prairie farmers planted 1.135 million acres of winter wheat this fall, down from the 1.305 million acres planted the previous year.

flicts such as those occurring now in Syria or Mali do not wreck collections.

Plant breeders often need quick access to seed banks to develop new var ieties — Sri Lanka, for instance, successfully exploited salttolerant strains of rice in a seed bank after the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunamiflooded coastal paddies.

And researchers are searching gene banks for varieties with natural traits to resist drought, floods, insect pests, disease or extreme heat — all likely to become more common because of global warming.

The 11 seed banks house the world’s largest and most diverse collections of food crops including wheat, maize, rice, potato, banana, sorghum and beans, according to the Trust and CGIAR, formerly known as the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research.

Both are mainly funded by governments.

Over the past 10 years, the seed banks have distributed more than a million samples to crop breeders

and researchers in efforts to improve world food security.

The new $109-million deal is a way to get round what a statement from the Trust and CGIAR called “inconsistent funding” in the past that would create a “firmer financial footing.”

Syria, Mali

O f f i c i a l s re c e n t l y h a d t o transport seeds from a CGIAR facility in Aleppo, Sy r i a . “ T h e l a s t s a m p l e s were put on a truck and carried over the border to Turkey just a couple of weeks before fighting broke out in Aleppo,” Fowler said.

B e t t e r g e n e b a n k s a re meant to help food security, threatened by price spikes.

“If our gene banks suffer, our research suffers,” Frank Rijsberman, head of the CGIAR Consortium, said in a statement.

T h e Tr u s t a l s o r u n s a “doomsday vault” high on the Norwegian Arctic archipelago of Svalbard, meant to store seeds of all the world’s plants in case of, for instance, a nuclear war. But it is not open for day-to-day research.

Cary Fowler, executive director of the Global Crop Diversity Trust, holds sample seed packets in the Global Seed Vault in Longyearbyen. The vault has been built in a mountainside cavern on Spitsbergen Island around 1,000 km (600 miles) from the North Pole to store the world’s crop seeds in case of disaster. PHOTO: REUTERS/BOB STRONG

“Svalbard was never set up to provide direct access to breeders. It was always a safety deposit box,” Fowler said.

Ke e p i n g s e e d b a n k s i s costly because seeds need to be tested for health and

replaced when too old.

Funds are also needed for conserving plants that produce seeds that are hard to store, such as bananas. The Trust is seeking new ways to freeze seeds, known as cryopreservation.

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47

The Manitoba Co-operator | February 7, 2013

Food self-sufficiency no longer option for China, farm official says Increased production is unlikely to keep up with growing consumer demands as incomes improve BEIJING / REUTERS

C

A farmer covers crops during rain-hit harvest at the Suibin state farm, Heilongjiang province. China’s farmers are using higher-yielding seeds and embracing modern technology but a senior government official said food self-sufficiency for the country is no longer possible. PHOTO: REUTERS / DAVID STANWAY

He said the question of food supply required close attention to ensure that urbanization did not stop or reverse course.

Since China embarked upon its modernization program in 1978, around 260 million farmers have moved to the cities. China’s total

rural population fell by 80 million between 1982 and 2010, census data shows.

Import debate

Chen’s comments are part of a debate in the central government about the role imports should play

in feeding China’s increasingly prosperous population, especially as its cities expand and farmland and rural labour dwindle.

China’s plan for development in agriculture over the five years to 2015 retained the aim of selfsufficiency in agriculture produc-

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hina’s pursuit of self-sufficiency in food output is no longer possible as soaring demand and rapid urbanization stoke appetites, a top government farm official said, in comments that appear to be the most direct yet to rule out achieving this aim.

China’s soaring imports of agricultural products remain a sensitive topic for the ruling Communist Party, which has traditionally put self-sufficiency and food security at the top of its agenda. It also fears a spike in imports could hurt the vast farming population and raise the spectre of rural unrest.

Chen Xiwen, director of the Chinese Communist Party’s top policy-making body for rural affairs, told a forum at the weekend that food supplies would come under increasing pressure as incomes improved, and China needed to boost production, but it could not turn back the clock when it came to imports.

