The AgriPost
December 29, 2020
Four Seed Organizations Vote to Proceed with Seeds Canada Amalgamation
Simon Ellis is a seed grower at Wawanesa, MB, operating Ellis Seeds. As a seed grower and as a seed retailer he retains his membership in Canadian Supplied photos. Seed Growers Association and also joins the new organization Seeds Canada.
By Harry Siemens In late 2020, four seed sector organizations voted in favour of amalgamation to become one new national organization called Seeds Canada on February 1, 2021. The four are the Canadian Plant Technology Agency (CPTA), the Commercial Seed Analysts Association of Canada (CSAAC); the Canadian Seed Institute (CSI); and the Canadian Seed Trade Association (CSTA). The vision for Seeds Canada is to become the leading voice of the Canadian seed sector, helping its members succeed and grow in Canada and around the world.
The Canadian Seed Growers Association (CSGA), voted against joining in a vote of 337 in favour, 414 against in August 2020. The CSGA needed a two-thirds majority for the amalgamation to go forward. On August 25, Simon Ellis tweeted, “As an independent seed grower and retailer I am in full support of this amalgamation proposal. It will give seed growers increased input across all facets of the seed value chain.” Ellis is a seed grower at Wawanesa, MB and operates Ellis Seeds. As a seed grower and as a seed retailer he retains his membership in CSGA and part of the new organization
Seeds Canada. He favoured five organizations amalgamating but said there are reasons for the CSGA seed growers not to join. “I think they will work together moving forward and remain strong as a team. I think this is a real positive step for the whole seed industry and agriculture as a whole, and I think we’re going to see some real benefits from this.” The CSGA is the largest of the five, around 3,500 members and the others combined have fewer members. Ellis said the seed growers like the independence. The seed growers will need to reach out to its members to determine what
it is needed to move forward. However as the largest organization the Seed Growers may have the best of both worlds by remaining independent but still working with the combined group. The inaugural board of Seeds Canada includes does include several seed current and past growers. The two organizations will work together closely to make the best of a healthy seed system. Ellis said having the four groups under Seeds Canada will mean fewer meetings right off the hop. “During meeting season, it’s hectic trying to hit all of the meetings backContinued on Page 2...
Government Makes Good on Promise to the Dairy, Poultry and Egg Sectors Quickly on the heels of Minister Bibeau delivering details of how the Government of Canada has tabled proposed improvements in AgriStability, the Minister announced that the Government has reached an agreement to fulfill its promise to compensate Canada’s supply-managed farmers for the losses in their markets as a result of CETA and CTPPP concessions. “I am glad to see that the Minister has followed up on the government’s commitment to Canadian poultry and egg farmers by providing investment programs, market development initiatives and compensation to dairy farmers to help with the losses these farmers have suffered,” said Mary Robinson, President of the Canadian Federation of Agriculture (CFA). “This commitment to compensate these farmers for their losses, until now, has gone unfulfilled for several years.” “These measures will allow farmers to plan for the future, navigate the unique dynamics of their respective industries, and contribute to Canada’s goals of growing our agricultural sector,” said Robinson. “This is a good step, but more must be done by the Government of Canada as it conceded further supply-managed market access during the CUSMA negotiations. CFA supports calls from supply-managed farmers for Government to develop further support measures as a result of the CUSMA concessions,” noted Robinson. “As our domestic farmers face more international competition, these support measures, as well as improvements to AgriStability, will help position our sector at large to live up to the potential as identified by Dominic Barton to be a formidable economic engine, driving Canada out of our economic slump,” concluded Robinson.
December 29, 2020
The AgriPost
Four Seed Organizations Vote to Proceed with Seeds Canada Amalgamation
Continued from Page 1...
On August 25 Simon Ellis said that as an independent seed grower and retailer he was in full support of this amalgamation proposal.
to-back with many of the same speakers talking about the same vital subjects,” said Ellis. “On the business side, dealing with one organization instead of four will clean up much of the administration and improve the focus. Our advocacy for the seed
industry will improve and draw interest from overseas renew varieties and potential markets.” The Seeds Canada group will certainly lobby the federal government to ensure that the seed regulations are up-to-date. The CSGA will
remain a part of that conversation. “It’s a great time to make sure that all of the seed regulations and seed documentation and stuff along that line are all up to modern code, serving seed growers and farmers the best way possible,” said Ellis.
Simon Ellis thinks with the two organizations now would be great time to review seed regulations and documentation to make sure the code is modernized and serves seed growers and farmers the best way possible. Supplied photos.
Photo of the Ellis seed plant from a drone’s view.
Improvements to AgriStability Moves in the Right Direction Canadian Federation of Agriculture (CFA) and stakeholders across the food supply chain have been urging the Federal, Provincial and Territorial (FPT) governments to return the AgriStability program back to the levels it held in 2013. CFA was pleased to see that Agriculture and Agri-food Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau has demonstrated strong leadership in putting forward a concrete proposal from the Government of Canada to improve the AgriStability program. The Federal government’s proposal includes the removal of the Reference Margin Limits (RML) and no change to the Agri-Stability trigger of 70% but an increase of payment levels from 70 to 80%. Both of these changes would be retroactive for 2020. The government’s analysis
has shown that the removal of the RML would increase support for farmers in need across Canada by over 30%, and that both of the changes would increase spending by over 50%. These programs have been under review for years, and according to the CFA, Bibeau is the first Minister to deliver real action on this issue since 2013 by putting forth this proposal. While the FPT statement released recently demonstrates that some progress has been achieved, all levels of government need to come together and finalize an agreement over the coming weeks said the CFA. “AgriStability has not provided a sufficient financial backstop for farmers since the cuts were made in 2013 and these shortcomings have been magnified by the im-
pacts of COVID-19 on the industry. Canada’s Business Risk Management programs no longer reflect the risk profile of Canadian agriculture and must be improved,” said Mary Robinson, CFA President. “CFA is very supportive of the proposed increased support put forth by Minister Bibeau. Our farm supports are still lagging far behind the EU and US. While these proposals are not exactly what we were seeking, they are a very positive step forward for the business environment of Canadian agriculture,” said Robinson. The CFA will continue to work with the governments to improve these programs so that they provide a meaningful backstop to Canadian farmers who face financial difficulties because of events beyond their control.
The AgriPost
December 29, 2020
Agricultural Exports Soared in 2020 By Marie-Claude Bibeau In an incredible show of strength and resilience, our hardworking farmers and food businesses across Canada are expected to post another record year for agrifood exports, despite all the challenges that COVID-19 has thrown their way. Indications are that Canada is on track to surpass our record last year of $67 billion in agriculture and agrifood exports, and that we are making significant progress towards our Government’s goal of $75 billion by 2025. Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, our Government has taken immediate action to keep the
supply chain strong. Our prompt actions have paid big dividends. Despite concerns about supply chain disruptions, at the beginning of the pandemic we put in place the necessary safety measures so that essential trade goods could cross our borders. And while there were also concerns about labour supply, efforts by the federal Government and others to defray the costs of worker quarantine periods helped us welcome around 85 percent of our migrant workforce compared to last year. Right through the pandemic, our international customers turned to Canada more than ever as a trusted,
steady supplier of high-quality food to meet their needs. To help our farmers and food businesses take advantage of exciting new market opportunities opening up around the world, our Government has implemented major trade agreements that give Canadian agri-food exporters access to key markets that represent two-thirds of the global economy. Today, about three-quarters of our agri-food trade is covered by one of our trade agreements. While the pandemic has prevented our agri-food exporters from connecting with international buyers inmarket, we have pivoted our programs to support online
Canada’s Export Performance January to October 2020 Overall Results From January to October 2020, Canadian agri-food and seafood exports increased by 10%, reaching $61.0 billion compared to $55.5 billion for the same period in 2019. - Top destinations for agrifood and seafood exports continue to be the US, with nearly 52.7% of exports; China at 12.5%; Japan at 6.9%; and the European Union (EU) [1] at 5.4%. It is notable that the EU has shown a 42.7% value increase from the same period in 2019. - Canada’s agri-food and seafood imports reached $44.5 billion in the first 10 months of 2020, an increase of 2.2% compared to the same period last year. Major Market Breakdowns Analysis of increased trade with the EU during the January to October time period this year over last reveals several trends in key sectors: - Canola seed accounts for a large part of the increase in exports to the EU, reaching a record $949 million for the first ten months of 2020, an increase of 183.3% from the same period in 2019. - Most of the canola seed increase is attributed to exports to France ($431.2 million / +278.9%), with large increases to Germany ($203.8 million / +124.4%) and the Netherlands ($182.1 million/ with 0 in 2019). - Canada’s exports of durum wheat to Italy increased by 75.7% compared to the same period in 2019, reaching $359.4 million (representing a record high for the period of January to October). Top Sector Analysis - A number of Canada’s top agri-food exports experi-
enced increases from January to October 2020, compared to the same period in 2019. However, fish and seafood continued to decline (by 12.4%), and exports of beef, frozen french fries, and live bovine (excluding bison) experienced marginal declines of 1.1%, 1.0% and 8.5%, respectively, in the first 10 months of 2020 compared to the same period in 2019. - Canola seed exports increased by 49.5% in the first ten months of 2020 compared to the same period in 2019, reaching $5.1 billion. Substantial increases were observed in China (+$430 million / +60%), France (+$278.9 million / +183.2%) and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) (+$235.2 million / +89.3%), with respective exports of $1.2 billion, $431.1 million and $499 million from January to October 2020. Other significant increases were observed in Japan (+$149 million / +16.6%), Mexico (+$129.3 million / +27.3%), Netherlands (+$182.1 million / +100%), and Germany (+$124.3 million / +156.3%). - Durum wheat exports increased by 25.9% in the first ten months of 2020, reaching $1.6 billion. Leading destinations that account for the increase include Italy (+$154.8 million / +75.7%), Morocco (+$107.6 million / +48.2%), Japan (+$48.5 million / +113.6%), Nigeria (+$49.1 million / +361.7%), and Spain (+$30.7 million / +100%). - Pork and pork product exports increased by 21.9% in the first 10 months of 2020 compared to the same pe-
riod in 2019, reaching $4.2 billion. China leads all export destinations, reaching $1.4 billion (+$945 million / +191.9%). Japan was the second leading destination for Canadian pork and pork product exports, reaching $1.2 billion (+$36.1 million / +3.1%), and the US was the third largest market, reaching $1 billion (+$14.9 million / +3.1%). Although a smaller market, a notable increase occurred in exports to Vietnam of +$36.6 million / +317.1%, reaching $48.2 million in the first ten months of 2020. - Exports of lentils increased significantly in the first 10 months of 2020, reaching $2 billion and showing an increase of +$968.3 million / 94.6% compared to the same period in 2019. India is now leading all Canadian exports of lentils with $687.6 million (+$374.5 million / +119.6%), a record high to that market for the January to October time period. Turkey followed with exports of $313.3 million (+$234.9 million / +300%). The UAE also increased significantly by +$79.7 million / 83.1% to reach $175.7 million during that same period. - Month-over-month changes in 2020 show an increase of 16.8% in the month of October 2020 compared to September 2020, with notable increases registered in soya beans (excl seed) (+$337.7 million), canola seed (+$120 million) and durum wheat (excl seed) (+$102.7 million). Declines were noted in dried peas (-$97 million), live fresh lobster (-$36.6 million) and fresh peppers ($28.7 million).
marketing initiatives. We launched a digital update of our Canada Brand. We also expanded the CanExport program to help businesses with digital marketing initiatives. Launched in 2019, CanExport is providing up to $75,000 to small and medium-sized businesses, including hundreds of small food businesses, for export marketing in international markets where they have little to no sales. Trade diversification is another pillar of our strategy. To expand our customer base and open up new markets for our food products, we are pursuing an aggressive Export Diversification Strategy, backed by investments of over $1.1 billion, to help Canadian businesses explore new export opportunities. That includes a half dozen new agricultural trade commissioners deployed in markets around the world. When our global customers see the Canada Brand, they know they are getting the best-quality goods, grown by farmers who are taking care of their land and animals, and backed by a food safety system that is
Marie-Claude Bibeau is Canada’s Minister of Agriculture and AgriSupplied photo. Food.
the envy of the world. We never hesitate to share with our trade partners the sense of pride we feel about Canada’s hard-working producers. Canadian farmers and food businesses play by the rules of international trade, and we continue to support the World Trade Organization in upholding a rules-based trading system and enforcing those rules. Since it was launched in 2018, the
“Ottawa Group” has helped Canada lead on the world stage, alongside like-minded nations, to champion a predictable and transparent international trade environment. This is vital to our own COVID-19 recovery, and to global food security. Together, we will continue to help Canadian farmers and food businesses to grow their exports and lead the sustainable relaunch of our economy.
