The AgriPost
November 29, 2019
Grain Farmers Need Speedy Resolution to CN Labour Disruption
Pork and Beef Shipments Will Resume to China
Hog Boss James Hofer of the Starlite Colony near Starbuck is grateful to the Canadian Government’s team of negotiators who struck a deal recently for the resumption of pork shipments to China. Photo by Harry Siemens
By Harry Siemens Great news for beef and pork producers and the entire meat industry as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau tweeted November 5. “Good news for Canadian farmers today: Canadian pork and beef exports to China will resume. Thanks to Ambassador Barton and the Canadian meat industry for their work on re-opening this important market for our meat producers and their families.” Then the Minister of Agriculture Marie-Claude Bibeau
said after months of hard work and constructive dialogue, China would be re-opening its market for Canadian pork and beef. “Thank you to many who played a role! We will continue to work hard for our producers and processors.” Manitoba Pork Council said producers welcomed the announcement that China will once again accept Canadian pork. Demand for high-quality pork by Chinese consumers is high, and Manitoba producers are eager to meet their needs. “We especially commend Ambassador Dominic Barton, International Trade Diversification Minister Jim Carr, and Agriculture and Agri-Food Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau for their tireless efforts to reach this resolution.” Rick Bergmann of Steinbach, the Chair of the Canadian Pork Council, said they expect the movement of Canadian pork to China to eclipse the pace set before China’s suspension of Canadian pork imports in June. After just over four months in place, China announced an end to its suspension of Canadian pork and beef imports.
Bergmann said before June 25, the Chinese demand for pork and different cuts of pork were changing and increasing, due in part to the challenges faced by a country that is dealing with African Swine Fever. “China is our thirdlargest market. In the first part of 2019, we saw some significant increase in volume and then that all ended June 25, so it’s a critical market place for us. We sell them different cuts. We sell them products that we don’t use here in Canada either, so it’s very much a win-win customer for us,” he said. “With such a large country, we look forward to more opportunities to enhance and build on what we had in the past. As you know, African Swine Fever has been a significant challenge in many Asian countries, including China, impacted heavily by this disease; they require a nutritious form of protein. They’re looking at Canadian pork now again to fulfill their needs there. We’re very fortunate and look forward to building a stronger relationship than what we would have even had in the past.”
Bergmann said he sees the continued opportunity within China to move more and more Canadian pork. “The Canadian pork industry is working diligently to strengthen its relations with Chinese pork importers, and we look forward to significant trade moving forward.” “I am very thankful that our team of negotiating people negotiated a deal with China, and come up with a deal so that we can keep our barn doors open,” said Hog Boss James Hofer of the Starlite Colony near Starbuck. “Manitoba is a net exporting province. Seven out of 10 pigs need to leave the country for that matter. And the spinoff effect is huge. Without being selfish, just thinking about pigs, if we can’t feed the grain, the repercussions are endless.” Hofer said if we do not sell our pigs, they do not sell their grain. As agriculture grows, so does the economy “And people need to understand that if agriculture isn’t going, if commerce isn’t flowing from agriculture, it’s devastating.” Continued on Page 2...
Grain farmers across Canada are calling on both sides of the Canadian National Railway (CN) labour dispute to work together to find a solution to their issues and get trains moving again. With the vast majority of grain being shipped to market by rail, a reliable transportation system is crucial to Canadian agriculture’s success. “This strike comes at a terrible time for agriculture,” said Jeff Nielsen, Grain Growers of Canada (GGC) Chair. “Grain farmers from coast to coast are experiencing one of the most challenging harvests in recent memory and international trade disputes have closed some of our most reliable markets. Any delay in shipping will damage our access to hard-won markets that we must cultivate to survive.” With upwards of 90 per cent of grains being moved by rail, the inability to get grain to market has a significant impact on hard working farm families. If grain doesn’t move, farmers don’t get paid. With an early winter and excess moisture in many crops, farmers across Canada are already seeing added costs from grain drying eating into narrow profit margins. As of today, all propane deliveries to farms in eastern Ontario and western Quebec have been halted, bringing an already late harvest to a standstill in those areas. Any stoppage of propane deliveries means that grain drying simply cannot happen, causing grain spoilage in the bin and the field. In addition, farmers have been forced to watch profits drop due to crops still in the field degrading in value. Any added loss in profit will not be manageable for many farmers who do not have reliable, government supported business risk management programs to fall back on. “Canadian farmers are ready to ship grain but are once again at the mercy of the railways,” said Markus Haerle, GGC Vice-Chair. “We know from the rail backlogs in recent years that any slowdown in service has serious consequences throughout the whole value chain. We are not in a position to weather yet another storm.” “When one part of the grain handling system is not running, the whole chain shuts down,” added Shane Stokke, GGC Vice-Chair. “We know that CN is aware of the important role they play in the success of our industry and expect both parties to negotiate in good faith and get back to what they do best, getting Canadian products where they need to go.”
November 29, 2019
The AgriPost
Pederson New Ag Minister for Manitoba By Harry Siemens Midland MLA Blaine Pedersen is Manitoba’s new Minister of Agriculture and
Resource Development replacing Lakeside MLA Ralph Eichler, who is the new Minister of Economic
Development and Training, a new department. “It’s exciting, but it is much more than agriculture,’ said Pederson only hours after his swearing-in as the new Minister of Ag. “And for a long time we’ve realized that in agriculture many farmers are not just dealing with the agriculture department, but they’re dealing a lot with what is sustainable development in terms of water management and conservation. Besides agriculture, I also bring the mining and petroleum division from growth, enterprise and trade. It will not all be in my new department, but I also have fish and wildlife, I’ve got forestry, watershed districts, conservation trusts, and also taking on the Crown Lands.” He said the idea is to make it better, more accessible for the agricultural, natural resource, mining, petroleum, fishing and wildlife sectors for permitting efficiency. The Crown Land issue has cattlemen nervous, to say the
Midland MLA Blaine Pedersen is Manitoba’s new Minister of Agriculture and Resource Development said that for a long time we have realized that in agriculture many farmers applying for permits are not just dealing with the agriculture department, they are dealing a lot with what is sustainable development in terms of water management and conservation. Submitted photo
least, as it pertains to recent changes announced by the Pallister government. Some of those changes still have unresolved issues and have cattle producers concerned about how the young ranchers will deal with those changes in the future. “Yes, there are some challenges there, especially an outdated system with a tremendous amount of Crown Land tied up by leases not used and needed updating,” said Pederson. “I’m not going to over promise and under deliver, but I understand there are concerns, particularly with young producers who we want to keep in the business. We want everybody to stay in business but particularly young ranchers who need that sense of security moving forward in terms of pasture and succession planning for those who are looking for farm succession plans. I’ll have a look at it but can’t promise instant solutions.” Pederson is also in charge of drainage, a massive problem for the Province if not done right. “We’ve made some changes in the tile drainage speeding up the permitting and reducing the backlog in granting permits for installing tile drainage,” he said.
“But also we’ve changed the onus off of downstream people having the ability to say no to an upstream drain tile proposal when it did not affect their land. Everybody had the automatic ability to say no. We’ve made some changes bringing this into one department that will help streamline this to make sure that all sides are aware of what’s going on. There still has to be some semblance of permits and making sure that there is a coordinated drainage plan. That’s what we’re looking for when it’s all in one department.” With the challenging year brought on by first drought followed by heavy rains, and the Thanksgiving weekend massive snowfall, the Crop Insurance portfolio will need extra attention as well. Pederson said that the importance is the information that needs to come from farmers, Keystone Agricultural Producers, and the government department looking after the Crop Insurance program. “We’ve come through three years of drought, and now there’s lots of talk about flood. But, one month of rain does not make a flood per se in the long term,” he said. “It sure caused some challenges right now and getting the crop
off and it’s across the province too despite farmers in The Pas and the Carrot River Valley that got their harvest off, and it’s one of their best harvests ever. They certainly need it because the last three years have just been tough for those people in the Carrot River Valley. A producer from Dauphin told me a lot of the crop is off there, so it varies across the province.” With the wet snow, heavy rains and wet crops coming off, grain dryers are an essential tool of storing that grain safely. Jason Lessen of Wentworth Ag near Winkler said it is not near as trying to get grain dryers inspected and Okayed for on-farm use. “It’s a longstanding issue getting grain dryers certified in Manitoba. Everybody understands there has to be safety involved and that they need certification,” said Pederson. “My last report shows the office of the fire commissioner doing as many as two to three certifications a day and many of them under two weeks. That’s just a lot better than what it was. I had some staff in a department in the office of the fire commissioner who understood that there was a problem, and they took it on, and it’s working much better.”
Pork and Beef Shipments Will Resume to China Continued from Page 1...
Another challenge for farmers, including the Starlite Colony, were the problems that “Mother Nature” presented to everyone this year affecting the harvest to spreading of manure. “Oh, man. Manure-spreading was a challenge this fall. It usu-
ally takes us three weeks to get it done; now, it took two months. And the last part of it was a challenge where the conditions were wet and cold. But somehow the boys pulled it off, and they got it done,” said Hofer. “And the equipment, everything you
could see taxed to the limit. The boys, the perseverance, they were getting stuck and all that stuff. It was a challenge. Yeah, it was a good crop. With the amount of rainfall we got when we got it, very thankful for what we got.”
The AgriPost
November 29, 2019
Regional Harvest Sends More Children to Camp
Coordinator George Klassen brought AgriPost writer Harry Siemens along for a ride. Photos by Harry Siemens
The harvest of a 73-acre corn field near Winkler involved many volunteers, combine operators and truck drivers. The joint effort was for the Harvest for Kids program with the sole purpose of raising funds for children to attend bible camps.
By Harry Siemens Many people around the world remember the Harvest for Kids combine events with the last one setting a world record with over 300 combines harvesting on the same field at the same time near Winkler, in August 2018. Other single field harvests took place in Saskatchewan and the most recent one north of Winkler on George Klassen’s farm on Saturday, November 2, 2019. With the growing season of 2019 being anything but ordinary from cold, dry, wet, and then early snow in October, it was difficult for Harvest for Kids to plan for a harvest event, except to wait for a day not too cold, and little to no snow on the field. During the harvest, a 73acre corn field involving many volunteers, combine operators and truck drivers for Harvest for Kids, said coordinator George Klassen was for the sole purpose of raising funds for children to attend bible camps. “This field will provide enough funds to pay for approximately 15,000 children to attend camp,” said Klassen. “Each row of the corn pays for about 100 children for $5 per child.” Klassen said everything’s been donated except the fertilizer so far. This field
provided approximately $50,000 which could send between 10,000 to 15,000 kids to camp. He said that next year they are hoping to expand the acres and the fields. “Yes, we certainly are. What we’ll be looking at is even to get farmers to do five, maybe 10 acres out of their plots because it makes such a difference when we send the kids to camp. It’s a huge difference. So if we have everybody doing a little bit, then we can make a huge difference,” he said. “We’re in five different countries, but the majority of it goes to India. So actually the program for the coming year is that the churches there are going to be participating more than they have in the past, so we’re assuming this could even be 20,000 kids that we will send to camp from this field. So that is awesome.” Harvest for Kids is there to help raise awareness for Children’s Camps International by inviting the agricultural community to get involved. Canadian farmers and businesses are showing how passionate they can be about giving back, working together, to give generously to make a difference in the lives of children on the other side of the globe. By working together with
farmers, business owners and individuals, local and international volunteers have helped Children’s Camps International break several Guinness World Records in the past with their massive harvest events across Canada. The most recent record for the most combine harvesters working simultaneously in a single field occurred in 2018 with a whopping 303 combines in Manitoba. Other projects in Saskatchewan had or will have similar harvests as the one north of Winkler. Several near Saskatoon, Osler, Hepburn, and Dalmeny, Saskatchewan
and one near Three Hills, Alberta with crops ranging from canola, wheat, and corn. Children’s Camps International is currently involved with churches in Brazil, Mexico, Cambodia, India, and Kenya. Churches and camp workers invite children to come to-day camps for one week, where they eat, play games and learn about being good. The churches running these camps are obligated to continue teaching them through a follow-up program by meeting with them once a week.
Volunteers taking off the grain corn on a Harvest for Kids 2019 regional harvest to send more children to camp, says George Klassen, the coordinator.
Rail Strike Comes at a Devastating Time for Farmers The Canadian Federation of Agriculture (CFA) is urgings the Federal Government to take immediate action to resolve the CN Rail Strike situation before it has permanent consequences for farmers and our international trade relationships. While the CFA respects the negotiation process, it will once again be farmers who bear the brunt of actions beyond their control.
The strike comes at a devastating time for farmers, after enduring a myriad of challenges in 2019, farmers now have crop ready to be transported for export. Farmers do not receive payment for their products until they reach the port, and the rail strike makes this impossible. This will create huge cash flow problems for farmers, who require these payments to pay off
their loans, invest in their operations and prepare for the new year. “Farmers are already bearing an unprecedented level of burden from international trade disputes and this year’s exceptionally poor spring and harvest conditions. This strike comes at the worst possible time, when a year of work results in nothing because the products you’ve produced
cannot reach their intended destination. Farmers have nothing to do with this dispute within CN but will face devastating consequences if it is not rectified immediately,” said Mary Robinson, President of CFA. CFA once again urges the Federal Government to urgently work to rectify this situation and resume rail service immediately.
November 29, 2019
The AgriPost
Farm Income Down with a Steady Dollar
Craig Klemmer said African Swine Fever in China could have an impact on Manitoba prices. Photo by Les Kletke
By Les Kletke Senior economist Craig Klemmer with Farm Credit Canada (FCC) is forecasting that the Canadian dollar will hold at the same rate through the next year. While farm incomes are down, the Canadian dollar should stay near the 75 cent US mark through 2020. Klemmer told the Canadian Association of Farm Advisors meeting in Winnipeg that each one cent move-
ment of the Canadian dollar has a dramatic impact on farm prices. His calculations show that a 1 cent movement has a 1 dollar per head impact on the price of hogs and a $13-16 impact per head for cattle operations. The same one cent change in the dollar impacts cash crops by $5 an acre. “This is a significant impact and should not be overlooked,” said Klemmer. “We expect the dollar to remain at relatively the same level for the next year.” Internationally the issue of African Swine Fever (ASF) is concern. “The disease is in China but we don’t know to what extent it will impact the production of that country,” said Klemmer. “China produces half of the pigs in the world, so if this disease has a dramatic impact on Chinese production it could have a huge impact on world prices.” He said that ASF has been reported in 11 Asian countries and in China the herd numbers are down by 39%. “We know that consumption
in that country has dropped and that the price of pork has doubled, but we don’t know how much of an impact the disease will have in the next year,” said Klemmer. “There is a large swine herd in western Canada and markets might open up.” He sees opportunity in the cattle industry as, “Profitability should increase in the next cycle.” Klemmer said that while agriculture is not embarking on boom times, Canadian farms are in a relatively strong position with 30% of farms having no debt. “Manitoba farms are in good shape and the financial ratios look good going into 2020,” said Klemmer. “We do know that potato producers have had their second year of difficult harvesting and much of that crop has stayed in the field. That is a challenge.” “We expect farm land rental prices to back off a bit,” he said. “But as always farmers will find a reason to buy land but they never find a reason to sell land.”
FCC Ready to Help Customers Get Back on Track Farm Credit Canada (FCC) customers facing financial setbacks due to circumstances beyond their control can depend on Canada’s leading agriculture lender to help them get back on track. “2019 has not been an easy year for Canadian farmers. Weather, along with multiple other challenges, is having a serious impact on farm operations across the country,” said Michael Hoffort, FCC president and CEO. “We want everyone in Canada’s agriculture industry to know that we understand the significant challenges being faced, and we will work with our customers to find solutions to any short-term financial pressure that might be weighing them down.” In many parts of the Prairies, snow has blanketed the fields, making it almost impossible to pick up crops that have been swathed or left standing. This followed weeks of persistent rain with short sunny breaks that caused many crops to sprout,
significantly reducing the quality and the producer’s return on investment. “The last days of harvest normally represent a grain farmer’s profits for the year, so for many, what’s left of their pay cheque for the year is still sitting in the field,” Hoffort said. “The challenges facing producers across Canada can vary significantly,” Hoffort said. “Many, such as Manitoba potato growers, are in back to back years of leaving a significant percentage of their crop unharvested. Even producers with strong balance sheets will feel the impact.” “Our customers work hard throughout the year to produce high-quality food for consumers at home and abroad, so they deserve our support when facing circumstances beyond their control,” he said. FCC will work with customers to come up with solutions for their operations on a case-by-case basis and will
consider deferral of principal payments and/or other loan payment schedule amendments to reduce the financial pressure these pronounced circumstances may create. Customers facing financial pressure are encouraged to contact their FCC relationship manager or the FCC Customer Service Centre at 1-888-332-3301 to discuss their individual situation and options. In addition to working with customers to support any financial concerns, FCC also reminds those who may be struggling to seek support for their mental well-being. “Customers facing pressures can sometimes feel isolated and don’t always know who to turn to for help,” said Hoffort. “We encourage anyone who is struggling to talk to somebody for support, whether it’s Crisis Services Canada or our partner, the Do More Agriculture Foundation (domore.ag), which has a list of resources on their website.”
