THURSDAY, JUNE 20, 2013
VOL. 91 | NO. 25 | $4.25
Modern homesteading, traditional skills | P19
SERVING WESTERN CANADIAN FARM FAMILIES SINCE 1923
GRAIN | RAIL TRANSPORTATION
Freight service bill gets nod, despite opposition
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WWW.PRODUCER.COM
STICK HANDLING
BY BARRY WILSON OTTAWA BUREAU
SEE BILL PASSES, PAGE 3
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John McGregor, extension support specialist with the Manitoba Forage Council, explains how to use a peaq stick in a grass-alfalfa field during the Hay and Silage Day in Neepawa, Man., June 11. The peaq stick is used to estimate the neutral detergent fibre in alfalfa, a measurement to assess forage quality. Only one alfalfa grower at the Neepawa meeting had begun cutting alfalfa, which is slightly behind normal development for this year in Manitoba because of a cool spring and frost damage in early June. SEE THIS WEEK’S CROP REPORT ON PAGE 24. | ROBERT ARNASON PHOTO
TRADE | WTO
Could trade retaliation backfire? Prices linked | Retaliatory tariffs on U.S. imports won’t help Canadian pork producers, says analyst BY ED WHITE WINNIPEG BUREAU
Hog farmers shouldn’t expect trade retaliation to give them a big payback for the damage caused by country-of-origin labelling, says a hog market analyst. Tyler Fulton of Hams Marketing, which markets hogs for Manitoba and Saskatchewan farmers, said
punitive levies placed on American pork imports will likely hurt U.S. producers, but that won’t necessarily make things better for Canadians. “It will inevitably be to the detriment of Canadian producers,” Fulton said. “I don’t think some of the organizations understand how much the Canadian price is really a reflection
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of American prices.” Federal agriculture minister Gerry Ritz has released a list of American products Canada would like the World Trade Organization to approve if retaliatory measures are approved. American pork is on the list. The United States lost a WTO challenge on COOL launched by Canada and Mexico and was given time to fix
6.35
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Red Hot Leasing Rate from June 15 - September 30, 2013. On approved contracts prior to September 30, 2013. Minimum $5000 purchase. 2 to 5 year term.
the law and make its provisions nontrade discriminatory. However, when the U.S. Department of Agriculture released its planned changes, critics both outside and inside the U.S. said the changes would make the situation worse and likely justify trade retaliation. SEE TRADE RETALIATION, PAGE 2
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Qualifying Products
u|xhHEEJBy00001pzYv#:; JUNE 20, 2013 Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to: Box 2500, Saskatoon, SK. S7K 2C4 The Western Producer is published in Saskatoon by Western Producer Publications, which is owned by GVIC Communications Corp. Publisher: Shaun Jessome Publications Mail Agreement No. 40069240
Farmers and others in the grain handling industry are expected to have a new shippers’ rights law on the books sometime this week, despite opposition from railways and tepid support from shippers. The Senate was poised to approve the new freight bill later this week after deadlines for this issue, after it was approved June 12 by the Senate transport committee over Liberal objections. The Conservative majority rejected all amendments to strengthen shipper rights in the bill. From committee, Bill C-52, the Fair Rail Freight Service Act, went to the Senate for final debate and approval into law before Parliament adjourns for the summer. It marks the first time that commodity shippers, including those in agriculture, have the right to ask the Canadian Transportation Agency to impose a service level agreement on the railways if a commercial agreement between a shipper and a carrier cannot be worked out.