December 29, 2020
Carbon Tax Will Cost Farmers $226 Million
Dear Editor, For months now, Conservatives have been highlighting the high cost of the Carbon Tax paid by farmers for propane and natural gas. Yesterday, the Parliamentary Budget Office stated that the Carbon Tax on propane and natural gas will cost farmers $9 million for the remainder of the fiscal year, and $226 million over the next four years. This money is coming directly out of the pockets of Canadian farmers. The Liberal Agriculture Minister, Marie-Claude Bibeau, is sadly out of touch with the realities of operating a farm in Canada. Last March, at the Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-food, the Minister claimed that the Carbon Tax paid by farmers is less than 1% of the operations of the average farm. Our farmers are the backbone of our communities, yet they face many factors beyond their control such as unpredictable weather conditions, global trade wars, and diplomatic pricing disputes. Farm debt has doubled since 2000, and the Liberals are responding with a burdensome tax increase. This is unacceptable. There is no doubt that the Agriculture Minister is out of touch when it comes to Canadian Farmers. Farmers have been hit hard by the current pandemic and adding more taxes will only put Canadian food security at risk. Conservatives will always stand up for Canadian farmers, especially during these unprecedented times, which is why we are proud to fight for Bill C-206. Lianne Rood, Conservative Shadow Minister for Agriculture and Agri-food Phillip Lawrence, Conservative Shadow Minister for National Revenue
The AgriPost
Feel the Noise “Please Get Your Noise Out of My Ears.” That’s the title of a fascinating show on Freakonomics radio in November, on the subject of noise. Every farmer can relate to that. The profession offers next to no activities which don’t assault the auditory sense. After the 9-11 attacks, whale researchers noticed an interesting thing. Stress hormones in whales along common shipping routes suddenly dropped. Why? Most ships either were rerouted or stopped completely. Suddenly the ocean was free from artificial noise and as a result the whales felt better. Human beings are no different. The Satirical News site “The Babylon Bee” poked fun at the phenomenon with a holiday-themed story: “Retail Worker Institutionalized After Hearing One Too Many Christmas Songs,” with the quote “Make the Jingle Bells Stop!” The headline could just as easily have been: “Agricultural Technician Sent to Funny Farm After Starting Auger Too Many Times.” Studies have shown a decline in cognitive ability due to noise. One in Munich looked at school-age kids. One group was near an old airport, the other where
an airport was going to be built. When the new airport opened up, the noise level wasn’t enough to damage hearing or cause any kind of obvious health problem. But the researchers did find that the kids now had more trouble in school, with a lessened ability to understand complicated linguistic problems. Another involved a subway next to a school in New York. It was shown that the reading comprehension levels of students in classrooms closer to the subway were sharply lower than that of students who were located on the other, much quieter side of the school. In some cases students were almost a year behind their cohorts in their ability to read. That changed after they installed a lot of sound-proofing in the classrooms and the subway authority was convinced to move the route a bit further away from the school. The differences in learning ability went away. The issue divides into two distinct concepts. Sound is a physical phenomenon, but noise is a psychological one. “Sound comes into the ear. It travels to the brain and it registers in the temporal lobe. And then we further identify what the sound is. But noise
Penner’s Points
lets you know whether By Rolf that sound is disturb- Penner ing, is bothersome, is hurting you, and that’s a psychological phenomenon.” nuts. But our modern world We tend to be aware of has taken it to a whole other the physical problem. If level. something’s too loud, for too More often than not we long, we can expect to suf- are overwhelmed by sonic fer from various amounts of distractions of one kind or hearing loss and we can take another. Large machinery, precautions such as wearing trucks, power tools, aeration hearing protection. But what fans, livestock, etc. when might be the effects of noise we’re working. At home, on our productivity? vacuum cleaners, garburaResearch with textile work- tors, lawn mowers, one-siders showed a measurable ed cell phone conversations, drop in productivity when stereos and TVs. Things like just a small amount of ran- random car alarms, back-up dom noise like car engines, beepers, sirens and the gensay at 10 decibels, was in- eral hum of a town or city. troduced into the work place. We try to block it out, but They also found that it didn’t there is an impact on our matter how good someone productivity, our health and was at their job; even a high even our sanity. level of skill didn’t stop the Obviously, we can’t avoid distractive effect of noise. these things altogether. But Everyone must slowdown the more aware we are of the to be able to focus on what potential problems, the more they’re doing. we can take action to mitigate None of this is particularly the worst of them. A set of new. The first recorded ac- noise-cancelling headphones tion taken by a government can help. But we should also to reduce noise pollution remember all the enjoyable dates back to a Greek colo- and relaxing sounds, like a ny in 6th century B.C. They quiet evening beside a campbanned potters, tinsmiths fire or even cheering on your and other tradesmen from favourite sports team, sounds working in the city because that can help balance out all they were driving everyone the unwelcome noise.
It Is What It Is - Make the Most of it for You and Your Family
On this the last publication of the year, we all know how difficult it is for many, maybe most people, because of COVID-19. I don’t envy our leaders, the politicians, the ministers, especially those trying to get it right and trying to keep the pandemic from becoming more significant than it is. However, looking back 20 years when we first started the AgriPost, it has been an incredible journey with so many things happening in our lives, in my life and the life of the AgriPost. I will say more at a later date. When I look at what’s happening to people, individuals, communities, organizations, fairs and festivals and exhibitions all cancelled I believe only God knows what will become of each one, and only time will tell because
things keep changing. I love going to farm meetings but not this fall and winter. My meeting circuit has changed and downsized because I’ve been there, done that. But it is good to take in certain meetings, reconnect with farmers and industry representatives, and catch specific presentations and do the resulting interview. I don’t nearly stay to the end of each one like I used to, listen to some of the information and then go back home to my comfortable place. However, this year things moved in a different direction. Why? I could probably participate in at least one if not two or three webinars, whether in the morning, afternoon, or evening. I’m beginning to enjoy those webinars, especially with improving technology. I can sit at home in my comfortable living room office use an excellent screen capture program and capture both the video and the audio.
Then I can go back to my leisure time, and edit, picking out those things I need to write about. A phrase I’m often hearing and using myself is, “what it is”, and that’s what we have today; “it is what it is” today, tomorrow or even this afternoon or evening. It may change, but even the reason for the season never does. I go back to John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life.” That’s the fundamental and simplistic message of Christmas, and many will not be able to celebrate in the traditional format of eating, drinking and visiting with each other. This year is the third Christmas I am spending without my Good Wife, Judith, who passed away May 18, 2018. The first Christmas, I went through the motions. Yet, my daughter, Lynn and son-in-
law Luke came from Vancouver to celebrate with us and attempted to have it exactly how my wife would have done it. She did a fantastic job but still going through the motions. Last year, I was by myself except for maybe one meal with my family here in Winkler, Laurelle, Kevin, Josh, Luke, Riley, Eric, Noah and Abigail. Yes, we had a wonderful time, but I could not during those first two lonely Christmases celebrate the outer part of Christmas the lights, decorations, and more. I’d listen to some music look at some Christmas lights, but it just wasn’t the same doing it alone. In late November or early December this year, suddenly there was a desire to celebrate Christmas, especially after my daughter Laurel asked to buy lights for their house. So awesome. That’s when it dawned on me to buy a Christmas tree, not a normal one, but four feet tall, decorated with
fibre optics, and 82 points of light. It stands on the coffee table in the corner of my office living room. I realize that is an outward celebration, and things will never be the same. However, to have that outward and inward joy back means I have the pleasure of celebrating the birth of the Baby Jesus and moving forward to 2021. Please have a happy, healthy and safe new year; God bless.
My little Christmas tree.
The AgriPost
What Can You Expect from Manitoba Ag Days in 2021? Dear Editor, Without a show in January of 2021 one might wonder what Manitoba Ag Days has to deliver. We know we cannot physically be together this year and so our board wanted to remain committed to Ag education, innovation and supporting the communities where our exhibitors and patrons live. On August 18 Manitoba Ag Days had to make the very difficult decision to cancel our show. We did not want to compete with the smaller events and/or conferences that were going to be able to go forward in 2020/ 2021 as we will always be a trade show first. We are Canada’s Largest Indoor Farm Show and a great deal of that success is attributed to our amazing exhibitors and long term sponsors. And we wanted to be able to give back to those who have supported us. Innovation is at the forefront in Agriculture and we wanted to maintain our momentum with our Innovation Showcase! We have 7 categories that companies can enter their new product, item, service or invention
into. For more details go to agdays.com/innovations. With no show we wanted to help these companies launch their products all while keeping our patrons informed and up to date. We surveyed our clientele and every survey told us the same thing. Farmers do not want virtual events they want the ability to socialize and interact with the exhibitor. And so we decided to provide the information on three mediums, 1) A print publication, 2) on our website at agdays.com and 3) across our 3 social platforms (Facebook, Twitter and Instagram). Manitoba Ag Days is publishing and producing its very own Publication presented by Farm Credit Canada. It is a jammed packed book full of information including our 2021 Innovation Showcase entrants, a full Exhibitor Directory and “Ag Days Specials” being offered by our Sponsors and Exhibitors for the full month of January!! Producers in Manitoba and Saskatchewan can expect to see the book in their mailboxes the week of January 4 to 8. Our website is full of
information as well, including all of the components of the publication but with more details. Exhibitors in the Innovation Showcase and those running Ag Days Specials were able to load hyperlinks and videos and brochures right onto our site. You will see that we were able to offer a lot more prize money for the Innovation Showcase this year! Without a physical show we were able to partner with Glacier Farm Media to reward $1,000 to every finalist, $500 to every runner up and then offer $15,000 for the Grand Prize Winner of the Innovation Showcase. We wanted to get producers involved with the Showcase and so we have a voting site set up to vote for the Farmer’s Choice Grand Prize Champion who will receive $10,000. Producers can head to agdays.com/vote2021 starting on January 11, 2021. The final component to our deliverables this year is our Ag Days Gives Back Community Giving Program. Typically at our live in person show we would have a
50/50 held at the Keystone Centre but with no show we are holding our first ever online 50/50. (LGCA 4206RF-35050) The funds raised through our Ag Days Gives Back Program are going to go to our 3 scholarship recipients, Ag In The Classroom – Manitoba for their virtual Manitoba Ag Days Adventure in 2021 and to 15 early learning centres throughout the province. The goal of our community giving program is to support the communities where our patrons and exhibitors live! We would encourage you to help us support Ag related charities by buying your ticket at agdays.com/buy5050. Tickets are $10 each or 3 for $20. Check your mailboxes for the publication, tune into our website and stay connected with us on our social platforms. We have a ton of great information to deliver in a really fun and unique way! Stay Safe and Be Well so that we can all be together again, stronger than ever! Kristen Phillips Manitoba Ag Days General Manager
Stepping Up to Help Prairie Farmers By Jim Carr Farmers face many risks these days – the impacts of a global pandemic on the supply chain, the trend towards protectionism in trade, and the increasing frequency of extreme weather events, to name a few. Solutions on how to deal with those risks vary considerably, depending on who you ask. As the Prime Minister’s special representative to the Prairies, I know there is one solution that farmers overwhelmingly agree on: improving the Business Risk Management programs. These BRM programs are a farmer’s financial safety net
Hon. Marie-Claude Bibeau, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, and Hon. Jim Carr at a meeting with Prairie grain farmers in Saskatoon, SK, March 2019. Supplied photo.
and, overall, they currently support Canadian farmers to the tune of about $1.6 billion in an average year. Agriculture is a shared jurisdiction in Canada. For the last 20 years, federal governments of all stripes have shared the cost of the BRM programs with provinces and territories, with the feds paying 60% and provinces paying 40%. Foremost among these programs is the insurancestyle program, AgriStability, which essentially gives payments to a farmer if their incomes drop significantly. Since the program was cut by the Conservative government in 2013, it no longer pays out enough, or with enough predictability, for farmers to see it as worthwhile. The fact that less than 30% of eligible farmers enroll for the program, clearly shows that immediate improvements are needed. Last Friday, my colleague Marie-Claude Bibeau, the
Federal Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, shared our Government’s proposal to make immediate improvements to the AgriStability program, so that it pays out 50% more to farmers. This will be achieved by removing something called the “reference margin limit”, which, as its name implies, limits the amount a farmer could be paid from AgriStability if they experience a significant decline. Bill Campbell, president of the Manitoba farmer group Keystone Agricultural Producers, calls the reference margin limit the “sticking point” that hampers farmers when they do their annual paperwork and need the help of the program to stabilize their farms. On top of removing the reference margin limit, our Government wants to increase the amount the programs pay out to farmers through its “compensation rate”, raising it from 70% to 80%. This increase, which
has been a key request from producer groups, will mean the support will go to the farmers who need it most. Taken together, these changes should help reverse the trend of low farmer enrollment, and mean farmers might start to see the benefit of participating in this vital program once again. I won’t beat around the bush. These changes simply can’t happen unless we can get the elected officials at the provincial level onboard with their fair 40% share. Throughout COVID-19, farmers and everyone in the supply chain has stepped up to feed Canadians. It has been Team Canada effort. In order to make these changes that farmers have been calling for, let’s bring that same spirit of cooperation and action to help our farmers better manage the risks they face. Jim Carr is the MP for Winnipeg South Centre, and Prime Minister Trudeau’s special representative to the Prairies.
December 29, 2020
The Pillars Are Crumbling There was a time that I would have thought the events of next month unthinkable, or rather the lack of events next month. Being involved in agriculture in this province from the late 1970’s onward I would not have thought there would be a time that a January could happen and not have an event that grew from the Weed Fair (now Ag Days) and now MCA Bonspiel. It would have been unthinkable to say the least, but here we are. The exact number of bonspiels I curled in is lost in the fog of smokey hospitality rooms that served malted beverages along with a more than adequate helping of stories. My brother’s curling sweater had a crest from the 75th event and I participated in the 100th knowing it would be the biggest bonspiel ever. There was a time that is what farmers did in late January - curl in the Winnipeg Bonspiel. It was a staple. The world has changed and the bonspiel is not as big as it once was but COVID took its toll. The fore runner of the event known as Ag Days started in 1978 about the same time I started to attend the School of Agriculture at the University of Manitoba, and I think on occasion the dates might have overlapped with the bonspiel but there was always time for both. The event grew and grew and finally found a permanent home at the Keystone Centre in Brandon, but this year COVID has taken its toll on Ag Days as well. Ironically the day that I got the press release for the cancellation of Ag Days I got my invite to Big Iron in Fargo the annual show in September. I guess we are not exactly like our American neighbours and that is a good thing. Ag Days and the MCA Bonspiel missing in the same January, a tale I would not have believed a few decades ago, but it has happened, times change. There was a time I would have counted these two events as pillars of our industry and the way a year started but things like “Time” changes. It may be that the pillars of our industry are not crumbling it is time for a changing of the guard and that is okay. Just to make sure I checked with Kristen at Ag Days and she says the show will be back in 2022. There were some major changes in or industry this year, as there have been every year, but our industry is moving ahead, we may not gather at the Keystone but decisions will be made and the crop will be planted. All the best in 2021 and beyond, it is a time for a changing of the guard.