The AgriPost
Have a Plan in Place to Handle Farm Activists By Harry Siemens Hannah Thompson-Weeman is Vice President of Communications for Animal Agriculture Alliance, located in Arlington, Virginia. The organization, founded in 1987, is a research tax-exempt, non-profit organization that uses its approximate $800,000 to $900,000 USD grant and donation funding to help bridge the communication gap between farm and consumers. The 32-member board includes representation from the feed industry, cattle, sheep, dairy, egg, chicken, turkey, pork, animal health, corn, soybeans and farm media. According to ThompsonWeeman’s Linked-In profile, the organization helps to, “Connect key food industry stakeholders to arm them with responses to emerging issues. We engage food chain influencers and promote consumer choice by helping them better understand modern animal agriculture. We protect by exposing those who threaten our nation’s food security with damaging misinformation.” She was asked for a response on an incident in Alberta, over the September Labour Day weekend where 35 animal activists forcibly entered into the turkey barn at Jumbo Valley Hutterite Colony farm taking five live turkeys and claiming that these turkeys would spend the remainder of their time in a ‘Safe Haven’ sanctuary. Following the break-in, Jason Kenney the Premier of Alberta presented legislation that included a $25,000 fine as a first offence for anyone who trespasses on a farm in that manner. A second offence would have a larger fine and a third offence could include six months in jail. “Well, it’s unfortunate that our neighbours to the north
are starting to see some of these trespassing thefts, large-scale protests on farms we’re seeing that we’ve been seeing here in the US for the past few years. And this is an escalation from activist groups recently,” said Thompson-Weeman. “Groups in the past, maybe a decade or so, had focused more on getting hired on farms and doing these undercover video campaigns, which of course, come with their host of issues and challenges. But it’s even more alarming when we see people go into farms, go into barns, sit down with animals, as we all in animal agriculture probably cringed as you said that because it’s a biosecurity nightmare. These people will go from farm to farm to try to find one they can get into. We know they don’t follow the meticulous and strict biosecurity protocols that are in place on farms to make sure animals are kept safe and kept healthy.” She said it was reassuring how seriously the government in Alberta, Canada, is taking this because the proposed penalties are severe. She went on to say that the leaders at the colony handled the incident well. “Well, unfortunately, for these groups, it’s not about finding anything. It doesn’t matter how well you manage your farm, how healthy your animals are, what standards of animal welfare are in place. If your farm exists to raise animals for food, it’s not acceptable. So for them, it’s not about finding anything or exposing anything, it’s just the fact that you are a farm, and they’re going to target that. So, unfortunately, our efforts of transparency, and giving tours, and letting them into barns is only going to hurt us,” she said. “Now, we need to continue those
Hannah Thompson-Weeman is Vice President of Communications for Animal Agriculture Alliance based in Virginia as a US nonprofit organization that helps bridge the communication gap between farm and consumers. Photo by Harry Siemens
efforts for our true consumers who have questions and want more information, but these extremists are certainly not our consumers. They’re not people we need to try to influence. They are so far in the other direction, there’s nothing to be gained from trying to engage with them because, again, it’s not about exposing the farm practices to them. For them, any type of farm practice, no matter how the farmer does it, is not acceptable.” Thompson-Weeman cautions farmers and the entire industry on trying to educate these activists by showing what we do, or explaining what we do. “And for that reason, we think it’s essential for farms to be aware of these groups and to be very cautious about letting anyone access your farm for any reason,” she said. “If you can’t validate who they are, what their business is being there, don’t take any claims at face value. Always verify, always make sure you know who someone is and that they have a legitimate reason to be there before letting them set foot onto your property because they could be there with that intention.” She summed up the colo-
ny’s handling of the situation this way. “I do think it’s important that we make sure, if confronted with protests or any of this activism, we have to keep our cool. So you are probably being recorded, if not live-streamed. And while I know it’s very upsetting to have these people trespass and potentially be threatening, and maybe threatening the safety of your animals, trying to steal them, we have to keep our cool, avoid confrontation. The last thing we want to do is lose our temper, get frustrated, and be caught on a video not representing the agriculture industry the way we would like to do,” she said. “Be prepared; you have a plan in place that you can activate. Have good relationships with law enforcement, so you know to call them. They can come out and help you, and they can deal with any direct discussion with these folks. So don’t try to bargain with them. Don’t try to negotiate with them. There’s no room for common ground. Again always keep your cool and remember that they want you to have a negative reaction. So don’t give them that satisfaction or give them a clip that they can then go and use and spread around everywhere on the internet.”
KAP Looking Forward to Working with Province According to KAP, they are “overall” pleased with what the government announced in the recent Throne Speech. Bill Campbell, KAP President is looking forward to working together on the issues that matter most to Manitoba farmers which includes, drainage, education tax and climate change. “On the issue of education property tax, we will note that the disparity between what farmers are paying and what the average homeowner is paying continues to grow,”
said Campbell. “According to the government, once fully implemented, the average homeowner will save more than $2,000 annually, while many farmers pay 10 times that amount. We are ready to join the province in working together collaboratively on the implementation details as this is something we have been focused on for decades.” In terms of climate change Campbell is waiting for more details on the GROW program and how it will be
beneficial to farmers. “Producers want to be part of the solution when it comes to climate change and want to be recognized for the work they put in each and every day to protecting our planet,” said Campbell. “We are hopeful that the government will reinstate the Made in Manitoba Climate and Green Plan that included an exemption for natural gas and propane for grain drying and heating barns. Farmers have incurred unavoidable grain drying costs because of the wet har-
vest conditions and the carbon tax has made the situation even worse.” When it comes to economic growth, Campbell is pleased agriculture was acknowledged in the new “Partners for Economic Growth” program and it was a great first step. “…we look forward to receiving more details and ensuring farmer’s have their say in how the government and the private sector can work together in the best interests of primary producers,” concluded Campbell.
November 29, 2019
Producers Have More than Weather on their Minds Canadian producers are thinking well beyond weather conditions, commodity prices and yields when it comes to weighing their risks, according to a recent Farm Credit Canada (FCC) survey. While production-related risks such as weather, pests and disease are still very much top of mind in every sector of Canadian agriculture, producers are also keenly aware of risks related to marketing, financial and human resources (matters involving employees, partners and family). “Modern farming involves so much more than making decisions around production,” said Craig Klemmer, FCC’s principal agricultural economist. “It means keeping tabs on markets; ensuring your business can withstand sudden changes in commodity prices or economic conditions and managing human resources while maintaining a safe work environment.” The survey, conducted from July 11-15, showed a majority of farm operators reported a high level of concern for marketing (67 per cent of respondents), production (60 per cent) and financial (53 per cent) risks. Human resources and legal risks were less of a concern at 31 per cent and 23 per cent, respectively. Looking at risk through the lens of individual sectors, marketing risks were most prominent among beef and grains/oilseed sector producers at 74 per cent, followed by the fruit/vegetable/greenhouse sector at 58 per cent and the supply managed sectors of dairy and poultry at 55 per cent and 53 per cent, respectively. Price and market access were among the top concerns. Financial risk ranked highest among dairy, hog, cattle and other livestock producers, in the mid50-per-cent range, and was slightly lower for the grains/oilseed and fruit/vegetable/greenhouse sectors. Financial risk was significantly less of a concern for poultry producers at 36 per cent. Ensuring there is sufficient working capital was the most prominent financial concern across all sectors, followed by unfavourable changes in interest rates and meeting debt payment obligations. Almost 65 per cent of the respondents identified insufficient working capital as a risk to their operation. Out of this group, about 45 per cent indicated relying on off-farm income to mitigate this financial risk. Transitioning farm operations to the next generation was identified as a concern for 44 per cent of respondents, with about half of those respondents indicating they have a succession plan. Transition concerns were the most prominent among grains/ oilseeds and dairy producers, while workplace safety was a common concern among all sectors. The survey also explored a variety of productionrelated risks. Concerns about the weather were most prominent in grains/oilseeds and beef sectors, while concerns related to pests and disease were mostly on the minds of poultry producers. “The good news is most producers are in a solid financial position to withstand short-term impacts on their business,” Klemmer said. “We encourage producers to have a risk management plan that pulls together mitigation strategies, as well as identifies key risks and available solutions to manage these risks before they emerge.” The survey involved 1,363 producers considered key decision makers for their operations. Based on the sample size, the survey has a margin of error plus/minus 2.2 per cent, 19 times out of 20.
The AgriPost
November 29, 2019
A Carbon Tax Has the Potential to Suck All Profit Out of Agriculture According to the Western Canadian Wheat Growers (WCWG), the Federal government doesn’t seem to understand that the carbon tax impacts farmers’ bottom lines. The carbon tax gets added to almost everything we buy, but unlike many consumer goods, we cannot pass it on to the end consumer. We sell our grain on the world market. The 2019 harvest was extremely hard – flooding, rain and multiple snowstorms across the prairies means that we’re using grain dryers a LOT! Dryers are a great tech-
nology, but running them isn’t cheap. To add insult to injury, the Federal government adds on a carbon tax and tags on the GST. “Upon the swearing-in of the new ministers, we sent a strong message to Ottawa urging the Federal government to eliminate the carbon tax on farm-related inputs and energy,” said the Wheat Growers. “But we also want to show the Federal government the impact of their actions. Please sign our ‘NoFarmCarbonTax’ petition and tell us how much carbon tax you’ve paid. We’ll send your petition response to the Minister of Agriculture and Food as well as the Minister of Environment and Climate Change. Let’s
flood their inboxes with your concerns.” I support the Wheat Growers whole-heartedly, and so should all farmers, including the Keystone Agricultural Producers, hog, beef, dairy, potato, poultry producer organizations. Please go to Wheat Growers or wheatgrowers.ca/ end-carbon-tax. William Pallister farms at Portage la Prairie and is a director with WCWG. He explained to me what this petition is about and what farmers and suppliers should do with it. “Most farmers are aware that this harvest was pretty much the most difficult one on record. And then to boot, once we went to put our grain into the grain dryer, we realized that there was a carbon tax on top of
the propane and the natural gas that we use in drying our grain and preventing it from spoiling in the bin,” said William. “So as a farmer organization, the Wheat Growers have launched a petition on nofarmcarbontax.com, but there’s a second part where you can enter your grain drying, your propane and natural gas bill with the carbon tax portion on that. And once you enter it, it’s anonymous. We start tallying up the total carbon tax that farmers pay so that we can go to Ottawa with sharper teeth.” As a farmer and as a director of a farm organization Pallister said this is unfair because there are absolutely no alternatives to drying our grain other than propane and natural gas. “So far, the response is good
because it frustrates farmers to no end, and so we’re going to get a response from them on that because it’s extremely unfair. There are no other alternatives. It’s not like there’s a green alternative to drying your grain. You have to use fossil fuels. So a carbon tax is just a money grab for Ottawa. That’s all it is.” Next, he told me about their harvest. “Oh, it was extremely tough. After wheat harvest, once it started to rain, we had to dry every kernel, but we did get harvest completed. The yields are pretty poor actually, just because we didn’t have any rain all summer. So the drought all summer punished us, and then it didn’t stop raining all harvest,” he said. The rate changes from location to location, making
it even more confusing. In Manitoba, they call it a Carbon Surcharge and usually just a line item towards the bottom. “The confusing thing is that across western Canada it ranges in how much the tax is. Sometimes it’s 17 per cent of your bill. Other times it’s up to 43 per cent. It raises the cost of drying your grain substantially. It’s a tax on everything because once you deliver your grain to the elevator, then the shippers pay a carbon tax, the elevators pay a carbon tax on their grain drying. And then when you receive inputs as well, there’s a carbon tax on top of the transportation costs,” said Pallister. “A carbon tax has the potential to suck all of the profit out of agriculture in Canada.”
Show Me the Future I have never made an effort to hide my love of farm shows and I have been to more than a few of them. This is a great time of year, a show in Brandon, Canadian Western Agribition, the Royal in Toronto all great events that bring their own flavour. This year another matter had me in Tennessee in early November and to my surprise the show in Louisville happened to be on. I made a point of swinging through and spending a day. The Louisville event has long billed itself as the largest livestock show in the world and it might well be; it is able to do that with the length of the event and some stock coming in early and vacating to make room for the next species. The day I visited was after the sheep and goat shows, and before the beef animals came to town.
What’s left you may ask? Well the dairy cows commanded the main ring, which had to be split to accommodate two breeds showing all day, and the swine show was on in another part of the arena. I settled into a seat in the second row of the swine show and was supersized by the youthfulness of the exhibitors. Not one to be shy I started to ask question of those around me. “It is the open class age 4 to 20,” said one Mom and soon I learned that all the animals in the ring and indeed in the show were destined to the packers the next day. She went on to explain there were no purebred shows any more, that breeding stock came from barns designed for that and no farmers developed their sow parent lines. I nodded understandingly. Then I settled in to watch these youngsters guide their hogs under the watchful eye of a judge who was happily munching a hamburger (no time for a lunch break) and thought about the value of this event. The exhibitors had come from all over the eastern
half of the US, and only the top two would get a token prize. Their animals would be bacon by the end of the week, and I wondered about the value of the entire process. Suddenly it dawned on me, these people knew why they groomed that piglet from the very start; they know that animals become food for humans. I looked to the ring and saw the future of agriculture in American and that it was in good hands,
the hands trying to control those massive swine that in some cases weighed 4 times as much as the exhibitor. The lessons learned in the show ring run much deeper than the trimming of ear hair or a certain kind of spray to make the animal shiny. These kids were learning where their food comes from and what goes into producing it. I always like livestock shows but suddenly there in a seat in the Louisville
Convention Center it hit me that no place is better than the show ring to learn what goes into producing top quality food. It was not the magic of the largest show in the world, that same lesson comes about in every small show ring, at every 4H steer show and countless other places we sometimes forget about. Kids taking pride in the animals they raised is a big part of the future of our business.
The future of agriculture is in good hands, even though they may be small at this time. Photo by Les Kletke
The AgriPost
Open Letter to the Prime Minister The Rt. Hon. Justin Trudeau, P.C., M.P. Prime Minister of Canada 80 Wellington Street Ottawa Ontario K1A 0A2 Dear Prime Minister, On behalf of Manitoba farmers, I first want to congratulate you on your success and your party’s success in the most recent federal election. We look forward to working collaboratively with your government and the soon-to-be appointed Minister of Agriculture on issues such as stronger climate change programming, canola, trade, and enhanced programming for business risk management. The purpose of my letter today is to invite you to Manitoba and to my farm in Minto to meet with myself and many of our concerned farmers across this province. We have encountered drought and excess moisture in the same farming year, on top of trade disputes that have threatened our bottom lines, and we are looking for federal leadership to ensure that our operations remain sustainable so that we can continue to be an economic driver in this country. Since the election has concluded, we have heard a great deal from some western Canadian politicians about separation from the rest of Canada given the lack of western Canadian voices in your government. These discussions do not serve the best interest of our country and are not discussions Manitobans support. We do, however, have the need to hear from our federal government on the issues that we encounter every day. Regardless of the composition of the House of Commons, the federal government has the responsibility to hear all voices and make decisions in the best interests of all Canadians, not just the Canadians that voted for them. I believe strongly that no matter our political differences, we can work beyond those and move my industry and our country forward because we have the responsibility to work together in a collaborative way. My hope is that you will seriously consider my invitation so that we can discuss how your government can work with farmers like me going forward. We are all best served by working in unison, rather than in opposition. Sincerely, Bill Campbell President, Keystone Agricultural Producers
Goofy Guffs Nowadays the public can choose from a never-ending supply of goofy ideas. Cell phones give you cancer, canola oil causes Alzheimer’s and going vegan will save the planet. Those are just three that caught my eye recently. Let’s have a look. Cell phones: How the heck are they supposed to give you cancer? They do give off “Radio Frequency” waves and they do get warm. But, according to the American Cancer Society, “The RF waves given off by cell phones don’t have enough energy to damage DNA directly or to heat body tissues. Because of this, it’s not clear how cell phones might be able to cause cancer. Most studies done in the lab have supported the idea that RF waves do not cause DNA damage.” What about radiation and electromagnetic fields? According to the World Health Organization (WHO), “In the area of biological effects and medical applications of non-ionizing radiation approximately 25,000 articles have been published over the past 30 years. Despite the feeling of some people that more research needs to be done, scientific knowledge in this area is now more extensive than for most chemicals.” Their conclusion? “Based on a recent in-depth review of the scientific literature,
the WHO concluded that current evidence does not confirm the existence of any health consequences from exposure to low level electromagnetic fields.” What about the connection between canola oil and Alzheimer’s? Only one peerreviewed paper, published in Scientific Reports two years ago, seemed to suggest that consumption of canola oil might lead to an increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease. But when you dive into it, the study it doesn’t even do that. The conclusion states a preference for olive oil, but the methodology of the study doesn’t support that either. Long story short: They gave mice that were genetically engineered to have memory problems a diet of mouse chow combined with a heavy serving of canola oil. Then they compared them to mice that ate just regular mouse chow. A number of memory tests were given to both groups and there was a small (20%) difference on just one of those tests in which the canola-oil fed mice did worse. That doesn’t even get you past the margin for error. Worse still, they didn’t even bother to set up a third control group of mice with an equivalent olive oil diet, just for the sake of comparison. Yet, based on their experiment, they’re claiming
that olive oil is somehow superior. It also doesn’t help that they only used 30 mice. Sample size matters, and this number is By Rolf just too small to tell Penner us anything. How’s about going vegan to save the planet? It’s the latest virtuesignalling fad for the “uber might only be 4.3% of one’s woke” who believe we are total. And Lomborg points in the midst of some kind of out even this number is a climate catastrophe. From bit misleading as it ignores the hysterical Swedish teen- something called the “reager, Greta Thunberg, to Pa- bound effect.” “Vegetarian diets are mela Anderson, who asked Prime Minister Trudeau to slightly cheaper,” Lomborg serve our inmate’s vegan explains. “And saved money meals, even to the ultimate will likely be spent on other petrol-head Lewis Hamil- goods and services that ton, a six-time Formula One cause extra greenhouse gas world champion who makes emissions. In the US, veghis living burning copious etarians save at least $750 amounts of fossil fuel on on their food budgets every every continent on Earth. year. That extra spending They are all convinced rab- will cause more carbon dibit food is the means of our oxide emissions, cancelling about half the saved carbon salvation. Someone did just enough emissions from going vegmath to convince headline etarian.” All this goofiness is causing writers that this was a viable option. However when other some very real problems like people, such as Bjorn Lom- anxiety and depression, not borg, checked this math and to mention things like nauactually ran the numbers all sea and fatigue, and somethe way through, it looked a times even suicidal thoughts among those who have yet bit different. The best lies, they say, al- to learn to take these claims ways have a sliver of truth with a very large grain of in them. That’s the case salt. The world has enough here. You can lower your real problems to solve, withcarbon footprint by switch- out someone wasting time ing to a vegetarian or vegan worrying that their phone is lifestyle, but on average that trying to kill them.
Penner’s Points
November 29, 2019
AgriStability Needs to Be Priority!