“During the process of urbanization, we must pay attention to modern agricultural development and to farm product supplies, but of course, we certainly cannot pursue self-sufficiency,” he said, noting that last year’s import volume amounted to around 12 per cent of China’s total food demand.

tion, setting a target of 95 per cent of supplies to be sourced domestically.

But with the country increasingly dependent on the international market, a top government researcher has urged Beijing to ease controls on farm product imports.

“For a country with 1.3 billion people, it is impossible to rely on ourselves to guarantee all farm products supplies,” Han Jun, the head of the rural department of the Development Research Centre, a cabinet think-tank, told a forum last week.

“To ensure grain security and supplies of major farm products does not mean that we should go back to the way of self-sufficiency,” he said.

He said China should loosen controls over corn imports and rely more on the global market for cotton, sugar and soybeans.

Demand for corn in China, already the world’s second-largest consumer, is set to rise sharply.

Corn is used in livestock breeding, and rising incomes are expected to boost consumption of meat, dairy and eggs.

China’s grain and soybean imports topped 70 million tonnes for the first time last year, with imports of vegetable oil also reaching 8.45 million tonnes. Imports of farm products accounted for 12 per cent of domestic consumption last year, said Chen.

China’s farm trade deficit in 2012 increased 44 per cent on the year to $49.19 billion, the Agriculture Ministry says.

Cereal imports rose 157 per cent on the year to 13.98 million tonnes, with a total value of $4.79 billion, while imports of livestock products reached $14.9 billion, up 11 per cent.

China is expected to remain mostly self-sufficient in rice and wheat. It is the world’s largest consumer and producer of the staples, whose global trading volumes are small.

China’s Farm Ministry said over the weekend that supplies of rice remained sufficient, and that price issues accounted for the rise in imports last year, rather than increasing demand.

48

NEWS

The Manitoba Co-operator | February 7, 2013

LET IT SNOW

Be on guard against bird flu, FAO warns Continued investment is vital to prevent future outbreaks ROME / REUTERS / Governments must not allow financial constraints caused by the current global economic crisis to stop them keeping their guard up against avian flu, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said Jan. 29.

The agency, one of three international bodies that lead the global response to bird flu, warned of a repeat of the 2006 outbreaks, when the highly pathogenic H5N1 virus killed 79 people around the world and sparked fears of a pandemic.

Investment was vital to prevent a repeat of such a crisis, the FAO said.

“I am worried because in the current climate governments are unable to keep up their guard,” FAO Chief Veterinary Officer Juan Lubroth said in a statement. “I see inaction in the face of very real threats to the health of animals and people.”

Scientists fear avian flu, which is carried by water fowl and poultry and can be transmitted between birds, and from birds to people, could cause a catastrophe if it mutates to be able to spread between humans.

The virus has infected more than 600 people since it was first detected in Hong Kong in 1997 and is usually fatal. Bird deaths from the disease or culling cost economies $20 billion between 2003 and 2011, FAO said.

The UN agency, whose task is to co-ordinate the global response to outbreaks of avian flu in animals, said that while progress had been made in fighting the virus, outbreaks continue to occur in Asia and the Middle East.

The FAO also warned against a growing threat from Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR), a highly contagious disease that can decimate flocks of sheep and goats, which is expanding in sub-Saharan Africa.

A vaccine against the disease is available but tight finances, a lack of political will and poor planning mean PPR continues to spread, the agency warned.

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The Manitoba Co-operator | February 7, 2013

Separate path for farm labour in U.S. Senate immigration plan There will be a chance for citizenship under a new farm worker program

By Charles Abbott WASHINGTON/REUTERS

A

gricultural labourers would be on a separate path to U.S. citizenship than other undocumented workers in the immigration reforms proposed by eight senators Jan. 28 that cited the importance of feeding America.

Many of the 1.5 million farm workers employed in the United States annually — perhaps 500,000 to 900,000 in all — are believed to be in the country illegally.