Cargill-Corteva Agriscience-Farmer Partnership Helps Fund Daycare By Elmer Heinrichs The Elm Creek Stay and Play Centre received a cheque for $8,000 from employees of Cargill Elm Creek to help fund a new, larger daycare and nursery school. Cargill employees in the crop inputs division presented the cheque to the early learning centre after area farmers voted for the charity during a recent customer promotion. Together with Corteva Agriscience, Cargill developed the community program where farmers receive votes for local charities based on crop protection purchases made during a specific timeframe earlier this year. The daycare early learning centre and nursery school has 16 daycare positions and 15 nursery school spots, and has been in operation in Elm Creek for more than 10 years. Parents have appreciated the quality care and programming which enhances the development of young children.
December 29, 2020
Canadian Farms Produced Near Record Yields in 2020
By Elmer Heinrichs Canadian farmers produced more wheat, soybeans, corn for grain, barley and oats in 2020 as a result of favourable conditions compared with the previous year, while canola production was down from a year earlier, according to Statistics Canada’s final crop production report. Although 2020 has been a difficult year for all Canadians including some agricultural operators due to COVID-19, challenges associated with the pandemic do not appear to have affected principal field crop production. Crop conditions were relatively dry across much of Canada throughout the year, with the exception of most of Alberta and northern Saskatchewan. This spring, dry conditions provided most farmers with the opportunity to complete planting on schedule. A lack of rain persisted into the summer, potentially affecting crop yields. Harvest conditions nationwide were significantly improved compared with 2019, with favourable weather conditions helping farmers complete harvesting early in many areas. In fact, in parts of western Canada, most of the crops were already harvested prior to the start of survey collection on October 9, 2020. Total wheat production rose 7.7 per cent to 35.2 million tonnes in 2020 largely due to higher production on the Prairies. Yields (+3.8 per cent to 52.2 bushels per acre) and harvested area (+3.8 per cent to 24.8 million acres) were both up from a year earlier. In Manitoba, wheat production was up 4.4 per cent to 5.3 million tonnes. Yields increased 0.8 per cent to 61.3 bushels per acre, while harvested area rose 3.5 per cent. Canola production decreased 4.5 per cent nationally to 18.7 million tonnes in 2020, as both Saskatchewan and Alberta reported lower production. Yields decreased 3.1 per cent to 40.1 bushels per acre, while harvested area fell 1.6 per cent. Canola yield may have been impacted by dry conditions across parts of the Prairies, especially later in the growing season. Manitoba’s canola production was up 4.4 per cent to 3.2 million tonnes. Harvested area rose 5.9 per cent to 3.4 million acres, while yields fell 1.4 per cent to 41.4 bushels per acre. Total corn for grain production rose 1.2 per cent to 13.6 million tonnes in 2020. Harvested area fell 3.0 per cent to 3.5 million acres, while yields rose 4.3 per cent to 153.5 bushels per acre. Soybean production increased 3.5 per cent nationally to 6.4 million tonnes in 2020. A 15.2 per cent increase in yields more than offset a 10.1 per cent decrease in harvested area. In Manitoba, soybean production rose 3.6 per cent to 1.2 million tonnes despite an 18.9 per cent decrease in harvested area to 1.1 million acres. Yields were up for the first time in three years, rising by 27.7 per cent to 37.3 bushels per acre as a result of favourable growing conditions. Total barley production rose 3.4 per cent to 10.7 million tonnes in 2020. Harvested area (+3.0 per cent to 6.9 million acres) and yields (+0.4 per cent to 71.1 bushels per acre) accounted for the rise. Oat production increased 8.2 per cent nationally to 4.6 million tonnes on higher harvested areas (+12.6 per cent to 3.2 million acres), offsetting lower yield (-3.9 per cent of 91.3 bushels per acre).
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Conservation Trust Program Extends Growing Season Shaun Cory knows that when it comes to farming, Mother Nature bats last. That’s why the Wawanesa-area farmer was quick to sign up for a Manitoba Conservation Trust-funded project led by Manitoba Forage and Grassland Association (MFGA) on cover crops across three Watershed Districts in western Manitoba. Support for the cover crop and soil-health project has been provided by The Conservation Trust, a Manitoba Climate and Green Plan Initiative delivered by the Manitoba Habitat Heritage Corporation. “Soil health is the way of the future in my books,” said Cory, who farms with his son Jeremy and his dad Gene and also sits as an elected councillor for the RM of Oakland-Wawanesa. “We have a diverse rotation that helps buffer excess moisture and the cover crop project we took part in will help that to continue.” After signing up with the Central Assiniboine Watershed District (CAWD), the Corys sowed down their project-based cover crop after harvest this year and Shaun expects they will see full results next spring. The Corys were among 25 Westman producers enrolled in a one-year Manitoba Conser-
vation Trust-funded soilhealth building project to plant 2,000 acres of cover crops. At the end of the oneyear 2020 project, the leaders from the project partnership were pleased with the response and outcomes and gearing up to adapt any future phases to include a relay crop option as well as the cover crops. “Relay crops may represent a better option in that they address two of the five soil health principles and are timed with avoiding the operational and agronomic constraints of seeding during the harvest season,” said Ryan Canart, manager of the Assiniboine West Watershed District (AWWD). “The key to continued uptake of these practices is better understanding the benefits that can be accrued over time and applying producer knowledge and ingenuity to the combinations of plants and crop rotations for the best results.” Relay cropping is simply adding additional non-competitive species at time of spring seeding, with the intent of adding plant diversity and lengthening the growing season beyond harvest. Nearly all the focus was on post-harvest cover crops which turned out to be a challenge for produc-
Shaun Cory says they have a diverse rotation that helps buffer excess moisture and the cover crop project they took part in will help that to continue. Submitted photo.
ers juggling time and labour in a busy time of year. Still, while the project team looked forward as to what the next project might look like with relay crops added to the mix, the project was very successful and fully subscribed almost right from the get-go. “Relay crops planted in the spring provide added diversity which has a host of benefits that include feeding soil microbes a more complex diet, reduced disease pressure and other agronomic benefits and provides another soil-health tool for those producers that are finding it difficult
to get their cover crops into the ground due to harvest pressures,” said Yasemin Keeler, regional manager of the Souris River Watershed District in Deloraine. “With relay crops, both crops share a portion of the growing season and provide producers with another choice for better soil health.” The one year project has concluded and the group is waiting for soil samples to be returned to start the baseline data. MFGA has reapplied to the Manitoba Conservation Trust’s 2021 intake to renew and expand the project for another year.
Thanks for the Help in Challenging Times By Les Kletke There is no argument that 2020 was an unprecedented year and particularly in agriculture but in a Town Hall meeting in late December another very unusual event came to pass. A farm organization thanked the Federal government for the help it provided during its year of challenged. While others on the panel outlined the challenges of the year and voiced optimism at the proposal from the Federal government to revamp the Business Risk Management programs created for Ag stabilization, Rebecca Lee thanked the Federal government for the support it had given to the fruit and vegetable industry in providing funds for upgrading housing for work-
ers and allowing workers into the country. She also offered gratitude that the program had been extended to March of 2021. Rebecca Lee is the Executive Director of the Horticultural Council of Canada and was part of a panel that included representatives from the beef, pork, and grains sector as well as the President of the Canadian Federation of Agriculture. Lee said the biggest issue facing fruit and vegetable producers is a shortage of labour and over the years they have come to count on workers from outside the country who provide a significant portion of the labour, even this year during the COVID pandemic. With the restrictions in place that required quarantine they
were faced with even more difficulty. “We are thankful for the program from the Federal government; and individual farmers have made significant investments in upgrading housing for workers,” said Lee. “That allowed our industry to produce a safe and adequate supply of food that found its way to the stores.” Lee noted that the support helped every sector of the food chain, from farm to store shelves; every sector in the food chain benefitted in order to continue the supply to consumers. On the trade front she said that issues had arisen with blueberries, peppers and strawberries that had caused concern for Canadian producers but they were being dealt with through
the proper channels and she was confident that a decision would be forthcoming that would be favourable to Canadian producers. She shared the same sentiments as other panel members that Canadian agriculture producers were poised and ready to rebuild the Canadian economy as the effects of COVID lessened and things shift to a new normal. Lee said that farmers are used to some uncertainty as a part of their business, but they are not immune to the impacts of uncontrollable outside forces. COVID had shown a vulnerability of our food supply and she hopes the new stability programs will be in place soon to support the farmers of her industry.
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December 29, 2020
Ag in a Tremendous Position to Help Investments Will Support Supply-Managed Ag Sectors with Canada’s Economic Recovery By Les Kletke
The Federal government has announced a package they say is a commitment to “full and fair compensation for the market access concessions” made under the Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) and the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). In August 2019, MarieClaude Bibeau, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food announced that $1.75 billion would be provided to compensate Canadian dairy farmers over 8 years. Between December 2019 and January 2020, more than 10,000 dairy farmers received a cash payment of $345 million. The Government has now set a schedule to deliver the remaining $1.405 billion through direct payments to farmers over a timeline of only three years. “Our Government is fully behind our supply management sector, which supports our family farms and the vitality of our rural areas.
Today’s announcement of a substantial compensation package for our dairy, poultry and egg farmers shows our support for a strong supply management sector for many generations to come,” said Marie-Claude Bibeau, Minister of Agriculture and Agri Food. Dairy farmers will receive, on the basis of their milk quota, cash payments of $468 million in 2020-21, $469 million in 2021-22 and $468 million in 2022-23. The owner of a farm with 80 dairy cows will be awarded compensation in the form of a direct payment of approximately $38,000 each year. These amounts build on the $250 million CETA on-farm investment program, and provide certainty on the schedule and form of remaining payments in the $2 billion total compensation package for dairy farmers. The Government also announced $691 million for 10year programs for Canada’s 4,800 chicken, egg, broiler hatching egg, and turkey
farmers. Responding to sector demands, these programs will drive innovation and growth for farmers. Program details will be designed in consultation with sector representatives and launched as soon as possible. Furthermore, the Government of Canada remains committed to engaging the sector on full and fair compensation for the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA), and to processors of supply managed products. In 2019, there were 10,371 dairy farms in Canada, supporting close to 19,000 direct jobs on farms. There are over 4,000 producers of chicken, broiler hatching eggs, turkey, and eggs in Canada. The four supply managed poultry and egg sectors (chicken, broiler hatching eggs, turkey, and eggs) generated over $4.9 billion in farm cash receipts in 2019, 7.4 percent of all farm cash receipts in Canada. According to industry, Canada’s poultry and egg sector supports more than 140,000 direct and indirect jobs.
Support for Manitoba Farmers to Implement Solutions to Combat Climate Change The Federal government is providing up to $5.9 million for on-farm research activities to investigate new approaches for climate-smart agriculture. Under the project farmers and scientists will work in collaboration to develop and implement new technologies and best practices for environmental management. The Living Lab-Eastern Prairies project has been launched throughout the last year on farms within the Upper Oak Lake, Swan Lake, North Shannon Creek and Main Drain watersheds. The technologies and best management practices developed under this initiative are helping to give Manitoban farmers the tools to adjust to climate change and better address water quality, soil conservation and improve biodiversity on agricultural landscapes. Some of the key research
includes work to enhance habitats for beneficial insects; develop better tile draining practices; evaluate new approaches to prevent nutrient, water and habitat losses in the Eastern Prairies; and, evaluate the use of regenerative grazing management to capture and sequester carbon in grassland soil. Currently, farmers within these watersheds are taking part in AAFC research projects that include the construction of perennial grassed runways and buffer strips, cover cropping, intercropping, and poly cropping, and the construction of small wetland retention ponds. The Living Lab-Eastern Prairies initiative is a collaboration of more than a dozen partners, including Environmental and Climate Change Canada (ECCC), and builds upon the work organizations like the Manitoba Association of Watersheds (MAW)
are doing to monitor and mitigate the agro-environmental issues taking place within Eastern Prairie watersheds, such as the over-use of artificial fertilizers. For more information, farmers are invited to visit manitobawatersheds.org. The Living Lab-Eastern Prairies collaborative partners include producers and Manitoba Association of Watersheds; Assiniboine West Watershed District; Pembina Valley Watershed District; Swan Lake First Nation; Redboine Watershed District; Seine Rat Roseau Watershed District; Environment and Climate Change Canada; International Institute for Sustainable Development; Keystone Agricultural Producers; Manitoba Agriculture and Resource Development; Manitoba Forage & Grasslands Association and Nature Conservancy of Canada.