Dear Editor, The following letter was sent to all Federal and Provincial agriculture Ministers across Canada on November 21, 2019 on behalf of all members of Grain Growers of Canada. Dear Ministers, The Grain Growers of Canada are calling Canadian Agriculture Ministers to recognize the crisis facing grain farmers across the country and immediately fix the AgriStability program. The effectiveness of AgriStability was severely reduced in 2013 when significant cuts were made, including a reduction of coverage of reference margins from 85 to 70 per cent, which caused many farmers to withdraw from the program due to its ineffectiveness. Farmers cannot wait any longer, global trade uncertainty and volatile weather is impacting every single grain farmer across the country this year. Early winter has left farmers with crop in the field unharvested, and the crop that is harvested faces prices that in some cases don’t cover the cost of growing it. On Dec. 17, 2019, Canada’s agriculture ministers will meet in Ottawa to discuss improvements to Agri-Stability. GGC members are calling on ministers to restore AgriStability to its former levels and thus restore farmers’ confidence in the program. Coverage should be immediately adjusted to cover losses starting at 85 per cent of historical reference margins and Reference Margin Limits should be eliminated. Farmers need this change to be available for the 2019 crop year. Weather across Canada has left many farmers with low quality grain or grain unable to be harvested. A hurricane flattened fields in Atlantic Canada - Quebec and Ontario faced unprecedented rainfall during planting and snow-covered fields for harvest - farmers in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and the BC Peace country, have had areas of drought, excess rainfall, hail and snow. Crops have been downgraded due to these factors and some may not be harvested at all. Every major grain commodity is impacted by the global trade uncertainty unfolding around the world from trade wars. Canola and soybean shipments are being rejected by China, Italy is imposing non-tariff barriers on Canadian durum, India has increased tariffs on pulses and Saudi Arabia is refusing Canadian barley. Prices for many commodities have been greatly affected Farmers face the challenge of not breaking even on crop they can sell due to non-trade barriers and the China/US trade war. Add to this the higher costs of drying record amounts of wet grain, which requires propane or natural gas – both subject to the carbon tax. The stress is impacting farmers Mental health lines in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec and the Maritimes are reporting increases of close to 80% compared to other years. Grain farmers (grains, oilseeds, pulses) are family owned businesses that support their local economy. Those rural communities also feel the hurt if grain farmers are hurting. This in turn has a negative impact on the Canadian economy as a whole. If there isn’t immediate action by the Ministers of Agriculture from across Canada at their December 17 meeting, farm failures will occur that will impact all Canadians. In these days of regional tensions where we are all searching for unity, this is a chance for a win-win for farmers, Canadians and the Federal and Provincial governments. By recognizing the difficult conditions that we face, the government has a unique opportunity to lift up farmers – instead of dividing them. There is no better time than now to take that step. Let’s do it together. Sincerely, Jeff Nielsen Chair, Grain Growers of Canada
November 29, 2019
The AgriPost
Maple Leaf Announces Bold Plan to Increase Hog Production By Harry Siemens Jason Manness, director of procurement for western Canada at Maple Leaf Food, told a meeting earlier this year in Starbuck that Maple Leaf is looking to finance 33.3 per cent of new hog barn construction. Manness outlined to the producers at the H@ms Marketing Services meeting how he thinks Maple Leaf, the third-largest hog producer in Canada has ambitions to increase production. “There’s only hogs. It doesn’t mean we will or won’t, and I would never speak for the company, but I can tell you we much prefer farmers who own pigs.” It is no secret that the Maple Leaf plant needs more hogs. “We see incredible demand coming from China. It’s how we take advantage of that as an industry, which is spurring on this opportunity. So we want to sell more meat to China. Next, we want to start selling more fresh meat into China, and again we could talk for hours about that, which nobody’s doing. But I can tell you, we’re going to work to do that as a company, but we need more pigs,” he told producers.
“So, producers, the details are coming out, don’t hold me to anything today, because they’re still coming out. We’re working, and as we communicate this, we’re still fine-tuning all the details. But at a high level, we’re prepared to give producers capital. We call it forgivable capital, over a 15-year term, if you don’t like that, don’t do it. But if we’re going to give capital, in return the only way we can pay back that capital is to get the pigs for 15 years, from that capital, from you. Of course, we want them longer than 15, but we need the commitment for 15.” Here is what Jason Manness of Maple Leaf next told the producers. “So we’re going to get capital for producers that want to build new barns. We can build new finishing or nursery barns, or they can build brand new sow farrow-to-finish barns. We have a program for both. If they build nursery or finishing barns, which is the preferred option because the capital we’ll give will be up to 33 per cent,” he said. “We’ve spent a lot of time looking at the building costs in Iowa and south-
ern Minnesota compared to the building costs in Manitoba and Saskatchewan, and anyway you cut it and slice it, we’re quite a bit higher. Maple Leaf’s prepared to eat that cost for you to help you compete on a North American basis.” While talking with producers, several colonies have signaled their interested already. “We are going to have traction. We are going to have success in this. This is going to be our biggest initiative this winter,” said Manness. “I don’t think the company will offer this next year; it is a one-winter thing. We want as much as possible to start building next year. Our goal is half a million pigs. We’ll hit that goal within five years. We absolutely will. We already have our list, and we’re already almost there. But my boss wants us to hit a million or more. That’s going to be a challenge. So we’ll see how we do, but I can tell you there’s a lot of exciting focus.” During questions period he told producers, “You must own the pigs; this is not for you building a barn and having Maple Leaf
Jason Manness, director of procurement for western Canada at Maple Leaf Food, told a hog producer meeting earlier this year in Starbuck that the company is looking to finance 33.3 per cent of new hog barn construction to grow hog production.
come in there and own the pigs. We want you to own pigs and to make money from the pigs, to manage the
risk of the pigs if you work with us. Remember, this arrangement is not a contract finishing arrangement what-
soever. I’m glad I said that because a lot of you might be thinking that; that’s not what it’s about.”
The AgriPost
November 29, 2019
Don’t Get Greedy with the Incentive to Ramp Up Pork Production
International livestock consultant Dr. John Carr who travels often two to three different countries said the Border Patrol people are the first line of defence when it comes to animal diseases.
By Harry Siemens Last June, China stopped purchasing Canadian pork. Up until now, China’s pork imports from Canada were 15 per cent of total imports, just below Spain and Germany at about 18-20 per cent each said Jim Long, a hog industry commentator. Then more recently, much to the relief of Canadians and should be to US pork producers, China agreed to import Canada Pork. “The closure put pressure on Canada-US pork prices. The issue that triggered the stoppage was false labelling by a Canadian pork exporter to China that was missed by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency,” said Long. “There are some political issues involved mainly due to the Huawei Executive that Canada holds for possible extradition to the US” Dr. John Carr speaking recently to hog producers and industry representatives at the H@ms Marketing in Starbuck, MB, Swift Current, SK, and Red Deer, AB has some observations on the African Swine Fever situation. “We have a responsibility to help feed the nation. We need to make sure that our production is at 105 percent. Don’t be too greedy, but make sure that you are producing the number of pigs you’re supposed to produce,” said Dr. Carr. “So you need to get your pig flow right, and you’ve got to get that barn full. So make sure you feed enough sows, farrow enough sows, fill the barn; that would be number one.” He said the price of pigs would go up and strongly encourages that producers put some of that money into
biosecurity. “I would like to see a fence around every farm that is pig-proof or kidproof at least if nothing else. I mean, people say, well, there are no feral pigs, but there are. And while in Manitoba we are a little cold at times and the pigs will migrate up and down, then they don’t see the border, and there are not enough Americans to kill them on the other side with their guns, so we have to put up fences,” said Carr. “The farms that I look after in Russia and Ukraine, we have no day-on-day risk of African Swine Fever. I don’t lose any sleep over it because we have a fence. And we’ll have neighbours 50 metres away with ASF.” Dr. Carr travels the world often, two to three different countries in a week and maintains that the Border Patrol people are the first line of defence when it comes to animal diseases. “The world’s food safety is relying on border patrol people. Thank you
guys and gals. You’re doing a great job,” he added. Jim Long had some other observations. “Pork leaving Canada to China takes that pork out of Canada, US and Mexico markets. Less supply in the domestic North American market will support prices in all three countries. Canada’s tariff on pork to China is 12 per cent, and currently, the US pays 70 per cent,” said Long. “Some
reports indicate that over the next twelve months, China’s pork production will drop by 24 million tonnes. USA - Canada – Mexico’s production in total isn’t much more than 15 million tons a year.” He said the amount of pork Canada can send to China is much more limited by logistics than demand. China is a black hole for pork and will disappear. The raw economics helps the arithmetic to send pork to China. “We have done business in China for eight years. Chinese are natural capitalists and traders. The arithmetic of buying pork in North America is simple. Recent pork cutouts 80 cents a pound and Chinese pork cuts outs about $3.10 a pound,” said Long. “Example, buy pork in Canada at 80 cents a pound, pay 12 per cent tariff. Sell Pork at $3.10 a pound that’s a spread of over $2 a pound to cover costs. A 200 pound carcass = $400. It doesn’t take an Ag Economist to figure out the incentive.” For every 40,000 pounds or 400 pig shipments, the gross margin would be $80,000. “What we calculated is probably oversimplified but
Hog producers at the H@ms Marketing meeting in Starbuck, MB.
Dr. John Carr speaking with AgriPost writer Harry Siemens.
Photos by Harry Siemens
make it half of what we calculate, it sure the heck beats raising hogs the last couple years,” said Long. “One of our points of this exercise is that beyond needed pork to fill the black hole created by
ASF, there is a tremendous financial incentive for pork to move to China. We are not sure how fast Canada can get back to full speed shipping to China, but big incentive to get it going.”
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November 29, 2019
The AgriPost
The AgriPost
November 29, 2019
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DNA Research is Mapping Millet Genetics Millet, a group of various small-seeded annual grasses. are grown around the world as cereal crops or grains for fodder, bird seed and human food. They are drought tolerant and have a similar nutrient content to other major cereals. Beneficial research is now providing new DNA sequences that will aid in the development of improved millet varieties. In the semi-arid tropics of Asia and Africa, conditions can be difficult for crops. Plants need to have short growing seasons, survive on poor soils and tolerate environmental stresses. Enter the millets. Close to 97% of millets grown worldwide are produced in developing countries. Millets are a diverse group of cereal crops. Importantly, they generally have high nutritional content. “However, millets have been largely overlooked by modern genetics research,” said Matthew Johnson, a researcher at the University of Georgia. In a new study, Johnson, along with colleagues in India, has generated some of the first genetic
resources for three different varieties of millets. As genetic resources are created for less-studied crops, researchers can better leverage the genetic diversity within the crop family. This can lead to the development of new varieties of crops. “Our results will give researchers tools to develop better millet varieties for farmers,” said Johnson. Most farmers who grow millets are smallholders, farming less than 5 acres. Millets are crucial for their livelihood. That’s because they can grow on marginal lands and need less water than most crops. “Millets also grow much quicker than most other major crops,” said Johnson. That is important because farmers can plant millets if weather or natural disasters cause initial plantings to fail. “So, with millets, the farmers can at least get some harvest,” he said. Johnson’s team sequenced and analyzed DNA from three species of millets, kodo, little and proso. “These are three crops that have had relatively few resources de-
veloped for them,” Johnson explained. The plant source materials were obtained from the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics in India. The researchers’ goal was to better understand the genetic diversity within and between each variety of millet. “Understanding this diversity is an important step in developing better varieties of the crop,” said Johnson. They uncovered tiny differences in the DNA sequences of the various plants. These genetic differences may ultimately be connected to characteristics, such as drought tolerance and growth rate. “Genetics and field testing go hand-in-hand,” said Johnson. Growing different kinds of millets can provide information about yield and flowering time, among other characteristics. “We need to pair these results with knowledge of the genetic relatedness of the millet plants,” he said. By collating field results and genetic data, researchers identify desired traits and develop improved varieties. “We can continue improv-
Proso millet growing in western Nebraska, which is believed to have been one of the earliest domesticated crops. It is grown in developing countries as a food source and in the US and Europe for forage and bird seed. Photo by Santosh Rajput
ing these varieties year after year,” said Johnson. An important part of breeding desirable varieties of a crop is understanding how existing ones are related to each other. “We were able to find evidence that the previous understanding of how the millet varieties are related to each other didn’t always reflect their genetics,” Johnson explained. The existing classifications were done based on physical characteristics. But it
turns out those may not be accurate reflections of close genetic relationships. “Think of it as trying to classify genetic relationships among humans by hair colour,” he said. “Hair color is genetically controlled. Everyone with blonde hair, for example, has some genetic relatedness.” “But there is so much more than just hair colour that determines who we are related to genetically,” said Johnson. “Sometimes siblings can have a different hair colour.
However, they will be more closely related to each other than to a stranger who happens to have the same hair color.” Uncovering the underlying genetics, as in this study, can help plant breeders develop millet varieties with desired physical characteristics. “Millets are a great crop,” said Johnson. “I believe they can diversify our diet and contribute to food sources and security as our climate continues to change.”
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November 29, 2019
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The AgriPost
New Crown Land Lease Auction Flawed Dear Editor: The two of us recently met November 13 in Crane River with ranchers in the St. Rose, Interlake and Crane River regions. The ranchers were supported by a representative from the Manitoba Beef Producers, Diane Riding. The ranchers made a strong case for continuing the “unit transfer” system. Under this system, which has existed for some time, beef producers are allowed to transfer the rights to the land and to sell the rights to lease and use the Crown land. In the system, beef producers are rewarded when they make improvements to the land. Under this system beef producers can build up equity in their operations and then when they retire, they can sell the rights to lease the land as a unit so that they will have a “pension” for when they retire. The producers are very skeptical of what the government is proposing, which is that producers would negotiate compensation for improvements to the individual or company that wins the rights to use the land at auction. We talked to producers who have put hundreds of thousands of dollars in improvements to the land they have leased. These include improvements like fences and dugouts. It is pretty hard to take such improvements with you when your lease expires, and the producers felt the only way to be assured that they would get the money invested back was to be able to continue the unit transfer. Not having the unit transfer would make it less likely that ranchers would invest in improvements to the land, or would be good environmental stewards of the land. It is also to be noted that some producers in this area were specifically told at some point that they were not allowed to buy the land itself, so that a number of producers have leased Crown Land as the majority of the land that they graze their cattle on. The producers are fine with the auction system being used for unused land, and land which has reverted to the Crown, but feel strongly that land which is actively being used by producers should keep the unit transfer system. A second major concern was the increased costs of the lease by about 350% over the next two years. This is a very rapid increase, particularly for producers with marginal land who have had to face both drought and flood conditions in the last few years. This increase would put a number of the long-term producers out of business. It was noted that for some producers the marginal nature of the land was such that 90% is swamp. Another said his land had more cattails than hay. This is not the same as high quality Crown Land available elsewhere. For a number of the producers, they were sacrificed in 2011 when these areas were flooded to save Winnipeg, and in one year since then. They feel they are now being sacrificed again and that this time it will have a severe adverse impact on their local community. They have put their heart and soul into investing in the land and in their community and they are disappointed, angry and frustrated by the actions of the Pallister government. Diane Riding of the Manitoba Beef Producers was very supportive of these ranchers and she said a lot of the input from the Manitoba Beef Producers was not adequately listened to by the government when it made its decision to change the system. We also heard from a number of ranchers who had come from elsewhere because they saw Manitoba as a land of opportunity. They now feel the opportunity is being lost and their future is being taken away. We listened carefully to what we heard and we have decided to support the ranchers in our efforts in the Legislature, and to ensure people elsewhere in Manitoba have a better understanding of the implications of the Pallister government’s policies on people and on communities. We fully support the goal of making farming more accessible and possible for young farmers. Our meeting included several young farmers, and the parents of a young farmer, who are opposed to the changes. They made it clear that the changes put them at severe risk: the cost of leases is increasing several hundred percent, and the uncertainty this process has generated means that access to credit has dried up. Jon Gerrard Manitoba Liberal Agricultural Critic and Dougald Lamont Leader-Manitoba Liberal Party
Prairie Cover Crop Survey If you grew a cover crop in 2019, Dr. Yvonne Lawley at the University of Manitoba would like to know! Lawley is conducting a 3-year survey to find out the number of acres, types of farmers, and the range of cover crop species grown on the Prairies (AB, SK, MB). She wants to hear from farmers growing: - Fall cover crops - Full season cover crops - Cover crops for grazing Add your voice to her 5 minute survey. On Twitter, @YvonneLawley_UM look for the pinned link to the survey at the top of Dr. Lawley’s Twitter feed, on any devise with a web browser using this link: forms.gle/DwCmt2WFoP3Ct2hH8 or send an email to Yvonne. Lawley@umanitoba.ca. Follow the 2019 Prairie Cover Crop Survey on Twitter @YvonneLawley_UM, #prairiecovercrops.
November 29, 2019
First Provincial Agricultural Crown Land Auction Dates Set The Manitoba government has announced the first dates for upcoming agricultural Crown land lease auctions. “The former Department of Agriculture conducted extensive consultations with stakeholders on the allocation of agricultural Crown lands,” said Agriculture and Resource Development Minister Blaine Pedersen. “The auction system is a fair and transparent approach that will create opportunities for new or young farmers to have access to these public assets.” Land lease auctions were already held recently in Brandon, Minnedosa and Dauphin. Further agricultural Crown land lease auctions are being held on: - December 3 beginning at 1:30 pm in the Swan River War Veterans Community Hall, 119 6th Ave N.; - December 5, beginning at 10 am in the Ashern Manitoba Agriculture Office, 43 Railway Ave; - December 6 beginning at 10 am in the Dugald Community Hall, 544 Holland St. Bidders can register prior to the start of the auction, available through your Farm Production Extension Specialists, Crown Lands Offices. In-person registration will open 45 minutes prior to the start of the auction. Once the auction has been completed, successful bidders will review and sign a settlement sheet and make payment for the winning auction bid that includes rent for cropping leases, the first year’s rent and taxes, and any other applicable fees. Bidders should take note that GST will be charged on the auction bid amount for all leases, as well as on rent value and Crown-owned improvements (if applicable) for forage leases. In November 2018, the Manitoba government passed The Crown Lands Amendment Act (Improved Management of Community Pastures and Agricultural Crown Lands), which enabled amendments to the Agricultural Crown Lands Leases and Permits Regulation. One of the updates to the regulation included implementing a system of allocating agricultural Crown land leases by way of a public auction. The Agricultural Crown Lands Program supports the sustainable expansion of the livestock herd in Manitoba, contributes to ecological goods and services, and provides mitigation and adaptation to climate change. These leases and permits are available to farmers and ranchers, to provide an additional land base on which to conduct agricultural activities. More information on the upcoming auctions, including start times, can be found at resd.ca/leases_and_permits/LPproperties.aspx or contact a local Manitoba Agriculture Agricultural Crown Land office.