Farmers, ranchers and nursery operators say the immigrant workforce is vital because it is difficult to recruit Americans for the low-paying, often back-breaking labour such as fruit picking, vegetable harvesting and daily care of livestock.

In a four-page outline, the senators say “agricultural workers who commit to the long-term stability of our nation’s agricultural industries will be treated differently than the rest of the undocumented population because of the role they play in ensuring that Americans have safe and secure agricultural products to sell and consume.

“These individuals will earn a path to citizenship through a different process under our new agricultural worker program,” said the bipartisan group, which includes two of the top-ranking Democrats in the Senate and Arizona Republican John McCain.

Right direction

The phrasing was similar to a proposal from a dozen agricultural and nursery groups, work-

ing as the Agricultural Workforce Coalition, for a new farm labour program to replace the guest worker program now in place.

Coalition members regard sens. Dianne Feinstein, California Democrat, and Marco Rubio, Florida Republican, as key legislators in the drive.

“We view this as a step in the right direction,” said Kristi Boswell of the American Farm Bureau Federation, a coalition member. Ken Barbic of Western Growers Association, another coalition member, said his group was “largely encouraged” by the senators’ proposal and that it mentioned agriculture twice.

Craig Regelbrugge of the American Landscape and Nursery Association said “it is essential that experienced farm

workers are incentivized to continue working in the sector.”

Besides the separate path for agriculture labour, the framework said reform would include “a workable program to meet the needs of America’s agricultural industry, including dairy, to find agricultural workers when American workers are not available.”

Ag coalition wants new worker program

Under the farm coalition proposal, undocumented workers who agree to work in agricultural jobs for several more years would obtain permanent legal status and the right to work wherever they choose. The coalition would replace the H2-A guest worker program with a

system of seasonal and full-year visas.

The bipartisan group said it aims to convert its guidelines into legislation by March and to send it to the House later this year.

“We believe this is the year Congress finally gets it done,” said Sen. Charles Schumer, New York Democrat.

The last major attempt at U.S. immigration reform was in 2007.

Estimates say there are 11 million illegal immigrants in the country.

Earlier this month the six-million-member Farm Bureau, the largest U.S. farm group, urged a new immigration law. U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has also urged the farm sector to speak up for comprehensive reform.

Black carbon a worse pollutant than feared

By Deborah Zabarenko WASHINGTON / REUTERS

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lack carbon, the soot produced by burning fossil fuels and biomass, is a more potent atmospheric pollutant than previously thought, according to a new study.

Emitted by diesel engines, brick kilns and wood-fired cookstoves, black carbon is second only to carbon dioxide as the most powerful climate pollutant, according to the study published in the Journal of Geophysical Research-Atmospheres.

But because black carbon only lasts in the atmosphere a matter of days, compared to carbon dioxide’s atmospheric endurance of centuries, addressing it could be a prime target for curbing global warming, the report said.

“This new research provides further compelling evidence to act on shortlived climate pollutants, including black carbon,” said Achim Steiner, chief of the United Nations environment program.

The report found black carbon’s effect on climate is nearly twice what was previously thought.

The new assessment found black carbon emissions caused significantly higher warming over the Arctic and other regions, could affect rainfall patterns, including those of the Asian monsoon system, and have led to rapid warming in the northern United States, Canada, northern Europe and northern Asia.

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The Manitoba Co-operator | February 7, 2013

Five factors to add to your animal welfare watch list in 2013 Alberta Beef Producers chair Doug Sawyer says livestock welfare issues become a permanent part of sustainable production Meristem Land and Science

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t’s a fact as clear as the rising sun on a crisp New Year’s Day morning over Doug Sawyer’s Pine Lake, Alberta, area ranchland. As 2013 kicks off, there’s no doubt the issue of livestock welfare has ascended to become a big and likely permanent part of the emerging “sustainability file” for global agriculture.

“There’s no doubt that’s where it is,” says Sawyer. “There’s going to be more talk. More focus.

More questions and expectations for our industry to deal with. But there are also opportunities for us to manage this issue well and come out ahead.”

