THURSDAY, MARCH 1, 2012
VOL. 90 | NO. 9 | $3.75
UP THE GRAINWORLD | TURN VOLUME ON GRAIN P6
THEY GET YOUNGER EVERY YEAR, DON’T THEY?
BY BRIAN CROSS SASKATOON NEWSROOM
BANFF, Alta. — There were no tuxedos, golden statuettes or A-list celebrities posing on the red carpet for idolizing fans. But for western Canadian plant breeders, last week’s Prairie Grain Development Committee meetings in Banff could be viewed as the plant scientist’s equivalent to the North American film industry’s Academy Awards. The best and brightest plant breeders brought forward their newest and most promising plant creations to be scrutinized by industry peers and considered for commercial registration. The winners — or more accurately, the new plant lines that are supported for registration — have a reasonable chance of emerging as the future stars of western Canadian agriculture, crops that could one day be growing on hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of acres of farmland.
BY BARRY WILSON OTTAWA BUREAU
Canadian farmers are in the midst of an income boom that will soften in the next few years but remain strong by historic standards into the decade. This was the key message of an Agriculture Canada farm income forecast released Feb. 20 that projected Canadian realized net farm income this year at almost $5.3 billion, 86 percent above the 2006-10 average. The projection is down 11 percent from 2011, but last year set a farm income record of almost $6 billion in realized net farm income. The numbers show that Saskatchewan has become Canada’s agricultural powerhouse, boasting a 2011 realized net farm income (income minus expenses and depreciation) of a record $2.27 billion, the best provincial result in Canada. This year, despite a projected 20 percent decline to $1.9 billion, the province will remain the provincial gold standard, far outperforming Ontario, Quebec and Alberta. Saskatchewan agriculture minister Bob Bjornerud said it is a happy combination of higher grain prices, high yields in areas not flooded last year and an increase in program payments in 2011 because of flooded acres. “It’s really on both sides, the grain side and livestock, where prices are improving dramatically, and the numbers reflect that we’re in a really good spot right now,” he said.
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SEE PROMISING NEW CROPS, PAGE 2
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u|xhHEEJBy00001pzYv!:^ MARCH 1, 2012 Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to: Box 2500, Saskatoon, SK. S7K 2C4
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Jason Williams of Hanley, Sask., and son Bennett, 2, check out some rope during the trade show at the first Saskatchewan Equine Expo in Saskatoon held Feb. 17-19. | WILLIAM DEKAY PHOTO
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AGRONOMY | NEW DURUM
Most promising lines for the future are scrutinized
Sask. leads | Grain, livestock receipts rising
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WWW.PRODUCER.COM
Durum leads class of potential new crops
Farm income sets new record
SEE FARM INCOME, PAGE 3
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The Western Producer is published in Saskatoon by Western Producer Publications, which is owned by GVIC Communications Inc. Publisher, Larry Hertz Publications Mail Agreement No. 40069240; Registration No. 10676
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