The president of the Canadian Federation of Agriculture (CFA) sees this past year as a delay rather than an end to the potential of agriculture contributing to the Canadian economy. Mary Robinson who heads the CFA told a Town Hall meeting in late December that while COVID did take its toll on the agriculture sector the industry was poised to live up to the potential it had been cited for prior to the pandemic. “Our sector has been singled out by several studies as being on the verge of great potential,” she said. “We have seen that delayed this year but our industry still has that potential and in some cases may come back stronger and in a better position.” Robinson is a 6th generation farmer from PEI and said that Canadian farmers were able to produce a safe high quality food product during the pandemic. “We are in a tremendous position in
that we produce much more food that we consume,” she said. “The potential recognized before is still there but in some cases COVID might mean that countries are in need of food from another source and we can be that source.” Robinson voiced some of the same concerns as Andre Harpe of the Grain Growers of Canada, that farmers need access to new technology and in some cases Canadian regulations lagged behind other parts of the world putting Canadian farmers at a disadvantage. She also pointed to trade disagreements and blockades that had hampered sales of Canadian products and reduced farmer incomes. On a positive note she said she was hopeful that the proposal put forward by the Federal Minister of Agriculture would be accepted by the end of the year and would be in place to help with the conditions such as this year’s pandemic well into 2021 and the future. “We could see explosive growth in our sector but we need the conditions to make
Mary Robinson, president of Canadian Federation of Agriculture, said that the agriculture sector was poised to live up to the potential it had been cited for prior to the pandemic. Supplied photo.
that happen,” she said. “We need a backstop in place that will give farmers the confidence to invest in the industry and move ahead. We need the support but we also need the removal of obstacles to the growth of our industry, the potential is there.” The CFA represents 200,000 farm families across the country and she said the single factor that most want to see is a stabilization program that provides adequate support for the industry in times when uncontrollable events such as COVID or unpredictable weather happens.
December 29, 2020
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Royal Winter Fair Suspended for 2021 The Provincial Exhibition of Manitoba Board of Directors have made the most difficult decision to suspend planning for the 2021 Royal Manitoba Winter Fair. “We are deeply saddened to make this announcement; however, the health and safety of our community is of utmost importance,” they stated in a release. “The Provincial Exhibition Directors and staff remain dedicated to bring live events back to Brandon, as well as seek other ways to celebrate agriculture and community in a safe and enjoyable way. There will be future events, but until then, we will be looking for your support and generosity.”
Federal Ag Minister Seeks National Consensus to Pass BMS Program Changes By Harry Siemens On November 27 Canada’s Federal, Provincial, and Territorial (FPT) Ministers of Agriculture wrapped up their two-day virtual conference with discussions on the future of Business Risk Management programs, a discussion on balance in the retail supplier relationship, and a look ahead to the design and development of critical priorities for the next agricultural policy framework. When reporters online wanted to ask questions of their respective provincial ministers only Marie-Claude Bibeau, Federal Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, and Ernie Hardeman Ontario’s Ag minister were available to respond. Manitoba’s Minister Blaine Pederson was not available. Nevertheless, ministers discussed options for short-term improvements to AgriStability. The Federal government tabled a proposal that provinces and territories will consider in more detail. While the ministers reached no consensus, efforts will continue on a common path forward. One reporter asked Minister Bibeau if the Federal government would consider moving ahead with the AgriStability changes without all the provinces and whether they discussed the proposal. She replied with, “The proposal from the Federal government is clear. We are looking for a national improvement to the program. We’re looking for a consensus at 60-40 cost share, removing the reference margin limit and, well, increasing the other compensation rate from 70 to 80 per cent.” MLA Hardeman from Ontario said that the partnership agreement requires two-thirds of the participants representing twothirds of the program usage to change the program’s parameters. “We need to accomplish that before we can make changes to the program. And so the discussion of going beyond that wasn’t held today nor do I see that likely happening soon.” Bibeau said in response to the AgriPost, when asked, whether the Federal government had any additional monies available for the farming sector. “We increased and put $50 million through AgriRecovery. If we
The proposal from the Federal government was clear during a virtual meeting with the Federal and Provincial government on November 27. Federal Ag minister Marie-Claude Bibeau said that they are looking for national consensus to improve the business management insurance program.
MLA Ernie Hardeman from Ontario said the partnership agreement requires two-thirds of the participants representing two-thirds of the program usage to change the program’s parameters.
Outgoing chair of the Canadian Grain Growers Jeff Nielsen of Olds, AB said despite tumultuous times, the Minister’s support for this change took much effort. (Manitoba MP Larry Maguire [centre] Jeff Nielsen right and Erin Gowriluk left at a meeting on January 30, 2020.) Photo supplied by CGG executive director Erin Gowriluk
could reach a consensus and proceed with the improvement that we are proposing to AgriStability, it could be retroactive for 2020. So it would be to the benefit of the pork producers, that’s for sure.” The Grain Growers of Canada, encouraged by the news the Federal government is prepared to make meaningful improvements to AgriStability acknowledged Minister Bibeau’s efforts and urged consensus among the Federal and Provincial agriculture ministers to enact changes to support
Canada’s farmers. Outgoing chair Jeff Nielsen of Olds, AB said despite tumultuous times, the Federal minister’s support for this change took much effort. He noted that agriculture is more than worth the investment to drive economic recovery and support Canadians’ food security. Farmers face uncertainty from everywhere, from the punishing weather to the whims of international trading partners. “We need a predictable, bankable support system for when times get tough,” he stressed.
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Manitoba Growers Top Potato Producers By Elmer Heinrichs For the first time in recent history, Manitoba and Alberta have overtaken Prince Edward Island in potato production, according to a Statistics Canada report recently. Statistics Canada has estimated Canadian potato production in 2020 to be 104,203,000 hundredweight,
which is down 1.3 per cent or 1,386,000 hundredweight below the 2019 cop. Due to hot dry conditions the average yield was down. After a disastrous harvest last year, Manitoba reported the biggest increase in Canadian production this year, up 4,300,000 hundred weight or 21.8 per cent above 2019.
Hot, dry weather took the top off yields, moving down to 337cwt/acre from 345.6 cwt/ acre a year ago. Growers, however, were pleased to be able to harvest all of their crop in record time compared to the fall of 2019 where vast acres had to be abandoned due to wet, cold weather.
Although P.E.I. farmers planted more acres this spring than either of these western provinces, and were able to harvest the entire crop due to good conditions, it was the summer drought that led to poor growing conditions and lighter yields per acre grown.
Microbes and Plants: A Dynamic Duo The unique partnership between root-dwelling microbes and the plants they inhabit can reduce drought stress. Drought stress has been a major roadblock in crop success, and this obstacle will not disappear anytime soon. Luckily, a dynamic duo like Batman and Robin, certain root-associated microbes and the plants they inhabit, are here to help. Plants and animals have a close connection to the microbes like bacteria living on them. The microbes, the creatures they inhabit, and the environment they create all play a critical role for life on Earth. “We know that microbiomes, which are the communities of microorganisms in a given environment, are very important for the health of plants,” said Devin Coleman-Derr. Coleman-Derr, a scientist at University of California, Berkeley, studies how drought impacts the microbiome of sorghum. Findings show that certain bacteria living in the roots of sorghum, a crop commonly grown for animal feed, work together with the plant to
reduce drought stress. This unique pairing leads to overall plant success. “Plants have hormones, which help plants decide how to spend their energy,” says Coleman-Derr. “Microbes can manipulate the system and cause the decision-making process of plants to be altered.” Some bacteria and fungi are destined to inhabit certain plants. And, bacteria want the roots they inhabit to be their dream homes. If a bacterium partners with a plant to help it grow during dry weather, it is essentially building a better home for itself. Virtually all aspects of the plant’s life are connected to the microbes present. When a plant gets thirsty, it can send the entire microbiome into action. Drought causes dramatic changes in how bacteria and plant partners interact. Additional bacteria may be recruited to help the plant survive the dry weather. These microbes can influence the plant’s hormones to encourage more root growth, which will help the plant reach more water. “We want to know if we can control this,” said Cole-
Close-up view of cells inside of a sorghum root captured using confocal microscopy. Photo by Devin Coleman-Derr
man-Derr. “Is there the possibility to manipulate the microbiome present to help sorghum cope with drought stress?” The resiliency of crops to environmental stress is of growing concern to both researchers and farmers, especially with the changes in global climates. New research findings are important to develop crops that can maintain productivity, even in harsher conditions. “We recognize that the microbiome is dynamic and changes over time,” said Coleman-Derr. “While the jury is still out on if we can control sorghum microbiomes, several labs have shown that some bacteria
present during drought stress lead to positive outcomes for plants.” Understanding plant microbiomes is a large part of determining factors of crop productivity. Fortunately, plants are excellent models for studying microbiomes. The next step in this quest is to determine if microbiomes can be manipulated and used as a solution for drought in crop production systems. “By determining if we can alter the microbiome, we can work towards achieving our goal of creating better producing crops with less inputs,” said Coleman-Derr.
December 29, 2020
Aboveground Traits Can Predict What We See Below There is a lot we can tell about plants by looking at them. We can see their leaves, stems and overall structure. But we cannot see what the roots look like under the ground, like root depth or structure. The Soil Science Society of America’s (SSSA) December 15, Soils Matter Blog explores how scientists can use aboveground traits such as bloom time and height to predict what plants look like underground. “We also wanted to know if plants that bloomed at the same time in the season (flowering phenology) would have similar characteristics, and if plants with a similar shape (crown morphology) would share characteristics,” Blogger Marie Johnston explained “Information about the species when grouped this way might be useful in picking one plant or another for a city planting.” Johnston and her team inventoried which Prairie plants were used in city
plantings and chose 16 species and grew each species separately. When species reach the end of their flowering phase, the plant is usually done growing new leaves. When this happened they cut down each plant and removed the roots from the soil for measuring and drying. The research team confirmed what was already known about Prairie plants such as, that grasses have very large root systems. The new information observed was on how different plant species share space. Researchers found that the shorter, early-flowering plants had large leaves for their size, and that some of the mid-season or late-season flowering plants (or, forbs) can develop robust root systems that are as massive as the roots of grasses. See soilsmatter.wordpress. com/2020/12/15/can-theparts-of-plants-we-can-seehelp-predict-the-parts-ofthem-we-cant.
Sixteen species of Prairie plants were grown in separate pots for evaluation. The research findings may inform city landscape planners on the best plant selection for their needs. Photo by Marie Johnston
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December 29, 2020
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The AgriPost
December 29, 2020
Landmark Study Generates First Genomic Atlas for Global Wheat Improvement
“It’s like finding the missing pieces for your favourite puzzle that you have been working on for decades,” said project leader Curtis Pozniak, wheat breeder and director of the USask Crop Development Centre (CDC). “By having many complete gene assemblies available, we can now help solve the huge puzzle that is the massive wheat pan-genome and usher in a new era for wheat discovery and breeding.” Supplied photo.
By USask Research Profile and Impact In a landmark discovery for global wheat production, a University of Saskatchewan (USask)-led international team has sequenced the genomes for 15 wheat varieties representing breeding programs around the world, enabling scientists and breeders to much more quickly identify influential genes for improved yield, pest resistance and other important crop traits. The research results, just published in Nature, provide the most comprehensive atlas of wheat genome sequences ever reported. The 10+ Genome Project collaboration involved more than 95 scientists from universities and institutes in Canada, Switzerland, Germany, Japan, the UK., Saudi Arabia, Mexico, Israel, Australia, and the US. “It’s like finding the missing pieces for your favourite puzzle that you have been working on for decades,”
said project leader Curtis Pozniak, wheat breeder and director of the USask Crop Development Centre (CDC). “By having many complete gene assemblies available, we can now help solve the huge puzzle that is the massive wheat pan-genome and usher in a new era for wheat discovery and breeding.” Scientific groups across the global wheat community are expected to use the new resource to identify genes linked to in-demand traits, which will accelerate breeding efficiency. “This resource enables us to more precisely control breeding to increase the rate of wheat improvement for the benefit of farmers and consumers, and meet future food demands,” Pozniak said. One of the world’s most cultivated cereal crops, wheat plays an important role in global food security, provid-
ing about 20 per cent of human caloric intake globally. Its estimated wheat production must increase by more than 50 per cent by 2050 to meet increasing global demand. “…we have increased the number of wheat genome sequences more than 10fold, enabling us to identify genetic differences between wheat lines that are important for breeding,” Pozniak said. “We can now compare and contrast the full complement of the genetic differences that make each variety unique.” The 10+ Genome study represents the start of a larger effort to generate thousands of genome sequences of wheat, including genetic material brought in from wheat’s wild relatives. The research team was able to track the unique DNA signatures of genetic material incorporated into mod-
ern cultivars from several of wheat’s undomesticated relatives by breeders over the century. “These wheat relatives have been used by breeders to improve disease resistance and stress resistance of wheat,” said Pozniak. “One of these relatives contributed a DNA segment to modern wheat that contains diseaseresistant genes and provides protection against a number of fungal diseases. Our collaborators from Kansas State University and CIMMYT (Mexico) showed that this segment can improve yields by as much as 10 per cent. Since breeding is a continual improvement process, we can continue to cross plants to select for this valuable trait.” The 10+ Genome Project was sanctioned as a top priority by the Wheat Initiative, a co-ordinating body of international wheat researchers.
Railroads Set New Grain Shipping Records
By Elmer Heinrichs Canada’s two major rail companies have both announced shipping records for grain and grain product movement to export port positions. Canadian Pacific has completed its best-ever November and second-best-ever month for shipping Canadian grain and grain products, with 2.96 million metric tonnes (MMT) moved. This exceeds the previous November record in 2019 by eight per cent, and is second only to October 2020 for total monthly tonnage. CN Rail recently announced that it set a new grain movement record in November with over 3.12 million metric tonnes (MMT) of Canadian grain moved. This follows an all-time record of 3.27 MMT moved in October and builds on monthly records going back to March 2020. Containerized grain is also setting records by moving at an unprecedented pace with over 400,000 metric tonnes shipped directly from western Canada alone since the beginning of the crop year, in addition to the tonnage shipped from eastern Canada. CP has shipped 11.13 MMT of Canadian grain and grain products in the 2020-2021 crop year, up by 15 per cent over the amount shipped at this time in the 2019-2020 crop year. The company continues to invest in its grain fleet with additional hopper cars coming into service each week; with 3,700 new hopper cars purchased or leased. The new high-efficiency railcars carry 15 per cent more grain by volume and 10 per cent more grain by weight compared to the older cars they are replacing.