Sawyer, who was recently re-elected as chair of Alberta Beef Producers, has had the opportunity to develop a better read than most on the pivotal year ahead and the dynamics involved around the livestock welfare. The cow-calf producer has a long history of involvement in sustainability issues, including work on livestock welfare through his years of service — including several as chair — with Alberta Farm Animal Care (AFAC).

Always a straight shooter with a common-sense perspective, Sawyer took time from his ranch duties to discuss some top-of-mind thoughts. The focus was what he feels will be important factors to consider when looking at the year ahead – ones that have maybe flown a little below the radar or haven’t been discussed as much as others, but could just be the difference-makers in terms of what will impact producers.

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The codes and what they mean at the farm level

Among the most significant developments underway in Canada is a new set of nationally developed Codes of Practice for the Care and Handling of Farm Animals.

“The codes are a big step and there are a lot of important questions around them,” says Sawyer. “What impact are the codes going to have on producers?

What may or may not they need to do with them? What’s in them?

There are some unknowns until we see the final results. That can naturally make people a bit nervous.”

It’s an area that calls for patience and good communication to make sure these codes fit the role they are intended for and are a good fit with industry, he says. “That communication is not easy, but it’s important we recognize how important it is and do our best to get it right.”

Merging retail-level talk with on-farm reality

Talking about farm animal care at the retail level is a concept that is gaining traction among the Wal-Marts, Costcos, Sobeys and Safeways of the world. But it’s important the conversation at that stage also makes sense with what is happening and what is practical at the production level. Sawyer feels producers need to see the conversation as something that represents how they feel about this issue and is something they can stand behind, rather than as new rules or expectations dictated in a top-down way.

“As a consumer, when you see a product in the store that is marketed as welfare friendly, it’s an easy sell. It makes you feel good to buy that product. But as a producer, I see it bringing up questions. How does that relate to me?

What’s my aspect of this? Am I comfortable with the expectations this is creating or what it implies

about conventional production practices?”

The way Sawyer sees it, the more things can be done to make sure producers are on board and comfortable with this, the better and more sustainable it will be. “We need to be at the same table more often as producers and retailers. That is happening and we need to continue.”

The coming challenge: Reconciling different standards

As a beef producer, this one hits close to home for Sawyer. “For example, pain mitigation is a complex area we hear a lot of talk about in our industry. The dairy sector has included specifics around pain mitigation in its Code of Practice and they updated their code first. We weren’t involved in developing their code and how that relates to us has been challenging. You do something in one sector, and it creates expectations in another. It’s not wrong that happens, but it’s just a reality we have to be aware of and do our best to deal with.”

The most urgent example for Sawyer is at a global level. Specifically, the influence that overseas standards, particularly European ones, may have on the North American industry. “With the next trade agreements coming up, one of the biggest concerns North American agriculture has is that importation of overseas standards, whether it be animal welfare standards, environment, or other areas.”

Transport standards are a main area of concern, he says. “Our transportation is so different from theirs. If you drive an hour on a British road, it’s totally different than driving an hour on the road in Alberta, and we have totally different challenges.” Pain management is also an important area where there are significantly different approaches and challenges between Europe and North America.

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“Am I comfortable with the expectations this is creating or what it implies about conventional production practices?”

DOUG SAWYER

Part of the issue is there are more global players who like the idea of streamlined standards, he says. “This includes some very key customers of our product. And I worry about them trying to sum up European and North American standards in the same sentence.”

Uniformity has advantages, but these players and the sustainability initiatives they are involved with also need to recognize differences and find that right balance, he says. “We definitely don’t want to start importing European standards that have no application over here.”

Environment factor: Accelerating the learning curve

On a positive note, Sawyer believes the experience of agriculture in managing the environment file has helped to pave the way for faster and better management of the welfare file. “To me, environment was the issue that broke the ground on what we now talk about more broadly as sustainability. Livestock welfare has an easier path because of that. With environment, we went through the gamut of have our head in the sand, then get mad and fight it, then acceptance and then realizing this isn’t as bad as we thought, and then, how do we manage it.