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The AgriPost
CFGA Leads First-Ever Canadian Grassland Offset Protocol for Producers Things just got real for Canada’s grasslands and producers. The vast, untapped international potential for grassland conservation and producer prosperity linked arms for the first-time ever in Canada with the recent announcement that the USA-based Climate Action Reserve (CAR) board of directors had adopted the Canadian Forage and Grassland Association’s (CFGA) Canada Grassland Project Protocol (CGPP). The move will be a critical foundation for growing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction opportunities in Canada and creating new financial incentives for producers around the conservation of grasslands. “This is an exciting first step in Canada for recognizing the significant contribution Canadian producers and Canadian grasslands are making to climate change mitigation through soil carbon sequestration,” said Cedric MacLeod, CFGA’s executive director. “I’m proud of the leadership role that the CFGA has played and the opportunity to bring this protocol to Canadian producers for the first time ever.” “However, this is only a first step towards helping to conserve Canadian grasslands and monetizing the carbon stored in the soils below them,” he added. “This is also an opportunity to communicate with Canadians about why grassland conservation is so crucial to achieving many of the ecological and environmental conservation goals shared by many Canadians.” MacLeod said the CFGA CAR protocol will be especially significant for producers and grasslands on Canada’s Northern Great Plains where the continued loss of grasslands has been identified as a major societal concern and factor impacting community resiliency, attributing to biodiversity declines and susceptibility to extreme weather events. The urgency to reverse the accelerating conversion rates of these valuable grasslands is paramount. And, so too, is the producer’s need to make a living off the land. “With this protocol in the mix, we’ve got big plans going forward. This is a significant, first step toward keeping grasslands on the land,” said MacLeod. “Development of the protocol involved exten-
sive research, incorporation of existing Canadian rating systems and working group feedback to produce a protocol that lowers barriers for participation for land owners while maintaining the standards for rigour and integrity that are required for all Reserve protocols.” Eligible lands in the CFGA CGPP are private and tribal lands that demonstrate clear ownership and at least 10 years of continuous grassland cover. Projects may receive credits for up to 30 years. The process gained traction after the CAR board of directors adopted the CGPP Version 1.0, establishing a foundation for growing GHG emissions reduction opportunities in Canada and creating new financial incentives for the conservation of grassland. The offset protocol provides a standardized approach for quantifying, monitoring and verifying the GHG reductions from the avoided conversion of grassland to cropland in Canada. The protocol adaptation process initially began under contract with the Province of Ontario and its completion was made possible by support from the CFGA and Viresco Solutions. “This is a significant development for advancing offsets in Canada and expanding participation across the continent,” said Linda Adams, chair of the CAR board of directors. “This protocol wouldn’t have been developed and adopted today if it hadn’t been for the steadfast support of and interest from Canadian groups that saw the value and importance in this opportunity. We were both proud and appreciative to work in collaboration with these leaders, including the Canadian Forage and Grassland Association.” The CGPP was modeled off the US Grassland Project Protocol V2.0 and adapted to conditions in Canada. To assist with making Canadian grassland projects more accessible, the CGPP allows project aggregation through “cooperatives” to reduce transaction costs while meeting the ownership and reporting needs of the Reserve’s voluntary program. Eligibility and quantification were also developed to be as streamlined as possible, relying on standardized tests and emission factors.
November 29, 2019
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After the Election – What Now?
The Federal election is over, and Canada has a new Government. It will look a lot like the last government, but there are some significant differences for agriculture. Whether you were cheering for the red team, the blue, orange or even the green, it is now incumbent upon all parts of agriculture to come together and work with the government given to us by the people. There are some good places to start. The “Barton Report”, led by the now Ambassador to China, outlined the key role that agriculture will play in the development of the Canadian economy. Based on the “Barton Report” this government has set a target of increasing Canada’s agri-food exports from $55 billion in 2015 to at least $75 billion by 2025. Barton outlined how we can move from the fifth largest agricultural exporter to the second largest within the next ten years. These are ambitious goals. Accomplishing these goals is going to take a lot of work. For example, we need to fight for the right trading environment. This is not going to be a simple task in the new age of protectionism. We need to ensure that we have regulations in place that foster investment in research, innovation and new technology.
This may not be easy with activist opposition to many of the tools of modern agriculture like pesticides, fertilizers and biotechnology. There is the potential for a rocky road ahead from an agriculture and trade policy perspective. There are no Members of Parliament (MPs) on the government benches from the largest grain growing regions of the country. The House of Commons, which many saw as a House divided between rural and urban seats before the election, will be even more divided when it resumes sitting. Who will speak for rural Canada and agriculture when the Liberal Caucus meets to discuss legislation and policy? Who on the Government side of the aisle will remember the Barton recommendations, and how to accomplish them, when advocates call for the removal of key tools that are helping farmers compete globally? How do we ensure Members of Parliament and Cabinet Ministers come to understand the needs and value of our industry? How do we communicate, to Parliamentarians, agriculture’s story of sustainable production? These are not easy questions to answer. In part it is the role of MPs from agriculture-based ridings to ensure that these messages are delivered to the Cabinet. I have a few options to suggest to MPs from agricultural ridings. For example, adopt a city MP from another Party to take out to meet with your constituents in the field (I
mean that literally). Value chain organizations can help organize this kind of outreach and if that sounds like an offer, it is. It would also be good to see the revitalization of an all-party rural caucus. But voices from the opposition benches are not going to be enough. Farm and industry organizations have a responsibility as well. We as an industry are going to need to come together and work to ensure that misunderstandings about modern agriculture are not imbedded in legislation and regulation. Agriculture value chains can help bring together federal and provincial governments, commodity groups and farmers to address the immediate challenges facing agriculture, including activist threats to modern agricultural tools, growing nationalism and protectionism and the need to support investment in emerging technology. There is a lot at stake for agriculture in the next few years. Upcoming is a mandatory review of the Pest Control Products Act, which spells out how pesticides are evaluated, registered and regulated in Canada. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada has already begun a review of the Canada Grain Act and the Canadian Grain Commission. Canada also needs to establish the regulatory framework for new plant breeding techniques like CRISPR. Other policy initiatives, like the National Food Policy, have the potential to have a
significant impact on commercial agriculture. Getting these regulatory modernization projects right will help set the environment in which agriculture can accomplish the goals set out by Barton. If instead, regulatory changes reflect misunderstandings of modern agricultural practices our industry could be set back a generation. Agriculture also needs to work with this government to combat growing protectionism internationally. We need to position industry and government resources in a way that proactively tries to prevent the next market access barrier from occurring. This can only be accomplished if the government finds us willing to be a productive partner. Being a productive partner does not mean that we should not speak out loudly if policies are brought forward that would harm agriculture. It is critical that elected officials always hear the truth from the agriculture sector. But our voice cannot be seen to be always negative. We need to provide the opportunities for urban MPs and cabinet Ministers to get to know modern agriculture a bit better and offer positive policy options that will move this vital industry forward.
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The AgriPost
November 29, 2019
Positive News on Canadian Beef and Pork Exports to China The Canadian Federation of Agriculture is pleased China is resuming importation of Canadian pork and beef after a five-month suspension. This positive news is significant at a time when Canadian farmers and producers are dealing with a multitude of trade and weather-related challenges. While pork exports to China represented $514 million in 2018, making it our third-
largest export market; Canadian beef represented $97 million in exports to China, 2.6% of Canada’s total 2018 beef exports.” CFA recognizes and appreciates the Canadian Government’s efforts to resolve the situation for Canadian pork and beef exports. Unfortunately, Canadian canola producers continue to face a Chinese ban since March 2019. Canadian canola seed exports to China were worth
Breaking Through the Ice This fall has been a mix of extreme weather. In the Red River Valley, we went from talking about drought to the potential for a fall flood in six weeks. We have experienced a substantial snow storm, a power outage that effected many homes and businesses, and in between we have had some mild temperatures mixed with some of the coldest November days my body can remember. This freezing and thawing pattern, mixed with high water levels subsiding, has caused unstable ice, swampy ground, and has created the potential for damage to equipment that may not be insured by a standard insurance policy. Did you know that insurance policies, especially commercial insurance policies have historically excluded any coverage for damage to equipment caused by falling through ice, muskeg, swamp or other soft ground? Businesses that consistently operate equipment in these conditions have additional risks that others will not, and while the standard policy wording excludes coverage for this, it is an option that many companies will allow their clients to purchase as an endorsement to the standard policy wording. One change we have recently seen is many farm insurers updating their wordings to improve coverage, but applying the ice and muskeg exclusion. Whether you are relying on a farm or commercial insurance policy to cover damage to your equipment, make sure you speak with your insurance broker to confirm that this coverage is included in your policy. Is there someone in your life who operates equipment on ice? Forget diamonds, a fancy scarf, or elaborate chocolate; a well managed insurance policy may be just the right thing for them under the tree this year. Consider making Rempel Insurance Brokers your insurance broker of choice. We work hard to make sure our clients have the resources to make good decisions on risk. We love to give back to the communities we serve, and are doing so again this year. You can find all of the details for our “Season of Giving” draw on our website at rempelinsurance.com. On behalf of the team at Rempel Insurance Brokers, we wish you a Merry Christmas and hope you get to make great memories with people you love this season. David Schmidt is an Account Executive at Rempel Insurance Brokers in Morris, MB, specializing in insuring farms and businesses across Manitoba and Saskatchewan. Contact office 204-746-2320, Text 204-712-6618, email davids@rempelinsurance.com or visit rempelinsurance.com.
$2.7 billion in 2018. “[The] news of the reopening of Chinese markets to Canadian pork and beef is being well received by Canadian farmers and producers as well as others in the value chain. While we are celebrating this favourable turn of events, we are mindful of the continued uncertainty and tangible hurt our
Canola producers, as well as other commodity producers, are bearing as a result of being shut out of international markets; fallout that is a direct result from actions that are in no way of farmers’ and producers’ doing,” said Mary Robinson, CFA President. “As we well know, the economic losses of canola
exports to China in particular is hurting our entire country and CFA continues to call on the Federal government to prioritize reopening markets for all Canadian agricultural exports that are critical to not only our farmers and producers but the entire value chain.” China represents a key market for Canadian agri-
culture, so this positive news regarding beef and pork is very welcome and significant. CFA will continue to monitor the canola situation closely and are hopeful that Ambassador Dominic Barton’s keen understanding of the importance of Canadian agriculture will help resolve and restore the Chinese market for Canadian farmers.
Prevent Milk Replacer-Fed Dairy Calves from Shivering During Winter Despite the trend to build heated barns to raise young stock, there are still lots of outside hutches and cold barns to feed pre-weaned dairy calves. Many of these calves are raised solely on commercial milk replacer. As a dairy nutritionist, I review many of these milk replacer feeding programs and make the necessary changes to assure that vital and growth energy requirements are met, while compensating for cold winter weather. This means that I recommend that we feed more milk replacer in order to adjust for increased energy requirements during cold weather, so growth of the calf doesn’t suffer. A general rule of thumb that I use: is to fed a 20% fat milk replacer and increase its amount by 2 per cent for every degree the temperature falls below 5°C. An illustration of this recommendation (original source - NRC, 2001) is as follows: (see chart 1 below) For example, a 50-kg preweaned (<3 weeks of age) dairy calf needs a total of about 14 MJ to stay alive and support modest growth performance, so it will need about 700 – 800 grams of milk replacer powder on a daily basis. Or about 5.5 - 6.0 litres of milk replacer solution, reconstituted at the rate of 125 – 130 g/litre of solution (same as whole milk). Given a typical cold day of -10 °C this calf would need a total of 8 - 9 litres of milk replacer solution to stay alive, warm and grow. Since this daily volume of liquid might constitute a belly-
Chart 1.
full for some of the younger dairy calves fed in two meals, a third feeding might be necessary in order to assure that calves drink enough milk replacer, yet prevent bloat and scours. Although milk-fed baby calves younger than three weeks of age do not pick up or digest energy-containing calf starter, I think that it is a good idea to set out a small meal at two weeks of age. They will nibble at it at first, but eventually will voluntarily eat more of this dry feed as time goes on. Subsequently, it has been shown that at least 1 - 2 litres of extra fresh water per animal should be provided separately to milk replacer feedings. This practice encourages young and older ones alike to either accept or consume more of this dry feed. Such proper instructions for feeding milk replacer and latter calf starter is wasted, if young calves are not fed in comfortable housing. This means that common plastic hutches should be in good condition to house calves and placed facing a southern exposure for more sunlight and less crosswind. Next, more clean and dry straw bedding should be provided as insulation; enough so the calves’ feet cannot be seen when they stand up. Afterwards throughout the winter, dairy calf hutches or shelters should be cleaned, with dirty and wet straw removed and replaced. In the last few years, calf blankets have been used in conjunction with such adequate straw bedding. What essentially is a body-fitted
coat for dairy calves, they are usually made of insulating fabric material, which helps reduce heat (energy loss) moving away from the calf’s body. It also should keep the calf, warmer and drier, particularly when calves lie on damp straw. Despite my best advice as a dairy nutritionist, there is a
bedded with lots of straw in outdoor hutches, placed near a row of trees. He told me that out of 15 calves, 4 calves had perished during a recent night of -35 °C with a wind-chill
Feed more milk replacer in order to adjust for increased energy requirements during cold weather, so growth of the calf doesn’t suffer.
point, when no matter how much milk replacer is fed, straw laid down for good bedding or fitted with calf blankets that the outside weather is too cold for outdoor calves to survive. A few winters ago, I got a call from a dairy producer that fed about 10 litres of milk replacer per calf and were well-
factor of -52 °C. After some discussion, he came up with his own corrective action by moving them into a garage with some supplemental electric heat. Regardless of such extreme cold weather, most baby calves raised outside in outside hutches or cold barns can do well during the winter. However, pre-weaned calves must rely upon a good milk replacer feeding program, which provides enough dietary winter energy. It should not only prevent them from shivering, but allow them to remain healthy and continue to grow.
The AgriPost
Happy Customers Sell the Genetics
Award winners at the recent Topigs Norsvin customer appreciation banquet event.
By Harry Siemens Considered to be the biggest pig breeding database of its kind in the world, Pigbase is unique and the core of the Topigs Norsvin breeding program. Pigbase stores the information of more than 45 million pigs. According to the company’s website, Pigbase contains more than just phenotypic data gathered on nucleus farms. It also includes a lot of data from commercial farms that work with the InGene in-house breeding program of Topigs Norsvin and the CCPS (Combined Crossbred and Purebred Selection) program making it one of a kind. Besides, the Pigbase stores data from the CT scans, at the Delta stations, AI stations, packers, and data from research projects. At a recent customer appreciation and awards, banquet sales manager John Sawatzky broke down the award categories. Sawatzky said the herds in Canada range in size from the smallest customer in Ontario, ten sows, and their largest customer is 70,000 sows. “We categorize the sow herds into similar sizes, and we give awards for sow herds that are under 500 sows, 501 to 1,200 sows and then over 1,200 sows. So the small, medium and large herds are competing or benchmarked to herds of similar sizes,” he said. Sawatzky said reducing the labour of handling and managing pigs by farmers is a critical component of Topigs Norsvin’s research. “So we pride ourselves in our products being very easy to manage and require less labour. And we benchmark with that in Europe against other genetics companies,” he said. “And that’s what our producers are finding. And our best salespeople are responsible for our growth and the best salespeople driving that growth is our customer farmers because they talk to other farmers.” Topigs Norsvin’s Director of Research and Development Dr. Pramod Mathur explained how their initial genetic selection focused on growth, leanness, and feed efficiency. Later the focus switched to litter size, piglet survival, and robustness. Now there is a greater focus on behaviour, animal welfare, and health. “What we focus on right now in terms of behaviour is social interaction between pigs, so how one pig interacts with the other in the pen. If they are nice to each other in the pen or they help each other to grow well
if one pig is really very aggressive and gets to the trough very fast and doesn’t allow the other pen mates or they are all friendly to each other,” explained Dr. Mathur. “If they are nice to each other in their social interactions, it’s good for their welfare, but it’s also good for the growth of the pigs. Each pig gets a good chance to eat well, grow well, and that’s good for the welfare, but it’s suitable for producers also. Of course, we are also looking at some undesirable traits, for example, tail biting. If we stop docking the tail, that could be an issue, so we are looking in many ways how best we can select pigs that will tend to less tail biting.” The company has ordered a new trailer from the Netherlands that specializes in livestock transport. “This trailer will be a two-level trailer and hold two levels of boars. These boars will come out of our Delta Testing Station, and we will use that trailer to deliver these boars to other farms possibly or mostly to AI stations in North America,” said Sawatzky. “That trailer will be filtered and ventilated with water on board. That’s to prevent any disease from getting in with the boars during transportation. So very high care, high level, ease of movement for these boars that we’ll do with that trailer. It’ll come to Canada, I believe in December sometime.” With PED virus and the threat of other diseases, biosecurity plays an ever-increasing role in helping pro-
ducers prevent, manage, and control disease and potential risks. This threat prompted Topigs Norsvin to make a significant change in transporting breeding stock. Steve’s Livestock Transport headquartered in Blumenort operates in a concentrated PED virus and other diseases area. “We’ve urged Steve’s for several years to look at doing something with their breeding stock trailers. We use only our dedicated trailers, and he’s building this facility straight north of Steinbach, north of the number one highway,” he said. “It will segregate the breeding stock trailers only, from our company and maybe other companies that do business with Steve’s in terms of hauling breeding stock. There’ll be no other commercial trailers nearby that could haul pigs to slaughter plants or whatever. So we will segregate those again, adding another level of biosecurity and confidence and assurance of minimizing disease risk.” While the PED virus has affected many of the company’s customers, with a 45 per cent market share in breeding stock, some of those customers do see a PED outbreak. “Luckily, the disease has not affected any of our production farms or nuclei. We do the best we can; the most we can, to prevent disease entry by strict, strict biosecurity rules. And, knock on wood; it has not affected us as a company within our herds. So hopefully we can keep it that way,” he said.
At a recent customer appreciation and awards banquet, sales manager John Sawatzky hands out an award.