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December 29, 2020
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It’s a Time to Reset, Says Grunthal Farmer By Les Kletke Like so many other people Peter Wiebe would like to begin the new year with a new start. “There is no doubt that COVID impacted all of our lives,” he said. “First we had to deal with the health aspects of the family and those around us, then we had all the challenges of a normal year on the farm.” Wiebe farms near Grunthal and tactfully declined speaking about any of the issues in the community and what can best be described as a Mask Fiasco.
“The situation brought out the worst and the best of some people. I will leave it there,” he said. Wiebe said he is feeding his calves through the winter this year. “We had enough feed, and it went up in good condition, so I decided to keep this year’s crop and feed them through the winter. Some of the heifers might get added to the herd and become cows if I decide to expand.” Wiebe said his corn crop was good this year too, providing the extra feed that gave him the choice to keep his cows. That and the vola-
tility of the market. “The market was too unpredictable this fall, there were times that prices were good and then other times I did not want to take a chance on selling my year’s production into that market,” he explained. Wiebe said that his grain crop was average to slightly better than average but getting it off was a bonus compared to last year. “We went through some awful conditions last fall and had some fields in terrible condition going into spring, so we are ahead of that this year. The land was in good condition in the fall and we
will see how the spring melt is for recharging soil moisture,” said Wiebe. He is undecided on spring seeding plans for his mixed farm saying that it is too early and with his cow herd and the possibility of expansion he might consider expanding his pasture acreage as well. “Converting the grass to beef has provided a pretty good return the last couple of years so I might just go that route and expand my cow herd,” he said. “For now I am just glad this year is over and we are hopefully going to get a fresh start on a new one.”
Report of Wheat Prices Does Not Represent Farmers’ Gate Price By Harry Siemens “If wheat prices were on pace with inflation, farmers would collect over $26 a bushel.” That is part of the response from Prairie Cereal Grain Commissions to a Canadian Press story. Farmers said in no uncertain terms does it project the reality of current wheat prices and their effect on food price. In response to the original Canadian Press story, Sask Wheat, the Development Commission, Manitoba Crop Alliance and the Alberta Wheat Commission agreed that in January 1975, wheat was $5.66 a bushel. In January 2020, a bushel of number one wheat is about $6.22. The farmer commissions say real 2020 prices demonstrate how farmers innovate and compete. The Canada Food Price Report, released on December 8, incorporates trends in food demand and forecasts prices for the year ahead. That report by Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia which captures coast-to-coast trends, this year the University of Saskatchewan and the University of BC partnered on the study. Well, the man they call the Food Doctor leads the study, Sylvain Charlebois, quoted by Canadian Press saying, “This is the highest increase that we’ve ever expected.” The numbers say this, “The most extensive price increased forecast for meat and vegetables with price hikes up to 6.5 per cent, bakery products up to five and a half percent.” Many irate farmers took to Twitter, and farmer Greg Bosch of Provost, AB said this is a very complex supply chain. There are so many steps between the farmer and the grocery store. “I feel for people that have to buy groceries because we buy them, too. The price goes up for us, too, in the grocery stores. We don’t get any more for our products when that happens.” With many steps in this chain with everybody needing to make their little profit along that way the food chain breaks down. Adding all those little bits of profit along the way, it does not take much to shoot up groceries’ prices to consumers. Far down in this piece by the Canadian Press and carried by many media sources that forecast for bakery prices increased 5.5 per cent. Stuart Smyth, from the University of Saskatchewan said the cost of a bushel of wheat hit $6 in November, up from $4 roughly 18 months ago, a 50 per cent increase. That statement led to a response on Twitter from the grain industry, and they called for a retraction; study participants defended their findings, though. Sask Wheat chair Brett Halstead said the article’s price changes are misleading and do not reflect the on-farm prices received by wheat producers. Producers appreciate several factors influencing store shelf price, but wheat is not a significant factor in the rise of food cost. Canadian consumers still have one of the lowest costs for food relative to income and enjoy the quality and safe food supplies. The Ministry of Agriculture data shows a bushel of number one wheat worth about $5.66 in January of 1975. In 2020, a bushel was worth about $6.22. Now, Halstead said the price reflection show’s producers have continually improved productivity and competitiveness. Farmer Greg Bosch said that somebody who comes out and says that, it does not necessarily mean that it is true, but the finger points directly at farmers when information comes out. “When you look at futures markets, just because futures’ markets are going up and down does not mean that the price that farmers receive is changing.” Farmers on Ag Twitter suggested the study did some cherry-picking. Now, Stuart Smyth, from the university, said, “We didn’t pick those dates. I used them as a reference to provide context for what’s in the report.” Sylvain Charlebois, the Food Doctor, out of Dalhousie, said the overall model contained 300,000 data points; wheat was just one of those 300,000. So it begs the question if the industry pokes holes in the wheat data and the logic used to support the 50 per cent price increase, can people have faith in the model itself. Farmer Bosch from Provost said every year, the record demand for grain and raw farm products keeps growing. “Particularly this year, we have huge exports of barley and wheat into China, trying to rebuild their hog herd. They have record demand for malt barley, so we’re exporting huge volumes of barley or huge volumes of wheat, more than ever exported out of Canada before. So that affects domestic supply and demand, too. But let me be clear, that does not always translate into higher prices at the farm gate.”
The AgriPost
Watch Your Step in the Dairy Barn Anytime that I walk through a dairy barn, I walk along front of the feed bunk and usually watch the cows defecate. Their fresh cowpies reflect on how well their milking diet is being consumed and digested. If something is out-of-line, manure; consistency and content warn me, almost immediately. So then, I take a closer look at the TMR in front of me. I take a sample for analysis and review the barn’s feeding program. From this valuable information, I can take the best course of action in developing a well-balanced diet and get the milking cows, back on track. On any given day, a 600kg milk cow excretes about 70 kg of manure, which contains digested and undigested feed that passes through rumen, and rest of gastro-intestinal tract. It also contains a mixture of digested rumen microbes, rumen fluid, bile and other digestive juices; together with large volumes of drinking and recycled body-tissue water. Of the 45-50 kg of “as is” feed (23 - 27 kg, dmi) they consumed - lactating dairy cows excrete up to 90% of it.
Consequently, the consistency of each of these cowpies is one of the best indicators of digestion status in dairy cattle. It is dependent upon feed type, nutrient and fibre density, water intake and diet rate of passage. Normal manure consistency should be porridge-like and when the animal defecates, it should produce a slightly dome-shaped pile. On the other hand, loose manure ranges from slightly formless manure to extreme water-like diarrhea. At the other end of the scale, thick manure is firm, maybe dried-out and makes tall cowpies. In the latter case of loose manure, most of its nutritional origins start with dairy diets that are not well-balanced. It often affects cows that are fed lots of forage soluble-protein or diets that do not contain enough effective forage-fibre (that produces a good “forage fibre mat” in the rumen), which is necessary for optimum feed fermentation by the resident ruminal microbes. Other cases of loose manure tend to be far more serious. For example, sub-clinical acidosis (SARA) may cause loose
manure with gas-bubbles and is associated with digestive upsets for each suffering cow. Just as manure consistency tells me on how well the lactation diet is digested, the actual makeup of a common cowpie is also very informative. It should contain only large amounts of digested forage and grain particles with the majority of processed forage-fibre no greater than 0.5”, and very little escaped grain. In contrast, a cow pile that is littered with long-stem fibre or large amounts of grain might be signal of inadequate effective-forage fibre, unprocessed added grain, or even extremely mature forage in the diet. The following table is a cross-section of these types of manure as mentioned above that I have encountered in many dairy barns. I classified manure types into general consistency, a closer exam as well as respective corrective action to return less-than-perfect manure, back into a desired and natural porridge-like state (See Chart 1). Notably, each of these
Chart 1.
corrective actions are based upon three well-proven and mainstream diet recommendations, which I always implement in my own wellbalanced lactation feeding programs for dairy cows: 1. The TMR contains 28% NDF and 75% of this NDF comes from forage sources or equivalent sources (21 22% eNDF). 2. Forages are chopped at a cut length of ½” to provide 15 - 20% of these particles being over 1.5” long. 3. Limit dietary non-fibre carbohydrates (NFC) to 38 40%, with starch limits of 25 - 30% of the dm diet. A few years ago, I was visiting a 150-cow dairy and many of the milking cows had diarrhea. I tripped and almost did a face-plant in a pool of loose-manure. It was a good thing that I caught myself at the last minute, because I was able to reformulate the cows’ lactation TMR based upon these three rules. Within a few days, their manure become firmer and allowed them to put more milk in the bulk-tank.
The Perfect Cow Pie!
Province Seeks to Modernize Crop Diversification Model The Manitoba government is issuing a request for proposal (RFP) to review the current Crop Diversification Centre model adding the study will look to a renewed vision, supporting innovation in the agriculture and farming industries. “Future growth in the agriculture sector comes from innovation,” said Agriculture and Resource Development Minister Blaine Pedersen. “Through this process, we have a great opportunity to create a stronger alignment with research organizations and continue supporting
sustainable solutions that benefit producers and the industry.” The review will see options created for the future role and funding model for Diversification Centres beyond March 2023, to build on past successes and support economic opportunities, and adapt to challenges faced by the sector. The study is anticipated to take approximately six months to complete, the minister noted. The province’s mandate to provide leadership in accelerating innovation, increase Manitoba’s agri-food ex-
ports, and market diversification opportunities are supported by the diversification centres. These centres are non-profit, research organizations directed by local producers and business people. They conduct applied research and demonstrations on crops, technology and best management practices. The centres’ goals are to increase the profitability, sustainability and adaptability of farms; accelerate adoption or commercialization of research innovations at the farm level; facilitate the adoption of technical in-
novations or practices from outside the province/country; and improve the overall growth of the agriculture, agri-food and agri-product sector. “These centres play an important role in supporting the development of protein initiatives in the province,” said Pedersen. “I am very confident that our diversification centres will provide a strong foundation for research and innovation with the support of the province.” The RFP will be posted to MERX at merx.com under an open tendering process.
December 29, 2020
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The Rising Costs of Life Have you ever heard great stories such as “Back when I was your age, we bought a Coke for a nickel and a new truck for seventeen hundred dollars?” Or, “When I was young, I overpaid for farmland at four hundred dollars per acre.” I love hearing stories like this as it reminds us how the cost of life has slowly but steadily increased. I have now lived long enough to have a few stories of my own. I remember paying fifty-five cents a litre for gasoline thinking that I am going broke if the cost of this fuel doesn’t change in a hurry. And that was before carbon tax was introduced! Have you noticed that the cost of insurance coverage has increased over the years? I looked up the insurance costs of my childhood home and found that it cost my family a whopping $320 annually to insure the house. It is interesting to compare the differences in the cost of living over the past few decades. While the cost of pretty much everything has increased, one of the key reasons why the cost of insurance coverage has increased is that the values insured on policies are substantially higher today than they used to be. I had a conversation with a friend a few years ago where he explained the process of building their dream house approximately fifteen years ago. They constructed a beautiful house for their family that was equipped very nicely with everything they had dreamed of for hosting family, friends and neighbours (who were neither family or friends). The best part, they were able to build their dream home for one hundred dollars per square foot, which, while it adds up quickly, is a great value for the house that they built. Five years ago, it seemed as though the cost of construction had increased to the point where you could replace most common houses for approximately two hundred dollars per square foot. If you had elaborate marble floors, heated toilet seats, or a man cave that resembled your favourite football team’s home stadium, you would likely need more than two hundred per square foot to replace your home. As inflation continues to climb and the cost of building materials continues to rise, it is becoming more and more common to see the cost of rebuilding a house creeping up. I never thought I’d see the day where three hundred dollars per square foot builds a nice, but normal house. Add the heated toilet seats and voice controlled smart features in houses, and three hundred per square foot may be too low to properly insure your house. While this may make you want to shout out “what is this world coming to?” keep in mind that you are adding more stories to your book to share with the next generation one day. One tool that all insurance brokers use is a software program that utilizes the data of your existing house to determine the rebuilding cost should your house had to be completely rebuilt. These programs are quite accurate when the proper information is input, so the more precise the information you provide on your dwelling, the more accurate your coverage and rating should be. It is hard to believe that the cost of construction will continue to rise, but it is also hard to believe that a new pickup truck could come close to a six-digit bill, one good quality pizza could cost forty dollars, a pair of jeans could cost two hundred dollars and farm land could exceed more than ten times the value of the guy who overpaid at four hundred dollars per acre. Work with an insurance broker who remembers paying fifty-five cents for fuel back in the good old days, but also understands that paying two hundred dollars for a pair of jeans is just a little too much! David Schmidt is an Account Executive at Rempel Insurance Brokers in Morris, MB, specializing in insuring farms and businesses across Manitoba and Saskatchewan. Contact 204-746-2320, Text 204-712-6618, email davids@ rempelinsurance.com or visit rempelinsurance.com.
