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Wheat genetic code breakthrough

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January 14, 2016

Mitigating climate change Weather-related crop losses could cripple existing programs BY ALLAN DAWSON Co-operator staff

provincially appointed task force is recommending sweeping changes to programs to help farmers mitigate crop losses due to climate change — including exploring whole-farm revenue insurance. The Agriculture Risk Management Review Task Force released 25 recommendations last week in a 108-page report prepared for Agriculture Minister Ron Kostyshyn. Climate change can’t be ignored, the report warns. The 2011 flood alone cost the province $1.2 billion. Since 2008, Manitoba farmers received $3 billion through farm support programs — much of it due to weather-related crop loss. Without changes, AgriStability and AgriInvest are at risk. “(I)t’s possible these programs could be forced to scale back the assistance they offer, which could have serious long-term effects on agricultural production in this country,” the report says. Even though it seems counterintuitive, the report notes that several models predict crop insurance payouts will not rise due to climate change. But that is due in part to the potential for average yields to be lower, thereby reducing exposure. “While it is generally good

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Crossing the urban-rural divide to promote pulses The International Year of Pulses has the potential to increase demand for the types of pulse crops grown in Manitoba

People grabbed pulse-based snacks and information during the launch of the International Year of Pulses at McNally Robinson Booksellers in Winnipeg’s Grant Park Shopping Centre. Photo: Shannon VanRaes

See CLIMATE CHANGE on page 8 »

BY SHANNON VANRAES Co-operator staff

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t’s noon and McNally Robinson Booksellers in Winnipeg’s Grant Park Shopping Centre is so packed that it takes several minutes and sharp elbows to navigate the throng of people. But these urbanites aren’t here to shop for books to feed their minds, they’re here to learn about healthy new eats made from some unlikely sources — lentils, beans and chickpeas. “I’m almost embarrassed to admit it, but I came out because the email said there would be snacks,” said a laughing Agnes Remple, who works nearby. “But I’ve learned a lot… I had no idea

that they were so healthy for you,” she said. Remple was one of more than 100 people who attended the kickoff for the International Year of Pulses, a title bestowed on 2016 by the United Na t i o n s’ Fo o d a n d A g r i c u l t u re Organization. In organizing the event, the Manitoba Pulse and Soybean Growers hoped to reach new consumers by hosting it in a decidedly urban environment. “We know farmers are aware of the attributes of a pulse crop,” said Kyle Friesen, who farms near Altona and chairs the association. “So where we wanted the focus to be was on the consumer and on the general public that might not know as much about pulses.

We’re trying to increase consumption by introducing new ingredients into diets, so having an event in the city, in a more residential-type area, hopefully we were able to attract that target audience.” He added that many consumers aren’t familiar with the term pulse, even if they are familiar with lentils or chickpeas. “Really, part of our effort here is to explain that pulse has a number of meanings, including this group of crops — the peas, the dry beans, the favabeans, lentils, chickpeas, those kinds of things,” said Friesen. See PULSES on page 7 »

Feds will match CFGB Syria donations » PAGE 20

The Manitoba Co-operator | January 14, 2016

INSIDE

Did you know?

LIVESTOCK

Doomsday Arctic seed vault to receive two deposits in 2016

Quick cleaning of livestock trailers PAMI develops ‘hydrovac’ prototype

The vault built to protect the world’s seed supplies is built into the side of a Norwegian mountain

CROPS

BY GWLADYS FOUCHE Oslo / Reuters

Slim risk to bees Imidacloprid safe if label followed: PMRA

FEATURE On the wild side Co-op recommended for woodland foods

CROSSROADS Promoting rural innovation Assistance needed to bring ideas to reality

4 5 6 10

Editorials Comments What’s Up Livestock Markets

Grain Markets Weather Vane Classifieds Sudoku

wo new consignments of crop seeds will be deposited this year in the “doomsday vault” built in an Arctic mountainside to safeguard global supplies. The vault — which opened on the Svalbard archipelago between Norway and the North Pole in 2008 — is designed to protect crop seeds such as beans, rice and wheat against the worst cataclysms of nuclear war or disease. It already has more than 860,000 samples, from almost all nations. Even if the power were to fail, the vault would stay frozen and sealed for at least 200 years. “The seed vault is the backup of the backup,” said Cierra Martin, a spokeswoman for the Crop Trust, the Bonn-based organization which manages the Svalbard Global Seed Vault. She said two deposits were planned for this year, but that the details of the deposits were as yet unclear. “The deposits

A polar bear sculpture made of ice stands outside the Global Seed Vault in Longyearbyen at the facility’s opening in February 2008. The vault has been built in a mountainside cavern on Spitsbergen Island around 1,000 km (600 miles) from the North Pole to store the world’s crop seeds in case of disaster. PHOTO: REUTERS/Bob Strong

are due in March and May,” she said. To protect the seeds, the vault is rarely opened. Syria’s civil war prompted the first withdrawal of seeds from the vault in September, following a request by the International Center for Agricultural Research in Dry Areas (ICARDA). ICARDA moved its headquarters to Beirut from Aleppo in Syria in 2012 because of the conflict.