November 29, 2019
Prairie Farm Groups Release Results of Seed Royalty Survey Canadian agricultural producers do not support the two seed royalty models under consideration by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. The Keystone Agricultural Producers (KAP) of Manitoba along with the Alberta Federation of Agriculture and the Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan have been surveying producers online on the proposed changes since July. More than 1,000 producers contributed their comments. “We look forward to working with the Federal government now that the election is complete to ensure that any new seed royalty structure is ultimately fair for farmers and producers as it would ultimately impact their bottom line the most,” KAP President Bill Campbell said. “Plant breeding needs to be funded in a manner that is fair and driven by the interests of farmers.” “What we heard from producers is that they are not in a position to absorb extra costs,” said Todd Lewis, President of the Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan. “As price-takers, farmers have little room in their margins for added expenditures. So there is little support for yet another expense to add our bottom lines.” “Producers are telling us loud and clear that they are not happy with either of the proposed models,” said Lynn Jacobson, President of the Alberta Federation of Agriculture. “Our outreach confirms that they don’t feel they’ve been sufficiently engaged in consultations to date. It’s our hope that AAFC will work to rectify this before any further decisions are made.” As part of the survey the 1,136 respondents provided information on which crops were grown on their farm within the last 10 years. The most frequent crop grown was Wheat/Durum at 94% followed by Canola (87%), Pulses (77%), barley (70%), Oats (57%), specialty crops (46%), forages (32%) and corn (15%). Overall a large majority of respondents disagreed that the Trailing contract royalty and end point royalty models should be pursued further. There was strong support for the need to investigate additional options. Responses to both proposals were consistent. For each proposal, between 65% and 66% of respondents disagreed or strongly disagreed that the models were worth further consideration and 79% disagreed or strongly disagreed they should be pursued further. In addition 69% agreed or strongly agreed there was a need to examine additional options outside the two proposals. Consultations on the two proposed seed royalty structures are currently on hold. The farm groups were unhappy with the lack of producer input in the consultations and decided to survey producers themselves. The survey results will be presented to the new federal agriculture minister.
CFA Congratulates Re-Appointment of Minister Bibeau The Canadian Federation of Agriculture (CFA) congratulated Minister Bibeau on her re-appointment as Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food. CFA, which represents 200,000 farm families across Canada, looks forward to working once again with Minister Bibeau on helping Canadian agriculture meet its vast potential, which has been outlined in both the Barton report and the Agri-Food Economic Strategy Table. Mary Robinson, President of the CFA noted that, “We look forward to working with Minister Bibeau and discussing the CFA’s key priorities which include action on CN rail strike, trade relief, Business Risk Management programming, rural infrastructure funding and additional funding for climate-change related agricultural research.” The CFA hopes that the new government works collectively with our sector to ensure Canadian agriculture fulfills its potential in contributing to Canada’s overall economy, meeting Canada’s food security needs and help Canada improve the environment. The CFA will seek a meeting with Minister Bibeau to discuss Canadian farmers’ priorities at her earliest convenience.
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November 29, 2019
MBP Meets with Agriculture and Resource Development Minister Manitoba Beef Producers (MBP) had its first in-person meeting with Agriculture and Resource Development Minister Blaine Pedersen recently to discuss matters such as changes to the agricultural Crown lands (ACL) leasing program, the adverse production conditions in 2019 and resultant effects on the industry, and challenges related to predation. “It was very important to sit down with the new minister and his staff to discuss issues affecting the industry and to talk about potential strategies to address them,” said MBP President Tom Teichroeb. “Ongoing engagement will be key.” “At our recent district meetings, ACL lease holders cited a number of concerns in areas such as affordability, predictability (lease lengths and transfers), the new system for valuing improvements, among others. We certainly share these concerns,” explained Teichroeb. “We had a frank discussion about these topics and will continue to do so with the provincial government to try to secure some changes.” With respect to the modernization of the ACL leasing program, MBP will continue to advance matters such as allowing existing lease holders to have the first right of renewal upon expiry of their lease if they can demonstrate that they still meet the program terms and conditions; the need for a rental rate formula that is fair, easily understood, recognizes market conditions and which is transitioned in over a five-year period; the continued ability for producers to be able to utilize family transfers and unit transfers; the right to informed access whereby those wishing to access ACL would need to notify the lease or permit holder prior to entry; government recognition of the ecosystem services lease holders provide in managing ACL and whether there may be opportunities for interested lease holders to purchase ACL in a more timely fashion. During the meeting MBP asked the provincial government to revisit its decision not to pursue an AgriRecovery initiative for beef producers affected by this year’s adverse production conditions, which has affected feed availability and affordability. As well, MBP made suggestions with respect to the need to make business risk management programs more responsive to the needs of the beef industry, and around improving access to haying and grazing of Wildlife Management Areas. MBP also discussed its request for funding for a pilot project aimed at reducing the risk of negative livestock-wildlife interactions. Predation-related losses exact a heavy toll on beef production.
The AgriPost
Strategies to Feed Moldy Hay to Overwintering Beef Cows By Peter Vitti This year, not many farmers harvested and stored good quality beef hay in Manitoba. A cool spring, drought summer, all capped by a couple feet of autumn snow, forced many producers to harvest thousands of moldy hay bales. For many people, this is their only forage supply to overwinter beef cows. Fortunately, we can set up some practical strategies to feed up this forage and get cows in reasonable body condition for calving. Starting with the endless challenge that hay baled at above 14% moisture is likely to have mold growth; the leaves and stems of “tough hay” may be rapidly covered with white mold, when temperatures are above freezing. Subsequent cattle trials have demonstrated that beef cows will eat most of this hay with about 1 – 2% storage mold without much problem. However, when more than 10% of it is contaminated, cattle tend to reject it, unless they are close to starvation. Even when moldy bales are eaten by beef cows, we can be confident that it won’t be as nutritious as mold-free hay. That’s because microscopic organisms, namely fusarium and penicillium molds exploit these same essential nutrients to fuel their own growth. It is estimated that millions of mold strands found in damp hay, typically reduce its dietary energy content; up to 15 – 20% that could be otherwise utilized by gestating beef cows in order to maintain optimum body condition (re: 5 – 6) during winter. Unfortunately, molds go one-step further by reducing the nutrient digestibility/metabolism of forages within the cows’ own bodies. That’s because mold causes undigested forage fibre, soluble carbohydrates and proteins as well as forage minerals and vitamins to travel rapidly throughout the cows’ rumen and lower gut. It often shows up as chronic diarrhea in many afflicted cattle. Various mold species also produce mycotoxins which are harmful compounds that can adversely alter
It would be ideal to recommend that any moldy hay should not be fed at all. This reaction is neither realistic nor practical in this special year, where good-quality and mold-free hay is very limited and expensive. Therefore, many beef producers must cope with their own subpar forage supply, so they can overwinter their beef cowherd. Given reasonable strategies, a large portion of this moldy hay should be safely fed.
animal metabolism. Although, not fully understood, some mycotoxins display hormone-like properties, similar to those naturally produced by cattle. As a result, they can also damage organs, impede normal reproduction (including fetal abortions), as well as disrupt the immune system to fight disease. Such a mycotoxin-supressed immune system may also cause a lack of natural response to producer administered medications and vaccines. Some research shows that cattle can adapt to eating hay containing molds and mycotoxins, because their own rumen microbes has a moderate detoxication capacity. Yet, this ability doesn’t mean that we should rest easy, when cattle consume moldy feed, since specific mycotoxin tolerances are not well-established. And other natural factors are involved such as young livestock and sick cattle are very susceptible to mycopoisoning compared to more mature and healthy animals. Consequently, we offer three basic strategies when it comes to feeding moldy hay to overwintering beef cows as well as other classes of livestock: 1. Take a complete forage inventory - Separate the good, the bad and ugly moldy forage bales. For example, many beef producers should separate their higher quality and less moldy forage bales and thus save them to be fed to beef cows as they approach the calving season. Some
extremely moldy bales should also never be fed and discarded. 2. Add a specific allotment of moldy forage - Add 15% moldy forage to 85% clean forage, such as when making up a complete total mixed ration for beef cows. This strategy allows a specific and limited amount of moldy feed to be provided. Avoid dilution of large amounts of moldy forage with good forage, since this type of blending tends to create sole piles of significantly moldy feed. 3. Alternate between forages - Feed clean mold-free (straw) bales, on one day and then the next day feed bales of moderately moldy bale (hay). Make sure any lower nutrient quality feed (straw bale) is nutritionally supplemented by placing highprotein, low-moisture molasses lick tubs near where cattle congregate. Ensure a well-balanced cattle mineral with complimentary sources of calcium, and phosphorus as well as high levels of bio-available traceminerals, vitamins and salt are fed. It would be ideal to recommend that any moldy hay should not be fed at all. This reaction is neither realistic nor practical in this special year, where good-quality and moldfree hay is very limited and expensive. Therefore, many beef producers must cope with their own subpar forage supply, so they can overwinter their beef cowherd. Given the above reasonable strategies, a large portion of this moldy hay should be safely fed.
FCC Funds Rosenfeld Rink Upgrade By Elmer Heinrichs Thanks to a $15,000 grant from Farm Credit Canada (FCC), improvements have been made to the outdoor rink in Rosenfeld, just in time for a new season. Rosenfeld was one of several area community groups to get a financial boost from FCC through its AgriSpirit Fund for community improvement projects that the FCC says enhances the lives of residents or contributes to sustainability in communities. Rosenfeld’s funds are being used to replace windows, doors and lighting in the community’s skating rink. The Improvements already in prog-
ress come just in time for a new season. “We were pleasantly surprised when we got the grant,” said Warren Schroeder, who chairs the fiveperson committee that oversees the operation of the facility. The 12 halogen lights that surrounded the ice surface were switched out with 14 LED lamps, and the windows in the viewing area were replaced. Not only will the new lamps brighten up the place, but the LED bulbs are expected to slash hydro expenses, said Schroeder. These improvements are the latest in a series of updates to the rink over several years. Already installed are
new boards and a new foundation for the boards, the rink was resurfaced with cement and, thanks to a different grant, a Zamboni was purchased, and the building was expanded in order to house the new machinery. The outdoor rink plays a large role in winter living for residents of the village, north of Altona. Committee member Jake Heppner says up to 50 people use the facility on any given evening. Schroeder and Heppner are part of a five-member rink committee. Rosenfeld was one of six Manitoba projects receiving a total of $96,000 from this year’s AgriSpirit fund.
The AgriPost
November 29, 2019
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Manitoba Hosts Tri-National Agricultural Accord
Farmers and Business People Build New Hotel in Rivers
The new hotel in Rivers, Manitoba in progress.
By Joan Airey Back in July 1999 the only hotel in Rivers was destroyed by fire. Because the only hotel was gone family members visiting a loved one in the community’s hospital undergoing medical care such as rehabilitation due to an accident or be-
Photo by Joan Airey
cause of a stroke had no where to stay. In addition the agricultural community no longer had available space to hold local events or meetings. Seeing the need, many farmers and business people from across southern
Manitoba decided to invest in replacing the River’s hotel. To keep costs down the new hotel was first built in modules and then moved by truck. The completed structure was erected recently with the aid of a large crane.
The Province of Manitoba was host to the 2019 Tri-National Agricultural Accord annual meeting from November 12 to 14 in Winnipeg. “From the earliest days of settlement, agriculture was and continues to be one of Manitoba’s most important and diversified industries, an essential part of our thriving province,” said Agriculture and Resource Development Minister Blaine Pedersen. “Hosting the 2019 Tri-National Agricultural Accord provides Manitoba with a platform to advocate for, and demonstrate leadership on market access and trade, regulatory co-operation, and other important areas to our industry.” The Tri-National Agricultural Accord is a longstanding commitment among the three countries, Canada, the United States and Mexico that allows state and provincial agricultural and rural officials from the three countries to network, contribute to important and meaningful discussions on agricultural development issues and trade opportunities, as well as establish and strengthen business and trade relationships. Attendance at the meeting provided the province an opportunity to display its agri-food sector and highlight the province’s priority on protein production and processing, and to make agri-food businesses more competitive across borders. As Manitoba moves toward celebrations for the province’s 150th birthday, the 2019 Tri-National Agricultural Accord also provided Manitoba the opportunity to showcase its capital city and the province’s vibrant agriculture, agri-product and food manufacturing sectors. The Tri-National Agricultural Accord also allowed senior officials from all three countries to have discussions on important, current topics in agriculture such as African Swine Fever and innovation in agricultural practices, said the minister. “The United States and Mexico are top markets for Canadian canola,” said Rick White, chief executive officer at Canadian Canola Growers Association. “Past accords have addressed issues important to canola farmers including regulatory co-operation, agricultural policy and trade. We see the accord as an important event for enhancing the relationship between our three countries and continuing a strategic dialogue on trade-related issues.” The US and Canada enjoy the largest bilateral trading relationship in the world making the US Manitoba’s number one trading partner, accounting for agri-food exports worth $2.7 billion in 2018. Manitoba’s top exports to the US are canola oil, processed potatoes, live swine and live cattle. Mexico is Manitoba’s fourth-largest agri-food trading partner with $362 million in agri-food exports for 2018. Manitoba’s top exports to Mexico are canola seeds and oil, pork, wheat and processed potatoes. The Accord’s annual meeting is held every year and rotates annually from country to country. In 2018, officials met in Monterrey, Mexico, and this year in Winnipeg. In 2020, the accord will be held in Arlington, Virginia.
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Mexican Delegation Impressed with Delta Canada Research Facility By Harry Siemens Recently the AgriPost accompanied a Mexican pig industry delegation to tour the Topigs Norsvin Delta Canada Research Centre near Woodlands. In all, almost 1,000 customers toured the research facility that was officially opened in June of 2018. According to a Topigs Norsvin release, Delta Canada is an important step in the further development of the company as a global supplier of genetics. “Delta Canada will substantially increase the genetic progress in our Z-line and TN Tempo. It is part of Topigs Norsvin’s longterm breeding strategy and will substantially contribute to our target of doubling genetic progress in the coming period,” said Hans Olijslagers CTO of Topigs Norsvin. Juan Jose Vega, with the Mexican delegation said he is part of a family farm with 13,000 sows that his father first started in 1959 with 1,500 laying hens. They also produce carrots and broccoli. Today they also sell fresh pigs and pork, not cold and processed. “We have many numbers of farms, like 32 farms. And we have the site one, site two, and site three. And in some cases, we have the site two and three together that we call when to finish,” said Vega. “We sell it in Mexico in the country in the central part of Mexico where we have our farm, where 75 per cent of the population of Mexico lives. We are very close to the market, and that’s where we send it. We sell everything alive. It’s a big market that is still mostly live pigs, but now it’s changing to processing. We sell it to many customers. And they take the hogs, and then they take it to the local processing plants. And within the market in Mexico, it is using fresh pork, not chilled or frozen. So, we called the fresh, like fresh vegetables, but fresh in that it doesn’t get cold, the meat.” The Topigs Norsvin research facility impressed the Mexican hog producer. “Well, I saw a very high quality of technology because they are using equipment that I’ve never seen in another genetic company. Very good farm, and very orderly and with a high standard of quality.” Other delegation members included Alberto Stephano, a consulting veterinarian and Jose Miguel Doporto, a Professor, veterinarian,
Recently the AgriPost accompanied a Mexican pig industry delegation to tour the Topigs Norsvin Delta Canada Research Centre near Woodlands. From left to right: Jose Cordoba Dominguez Topigs Norsvin Manager for México; Juan Jose Vega, producer with 13,000 sows; Alberto Stephano, veterinary consultant; Jose Miguel Doporto Professor and veterinary consultant. Photos by Harry Siemens
and one of the consultants working with Vega. Doporto spoke about the reason he visited the Topigs Norsvin facility. “Oh, to see how they produce the health program mainly because at the end of the program, we know that it’s a good genetic program. But to know how they perform in their farms, and how they keep the health in the animals mainly,” said Professor Doporto. When asked if Vega would switch over to Topigs genetics, he said that’s a difficult decision. “Because to change something, it always brings on different situations. And then to change the genetics is not easy, because it’s crucial that you have the availability of animals to produce correctly and it will be very costly.” Currently, Vega gets his genetics from foreign companies. “In the world, maybe three or four major companies are producing and selling their genetics. Yeah, it was impressive. Now we need to know how their animals perform under our conditions, which is different.” Jose Cordoba Dominguez is the Topigs Norsvin Manager for México. “I’m responsible for the Topigs Norsvin business in Mexico and Latin America. And, well, as responsible, I need to lead the team, put together the people, and bring the correct genes to multiply in Mexico and deliver to the customers,” said Cordoba Dominguez. He started the position in Mexico six years
ago, first as a one year consultant, and then the rest as a General Manager. Introducing the program and Topigs Norsvin genetics to producers in Mexico is very challenging he said. “It is challenging in terms of the genetic pig business is very consolidated. We are only three major companies in the world, and one of them has a big market share in Mexico. Topigs was in Mexico, started in the early 2000s, but was not well managed. So, the management changed six years ago and coping with the challenge and our market share went from four per cent to 16 per cent in five years.” Topigs Norsvin Sales Manager John Sawatzky, who coordinated the tour, said this delegation is like many delegations from around the world and Canada that come to Delta Canada. “They want to see what we’re doing, what we’re doing to improve our genetics, the lengths that we go to create the best genetics to keep the farmer the most efficient,” said Sawatzky. To date, the bulk of its customers come from outside of Canada. “There are a lot of Canadian customers that want to come. The thing that they must have as a Canadian producer is a minimum of three nights away from pigs. So, if you’re working in a pig barn, that’s the difficult part. We want to bring as many people as possible, but they need to abide by our strict biosecurity regulation.”
The Delta Canada Topigs Norsvin research facility viewing area and boardroom allows visitors from around the world to see the action and results without making any contact with the pigs.
Delta Canada, just like the Delta centre in Norway, is equipped with IFIR feeding stations for individual feed intake registration and a CT scanner that makes it possible to improve carcass composition, robustness, and meat quality faster and with greater accuracy.
Transporting sedated pigs to and from the CT scanner. Delta Canada houses 2,600 pigs and will test 7,500 young nucleus boars of the TN Tempo sire line and the Z-line dam line every year.