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December 29, 2020
The AgriPost
Warm Up Your Beef Cows for Farm-Level a Successful Calving Season Swine Disease Outbreak Forecasting Expands By Harry Siemens A US Swine Health Information Center (SHIC) funded project is facilitating the expansion of farmlevel outbreak forecasting to new regions. The SHIC plans to expand a project that uses machine learning to calculate when a sow farm will break with Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea (PED). Researchers at the University of Minnesota built machine learning algorithms that consider factors such as recent animal movements, current disease distribution and environmental factors to predict whether a sow farm will break with PED two weeks in advance according to Swine Health Information Center Executive Director Dr. Paul Sundberg. In contrast, the swine sector better understands the epidemiology of PED virus and Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome virus. The ability of producers to effectively estimate the risk of disease outbreak risk is lacking. Dr. Sundberg said the industry could predict an outbreak of PED on a farm two weeks before it would happen; think about the opportunity to ramp up biosecurity or ramp-up management or start early weaning on a farm to prevent and proactively respond to a predicted outbreak. “We’re making good steps toward that goal and I think we’re almost there and when we do, I’m looking forward to applying it to other diseases. We may be able to apply it to PRRS, for example, which would be a major step in PRRS control and PRRS management,” said Sundberg. He said the farm-level outbreak forecast results from producers willing to openly share their information to analyze the data better and then provide feedback is to their benefit. One of the objectives and the mission statement of the SHIC is for the analysis of data. The Center is thriving as it does some computer learning projects in the southeast, US while taking into account the topography around farms and pig movements, such as weather patterns, disease situation, and status around farms. “[We] put it into an algorithm for a computer to learn when to predict a farm would break with the disease,” he said on what the Center does with the data collected. The exciting results the Center achieved for the area encouraged the team to expand into the US Great Plains which has different topography, weather patterns but has the same issues of pig movement and disease status around the farm. “But the sharing of the information, I think is the thing to highlight here, and the ability to use that to the betterment of herd health and to predict diseases before they happen.” He said the more factors they can enter into the machine learning program, the more accurate it is. These projects’ reports are up on the swinehealth.org website s. “It consists of information on a specific lay on this project and others that we have going on, as well as the domestic and international disease monitoring reports that come out once a month,” said Sundberg. He said the opportunity to take advantage of producers voluntarily sharing their information is exciting. “It’s a good example of the strength in numbers and how it strengthens the industry when voluntarily talking to each other, rather than staying in our silos.” He thinks it is an excellent opportunity to highlight the progress of that cooperation to the benefit of the whole pork industry.
By Peter Vitti There are several kilometers of highway of #59 in southern Manitoba, which has no cell service. Despite several feet of snow in the winter, I often see many cowherds being overwintered along this stretch of road, since in each one of the adjoining yards are rows of hay bales that I can see are either put in bale-feeders or rolled out. Although, I cannot see what the quality of forage is like, I can only assume that it is fair-to-good quality, since the cows walking near the fence-line are in good body condition. I can also assume that if many of these cows are in late-gestation at this time, they probably will calve-out without many problems. Such calving success becomes a matter of supplying enough dietary energy and protein to late-gestation cows in order to maintain or achieve a BCS of 2.5 - 2.75 (thin = 1, and 5 = obese) by calving time, while replacement heifers should calve out a little better BCS of 3.0. With a growing fetus (and placenta), their energy requirements are up about 25% and protein needs increased by 10 - 15% compared to the start of gestation. The nutrient requirements of these 1st calf heifers are slightly higher, because their bodies are still growing. They should be fed to gain 0.25 - 0.50 kg daily in addition to fetal weight gain. Thin mature cows should be fed in a similar manner to
Chart 1.
gain body weight and condition. As a beef nutritionist, the nutritional parameters of my overwinter diets for late-gestation cowherds are based upon the respective NRC (2001) beef cow requirements - namely: 55 - 58% TDN, 9 11% protein, 0.25% calcium and 0.20% phosphorus and complimented with salt, essential trace mineral and vitamins. Dry matter intake estimates are about 35 - 40 lbs; mature cows, and 30 - 35 lbs; replacement heifers. I also realize that by January, the weather is going to be much colder than compared to the start of winter and thus will significantly elevate dietary energy requirements; just to keep them, warm (re: maintain their body temperature). For example, University environmental studies on beef cattle has came up with a good cold weather rule of thumb, years ago, as follows - for every 1°C drop in temperature below 0°C, the beef cows’
TDN energy maintenance requirements are increased by about 2%. This means that if an early morning temperature is -25°C, there is an increase of about 50% in the cows’ basic dietary energy needs. Simply feeding late-gestation beef cows more of what they are already eating will not likely achieve these new energy requirements during the coldest weather, despite metabolic triggers in the cow that stimulates her feed intake at the very most by 30%. So, it is wise to take a practical approach to overwintering them. For instance, here are some of my suggested diets that should increase the winter plane of nutrition of 1,200 lb mature cows and 1,100 lb replacement heifers for their next few months before calving (see Chart 1). Consequently, a friend of mine that raises 400 black angus cows switches over to a higher-energy feeding program as outlined in Diet C from a predominantly straw-
based diet at the start of the winter. Therefore, he ensiles a comfortable supply of barley silage every year, however, he did mention, this year’s mediocre barley crop almost forced him to switch to Diet A or B late-gestation diets. Regardless, my friend’s philosophy is very much like my own, when it comes to feeding overwintering beef cows. That is - the sole purpose of the late-gestation cow diets is to increase their plane of nutrition in a timely fashion in order to help them cope with frigid weather and to maintain optimum body condition. The payoff of this plan is that a healthy herd of cows will be ready for a successful calving season.
Overwintering beef cows.
Nuffield Scholar Takes Regenerative Ag Up-Cycling to the Next Level By Les Kletke At the end of a year many people use that time to set personal and business goals for the coming year. Ryan Boyd said it is important to know the goal of your farm and on his farm north of Brandon the goal is to have as much photosynthesis activity as possible so that he can get as much growth as he can from the land he farms. Boyd was the final speaker in the Regenerative Agriculture program presented by the Manitoba Forage and Grassland Association through the month of November. He is a Nuffield Scholar and spent his time researching ruminant grazing and more specifically if the practice would make sense on his farm in Manitoba. The
conclusion was a resounding yes, although it is not the easiest path to follow. “There is lots of low hanging fruit,” he said. “Lots of things that we could do that are easy and are a good start but there is much more that requires a higher level of management. Something like chaff grazing is a good start and pretty easy to incorporate into your operation.” Boyd has taken things to a higher level and that came about by evaluating practices he saw in other parts of the world. “I visited a farm in northern Florida where they were implementing something they called total grazing and that meant a much higher stocking rate and much more extensive grazing. They were taking the forage right down
to the ground and there was little green left when they were done,” he said. The farm moved cattle as often as 4 times a day and had long times of regrowth between returning to the paddock. “But when the regrowth came it was the most lush growth I had ever seen.” He said the idea of leaving some foliage on the plant to regenerate came about from a study done in the US in the 1950s. Clippings were done with scissors and it did not take into account the value of the animals spreading manure or the saliva added from grazing. “We have to change our mind set and look at things differently,” he said. “We now have smaller paddocks and move our cattle as much
as 4 times a day. They get 1/4 of their ration in each paddock and graze more aggressively but they are very content at the end of the day.” He said that some automated equipment that lifts the wire separating the paddocks is a great advantage and he only needs to manually move the wires once a day. “It is not the easiest system, but when I took over the farm I saw that I had to do something to be more sustainable and less susceptible to weather events. That meant using cattle to graze the forages. You have to think of cattle as up-cycling; they take low value forage and turn it into a high value product while spreading nutrients across your land,” said Boyd.
By Harry Siemens
The AgriPost
Turning Straw into Gold
The UCalgary team is observing a photo-reactor that is being used for a photoreforming reaction with wheat straw. Left to right: Prof. Md Golam Kibria, Dr. Adnan Khan (Research Associate), Dr. Heng Zhao (Post doctoral fellow), and Prof. Jinguang Hu. Credit: Prof. Hu and Kibria group.
Research is looking into a more profitable and ecofriendly method for turning biomass into biochemicals and green hydrogen. Many have dreamed of being able to turn straw into gold like the fabled Rumpelstiltskin. While this may not be possible in the literal sense, scientists are using sunlight to turn straw into something more valuable. With the aid of technology from the Canadian Light Source (CLS) at the University of Saskatchewan, Canadian researchers have made important advances to use the power of the sun to convert biomass like wheat straw into hydrogen fuel and value-added biochemicals. This method is more efficient, eco-friendly and lucrative. Producing energy from biomass, or plant material, has been studied for more than four decades, said Dr. Jinguang Hu, assistant professor at the University of Calgary (UCalgary). The two most common processes are thermo-chemical and
biological, but these are still carbon intensive and are not economically feasible. Dr. Hu and Dr. Md Golam Kibria, an assistant professor at UCalgary, have been focusing their recent research on an alternative approach to commonly used petro-refinery. Their novel and environmentally friendly approach called photobiorefinery uses solar energy to break down biomass, in this case wheat straw, to make green hydrogen and a high value biochemical. Canada First Research Excellence Fund (CFREF) has been supporting this research and their recent findings were published by the American Chemical Society. One of the key aspects of an effective biomass photorefinery approach is pretreatment of the wheat straw. Hu explained plant cell walls are made of complex and highly organized cellulose structures, a major building block of biomass. Pre-treatment of the biomass destroys those structures and exposes more of the material to the
sun-driven process. Kibria added the goal was to identify a pre-treatment that does not require non-renewable resources, thereby “saving a lot of carbon and cost.” Using the CLS’s Hard X-ray Micro-analysis beamline, the researchers compared how raw wheat straw and straw pre-treated in a number of ways reacted in the photorefinery. Their findings showed a phosphoric acid pre-treatment resulted in the highest production of green hydrogen and lactic acid, which is typically used for bioplastics and in food, chemical, and medical industries. “The CLS facility allowed us to see how stable the material was at the start, during and after photorefining of wheat straw. And, we could see that in real time, which is a big advantage,” said Kibria. Another critical factor was to find an inexpensive, readily available catalyst to drive the photorefinery. The study found the best results using a low-cost photocatalyst, made from carbon and nitrogen
that is designed for visible light driven cellulose photoreforming. “Because all biomass has a similar chemical composition, what we’ve shown is that you can tailor the pre-treatment and the catalyst to valorize any renewable organic material,” said Hu. This finding opens up opportunities for turning straw and other plant materials into value-added green hydrogen and biochemicals. Kibria said the next steps in the research will be to “tune the catalyst to capture more of the visible light spectrum,” and then to scale up the photorefinery with an eye to eventual commercialization. “Because biomass captures carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, we can use this process to take care of the environment and produce green hydrogen and chemicals that are economically viable,” he said.
December 29, 2020
A Survey of the Environmental Footprint of Canadian Pork Production Manitoba Pork urges all producers to participate in an online research study to document the significant progress made in recent decades to reduce the environmental impact of hog farming. The study aims to identify production efficiencies for producers and show environmental improvements in Manitoba and Canada. The results will be extremely beneficial in garnering public and local government support to expand the provincial hog sector without additional regulatory measures. According to a Manitoba Pork release the first step in the study is a survey of Canadian pork producers, which takes about 40 minutes to complete online. “Before you begin, you’ll need to have on hand 2018 production statistics, feed composition, land and manure data, and utility usage.” The lead researcher, Dr. Mario Tenuta at the University of Manitoba has not identified a specific end date. Grant Melnychuk, manager, planning and sustainable development said Dr. Tenuta hopes to have enough producer feedback for his team to begin analyzing the data in early 2021. Completion will depend on when the researchers can begin the analysis. Once finished, peers will review the data and publish it. “I’m not sure of their targeted timeline offhand, but I would suspect that won’t be until late 2021 or early 2022.” Dr. Tenuta said the pig production survey is an integral part of preparing and improving its sustainability in Canada, but this requires sound data. A survey is instrumental in obtaining in Manitoba, and across Canada, what pig producers are using, their
Lange Projects Fewer Dry Beans By Elmer Heinrichs Despite a respectable crop this year, Manitoba provincial crop specialist Dennis Lange projects that acreage grown to beans may be down slightly next year Speaking at a Manitoba agronomists’ conference online recently, Lange told participants that Manitoba
ended up with about 185,000 acres of beans, which was up from previous years. “Most times in the last number of years we’ve been averaging around the 130,000 range,” he said. He projected a decline in Manitoba’s acreage to about 180,000 acres, perhaps even down to the 160,000-acre
range. “Time will tell, perhaps the biggest reason for that is that farmers can grow competing crops, and prices are generally pretty good,” said Lange. Lange noted that, “Crops like peas that did really well this year. And soybean yields were much better this year since we got more moisture.
And a lot will depend upon a grower’s rotation.” “One of the challenges in the dry bean industry is volunteer soybeans, which can cause shipment rejections at the plant,” stressed Lange. Soybeans are considered a food allergen in the dry bean markets.
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Dr. Mario Tenuta, University of Manitoba said the pig production survey is an integral part of preparing and improving its sustainability in Canada, but this requires sound data. Supplied photo.
animals’ throughput, and productivity. Then the team can determine efficiencies through the analysis of the collected data. He said it is a national survey but started in Manitoba with the interest from Manitoba Pork and its producers in order to know better the recent gains in efficiencies and what improvements they can make going forward. “We’re producing more protein, more pig protein meat than for the resource use or input now than in the past decades ago,” said Tenuta. Currently producers want to know what the recommendations are, how to improve feed ration mixtures and what overall improvements are needed at the different stages in the operation to get pigs to market. Recommendations may result in some automation or perhaps the barn should focus on the growth and weight of the pigs. Dr. Tenuta said in terms of changes it could be manure storage, energy use in the barn, heating, cooling, ventilation, lights, using more energy-efficient approaches, for cost savings. “That’s a part I’m looking forward to; what we can recommend for the future,” said Tenuta. The survey will require producers to come to their computer with some historical production statistics for their main barn. “We need the production stats in terms of the number of animals, when they come in when they come out, their weights and peak performance. And then we can calculate the throughput over a year.” Another significant component is feed and feed rations she said. Producers may not know precisely what the phosphorus level is at but the majority will have prepared mixed rations coming in. The important message that Manitoba Pork wants to convey is to complete the survey as best as possible over time and not necessarily all in one sitting. “We’re going to the producers and learning from them what it takes to grow pork in Canada and the different regions like Manitoba,” said Dr. Tenuta on this novel study approach. The results of this survey will be useful and more accurate coming from the producer and he believes the improvements and efficiency will be much better than expected.