“ICARDA had to move collections in Syria to Morocco and Lebanon and the seed vault helped them re-establish their collections,” said Martin. Many of these seeds, which included samples of wheat, barley and grasses suited to dry regions, have traits resistant to drought, which could help breed crops to withstand climate change in dry areas from Australia to Africa.

READER’S PHOTO

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

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The Manitoba Co-operator | January 14, 2016

Canadians will pay more for Manitoba ice-cream maker food in 2016, U of G report says to share facilities at Notre Dame Creamery A Major trends influencing food purchases will include quest for non-meat proteins, demand for supply chain transparency and ongoing concern about animal welfare BY LORRAINE STEVENSON Co-operator staff

Dairy farmer turned ice-cream maker Lisa Dyck has produced her gourmet ice cream at the University of Manitoba’s Dairy Pilot plant until now BY LORRAINE STEVENSON Co-operator staff

anitoba’s first on-farm milk producer turned food processor is making a big move as 2016 begins. Lisa Dyck, who launched Cornell Creme gourmet ice cream made from milk from her family’s Anola-area farm’s 120-cow dairy herd in 2013 is moving her production to the Notre Dame Creamery. She’s made her popular line of ice-cream flavours until now at the University of Manitoba’s Dairy Pilot plant. “This is leaps and bounds for us. It’s a huge step to growing our business,” Dyck said, of the co-packaging agreement she’s made with the federally inspected creamery. She’s purchased her own specialized ice-cream-making equipment, including freezers plus a machine to automate the packaging at the site. It will enable her to quadruple production and that means now reaching more stores across Manitoba and possibly Saskatchewan and Alberta. It will allow her to produce a more consistent supply. Until now, the only complaint about Cornell Creme’s lines of rich-tasting ice cream is that it sells out too quickly. “This will be beneficial to our customers,” she said. “At the university we were doing about 200 litres per hour of product and here we’ll be doing around 800 litres per hour of finished product. It’s a lot more efficient. Our costs will come down and we’ll be able to build up inventory which is super important.” Dyck was virtually an overnight success with her first five flavours of ice cream when her first products hit store shelves three years ago. Customers fell in love with the product, but that meant selling out as quickly as stores could stock her product with names like Raspberry White Chocolate, Lemon Meringue and Blueberry Lavender Dream. That success has meant long hours for the food entrepreneur, spent inside the university’s dairy plant making ice cream as fast as she and students helping her could make it. But they still can’t make supply match demand. The move to Notre Dame has been in her mind basically since the start, she added. T h e f e d e ra l l y i n s p e c t e d No t re D a m e C re a m e r y i s Ma n i t o b a’s o n l y p r i va t e l y owned creamery — and one of few left anywhere in rural Canada — making butter at

“This is leaps and bounds for us. It’s a huge step to growing our business.” Lisa Dyck

its original location since St. Boniface Dairy built it in 1921. More recently the plant has diversified into organic milk and organic kefir production. It has been owned since 1980 by Guy Roch. Dyck said being able to rent space at the creamery enables an expansion for her company that would otherwise be prohibitively expensive. “It’s a way to grow our production line and take on more stores without having to go into such heavy-duty investment with capital equipment,” she said. “If you were going to build this kind of plant from the ground up you’re looking at millions of dollars, whereas we’ve been able to keep this (expansion) under $500,000 at this point.” Dyck said she will have milk shipped from their farm at Anola — they continue to utilize only their own production at this time — but won’t need to make the trip herself so often. “This will allow me to focus mainly on my business and then have time for everything else in my life,” she said. She also plans to hire some help for sales and marketing. But she’s not done experimenting with new flavours and plans to continue that work at the university plant, where she’ll also keep producing some of her existing 14 flavours. The Dycks’ cow herd remains the only milk supply needed, despite this expansion. “It doesn’t take that much milk to make ice cream,” she said, adding that her volumes of finished ice cream at the plant won’t be huge either. “We may only max out at 10,000 litres a month,” she said. “This is big for us and a huge leap. But I’m still considered a small processor. This is a niche market.” lorraine@fbcpublishing.com

new report from the University of Guelph’s Food Institute predicts consumers will pay an additional $345 on their food bill this year. That’s an increase over the $325 additionally paid for food in 2015 when a low Canadian dollar saw price increases for many food products, but especially meats, fruits, nuts and vegetables, the sixth annual report says. Last year, food prices in stores rose by 4.1 per cent, which was significantly above inflation. For 2016, the forecast is for slightly smaller food price increases — anywhere from two to four per cent. The report’s lead author, marketing and consumer studies professor, Sylvian Charlebois, cited Canada’s struggling dollar as the biggest influence on prices. “For every cent the dollar drops, foods that are imported likely increase one per cent or more, Charlebois said in a news release. “For fruits and vegetables, unlike with meats, it’s more challenging to find substitutes in Canada, so shoppers will have to cope with higher prices.” The cost of foods such as fruits, vegetables and nuts jumped by as much as nine to 10 per cent last year and it is expected retail prices for these foods could go up by as much as 4.5 per cent again this year