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Bring Your ‘A’ Game to Work and Life
By Joan Airey If you have ever been tired, overwhelmed, stressed and it’s not even lunch time yet, you will want to hear life coach Stephanie Staples presentation. Staples was one of the speakers at the recent Manitoba Farm Women’s Conference in Winnipeg where many attending had just gone through an endurance test during harvest this fall. Minutes into Staple’s presentation she had everyone laughing and seeing the
Life coach Stephanie Staples’ presentation had everyone seeing the positive side of life at the recent Manitoba Farm Women’s Conference in Winnipeg. Photo by Joan Airey
positive side of life. She told the audience she could not make a better life for them, they had to want to make it for themselves by working harder on yourself than on anything else. By doing just that she was able to change her life finding that “something” she knew intuitively was missing. “It’s nobody else’s job to make you happier. You have to make a commitment to yourself to try new things to make your life better. No matter how small the commitment you honour it. It’s not the size that matters, it’s doing it. You are committed to learning and growth,” said Staples. “Try improving by Kaizen mindset, imagining a zero to ten percent scale. Some of the most recent research suggests that setting a goal that increases your capacity by four to eleven percent maybe the sweet spot. Lower than four percent you don’t get the benefit of momentum, and at higher than eleven percent you may find yourself overwhelmed and not continue. It’s not the size of the commitment it’s doing it that matters. You are committed to learning and growth. Isn’t this who you want to be?” “It’s nobody else’s job to make you happier. Motion changes emotion. If you want more energy you have to give more energy. Get out and go for a short walk,” commented Staples. You can check out Stephanie Staples website at StephanieStaples.ca for some great reading and download her first book free “Your Life, Unlimited Guided E-Journal” or check out her new book “The Try Angle: A New Slant on Life”.
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How to Relax About Your Food in a World of Confusing Messages By Joan Airey Erin and Dara are two food loving dietitians on a mission to help people live happy, healthful lives by cooking and eating good food. They are a “how to” guide for all things cooking and eating well. They are both dietitians that work in a teaching hospital besides providing meal planning, cooking and nutrition services. “Our overreaching goal is to help people relax about food whether that means shopping for it, cooking it, eating it or feeding others. We want people to find joy and satisfaction in food and eating.” said Erin. “GMO’S are equally as nutritious and safe as their non-GMO counterparts. Yes. There are over two hundred regulatory
bodies that agree with the research that support this, including Health Canada, WHO, The American Medical Association and the British Royal Society to name a few,” said Dara. Ten per cent of the average person’s budget goes for food. In this diet culture we need to educate people to relax about buying and cooking food. We have the safest food in the world. In Canada all food is antibiotic free. While all food naturally has hormones a beer has seven times more estrogen than a beef steak. At Erin and Dara’s website howtoeat.ca you can get personalized meal planning, cooking services, food and nutrition communication and recipe creations. If you want to learn more about GMOs you can check out gmoanswers.com.
Dietician duo Erin and Dara explain to those attending the Manitoba Farm Women’s Conference in Winnipeg on how to educate people about how safe our food is and that we should enjoy it. Photo by Joan Airey
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Manitoba Hog Grading Benefits from Industry Research
Jason Care, Manager/Auditor, Manitoba Hog Grading said that the grading factor benefits from a much better quality protein and texture due to science and research in the pork industry.
By Harry Siemens Manitoba Hog Grading Inc. (MHGI) represents the interests of hog producers and processors in Manitoba. Its mission is to provide a carcass grading service that is effective and cost-efficient and to deliver this service for hog producers and pork processors in Manitoba. In 1997 the four large, federally inspected processors and Manitoba Pork founded MHGI as a grading service when Agriculture Canada decided to relinquish its grading program. They chose their board of directors from the members, with equal representation from producers and processors. The manager originally hired grading staff and oversaw training, but in 2000 grading staff became plant employees, allowing the manager to perform grader training and audits. MHGI’s board and staff follow a set of procedures and standards to ensure fair treatment of both producer and processor. It is also the grading company’s responsibility to review procedures and standards from time to time to see if they are adequate or if they have to change to reflect the needs of the sector. Jason Care, Manager/Auditor, Manitoba Hog Grading said they started the MHGI to make sure that the plant is getting good quality hogs, that they are not getting super fat hogs with small loins. The
payment process is another way of making sure that producers are getting paid fairly for the product that they are bringing to the table. “We use probes to measure the hog between the third and fourth rib and it comes out four centimetres from the spine, and the outside is seven centimetres from the spine,” he said. “It goes through the loin, perfectly perpendicular through the loin, and it does a measure of the actual loin and the back fat. Then it does a massive calculation and spits out our yield percentage.” The plants use the yield percentage with the weight of the hog. “Where the hog falls in the line at the red tattoo. When that carcass hits the scale, it includes the leaf lard, the head, kidneys, hocks, basically all the innards. It’s eviscerated and it hits the scale, and that’s the weight the packing plant uses on the grid,” said Care. “They take the yield percentage and right after the scale is where the graders actually grade it. So they link the weight with the yield percentage, the packer has a grid and that’s how they pay the producer for the hog.” In 14 years of doing this work, Manitoba’s average for yield was 58.9 per cent and today it is 60.43 per cent. “I’ve seen, in that period of 14 years, the change in the genetics that we have in the province. In judging hog carcass shows in Sas-
katchewan and Manitoba I look at the loins from there versus the loins that I get here, and when I did the PLE, the Prairie Livestock Expo in 2018, the loins, which were huge, were heavily marbled. I find that the genetics in our province have a lot more marbling even compared to in Ontario,” said Care. Apparently, that is what the consumer wants. “That’s the growing trend. Right? The plants would love to get more marbling for the foodservice industry, even cooking, because having more of that marbling; it’s similar to beef, where that meat is much more tender when you cook it. That fat will leak out, drip out, but the meat stays juicier. So that’s an objective,” he said. “You can always go in and look at your chops when they cut them but the standard that we see in the markets, the retail or, where they’re in the restaurants, it’s excellent,” said Care. “I know the Canadian Pork Council wants to implement pork grading similar to how the beef industry grades beef. That’s in progress right now, looking at different venues and how to rate it and to get that standard labelling.” Care puts on 50,000 km a year auditing every week. “But it’s just interesting to see the direction of the pork industry and the market, and the way it’s going, to get more of the pork on the table as, per se. As you said, there’s beef and there’s pork. And a lot of people, unfortunately, that old mentality, we’re talking 20 years ago, where, you know, overcooked pork,” noted Care. “And you have to remember it’s red meat and a lot of people just are kind of scared. Well, I can’t have a little bit of pink in the pork, but you can, and it’s actually so much juicier,” he said. “In the 80s it was very lean; the pork was tough and dry,” said Care. The protein has changed too. The way they process now is a lot different compared to what they used to do. “So that’s another factor too because now we’re getting a much better quality protein and texture,” said Care. “And again, that’s all due to science and the research that the pork industry keeps developing and working on, and same with Manitoba Pork, to find out what will make things better, what will make things safer, all those things wrapped into one.”
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!! from the staff of The AgriPost
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Glad to Be Done By Les Kletke Dan Hiebert said that normally the end of harvest is a happy time on his farm but this year it was especially joyous. “We have had harvest go on for a long time before,” he said. “We even choose our crops to spread harvest but this year was an extreme, and for a lot of the wrong reasons.” Hiebert who farms at Pilot Mound said that having harvest go into November was not in the plans but the snow of early October did exactly that. “We ended up finishing our soybeans in mid November and that is about 6 weeks later than it should be,” he said. He was not entirely sure of yields yet because of the many field problems trying to take the crop off at different stages when field conditions allowed but said overall the yields were better than he expected. “You get to the point where you just want to get it off,” he said. “And that came in October; we were not as concerned about the yield monitor as we were about getting through the field.” Hiebert said that early cereals did well with the crop yields average to slightly better and early canola did well. “Some of the later crop was hit by the drought of August which was followed by the wet of September so we had all kinds of challenges,” he said. “The soybeans were probably close to average but with the field conditions this fall we did not do the best job of getting them off the field,” he said. Again it was a matter of trying to get the combine through the field rather than concern about running the header low enough to capture every pod. He does not grow corn and said that he watched his neighbours struggle with the crop. “The drought took its toll and then the crop was wet. And I am sure that their drying costs will be up because of the moisture in the crop when they took it off, but the crop stayed standing and they were able to get it off.” Hiebert said plans for next year are still a ways off. “Normally when you are on the combine you spend some time thinking about what would be a good fit on this field for next year, we did not get that chance this fall,” he said. “We also have some tracks to deal with, so we will take some time to regroup.”
Canadian Pork Producers Focus on Key Issues The Canadian pork sector is ready to tackle challenges and opportunities to ensure its sustainability following the Canadian Pork Council’s fall members’ meeting held recently in Ottawa. A large part of the meeting was devoted to issues surrounding animal health, disease outbreak preparedness and the response of the industry following an outbreak of African Swine Fever (ASF). Participants reviewed the collaborative work being done across the government agencies and industry groups to prepare for such an eventuality. Producers, representatives from provincial pork organizations, governments and industry stakeholders then broke out into groups for a tabletop exercise that simulated an ASF outbreak in Canada. Participants were asked to consider the need for information and flow of communications. “Animal health is vital to a strong pork industry in Canada and animal disease is a possibility that we have to contend with. The pork industry and its government partners are working in close collaboration not only to prevent such an eventuality but also prepare for a disease outbreak” explained Rick Bergmann, a pork producer from Manitoba, and Chair of the Canadian Pork Council. Participants also worked on possible solutions to manage the surplus of animals that would arise should a foreign animal disease in Canada result in the closure of export markets. Several working groups have been working on these challenges and producers’ input is invaluable in working through situations that would impact the future of the pork industry. The Canadian pork industry also discussed some of the other challenges facing the sector. From the loss of the Chinese market, to ensuring producers get a fair price for their hogs and working with the newly elected government, pork producers provided valuable insight to help the Canadian Pork Council represent them at the national level. The Canadian pork industry took the opportunity to welcome friends of the industry to celebrate the successes of the industry, specifically, the 10th anniversary of the opening of a marketing office in Japan by Canada Pork International. Since the establishment of the Japanese office, Canadian pork exports to Japan have increased from $865,242,644 in 2009 to $1,275,348,152 in 2018.
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Effects of Difficult Harvest Will be Felt by Many By Elmer Heinrichs Snow, rain, drought, wind, hail you name it, and the Prairies have seen it this year. Harvest of crops in Manitoba has been slow, ongoing, and extremely challenging fall conditions have limited progress week to week. Harvest of cereal crops and field peas is essentially complete. The canola and flax harvest is close to complete but some crops will remain in fields overwinter, and soybean, grain corn and sunflower harvest is ongoing. The province issued its final crop report of the 2019 season on November 12, weeks later than usual, officially putting a wrap on the season. In its last report Manitoba agriculture said that 91 per cent of the crop was now off, with farmers continuing to harvest. “We have had fabulous weather, better than most producers ever expected after the snow had fallen,” said Anastasia Kubinec, Manager of crop industry development. Fall field work including tillage, soil testing, post-harvest weed control and fertilizer applications of anhydrous ammonia have been reduced from previous years due to wet fields and ongoing harvest. Across much of Manitoba, hay supplies have remained tight and concerns over a feed shortage have remained. With continued
harvesting, most of the soybean crop is now off, said Manitoba pulse crop specialist Dennis Lange, estimating a yield of 27-28 bushels an acre, a little below average. “Here, in our area there’s about a week of corn left to come off,” said Lange. The crop report said central regions saw some progress as colder temperatures firmed up the ground. Also, frost aided in the drying of crops. Fieldwork and fertilizer applications were at a slow pace. Dry cold conditions prevailed during the week with freezing overnight temperatures providing improved drying conditions. While harvest progressed for crops, growers have to be selective of the fields they choose to harvest and capable of carrying machinery. Edible bean harvest has ended with 20-25 per cent of fields left unharvested given the poor fall weather conditions. Fields unharvested west of the escarpment are to be written off. Harvested yields are considered average to below average, from 1,000-1,500 lbs/ac. Overall quality is below average. Eastern Manitoba also benefitted from the cold weather, which allowed some of the harvest to continue. As in other regions, the extensive use of grain dryers and aeration bins was necessary. The region too will likely see some crops, such as canola remaining in
the fields over the winter. Corn silage harvesting was ongoing with silage being cut on the dry side at around 45 per cent moisture. Corn silage harvest was about 75 per cent complete while 35 per cent of the grain corn acres are harvested. Yields range from 100 to 150 bushels an acre, with reports of low bushel weights. Aeration and drying operations continue on many farms as they have for most of harvest. But even so, stories abound of farmers grappling with fallout from weather conditions that really threw a curveball at all their efforts. And the turmoil extends even beyond the unharvested crops with blackened canola swaths, the flattened soybeans and potatoes turning to mulch in the ground. One third of the potato crop in Manitoba remained unharvested and the cold temperatures have now rendered those fields unsalvageable. Industry officials said earlier that 12,000 acres would likely not be harvested this year. That’s worse than last year which saw 5,200 acres stay in the ground. The effects of these kinds of production losses in a closely connected value chain such as the potato sector are easy to see. From the farmers and the truckers, to the processors and the people employed by the processors, the consequences will touch a lot of people in this province.
Pork Exports Resume to China Canadian pork producers were pleased that the issues preventing the export of pork products to China have been resolved. The market is an important one for producers that has been closed since exports were suspended on June 25 this year. “We are very appreciative of the efforts of government officials to help restore reliable access to China,” said Rick Bergmann, Canadian Pork Council (CPC) Chair. “We’d like to thank Canadian Agriculture and Agri-food Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau and International Trade Diversification Minister Jim Carr for the leadership they have shown in working to resolve this issue. We look forward to working with Ambassador Barton to further strengthen CanadianChinese relations.” This news is very timely as Chinese pork supplies have been significantly reduced by an outbreak of African Swine Fever. “Producers look forward to help meet the demands of Chinese consumers for wholesome, high-quality pork,” added René Roy, CPC’s Second Vice-Chair. CPC immediately setup a delegation with the red meat industry to visit China to strengthen the relationship and take the opportunity to thank Chinese officials for their trust and confidence. In addition to meetings in Shanghai, the delegation travelled to Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Beijing and Tianjin before concluding their trip. They met with members of the Canada-China Business Council, Import and Export Food Safety Bureau officials, food importers, retailers, Canadian trade representatives and Canadian consulates. “Every time I travel to China and meet with our customers and partners, I gain a better understanding of the market, and that informs the decisions we make back in Canada” explained Hans Kristensen, CPC First Vice-Chair. Participants from the Canadian Pork Council, the Canadian Meat Council, Canada Pork International and others also met with Ambassador Barton. China is a very important market for Canadian producers. In 2018, Canada’s pork exports totalled almost $4 billion, of which $514 million was exported to China making it our third-largest export market.
The Success of Canadian Pork in Japan For over 25 years, the Japanese have considered Canadian pork to be a premium product, viewed almost as highly as their own domestic product. Their interest in Canadian pork was further reaffirmed recently during celebratory events in Tokyo. The Canadian Pork Council (CPC) represented pork producers at events organized by Canada Pork International at the Canadian embassy in Tokyo on November 5. It was standing room only during the seminar meant to inform Japanese customers about the particularities of Canadian pork. “I was very proud to see firsthand the kind of attention our product is getting in Japan,” explained Rick Bergmann, CPC Chair and producer from Manitoba. “We pride ourselves on raising the highest quality hogs in Canada, and it’s a great feeling knowing that what we do on our farms gets recognized and is appreciated.” Bergmann gave an overview of the on-farm practices that play a role in being able to offer what is called “Verified Canadian Pork”, a brand that offers quality assurances to domestic and international consumers alike. “During my first trip to Japan, everyone we met wanted to be assured we could keep the supply of Canadian pork flowing into Japan,” said Hans Kristensen, CPC’s First ViceChair and pork producer in New Brunswick. “The Japanese appreciate the firm quality of Canadian pork as well as its flavor and appearance.” Japan is Canada’s 2nd largest export market. In 2018, Canada exported 264,635 tonnes of pork to Japan worth $1.3 billion.
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Communication is Key to Passing the Farm on to the Next Generation By Les Kletke Communication is the key to any operation, and it is even more important on the farm where those involved might be family members. Gordon Earl said that is a lesson that he has leaned over nearly 40 years in the business of agriculture, “People are more important than anything.” Earl spent more than 30 years with Farm Credit Canada (FCC) and has been a private consultant for the last 6 years. He told attendees at the Farm Transition Update sponsored by the Canadian Association of Farm Advisors that communication is the key and often farm partners assume that they have the same
Gordon Brown said communication is the key to any farm operation but even more important when intergeneration transfer is being considered. Photo by Les Kletke
goals but open discussion yields that these goals might be quite different. He said that in his work he has found, “Even Mom and Dad may have very different goals when it comes to passing on the farm. Family dynamics are very important and both have them have put a lot of work into building the farm business.” Research shows that less than 15 % of family farms make it to the 3rd generation and that number drops to less that 5% for a 4th generation. Earl pointed out that discussion and respect for each partner’s contribution to the farm and the shared commitment is what makes a successful family farm. Earl recognized that farm operations have changed dramatically in recent years and that makes for new challenges when developing a plan to turn it over to the next generation. “It is important to establish the value of the operation, to deal with the different contribution of family members, to set expectations and then allow time to adjust,” said Earl. His work shows that the process may take 18 months. “It is not a matter of sitting down for an afternoon and working out a plan. There are many things to be considered. It is a complicated plan and it has to consider the exit needs of the senior generation as well as the business needs of the ongoing operation,” said Earl. “It is something we don’t know but we have to consider whether the exiting generation will die young or live long. The exit needs can vary greatly.” Slightly tongue in cheek he added that sometimes, “It appears a good plan is where everyone is equally unhappy.”
Passing on a Legacy Requires Encouragement and Fairness By Les Kletke Elaine Froese helps families develop a plan to pass the farm to the next generation, if they want to. “What is fair to the non-farming siblings?” asked Froese of her audience. She was one of the keynote speakers for the Canadian Association of Farm Advisors meeting in Winnipeg in early November, and acknowledged that there is no easy answer. Froese has worked with scores of families to develop a plan that would allow the farm to be passed to the next generation and still allow the family to be a family. “There are all kinds of challenges,” she said. “I hear all kinds of stories from things that have happened in the past and are still brewing under the surface.” She said communication is the key and fami-
At the recent Canadian Association of Farm Advisors meeting Elaine Froese spoke on the seeds of encouragement and fairness for the next generation. Photo by Les Kletke
lies have to start talking about the process long before they expect the outcome. On the issue of dealing with non farming siblings, Froese said that treating children as individuals is an important step. “Helping everyone be successful should be the goal.” she said. Froese farms with her husband, son, and daughter-in-law at Boissevain and has a daughter who is not involved with the farm. She knows of what she speaks, and can call on experiences of her own marrying and moving to the farm. “In many cases today kids are wealthy,” she said. “In many cases they have been given a good start and are doing well. They do not need a cash inheritance.” Froese said that equal may not always be the right answer when it comes to inheritance, and she is well aware of the increase in farm values and how difficult that could be. “It is important to give gifts with a warm heart.” she said. “That is what the next generation needs. They need to know that the gift is given willingly and intended to help them.” She said that children may need help at various times, and again equity is not always the prime concern. “It is important to help everyone be successful and that requires treating them as individuals and recognizing their individual needs.” “Fairness needs a mindset shift, and a new language to define it as helping everyone be successful,” she said. “Financial transparency is also important, and we need to deal with attitudes towards bullying.” She said there are no easy answers but starting on the process is a prime issue that often gets put to the side to deal with day-to-day issues.