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December 29, 2020
Roundtable for Sustainable Crops Launches Code of Practice Consultations Responsible Grain is a national Code of Practice being developed to demonstrate Canadian grain farmers’ care and commitment to the environment. The draft Code that is now open for consultation has been developed by farmers and industry experts as a voluntary, sciencebased Code of Practice. Led by the Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Crops (CRSC), Responsible Grain is being developed to address consumers’ and customers’ priorities, and to provide practical solutions that support farms in continual improvement. Topics covered include soil and water management, nutrient management, pest and pesticide management, land use and wildlife as well as a section related to health and wellness. “The grain industry is being proactive in developing this Code of Practice through the CRSC,” said Cam Dahl, Chair of the CRSC. “We’re pleased with the dedication and involvement from our members, from every part of the value chain, throughout this process of developing the Code. We are now ready for the next step, gathering broad feedback from grain farmers and other stakeholders.” Now developed in draft form, the next step will be consultations with farmers and other stakeholders, a process that will go on until February of 2021. Farmers from all of the provinces that grow grains, oilseeds and special crops are being asked to provide input and help build the Code of Practice. The input received will help build a stronger Code that is practical, useful, and that will ultimately enhance Canada’s reputation with export and domestic customers. Ted Menzies, Chair of the Responsible Grain Code Development Committee, underscores the importance of the Code of Practice and the consultation process. “The thing that we need to remember is that we’re developing this in a draft form and that we are spending time for consultations across the country. It’s very important that farmers are part of the building process, part of the input as to what makes sense on a farm economically, environmentally, and socially.” Due to continued meeting and travel restrictions, the consultations will be held virtually through web-based meetings and using an online feedback tool to gather input. Commodity groups and other grain value chain organizations who wish to participate are asked to contact the Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Crops, info@ responsiblegrain.ca. Individual grain farmers and stakeholders can get involved in the consultation by registering to access the feedback tool at responsiblegrain.ca.
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Farmers Say the New Carbon Tax Plan Could Destroy their Farms By Harry Siemens When Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced on December 10, 2020, the national carbon tax would rise to $170 per tonne by 2030, the Ag Twitter community voiced their various objections. One national newspaper headline said Canadians couldn’t afford to pay an extra $27 each time they fill up their minivans. When this reporter asked for help, writing this story from the Ag Twitter world, comments and discussion followed for two days and beyond. To start, Pat Kunz a farmer at Richmound SK said there would be very little support for the carbon tax if the people didn’t hear the word rebate. Jim Pallister a Portage la Prairie area farmer said, “It [carbon tax] has the potential to destroy our business.” Rob Stone, another Saskatchewan farmer said,””We raise crops with zero till that sequesters Carbon, implementing efficiencies for both business and stewardship reasons. Yet little recognition for those efforts in the government’s carbon tax plan.” Many agreed that rebates do not come close to covering increased costs. Corey Loessin, chair of the Saskatchewan Pulse Growers said implementing and escalating a tax on a necessary input for which there is no identified alternative, doesn’t stimulate innovation, it penalizes production. Grain farmers cannot recoup the increased costs the government is forcing on them. Brian Kennedy, who works
with Alberta Barley and Cereals in Calgary, AB isn’t sure the Feds and PM considered unintended consequences. “If there are two tractor makers, purple and azure and the government puts a big tax on purple, chances are that azure will not work to keep their prices low. They will raise them to just below purple. Does taxing oil incentivize electricity or give them an excuse to raise their prices?” he asked. Fraser McPhee, who farms in southwest Manitoba, said accelerating carbon tax, huge yearly increases, with no climate action incentive for farms to offset direct and hidden costs. Increasing carbon tax on regulated grain shipments to the port will cost $20M, 2020, is $113M in 2030, out of farmers’ pockets each year. Canada’s Strengthened Climate Plan, mandates a 30 per cent reduction in fertilizer sales by 2030. Ag Emission estimates in NIR, how they judge farmers per year don’t take farmers’ good 4R practices into account. So reducing fertilizer sales is our only option. Less grain produced.” For farmers to achieve those goals, the 4R concept incorporates the Right fertilizer source at the Right rate, at the Right time and in the Right place. McPhee said the clean fuel standard enforced in 2022 would make farm fuels more expensive. Canada already imports half of the ethanol; a higher concentration in the future will require more imports. Either way, it’s many dollars coming out of rural communities he pointed out. Ron Krahn at Rivers, MB
tweeted, if implemented by the government in the way the first information is flowing out, it cuts profits and reflects back in land values. “For those dictating that we need to change, think we need to ask specifics as to how they expect it to happen.” Decreeing something to happen without knowing the implications and how it will happen is irresponsible. Dieter Schwarz replying to Krahn concurred that there is no visible plan from the land’s current rulers. Rather platitudes about how budgets balance themselves and an opportunity to reset. The
plans are scary, but who will hold the government people accountable? Jim Wickett who farms at Rosetown, SK said the big thing all these environmental people like to quote is the increase in fertilizer and pesticide use. What they tend to ignore is the increase in productivity. “We use the same amount as we always have in comparison to a unit of production.” The debate rages on and the common theme through the entire Ag Twitter discussion, is it will leave Canadian farmers uncompetitive in the world market.
Dieter Schwarz, a professional Agrologist, commented that the carbon tax plans are scary, and asks who will hold the government people accountable.
Ron Krahn at Rivers, MB said if implemented by the government in the way the first information is flowing out, it will cut profits and reflect back in land values. Submittted photos.
Prairie Farm Leaders Call for an Extension on Private Grade Crossings Regulations
Rural train crossing.
File photo.
With one year left before new mandatory grade crossing requirements must be met, Keystone Agricultural Producers (KAP), along with the leaders of the Alberta Federation of Agriculture (AFA) and the Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan (APAS), have stepped up their call to Transport Minister Marc Garneau for an extension. The Grade Crossings Regulations came into force in November 2014, with mandatory standards that must be met by November 28, 2021.
Private landowners who fail to comply with the new regulations and standards will eventually have their grade crossings closed. “A year seems like a long way away, but the railways have let six years lapse before starting to take action,” KAP president Bill Campbell said. “In Manitoba alone, CN has 735 public crossings and 215 private crossing along with 51 road authorities. CP has an even larger network in the province and only started contacting farmers with private rail crossings in
March 2020.” To ensure compliance with the new regulations, the railways will have to locate all crossing owners and enter into agreements with them. The owners, including farmers, may need to perform upgrades and take on ongoing maintenance costs. AFA president Lynn Jacobson said that CP has started to contact farmers in southern Alberta as well. “From the bills that we have seen so far, farmers could be expected to pay tens of thousands of dollars depending on the
work that has to be done,” Jacobson said. “That work and extra cost, especially during a pandemic, creates additional uncertainty and pressure with a looming deadline.” It has traditionally been the responsibility of the railways to maintain and upgrade the rail network, including grade crossings as part of Canada’s heritage and settlement of the west. “Many farmers cross rail lines on a daily basis to get to their homes or fields and they understand the need for
safe crossings,” APAS president Todd Lewis said. “Their lives and livelihoods depend on it. But we believe that safe rail crossings should be maintained without affecting a farmer’s access to their land and without costs to farmers.” The farm leaders call on the federal government to reconsider its decision for railway companies to impose grade crossings upgrade and maintenance costs on private landowners and request an extension of the 2021 deadline.
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Need for Made in Canada Hog Pricing Increases By Harry Siemens Steve Dziver, the president of SAMC Farm Management Professionals in Winnipeg, said it would be a challenge, still, he is confident the hog industry will ultimately adopt a ‘made in Canada’ hog pricing formula. In 2013, past general manager of h@ms Marketing Services Perry Mohr had expected Canada’s pork processors to consider formalizing alternative live hog pricing options in the event of future suspensions of the USDA’s tracking of the hog pricing information. As a result of the partial US government shutdown in 2013 the US Department
of Agriculture suspended the tracking of hog pricing information used by industry to establish daily live hog prices for over two weeks forcing North American pork processors to find alternative hog pricing strategies. Mohr had said that many still believe that a Canada price formulation needs to be established and that the industry would need to make significant changes for this to happen. Today the majority of hogs purchased by Canadian processors get priced according to formulas based on U.S. prices. The Western Canadian hog price formula was among the
topics discussed as part of the final virtual session of the Saskatchewan Pork Industry Symposium 2020 in December. Dziver said the first step toward a made-in Canada price would be to get a commitment from at least one Canadian packer and he believes it will happen. “It should start as an initiative to have five percent of the pigs bought and sold in Canada on some other method and maybe that’s five percent of each packer or maybe that’s one processor doing more than the other.” Some of the country’s producer-owned processors are already doing this already,
basing the price off of meat sales and coming back to operating margins and processing margins. Dziver thinks the industry should work toward this model. He has spent five years on a near completion model to have some information available on Canadian pricing but it has been a difficult challenge. Dziver acknowledged accomplishing made in Canada pricing will not be easy. “We do have Canadian data on volume and price but we would need a commitment from at least one Canadian packer.”
Hog Farmers Press Ministers to Adopt Federal Changes to Insurance Program By Les Kletke As the year draws to a close, Rick Bergmann said that there were a number of serious challenges to the industry without even thinking of the COVID Pandemic that touched every sector across the country. Bergmann, the Chair of the Canadian Pork Council said that the industry came under fire from the trade situation with the US and China, as well as price distortions from US programs and producers are living in the shadow of an outbreak of African Swine Fever. “COVID has affected every aspect of Canadian life, specifically the ability of processors to continue pro-
cessing Canadian hogs and the inability for Canadian farmers to get the labour they need to work on their farms; are two very direct impacts for hog producers.” He told a Town Hall meeting that a study of producers by Meyers Norris Penny for Statistic Canada showed that pork producers’ income fell by 140% from the same period a year ago. Bergmann has long been an advocate of an insurance support program for pork producers and said that the industry needs this backstop. He is hopeful that the program now on the table to revise the Business Risk component will provide some of that. He did not dwell on the
fact that this is what producers have been asking for; rather he was optimistic that it can provide help. “We are hopeful that there is some light at the end of the tunnel,” said Bergmann. “We have been working towards this for the last 8 or 9 years and we may be at the point now that we will see some improvements in the program.” “Factors outside of our industry are driving the conditions and that is when we need a back stop.” He said his industry is in favour of the proposal put forward by the Federal Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, MarieClaude Bibeau. He is hopeful that agreement with provin-
cial ministers will come about relatively soon. “We are asking for a backstop that will support our industry when things like foreign trade wars or a pandemic hit our industry,” he said. “We want a program that will keep the family farm from being at risk and we believe that family farms can be a part of the recovery of the Canadian economy.” Bergmann stressed the urgency of the call to action, again. “We are asking for a backstop when something like this happens, we are asking for a commitment from the government not an ongoing support program.”
KAP Applauds New Funding for MELT Training Keystone Agricultural Producers (KAP) supports the provincial government’s new initiative to assist farmers seeking mandatory entry-level training (MELT) to obtain their Class 1 license. This program comes as a result of successful advocacy work from KAP, as well as calls from farmers to address these added financial barriers to entering the program. “Farm safety is a key priority for KAP, and MELT training ensures that farmers receive high-quality training that will keep them
safe on Manitoba highways,” said KAP president Bill Campbell. “This timelimited grant is a step in the right direction, and we encourage all farmers in Manitoba to take advantage of this program. Manitoba farmers are not using their Class 1 licenses to take on long-haul routes, they just need to be able to safely move grain and livestock to market.” The new grant, announced by the province covers up to two-thirds of the cost of tuition for each employee up to a maximum of $50,000
per employer. The grant includes training that takes place between until March 31, 2021. Applications will be accepted until January 31, 2021 or until the grant funding is fully expended. KAP will continue to advocate for increased flexibility with MELT. During these uncertain times Manitoba farmers would benefit from an online platform for MELT course delivery, which is something that farmers have identified as another option to further reduce barriers to this training.
Under the current pandemic response measures commercial truck driver training to meet MELT requirements has been identified as an essential service, which will further help eliminate training backlogs. We are assured that training schools are taking the necessary precautions to keep students, instructors and in particular farmers, safe. More information on the program can be found at gov.mb.ca./wd/ ites/is/melt.