“With welfare we’re a lot quicker to figure out we can manage this and that’s what we need to focus on. Because of that we have been able to move much

quicker in terms of the industry uptake.”

Remember why we’re doing this

For Sawyer, there are two levels of reasons to do something on livestock welfare. “The first level of reason is for the animal side and what that does for our business.

It helps us in terms of being able to export, being able to keep consumer confidence, have happier and more productive animals and just that it’s the right thing to do.

There are a whole lot of reasons on this side.”

The other level is the defensive side, he says. “We’ve realized the big concern on the defensive side is not our own governments or regulations or even consumers.

It’s from attacks from the more extreme activist groups that we’ve begun to realize are going to be relentless. We’re not going to be doing one thing and showing them it’s good and then they go home for a while. It’s never good enough. This is the side where we’ve had to draw some lines in the sand.”

The key to handling both sides well is to recognize this distinction and address each differently, says Sawyer. “The more we try to intermix them, the more screwed up we get. When it comes to production changes, we always need to be clear on why we’re doing this and it needs to make sense on the first level. This is where we can do what makes sense and keep the big consumer base on side.”

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The Manitoba Co-operator | February 7, 2013

Japan to boost animal feed grain reserves by 44 per cent to smooth supply shocks The Farm Ministry says the move will support supply diversification away from the United States

By Risa Maeda TOKYO / REUTERS

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apan plans to boost its animal feed reserves by 44 per cent in the fiscal year starting in April, the Farm Ministry said Jan. 29, as the world’s top corn buyer seeks to smooth supply shocks while it diversifies purchases away from the United States.

The move could support prices by further tightening global supplies of corn, following the latest U.S. gove r n m e n t f o re c a st showing stockpiles in the world’s top producer will hit a 17-year low by summer’s end.

Record U.S. corn prices last year forced Japanese animal feed makers to increasingly switch to importing the countr y’s main feed grain from nations such as Brazil, Argentina and Ukraine. But infrastructure problems held up some deliveries, resulting in higher-than-expected import costs.

It is to avoid similar supply problems that Japan, which imports more than $3 billion of corn annually, is beefing up its reserves for feed makers to tap in case of an emergency.

A compound feed of grains, soymeal and other ingredients is fed to cattle, chickens and pigs for local meat production.

Japan produces almost no corn or sorghum at home, and thus the government gives financial support to enable imports of the two main ingredients of animal feed to build up national reserves.

On top of that, feed makers are required to store certain amounts of feed at their own cost.

For the year that will start in April, the government has set aside a budget to cover costs and financial support for maintaining reserves of 600,000 tonnes of corn and sorghum, Farm Ministry officials told reporters.

T h a t vo l u m e is up from 3 5 0 , 0 0 0 t o n n e s c u r re n t l y, or 320,000 tonnes of cor n and 30,000 tonnes of sorghum, marking the first rise in national reserves in three years.

Feed makers will be re q u i re d t o l i f t t h e i r ow n reserves to 550,000 tonnes in 2013-14 from 450,000 tonnes currently.

“There’s consistent need for more diversification of supp l i e r s f ro m t h e d o m i n a n t one, the United States, to Brazil and other developing countries,” Takehiro Osugi, a director at the Farm Ministry’s agricultural production bureau, told Reuters.

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“Last year, cargo delays from Brazil for about two months resulted in a temporary shortage of some 500,000 tonnes.

Gi ve n s u c h a c a s e, we’ve decided to add half of that amount, or 250,000 tonnes, to the national reserves,” he said.

For the first 11 months of 2012, Japan imported 8.8 million tonnes of corn for feed use, down 6.7 per cent from a year earlier, customs-cleared trade data showed.

U.S. corn accounted for 70.8 per cent during the 11-month period in 2012, down from 87.9 per cent a year earlier.

Brazil took an 11.0 per cent share during the same period, followed by 9.2 per cent by Ukraine and 5.5 per cent by Argentina.

A fall in corn imports has been largely filled up with imports of feed wheat.

Japan, the world’s top corn buyer, is seeking to smooth supply shocks by diversifying its feed purchases away from the U.S. PHOTO: REUTERS

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