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The Driver of Commodity Where Does the Next Price is Trade War Generation Farmer Politics and Weather Come From? By Les Kletke Kelly Dobson is a fourth-generation farmer from Manitoba who has turned a lifelong passion for leadership as the President and a coach with LeaderShift Inc. Dobson, as many would, considers a 4th generation farmer that owns a farm even if they do not consider themselves a farmer. Dobson is more concerned about the results of leadership and successful business than the semantics of who is a farmer. Dobson was one of the keynote speakers at the Canadian Association of Farm Advisors meeting in Winnipeg in early November and spoke to the issue of leadership and those aspects that many might not think of when addressing farm leadership. “The Kryptonite of farm leadership is passivity,” he said. “Farmers don’t say anything about what they want with their estate and that leads to an undesirable situation.” He said that leadership on the farm is strongly correlated to the business results and that it can be measured and increased. “Leadership development must be designed right to achieve results,” said Dobson. “Leadership effectiveness can account for 37% of a business’s performance.” He comes by this value for leadership honestly. “My Dad was driven by information,” he said. “I grew up with that approach to information, my Dad was one of the first farmers in the area to have a Teledon and get updated market information, and at a time when that was expensive, long distance phone lines were costly.” He also regaled the audience with memories of a trip to an early Weed Fair, a forerunner of today’s Ag Days, as a youngster. “I was there as an 8-year old in my felt pack boots and snow pants with my Dad who was in search of a better sprayer nozzle and I remember making our way through the booths as he searched for a nozzle that would do a better job,” said Dobson on the treasure hunt. Dobson’s presentation about the development of individuals and the value of people fell in line with the speakers of the day, many of whom commented on the value of people more than other aspects of a farm operation. He operates a training program that helps farmers move to the next lever of management. “We are in the business of changing people as a business evolves,” he said. “We believe that leadership on the farm is moving.”
Kelly Dobson, a 4th generation farmer who is also President of LeaderShift, said at a recent Canadian Association of Farm Advisors meeting in Winnipeg that the need for leadership skills changes as a farm business grows. Photo by Les Kletke
By Harry Siemens Swithun Still is the Director of Solaris Commodities and President of the Grain and Feed Trade Association of London, England, working from the company office in Morges, near Lausanne, Switzerland. Still, on his Twitter account tagline, he said, “I put the ‘Fun’ and the ‘mental’ in Fundamental pun the ‘pun’ in pundit.” Solaris Commodities S.A., established in December 2011, trades internationally in agricultural commodities, such as milling wheat, feed barley, corn, oilseeds, peas and other products. The company ships grain by river-sea and ocean-going vessels with DWAT, the gross deadweight tonnage that a vessel can load from 3,000 to 80,000 tons from the ports of the Azov Sea and the Black Sea to all the destinations where consumers need grain and feed products. “We trade in grains, mostly milling wheat from Russia. For three seasons in a row, we traded feed corn out of Russia as one of the top three traders of corn. Last year Russia had an inferior corn crop, so we didn’t do very much corn at all. But in the previous three seasons, we were the top three with Cargill and Glencore, so you know, the big boys, respectively number one, two, and then number three,” said Still in a recent Skype interview. “This year, Solaris Commodities has traded around 2 million tons, mostly milling wheat, since July, the opening of the new trading year one of the top three traders to move grain from Russia.” According to the Moscow Times headline, “Russia on Track to Remain World’s Biggest Grain Exporter - A solid harvest would minimize inflationary pressure.” Projections show Russia will have a solid harvest of over 77 million metric tonnes of wheat and 38.4 million metric tonnes of feed grain, corn, sorghum, barley, rye, oats and millet. For a total of 115.4 million metric tonnes in 2019 the
Swithun Still, the Director of Solaris Commodities and President of the Grain and Feed Trade Association of London, England, said the two known drivers for grain markets are political trade wars and the weather.
Vedomosti Daily reported, citing the US Department of Agriculture (USDA). “The Russian wheat crop was very respectable according to the USDA at 72.5 million metric tonnes, a respectable crop, more or less in line with last year, but a lot lower than the bumper crop of 2017, which depending on estimates, more like 85 million. But other people estimate the wheat crop this year to be more in line with 75, 76 million tonnes, which will maybe allow wheat exports this year to hit, some people say 36 million metric tonnes,” he said. “I don’t think that’s maybe right. It’s going to be, I would think, less, although we’ll see. Kazakhstan has been buying quite a lot of wheat under the radar because they had a poor wheat crop, and they have milling wheat needs for their export flour business. So I would think that somewhere between 33 and 36 million tonnes of exports of wheat in this season.” In commenting on the trade battles between the United States and China, with Canada somewhere in the middle, he still sees it as a complete mess. “I think that it’s a complete mess from the perspective of the American farmer. He can get supports from the government, but I don’t think most farmers are socialists, and they would prefer to
live in a free market scenario and not have to rely on handouts,” said Still. “Everyone loses in a trade war. Somehow the consumer ends up paying for it, be it the Chinese or the American consumer. I think overall, it’s great for other competing origins, particularly on the soybeans and corn for the South Americans.” He said the Chinese bought wheat in France in pretty big volumes. Likewise, the Australians have a trade war on their barley. Canada was hit for their politics over Huawei, banning canola shipments. For Canada, the canola trade war may continue for some time. Most recently on November 22 at the Halifax International Security Forum the US delegates warned Canada about the security risks associated with Huawei. Under China’s 5G network, the US has linked developments in artificial intelligence, facial recognition advances, surveillance cameras and advanced data-gathering through wireless networks and China’s ability to harness all of that intimate data. “And so I think overall politics, as ever, is one of the biggest drivers in the grain market and the two known, unknowns are politics and weather. And politics is up front and centre this season with the trade war,” said Still
The company ships grain by river-sea and ocean-going vessels with DWAT, the gross deadweight tonnage that a vessel can load from 3,000 to 80,000 tons from the ports of the Azov Sea and the Black Sea to all the destinations where consumers need grain and feed products. Supplied photos.
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So You’re a Gamer? By Les Kletke Virtual Reality may not be the right name for what Dan Blair showcased at the recent Canadian Association of Farm Advisors meeting in Winnipeg though it is the term most would understand. It is not a fitting name because it is no longer virtual it is real and in the here and now. Blair refers to it as Immersive Technology and is looking to make it fit with Ag businesses. Blair is a technology entrepreneur based in Winnipeg and founded Space Developments in 2015. The company focuses on virtual reality experiences for serious purposes, more than gaming. He is working with the Bruce McDonald Centre at Glenlea to make visits to the farm more meaningful for the thousands of students that visit annually. He admitted to having a favourite site. “I love the pig barn, and working with the presentations from the barn. The immersive technology gets around the issue of health concerns with large numbers of humans visiting the barn he pointed out. “This puts you in the perspective that I want you to see,” said Blair. “We have not been able to do that before, it brings with it a lot of benefits and some other considerations.” He acknowledged the partnership with agriculture and immersive technology is in its infancy and he is not sure where the greatest benefit might be yet. “We can use it to show people where their food comes from,” he said. “But along with the marketing value we can use it as a tool in the industry,
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Common Ground Reaps Soybeans in November Foodgrains Harvest By Elmer Heinrichs
Dan Blair is not sure how Immersive Technology will fit in agriculture but he knows it will have beneficial applications. Photo by Les Kletke
and we can use it for training sessions.” Blair cited examples of where the technology had been used for safety training in the construction industry and said that he stopped short of the message he would have portrayed. “I would have used some blood,” he said. “When you put your hand in the saw bad things happen, but it was thought that might be too graphic.” He said that training videos for farm equipment were a distinct
possibility. “We have to consider the expense of production and how they will be distributed but there are real opportunities, and it is much less expensive than training on the real equipment and making mistakes,” he explained. He has been part of a group that uses the technology in northern schools but said internet access was a limiting factor. Dan Blair is looking for new partners in bringing the immersive technology to life in agriculture.
Crop Quality Down, Says AAFC in November Outlook By Elmer Heinrichs Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, in its November outlook, says harvest in western Canada is mostly complete but the quality of the crop for some commodities is wellbelow last year, especially for the grains. But forecasts in the current report do not account for the cold wet conditions which have prevailed on the Prairies since September and the heavy snow that occurred in some provinces in early-October. For the Prairie Provinces, there are concerns that a portion of the crop may not be harvested until the spring unless favourable weather conditions facilitate the completion of harvest. In eastern Canada, harvest was underway for corn and soybeans. The report acknowledged that at
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the end of October, only a small amount of corn was harvested in Ontario, Canada’s leading corn producing province. In Manitoba, the third largest corn producing province, the harvest was about 21 per cent complete with varied yields reported. The production of all field crops in Canada is expected to be 95.6 million tonnes (Mt), an increase of about 2 per cent from last year. However, supply is expected to decrease due to lower imports and carry-in stocks. Total exports and total domestic use are forecast to decrease slightly. For grains and oilseeds (G&O), exports are expected to decrease as lower exports of wheat excluding durum, barley, corn and soybeans more-than offset higher exports of
durum, oats and canola. However, for pulses and special crops (P&SC), exports are expected to increase slightly, mostly due to higher exports of dry peas, and to a lesser extent, lentils. Total domestic use of field crops is forecast to decrease slightly as the significant decrease in domestic use for corn and soybeans morethan offsets the increase in domestic use for barley, peas and lentils. Average prices for field crops in Canada are expected to continue to be strongly supported by the weakness of the Canadian dollar. Based on a survey of several thousand producers, Statistics Canada will provide final estimates for yields and production, based on a survey of several thousand producers, on December 6.
In one of the most grueling harvest seasons in recent history, volunteers with the Canadian Foodgrains Bank’s Common Ground project finally harvested their soybean crop November 7. Kevin Nickel, spokesperson for the Common Ground project, explained that, “The growing season started off dry, then ended with inches of rain, a historic snowstorm and unusually cold temperatures, resulting in growers across Manitoba waiting weeks to get the crop off.” Talking about the 300 acres of crop east of Rosenfeld, Nickel said, “We had a great crop of soybeans. We planted them, and they came up well, and they just looked really good all summer. But of course, being as dry as it was, nobody was expecting soybeans to be fantastic this year anyway.” “With a break in the rain and snow, and below freezing temperatures meant that the ground was solid enough for combines to drive on, and though farmers were still harvesting other crops, we had enough volunteers to run five combines, a grain cart and four trucks,” said Nickel. Considering the dramatic weather conditions, Nickel and other volunteers were quite pleased with the crop producing a near averaged crop of 30 bushels an acre. The proceeds of the crop after expenses will be donated to the Foodgrains Bank for world relief efforts. Gordon Janzen, Manitoba representative for the Foodgrains Bank, noted that while it is nicer to have community harvest events in warmer temperature, “Farmers are still getting together and doing the harvest collectively.” On September 9, in Arborg, Manitoba they took off 75 acres of wheat in one hour. It yielded around 55 bushels per acre for a total of 4,175 bushels raising just over $25,000. Janzen said the last remaining soybean fields have been coming off. “We’ve had quite a slow down during September and October with very wet conditions but there were at least half a dozen growing projects that had soybeans left out and finally a couple of them are coming off now.” He added that funds raised this year could be down from previous years. “I don’t think it will be a record year. Some of the early harvests with the cereals seemed to be okay. Things may even out although we’re going to have to wait until the end of the year to see what really comes in.” The Canadian Foodgrains Bank hosted appreciation suppers for Manitoba volunteers and supporters at Starbuck and in Brandon during November.
Pork Producers Welcome Stability in the Agricultural Portfolio The Canadian Pork Council is pleased to learn that Minister Bibeau will continue her work as Minister of Agriculture and Agri-food Canada. “On behalf of pork producers across Canada, I would like to congratulate Minister Bibeau on her appointment as Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada” said Rick Bergmann, Chair of the Canadian Pork Council. “Over the past 9 months, producers have appreciated her availability to hear concerns and work on solutions. The collaboration shown by staff under her leadership has been very much appreciated by the pork sector.” The role of Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food is crucial as it ensures the food security of Canadians. It also promotes the development of an industry that is a true economic engine for the country and accounts for 12% of total Canadian employment. The Canadian Pork Council (CPC) looks forward to continuing working with Bibeau, especially on three key files essential to the sustainability of pork production in Canada. CPC will be focused on in enhancing Canada’s animal health system, improving market risk management programs and establishing a Pork Promotion and Research Agency. “We are fortunate to work and live in a country that produces ample supplies of affordable, wholesome food in a sustainable manner. The Canadian pork sector produces enough pork to be able to export 70% of its production to other countries and has the capacity to produce even more” explained René Roy, CPC’s Second Vice-Chair. “In order to fully maximize the positive impact of the pork industry on the country, collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture and Agri-Food is essential. Together, we must work on mitigating the risks faced by producers to ensure the industry remains strong, and in a position to continue to grow.”
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Preparations Continue for Amalgamation Vote with Name Chosen for Proposed Organization Manitoba Corn Growers Association (MCGA), Manitoba Flax Growers Association (MFGA), National Sunflower Association of Canada (NSAC), Winter Cereals Manitoba, Inc. (WCMI) and Manitoba Wheat and Barley Growers Association (MWBGA) continues to prepare for the upcoming vote on amalgamation. Members of the five organizations will vote inperson at the annual general meetings as part of the CropConnect Conference on February 12 and 13, 2020. As part of the amalgamation process, an incorporated entity needed to be formed for each of the five commodity groups to vote on the amalgamation. Over the past several months, online surveys were conducted where farmer members were asked to submit names for the proposed organization. Based on feedback from the surveys and lengthy discussion, the steering committee selected the name Manitoba Crop Alliance, Inc. for the new organization. “Our legal counsel indicated the incorporated entity needed a name in order to initiate the incorporation process.,” says Myron Krahn, MCGA director. “When we looked at the definition of the word alliance, which is an association formed for mutual benefit, we felt that summarized the intent of the amalgamation. We are stronger, together” added Krahn. As part of the incorporation process, an interim board of directors for Manitoba Crop Alliance were appointed from the five commodity organizations. The interim directors include from MWBGA Fred Greig, Robert Misko and Drew Baker, from NSAC Mark McDonald and Gregg Fotheringham, from WCMI Doug Martin, from MFGA Nick Matheson and Eric Fridfinsson, and from MCGA Patrick Friesen, Myron Krahn and Reginald Johnson. Manitoba Crop Alliance’s executive committee was also elected by the interim directors. Fred Greig will serve as chair, Robert Misko as vice-chair and Doug Martin as secretary on an interim basis. “Incorporation, which included naming of the entity and appointing interim directors, was part of the legalities of amalgamation,” states Fred Greig, chair of MWBGA. “It still remains the decision of the five Manitoba commodity organizations’ members on the proposed amalgamation, as we always maintained members would have their say through a vote.” Online webinar meetings will be held on Tuesday, November 26 and Thursday, December 12 for members to learn more about the process and procedures leading up to the annual general meetings. “We encourage members to participate in the webinar,” says Gregg Fotheringham, NSAC president. Rob Hannam, the consultant who has been working with the steering committee, will be presenting important information on the voting process. “As fellow farmers we realize our members are busy with a challenging harvest so the webinar will be recorded and made available for viewing later if members are unable to participate on those days,” added Fotheringham. The amalgamation proposal, bylaws, amalgamation agreement and other related documents to the amalgamation are available at the temporary website www.mbcrops.ca. Feedback from farmer members can be made directly to Rob Hannam at rob@mbcrops.ca or to any of the directors and staff of the five organizations.
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Manitoba Pork Honoured for Outstanding Philanthropy By Harry Siemens Recently, Manitoba Pork received the 2019 Outstanding Contribution to Philanthropy Award (Organization Under 100), for the various contributions the hog sector makes to Manitoba communities. “Our thanks go to Dean Martin Scanlon and the Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences at the University of Manitoba for nominating Manitoba Pork producers for this significant award,” said a Manitoba Pork statement. “As food producers, a guiding principle for our philanthropic activities is to help ensure food security in our communities. Also, partnering over the years with organizations such as Siloam Mission, the Salvation Army and Winnipeg Harvest, Brandon’s Samaritan House Ministries and Steinbach’s South East Helping Hands. Every year, we donate more than two tonnes of pork products to those needing a hand up.” As well, in acknowledgement of its contributions to the community, the Manitoba chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals recognized Manitoba Pork, its staff and its members for their “Outstanding Contribution to Philanthropy.” George Matheson, the Chair of Manitoba Pork, said the organization felt honoured by the Agriculture Department at the University of Manitoba nominating them, and the recognition is delightful. “We participate in charities such as Siloam Mission and the Salvation Army two primary examples. We will give contributions in kind, using the time of our staff members,” said Matheson. “There will be financial contributions, food, in our case, pork contributions to the charities. We also involve ourselves in education in the province donating to the Bruce D. Campbell Centre and Assiniboine Community College, especially their new meat cutting department. We also promote a healthy lifestyle in regards to community activities. With sports activities such as that, you will often see Manitoba Pork as a sponsor and contributing to those types of community events.” Matheson said from those who have good fortune much is expected in regards to what they give back. “It’s the right thing to do; it feels good to do it and all of our society benefits.” Through Manitoba Pork’s giving, they advance agricultural literacy through support for organizations like Agriculture in the ClassroomManitoba and the University of Manitoba’s Bruce D. Campbell Farm & Food Discovery Centre, along with other agri-education events. “Our goal is to help further the public’s knowledge and understanding of how farmers produce their food so that they can make
George Matheson, the Chair of Manitoba Pork and Manitoba Pork Director Margaret Rempel accept the 2019 Outstanding Contribution to Philanthropy Award (Organization Under 100).