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Swine Disease Control and Profitability for Hog Producers By Harry Siemens In a year-end review, the outgoing chair of Manitoba Pork, George Matheson said animal disease risks and ensuring fair returns to hog producers are the organization’s priority issues heading into 2021. Important issues confronting Manitoba’s pork producers in 2020 are dramatic market disruptions by COVID-19, increased awareness of the spread of African Swine Fever in Asia and Europe and changes in export patterns as the result of friction with China. Matheson said as the organization undergoes some significant changes over the next few months, matters related to animal health and profitability will top the agenda. Keeping disease from entering Manitoba hog farms is the number one priority and ensuring that producers get a fair financial return for their hog production. He said things would change because general manager Andrew Dickson will be retiring after 16 years with Manitoba Pork Council at the end of January. Matheson will retire as chair of MPC at the AGM on April 14, 2021, after six years. Manitoba producers suffered through the PED virus for several years, which devastated some producers. The province had over 80 cases in 2019 but brought it down this year to one positive barn. The industry keeps watch on Africa Swine Fever prevalent in Asian and European countries and has so far kept it out of Canada and the United States. The disease has destroyed producers worldwide, and very much would affect exports. Matheson said hog prices got very low with abysmal returns in the middle of this year. A swine coalition group lead by the Prairie provinces met with producers across Canada. They also met with meat processors to make them aware of hog farms’ desperation in the middle of the year. “Some of those processors came forward outside of the contracts, providing some financial assistance to producers hurt by low hog prices based on US markets,” said Matheson. Another issue was COVID infections in processing plants where workers either could not work or there were delays in processing lines because of distancing measures needed causing slow-downs and a backup of hogs on farms that also resulted in these low prices he noted. While there were some backlogs at Canadian plants, processors stayed on top of the COVID situation that affected workers. “They checked their workers before they enter the plant, taking temperatures to make sure everyone is healthy and safely distancing each other at the plant, all wearing protective clothing,” said Matheson.” This protocol helped keep the lines moving in Canada because to stop; hogs would backup on the farms. And pigs aren’t like cattle able to go on open ranges, but are confined to a barn, which could quickly give producers problems.” He said that trade continued with a few hiccups with China, a major importer of Canadian pork. “Maybe a few red herrings out there; they expect a little more from us than they should, just perhaps to protect their industry as much as anything.” But Japan, Vietnam, Mexico, and the US kept up with their imports from Canada, and those markets continue to flow freely. Manitoba exports 90 per cent of its pork, while the rest of Canada exports 70 per cent. Asia will continue to be Canada’s number one destination for pork. Canada Pork International continues to make inroads there, financed by Canada’s producers on a levy per hog basis which is a few cents per hog. He said that they are, “Doing a fantastic job.” The swine coalition group will continue to have discussions with meat processors, who have been good listeners so far, he noted.
Manitoba Pork chair George Matheson is stepping down at the CounFile photo. cil’s AGM in April after six years in the chair.
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December 29, 2020
Canadian Wheat Research Priorities Released On behalf of the entire value chain, Agriculture and AgriFood Canada and Cereals Canada released their updated wheat research priorities through to 2022. The Economic Strategy Tables and Budget 2020 have both identified Agriculture as a key sector to drive Canadian economic growth. The Economic Strategy Table set a challenging growth target of increasing agricultural and agri-food exports to exports to $75 billion annually by 2025. Agricultural growth will create jobs for Canadians in both urban and rural Canada and in every region of the country. Canada’s wheat sector is at the heart of Canadian agriculture. Achieving ambitious export goals will only be accomplished if the profitability of this vital component of the industry increases for every part of the value chain, including farmers. Wheat is a staple food for 35% of the world’s population and provides more calories (averaging 20% for calories and protein) than any other crop. It plays an important role in sustainable crop rotations by reducing pest pressure and contributes to soil health, and is less sensitive to yield reduction in dry years than oilseeds and corn. Research and technology will drive the necessary growth in productivity and profitability. Collaboration between public and private researchers and full communications between each link in the value chain will significantly enhance our ability to deliver the innovation the sector requires. National wheat research priorities have been developed and refined through a unique national collaboration of farmers, federal and provincial governments, public research institutions, exporters and processors, led by Cereals Canada and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. The five research priorities are improving wheat yield, improving wheat yield reliability, increasing sustainability, improving food safety and increasing our ability to respond to consumer needs, both internationally and domestically, by enhancing the feedback mechanisms between purchasers, researchers, and producers. The first report on priorities was released in 2017. This installment refined the objectives and measurements for the five research priority themes and updated the priorities based on new understanding of the value chain. The report lays out the priority areas of research that public, private and producer groups should focus on for the next two years in order to ensure that this $7 billion wheat industry provides growing and sustainable profitability into the future. The report also provided a roadmap for innovation for public and private researchers, farmer-led organizations that fund innovation and governments who continue to invest in wheat research and development. Lastly the report provided a first picture of where research dollars are spent, allowing the value chain to measure work against the established goals and refine objectives for success. Success will be measured in four key areas. Measure one, is Wheat Yield Increase with a minimum of 130 kg/Ha (2 bushels/acre) yield increase every 5 years while maintaining or improving pest resistance, climate change resilience, sustainable use of inputs, and defined end-use quality for each market class in the relevant regions. Measure 2 is on the Canadian Wheat Productiveness Index. Wheat is a reliable and profitable component of Canadian cropping systems, with a Canadian Wheat Productiveness Index ≥ 1.0. The Canadian Wheat Productiveness Index has been developed to track and compare annual wheat production parameters nationally and globally. Measure 3 will look at the Uptake of Best Management Practices. Improved Best Management Practices are developed, updated, communicated and implemented by the value chain, for the sustainable management of nutrients, insect, disease and weed pests, soil health, climate challenges, and food safety issues. Measure 4 will benchmark Canadian wheat against global competitors. Benchmarking the quality and demand for Canadian wheat versus competitors’ wheat can stimulate and direct research investment to enhance the competitiveness of Canadian wheat. This data can also inform decision-making regarding Canadian classifications and their fit for enduser needs. For example, understanding the blending of Canadian wheat, as well as the competitiveness of mid-protein wheat classes, has implications for positioning and shaping Canadian wheat classes. Stakeholders in every region of the country can use this roadmap by going to, cerealscanada.ca/reports/522-wheatresearch-priorities-2020 to better understand where efforts and funding should be focused in order to achieve greater success for Canada’s important wheat sector.
Beef Producers Look Forward
By Les Kletke
The president of the Canadian Cattleman’s Association is confident that things will turn around for his industry by the third quarter of 2021. “Things looked really good at the beginning of 2020,” Bob Lowe told a Town Hall meeting held December 18. “Then COVID hit and turned everything upside down. I believe it will take the first two quarters of the new year to get things back on track, but we should be back to better times for cattlemen in this country by them.” Lowe acknowledged that the COVID-19 pan-
demic impacted every aspect of the industry and ultimately that tracks back to the producer. “The processors faced challenges with the outbreak of the disease and that translated back to lower prices and a lack of movement of cattle,” he said. “That meant more expenses on the farm because we were feeding cattle for longer.” He also took time to thank the workers in every aspect of the food chain who had kept the supply moving. “We were never without food on the shelves in our store, and the Canadian supply is good safe food, that is important; and the industry worked hard to maintain the confidence of the Canadian consumer. The
demand for beef was up 7% in Canada this year,” said Lowe. “We saw 9 million pounds of sustainable beef sold through a program that came into being not that long ago. We see real confidence in the product we produce.” On the international scene he highlighted the continuation of the Free Trade Agreement with the implementation of CUSMA-USMCA with the finalized details being of value to Canadian producers. Looking forward to next year he said that agriculture can be a real driver in getting the Canadian economy back on its feet. “There are proposals on the table to move ahead with the Business Risk Management program and we as
an industry ask all Ministers to move the program forward,” he said. Lowe said the program is not a subsidy to the industry but rather an insurance program for when things like COVID hit. “It is not an ongoing expense for the government, we are asking for a commitment to help in times like we just went through,” he said. “We need to give young people the confidence in our industry for them to make a commitment. We are seeing fewer and fewer farmers and they are getting older, we need a program that will give young people the confidence to come into this industry. That is the commitment we are asking the government for.”
Canada Succeeds When We Work Together with Agriculture By Les Kletke The newly elected Chair of the Grain Growers of Canada (GGC) Andre Harpe could borrow a line from an old Rodney Dangerfield routine when it comes to a request made to the Federal Government. Dangerfield was best known for his “I don’t get no respect.” Harpe would like the government to recognize farmers for the things they have been doing all along before they became trendy in a greener world. “We have been doing the right things because they were good for our farms and good for the
earth. I wish we would get some recognition from the Federal government for those things,” Harpe told a Town Hall meeting on December 17, a virtual round table that featured representative of the Canadian beef, pork, grains and horticulture sectors as well as a representative of the Canadian Federation of Agriculture. He listed this as one of three issues he would like dealt with by the different levels of governments. “We have three key areas that we would like governments to deal with. We need them to prioritize and enforce free trade agreements, we need them to modernize the regulatory bodies that affect our
industry and are holding back innovation in our industry and we would like recondition for the efforts farmers have made in controlling environmental change.” Looking back on the year, Harpe used his farm in the Peace River area of Alberta as an example of a typical farm to show what grain farmers across country faced. “When the pandemic hit our first goal was to keep our families and employees safe, then we can get on with the business of food production,” said Harpe. On his farm that meant harvesting last year’s crop before this year’s seeding could begin. He had a great deal of canola that had wintered in
the field that needed to be harvested. Farmers faced the balancing act of keeping safe and producing a crop which he said they did a good job of for this year. “We have produced a crop and again are faced with trade distortions, strikes and blockades, some are worsened by the pandemic, some are as old as time,” said Harpe. Harpe is confident about 2021 and he feels that the agriculture sector could be a major contributor to rebuilding the Canadian economy. “COVID has taught us that we can succeed when we all work together and Canadian agriculture is ready to do that,” said Harpe.
New Virtual Ag in the Classroom Benefits More Students By Les Kletke The Manager of Manitoba’s largest agricultural trade show said it was a tough call to make back in August when it was decided to cancel the show for January of 2021 but now as the date nears it was clearly the right choice. Kristen Phillips said that at the time there was still some hope that a January show might be possible but that is clearly not the case and the Board made the call with the consideration of Manitoban’s health in mind. The Board chose to cancel the show rather
than go to a virtual event or some other format. “We are a trade show first and foremost,” said Phillips. “While we do have a speaker component that has grown over the years we did not want to infringe on other shows that have gone that route and do a good job.” The Manitoba Forage and Grassland Association took its Regenerative Agriculture program virtual in November and it proved extremely popular but that was not a route that Ag Days wanted to go. Growing up on a farm near Brandon, Phillips is aware of the history of the event that began as the Weed Fair in
1978. “We know that it has been around for a long time, and has never been cancelled before but this is a year like we have never had before,” she said. The Trade Show at the Keystone Centre has been cancelled although the show is still playing a role in agriculture in the province. It is maintaining the Showcase that feared new products moving it to online and will accept farmer voting. “We have also continued our support for community daycare and had provided grants to 15 day cares throughout the province,” said Phillips. The funding for those grants came from last year’s show
and she is hopeful support will continue with the purchase of 50/50 tickets that will provide funding for next year’s grants. “There has been an upside and that is working with Ag in the Classroom,” she said. “They have developed a virtual program that will allow more students to take part in the Agriculture Adventure. This will include schools that might be too far away to actually make the trip to Brandon, so more students will benefit from the program, and that is a good thing.” Phillips said that plans are underway for the physical event to return in 2022.
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December 29, 2020
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Where There’s a Will There’s a Way... Even for Gardening in Churchill!
By Joan Airey A couple of years ago when visiting Churchill I met Jenafor and Gerald Azure who operate Blue Sky Bed & Sled. Recently Jenafor and I had a phone visit to discuss her garden outdoors in Churchill this summer. I was surprised when Jenafor said they were doing virtual dog sled rides and they were very popular. “We had to be creative to have funds to feed our twentynine sled dogs during the pandemic. The virtual dog sled rides have been popular even seniors in homes have taken advantage of this way have an adventure.” said Jenafor. For further information if you like to know more about Gerald and Jenafor operation visit blueskymush.com or follow them on Instagram blueskychurchill. Now back to gardening, Jenafor said living in the north with her husband Gerald that she has learned from him how to be self-sufficient whether hunting or gardening, or how to survive generally in the north. “We up cycled large crates we bought thirteen thousand dollars’ worth of dog food in by boat when the railway was closed down and it had to be
shipped in from Montreal,” said Jenafor. “Over the years I learned how to garden from working side by side with Diane and Bill Erickson in their gardens and greenhouses here in Churchill. This year I decided I had to start my own gardens. The Ericksons moved south when they retired from Churchill leaving a wealth of knowledge for anyone who knew them on how to garden in the north.” “First of all we put six inches of large rocks or bricks in the bottom of the crates. We then went where an excavator had removed trees and strained peaty soil through a screen to use in the raised beds plus we used seaweed for fertilizer from the Hudson Bay,” she explained. “For years the grain dust from the seaport has been piled and has composted so we dug under the leaves that had fallen on the piles and strained the compost to mix in the beds. The sand along the shore here is sandy and seashells have broken down. So it contains calcium which is good for plants. We mixed a couple of pails of it in the soil which makes the soil more porous too so that the water gets to the plants roots. Believe it or not several peo-
ple have horses in Churchill so we can compost that for the garden too.” Gerald and Jenafor had a great crop of potatoes, lettuce, carrots, spinach, radishes, and kale but because of the short summer season this year their tomatoes did not produce a set crop. “We are planting so the plants get the most sunlight possible and are protecting plants from the winds off the ocean which are quiet cool. Next summer we plan to try some more improvements to become more self-sufficient,” said Jenafor. If you want to see more photographs of how the Azures decorated their gardens this year search Jenafor Azure on Manitoba gardens. It’s too bad COVID prevented visitors from going to Churchill and seeing all the work the Azures put into their Winter Wonderland to make it cozy for visitors while watching the Northern Lights. What these people grow in Churchill makes one think about how we should be able to garden anywhere in Canada. I’m hoping to share with you a lady in the Yukon’s gardening stories in a later column.
Gerry and Jenafor grow everything in raised beds with stones in the bottom to hold the heat longer in the soil.
While the Azures work in their garden, the dogs rest in the shade with raised beds. They don’t need to worry about the dogs damaging anything with the raised beds.
Jenafor decorates the garden with ice sculptors, candles, and greenery for guests to watch the northern lights. The garden is where the dogs are located, not at their B & B. If you want to get a real look at the winter garden search Manitoba gardener for Jenafor Azure.
Jenafor and Gerald Azure in their garden.
The Azures make willow tomato cages to support their plants.
Photos supplied by Jenafor Azure
Vegetables the Azures grew outdoors in Churchill the summer of 2020.
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