George Matheson, the Chair of Manitoba Pork speaking at the Manitoba Philanthropy Awards 2019 Luncheon on November 15.
well-informed decisions about their food choices. As producers of a high-quality, nutrient-rich protein, it makes sense for us to promote active and healthy lifestyles by partnering with grassroots sports organizations and health-related charities that help advance patient care, services, and programming. And, of course, our support for the culinary arts in provincial community colleges encourages up-and-coming chefs and foodies to use pork in new and innovative ways,” said Matheson. “The Manitoba Pork Council inspires us with their philanthropy. From their unswerving support of local charities and in-kind donations to food banks and inter-
national hunger relief, they lead the way in contributing to healthy communities. We particularly appreciate their commitment to agricultural education, and we are so pleased they are being recognized for their efforts,” noted Dr. Martin Scanlon, Dean of the Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences, University of Manitoba. “Manitoba’s pork producers enjoy making a meaningful social impact by supporting the communities where we live and work,” said Matheson. “We know that something as simple as a pork sandwich can make a huge difference in someone’s day. We are proud to help make that difference.”
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It is Always Tax Time By Les Kletke When Lise Deleurme speaks about a “once in a lifetime opportunity” she is not talking about a get rich quick scheme. She is referring to the exemption of Capital Gains of qualifying farmland. “I call it that not because it is a windfall or get rich quick scheme but because you can only use it
once, so you best make the most of it. Most Canadians will never get a benefit like that.” Deleurme operates accounting offices in Notre Dame de Lourdes and St. Claude specializing in farm accountant and advisory services. She was a keynote speaker at the Canadian Association of Farm Advisors update in Winnipeg in early
Lise Deleurme rates the farm land capital gains exemption as a once in a lifetime opportunity, but not a get rich quick scheme. Photo by Les Kletke
November. She stresses the value of a good client advisor relationship. “Every farm is unique,” she said. “There is no cookie cutter approach that is best for every farm so it is important to know the details of the operation.” She insists that a long term relationship is best and it is never too early to start. “Plan before something happens,” she said. “We all know that we should have started already but many farms do not have any plan in place.” Deleurme also has recommendations about paying a child as a farm employ. “You need to start to document those things as early as possible, even if you are not using them at the time but it is important to get a record of the work done.” While she works with farmers to reduce their tax she said that sometimes farmers come up with their own creative solutions but not all are viable. “In a good year, I have had clients ask if they can prepay their rent for the next 5 years and use it as an expense,” she said with at chuckle. “That does not work.” She stressed the importance of an ongoing relationship. “If you know where you are, in a tax situation it is better, and you can make better marketing decisions,” she said. “Often it gets left to year end and that may not be the best time, but that is when it happens.” She said one of the most common questions she faces is about including land in a corporation when a farm is incorporating. “Again each situation is different and it depends on the debt load, there is no one answer that fits everyone,” Deleurme explained.
Farmers: You Are Not Alone Many livestock producers struggling with feed moving into the winter after a record-setting fall storm, it is important for farmers to remember that they are not alone. While the severity of the summer drought and wet fall conditions vary across the province, one common factor remains among farmers, everyone is feeling the effects. You must consider what is in your control and what is not. “Weather is an unpredictable factor for the farming industry, and with extreme weather comes many challenges,” said Leanne Brackenreed, Counsellor at the Manitoba Farm, Rural, and Northern Support Services. “Everyone is running the same combine in a different field. Farmers have to remember they aren’t alone in their struggles.” During crisis, farmers might look across the road and see a crop that is finished while theirs is still in the ground which can create intense feelings of isolation for many. “The most valuable thing we tell farmers is that it is healthy to acknowledge their own mental health
Remember that you are not alone.
issues and to normalize the term in industry,” Brackenreed added. “Many farmers try to juggle current financial stress with planning prevention strategies for the future.” While it is easier said than done, Brackenreed recommends dealing with one thing at a time. Prioritize what needs to be addressed right now and what can realistically wait. The Manitoba Farm, Rural & Northern Support Services offers free, confidential and non-judgmental counselling for anyone who lives on a
Manitoba farm or in a rural or Northern community. If you need to talk to someone, please call the line toll free at 1-866-367-3276 or 204-571-4180 or chat online at supportline.ca. FSP was established in 2016 to provide workplace safety and health advisory services and training to producers. FSP is hosted by Keystone Agricultural Producers (KAP), however safety services are available to all farmers whether or not they are KAP members, and regardless of size and commodity.
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Telling the Story of Canadian Durum Across the Atlantic Ocean
By Jake Leguee Have you ever heard of new crop missions? Probably not. Most farmers I’ve talked to over the past couple of months have never heard of them. But they are a critical component of our sales process to our overseas buyers, and this year, I have the privilege of being the farmer on the durum trip. Every year, a few teams of people from the Canadian wheat value chain head off to numerous export markets, such as Latin America, the United Arab Emirates, Nigeria, parts of Asia, and, for my trip, some of our major durum markets in Southern Europe and North Africa. The trips are organized by Cereals Canada, the Canadian International Grains Institute (CIGI) and the Canadian Grain Commission (CGC). As a producer on the board for the Saskatchewan Wheat Development Commission, I have the honour of being the farmer in the group. There will be an exporter with us as well. This diverse group will be able to present key information to our buyers on the 2019 crop. I’m sure some of you are wondering – what’s the benefit of a costly trip like this? To me, the benefits are clear. Think about your relationship with your crop input retailer; do you just see them once a year when you buy products from them? Or do they grow a relationship with you over the years, trying to show you why you should do business with them? If they don’t, the only tool they have to earn your business is price. In a world where wheat is grown almost anywhere, most of it much closer to market than we are in Canada, price is simply not a factor we can compete on. What sets us apart in Canada is the quality of the product we produce, the incredible advances we have made over the last couple decades in improving sustainability, and the lengths we go to ensure our customers are satisfied with our products. When we meet with our buyers, they’re eager to hear the presentation given by the farmer; they are incredibly interested in how we grow our crops, how we manage our risks, and the generational legacy we build in our businesses. Indeed, the producer presentation is a critical aspect of these missions. We have some important issues to try and resolve. Italy has been an unwilling buyer of Canadian durum, driven by frustrating country of origin labelling laws and a campaign against Canadian durum, created by a farm group called Coldiretti. Unlike 2018, we don’t have a massive crop of largely #1 and #2 durum. We have a mix of all grades this year, which may create some interesting opportunities. Speaking directly to our buyers will help us understand what those are. Something that many of us don’t often take the time to ponder is that what we do as farmers matters to consumers. They are interested in how we make our cropping decisions, how we manage difficult harvest weather (case in point 2019), how we make pesticide application decisions, and, perhaps most importantly in today’s environment, how we maximize sustainability. The fact that we try to improve our soils with the goal to pass our farms down to our children is a foreign concept for many parts of the world, and it is something to be celebrated. I’ll be speaking about all of these topics and more when I travel across the ocean in a little less than a month. I’ll be away for nearly two weeks, which is a long time to be away from my young children; but when I think about their future, and how we will continue to drive success in growing Canadian wheat and durum, the choice is easy. This isn’t just about our crop in 2019 and servicing our customers for today; it’s about building the future for Canadian agriculture and ensuring our product has a market, now and in the future. I’m excited for the remarkable privilege of representing Canadian durum producers. Jake is a Board Member of the Saskatchewan Wheat Development Commission, and a Saskatchewan Producer who is participating in the 2019 New Crop Missions. Jake will be travelling to Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco, and Italy in December 2019 to promote Canadian Durum Wheat.
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After the Retirement... By Les Kletke Retirement can be stressful. Especially if you are a farmer, said Colin Sabourin, and finances are one of the areas that can add to the stress. It is not the pressures of living on a fixed income and not having enough money to pay the heating bill but quite the opposite. “Farmers can be faced with a new problem when they retire,” said Sabourin who is a Financial Planner with Harbourfront Wealth Management and a key note speaker at the Cana- Financial planner Colin Sabourin said dian Association of Farm Advisors that investing after farming may mean some changes upon retirement. meeting in Winnipeg. “They now Photo by Les Kletke are cash rich which is something they may not be used to having while working to build the farm.” Sabourin specializes in working with clients who are planning on selling their business or recently have and are now in a position to invest significant amounts of money. “Farmers are typically not investors outside of the farm,” he said. “The have done a good job of building their farm through investing profits back into the farm. This is a good strategy and usually shows a good return on their investment.” He said the process of off farm investing begins with education. We have to look at what the financial needs will be and the risk level the individual is comfortable with. Then we have to design a portfolio that provides the return required,” said Sabourin. The education part comes when deciding which elements should be in the portfolio. “The individual has to decide if he wants to be an owner or a lender,” he said. “If he buys GICs or saving bonds he is the owner and they are typically a lower risk but if he wants a higher return he can look at being a lender which is what he is if he invests in stocks.” Sabourin who grew up on a farm south of Winnipeg does not down play the emotional aspects. “The individual that is leaving the farm also has to get comfortable with the idea that he is no longer making all the decisions,” said Sabourin. “He has made an investment and will benefit from the return but is not involved in the day-to-day decisions and that is a change.” He said that most farmers prefer a conservative investment strategy and points to their age when retiring and the equity they have already built. Leaving the farm with cash may not be the time to get involved with the roller coaster world of stocks.
Gardening Year Round in Manitoba By Joan Airey Once again we are enjoying lettuce, green onions and herbs grown indoors under lights while there is snow on the ground. When you are home all the time you don’t realize how fast things can grow. After spending three days at the Farm Women’s Conference Vegetables growing in dock float. in Winnipeg and I couldn’t Photo by Joan Airey believe how much lettuce had grown while away. Another example is the photograph of the vegetables grown in a dock float by Brenda and Bob Eisler that shows how little space is needed to grow some delicious fresh vegetables. “Bob cut the top off the float and we put an old grate in the bottom for water to go under then we covered it with landscaping fabric so the soil couldn’t fall in the water. We put a plastic pipe inside the container vertically to water the planter through. Then filled one container with potting soil and the other with a mixture of garden soil and compost. Both grew an excellent crop of vegetables,” said Brenda Eisler. “If anyone is looking for self- watering planter ideas they can check out lots of ideas at pinterest.ca. That’s where we found lots of information.” The Prairie Garden is hot off the press and is being launched at McNally-Robinson on November 24. It should also be available at garden centres and some book stores in time for Christmas gifts. The 2020 edition is called “Inspired by Nature”. For more information check out their website at prairiegarden.ca. My 2020 copy of T&T Seeds catalogue arrived in the mail. Knowing that it is here is going to make it hard for me to concentrate on year end farm books.
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Ancient Farming Practices Can Improve Crop Production and Offset Climate Change A recent investigation into the source of deep, dark, nutrient-rich soil found in select locations across northern Europe has researchers suggesting ancient soil improving practices may benefit today’s efforts to feed a hungry world while addressing the challenges of global warming. Dr. Peter Leinweber and his colleagues, especially PhD student Andre Acksel, at the University of Rostock in Germany, used synchrotron light from the Canadian Light Source (CLS) at the University of Saskatchewan to analyze soil samples from twelve sites in Germany, Norway and Denmark. Their team sought an explanation for their unique, long-lasting fertility and the answer lay in the organic matter ancient farmers added to their plots of land. “We had come across similar organic matter-rich soils that indicated man-made amelioration processes existed,” said Leinweber. “Previous chemical investigations about the nature of the organic matter indicated inputs of charred material, but charred materials alone could not explain the bulk amounts of enrichments at these sites. So, we searched for other sources of organic matter that had been used as a soil amendment.” The twelve sites examined all lie in coastal areas. Leinweber said some were obvious, some were identified in regional soil maps and some were either mentioned in previous scientific articles or “communicated to us by collaborating work groups.” The one characteristic that connects them all is high or “extraordinarily high” concen-
Soil profile from Sandhaland, Norway.
trations of phosphorus, a requirement for normal plant growth and maturity. The soil samples, taken from depth down to 150 cm, were analyzed at the CLS using X-ray spectroscopy on two beamlines (SGM and SXRMB), one to identify charred materials and the other to detect additional amendments. The results are published in the journal Soil Systems. “The phosphorus results were the most significant,” said Leinweber, “because they indicated applications of peat, animal manure, composts and human excreta. In one case, soils from the island of Fehmarn in the Baltic Sea region showed evidence of biochar and animal manure, most likely cattle excrements, which is strongly supported by archaeological findings of lots of cattle bones in this region.” Carbon dating of the organic matter showed a sequence of soil formation taking place between the Nordic Bronze Age and the Roman Iron Age for the soils from the Baltic Sea region. For the Norwegian soils, the formation was between the Roman Iron Age and the Viking Age. As to who the farmers were that spent considerable time and effort improving soil that still benefits from those inputs today, Leinweber said archaeological literature suggests members of a Nordic Early Neolithic farming culture dating back 6,200-4,800 years. “Those individuals were responsible for the formation of these humus-rich soils in the Baltic Sea region. The Scandinavian inhabitants were mostly fishers and hunters, and later may have adopted those agronomic techniques that led to the humusrich soils in Norway.” For Leinweber and his colleagues,
Dr. Leinweber in front of one of the studied soil profiles.
the organic amendments found in the soil samples are the key to the continued fertility. “Therefore, this soil management in ancient times can be considered sustainable organic farming. These ancient soil amendments have sustained a high soil fertility for more than 2,000 years and have greatly improved the ecological soil function.” As to next steps in this line of investigation, Leinweber said it will involve using modern techniques to produce similar modifications that can be tested in long-term field experiments “but we recommend adopting these old-culture techniques for the conservation, and even increase, of soil health and fertility.” The fertility of the soils amended in ancient times suggests a way forward in assuring food production for a rapidly growing world population, he said, and this kind of sustainable organic farming “can counteract global climate change using the potential of soils to take up and store greenhouse gases.”
Submitted photos
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Young Farmers, New Ideas
Jen and Will Bergmann will represent Manitoba at the National Outstanding Young Farmer completion in November. They are also partners in a Winnipeg restaurant.
By Les Kletke Jen and Will Bergmann are Manitoba’s Outstanding Young Farmers and used the Canadian Association of Farm Advisors (CAFA) annual update as an opportunity to practice the presentation they would use at the National Outstanding Young Farmer event coming up later in November. The couple left little doubt as to why they were chosen to represent the province at the national level and left the group with a positive feeling about the future of agriculture. The couple bring many ideas to the business aspect of their farm as well as the discussion about organic versus commercial agriculture. In an area where the battle lines are often drawn between conventional agriculture and organic production Will asks why it has to be a decision of one or the other. “There is room for both systems of production, and I believe they can work together,’ he said. “I don’t think that the other is wrong just because you choose one system of production. I think there is room for both.” He has also turned a love of photography into a social message, posting pictures of his farm and activities on social media and explaining what is going on. The issue of an urban audience
Photo by Les Kletke
not understanding the practices on a farm are something the couple address daily and just accept as part of the role of agricultural production. Perhaps the biggest variation of the traditional farm is the couple’s involvement in a Winnipeg restaurant. “I was swimming in the warm muddy Red River when the name came to me, ‘Oxbow’,” said Will with a chuckle. The couple had no experience in the restaurant trade when they got involved with some partners and say it has been a learning experience. Jen said that she did not grow up dreaming of living on a farm. “And Glenlea is about as far from the city as I wanted to be,” she said of the farm located about 15 miles south of Winnipeg. The farm was previously owned by Will’s father and uncle. It had undergone a transition from dairy to grain production earlier and Will sees the evolution to new crops as just a continuation. The couple began with a CSA garden and have added a greenhouse that produces edible flowers and micro greens for some of Winnipeg’s finest restaurants. The couple is also involved in a public diner that features Manitoba produced foods. “We have decided to tell our story about food production,” said Will.
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Helping Quinoa Brave the Heat Scientists are identifying more efficient methods for evaluating heat tolerance in Quinoa. Quinoa is considered a healthy seed crop. Its seeds are rich in protein, dietary fibre, B vitamins, and minerals in amounts greater than many grains. As its popularity grows, more farmers are interested in planting the crop. However, the plant does not do well in high temperatures, so plant breeders are trying to help. Many of the current methods for seeing if a quinoa plant is heat tolerant are time-consuming and expensive. Researchers, led by Professor Kevin Murphy at Washington State University, have been looking into more efficient methods for determining heat tolerance in quinoa. “Temperatures above 95 °F [35 °C] often result in lower seed yield,” Murphy explained. “So, the goal of this study was to test new, efficient methods in the field. This can help us find heattolerant plant types in our breeding program and incorporate those genetics in new varieties.” To conduct the research, handheld devices are placed near the plant to measure the light they absorb and reflect. For example, plants may reflect near infrared light while absorbing red light. By measuring these characteristics of a particular quinoa plant, researchers can get an idea of how well it is growing under certain conditions, such as high temperature. This provides them with information on how heat tolerant it is or how much grain it might produce. These measurements, although involving complex math are easy, cheap, and quick to take in the field. They are called spectral reflectance indices. They are rapid measurements of the wavelength of the energy collected.
An advanced quinoa breeding line grown in Mount Vernon, WA. Photo by Kevin Murphy.
“The primary benefit is that it can be cheaper, quicker, and more efficient to select for heat tolerant plants with these technologies,” Murphy said. “This is especially helpful when we are looking at thousands of distinct genetic lines during different times in the testing process.” In their latest study, Murphy’s team started with 112 genetically different quinoa plants. By introducing the plants to heat stress and taking leaf-greenness and seed yield measurements, they identified eight varieties for further testing. Of these eight, four were considered as potentially heat tolerant and four as heat susceptible varieties. Next, they planted the varieties in the field and took more measurements to try to predict how much grain they would produce in different conditions, such as high temperatures. Murphy and his team found that one type of measurement, the leaf greenness index, could be useful for evaluating quinoa for heat tolerance. They also found that a measurement, called the normalized difference vegetation index, shows promise for predicting yield in quinoa plants. “The primary idea is that we would use normalized difference vegetation index on plots for breed-
ing purposes,” Murphy explained. “This would help us inform our selection process or even be a part of a selection index for heat tolerance.” He added that breeding for heat tolerance is becoming more and more important. This is because some areas either have slowly increasing temperatures or more frequent and extreme spikes in temperature. The plants then experience more stress at different times in the growing season. Murphy’s motivation for researching quinoa stems from its importance as a health food, particularly its potential to contain all nine essential amino acids that create a complete protein. He said the next steps in this work are to continue to explore and develop novel methods for selecting heat and drought tolerant quinoa varieties. “I began eating quinoa in 1993 when I lived in Ecuador for six months, and have enjoyed it ever since,” he said. “When I had the opportunity to expand my research scope in 2009, I chose quinoa because I loved eating it, had grown it in my garden so knew that it would grow well in the area, and because I felt like it would be a valuable contribution to nutritional and cropping system diversity while providing additional marketing opportunities for farmers.”
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