if the Canadian dollar continues to decline as expected. However, climate change and consumer trends also play key roles in food pricing. Climate change will remain one of the most significant, unpredictable influences, the report says. El Niño could have a positive benefit, bringing more rainfall to southern and western regions, and potentially boosting production for drought-affected crops such as fruits, nuts and vegetables. More rainfall isn’t expected to make a significant dent i n b e e f p r i c e s, h owe v e r, because cattle inventories will remain at current low levels for a while yet, the report said. “Since rebuilding inventories is a very long process, this could keep beef prices high but not at record levels as we saw in 2015,” it said. Meat prices rose five per cent in 2015 and could rise again by 4.5 per cent in 2016. The Guelph researchers said high meat prices are likely to prompt more consumers to seek out alternative protein sources more often. Last year a survey by the Food Institute found higher beef prices led one-third of consumers to seek alternatives to meat. International Year of Pulses in 2016 will continue to influence consumers’ explorations of other proteins, it adds. M a j o r t re n d s f o r 2 0 1 6 alongside a quest for vegetable proteins and improved “gut health” are consumer

demand for supply chain transparency and expressed ongoing concern for animal welfare, the report said. “Supply chain transparency will continue to be a focus in 2016,” the report says, citing 2015 examples of food businesses revisiting their procurement strategies and ingredient lists. More consumers want to know where their foods come from, how it was made and under what conditions, the report said. “The good news is that the industry is showing signs of its will to adapt,” it says. “The not-so-good news for food corporations is that the revolution has only begun, and it will become more complicated.” Consumers’ curiosity “has now moved up the food chain of the industry, probing into the practices of processing plants and farms,” it said. “The adage suggesting that consumers believe food just shows up on store shelves is passé,” it said. The report notes the ongoing conversation agriculture will continue to have with regard to transparency as it relates to animal welfare. “A commitment to transparency goes a long way in the age of instant information, especially when the intent is to reduce concerns about the practices of an industry that is remotely located from 98 per cent of the population,” it says. lorraine@fbcpublishing.com

register as a young farmer at cyff.ca for a chance to win prizes including an all expense paid trip to the #farmtogether – agriculture united 2016 cYFF annual Young Farmers conference

2016 cYFF annual Young Farmers conference FeBruarY 26-29, 2016 ~ VancouVer, Bc Pinnacle hotel Vancouver harbourfront (1133 west hastings Street) Powerful line up of speakers and presentations on topics of interest to all young Canadian farmers

network with young farmers of various commodities from coast to coast!

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“We take pride in knowing we would feel safe consuming any of the crops we sell. If we would not use it ourselves it does not go to market.” – Katelyn Duncan, Saskatchewan

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“The welfare of my animals is one of my highest priorities. If I don’t give my cows a high quality of life they won’t grow up to be great cows.”

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– Andrew Campbell, Ontario

Safe food; animal welfare; sustainability; people care deeply about these things when they make food choices. And all of us in the agriculture industry care deeply about them too. But sometimes the general public doesn’t see it that way. Why? Because, for the most part, we’re not telling them our story and, too often, someone outside the industry is. The journey from farm to table is a conversation we need to make sure we’re a part of. So let’s talk about it, together. Visit AgMoreThanEver.ca to discover how you can help improve and create realistic perceptions of Canadian ag.

The Manitoba Co-operator | January 14, 2016

OPINION/EDITORIAL

A whole-farm approach

f you think the future of government support for agriculture lies in doing more of the same but only better, you’ll get little comfort from Manitoba’s Agriculture Risk Management Review Task Force report released last week (see front page). The 25 recommendations and the supporting appendix report should also make you a little uncomfortable if you Laura Rance think the way we farm in this province is Editor just fine the way it is. That’s not to say there aren’t some encouraging recommendations, starting with an acknowledgment that governments have a role in helping farmers insure against increased weather risks from climate change. There is also recognition of the need for publicly supported research and extension. But there is no solace to be found in the findings of two independent studies on how climate change may affect the actuarial soundness of current government programs. Those reviews of the AgriInsurance program were conducted by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). They found “… that the average annual deficit for the program (extent to which payouts exceeded premiums paid by both producers and government) remained similar when the results for the historic period were compared to the future climate change scenarios,” says the appendix report prepared by Darren Swanson of the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD). “In fact, the deficit declined slightly with climate change, in part owing to lower average yields and therefore slightly lower exposure.” That’s right, lower average yields. We all know the danger of using averages as a guide. Some farmers in 2011 suffered “weather whiplash” — too much moisture in the spring and drought later in the year. Overall precipitation may have averaged out, but the effects on farmers’ bottom lines were pretty extreme. Not surprisingly, this report places the front-line responsibility for adapting to climate change squarely onto farmers and points out that government’s role through insurance is to share risk, not compensate, and that programs should inspire innovation by encouraging best management practices. We see references to “empowering” farmers to take ownership of their own business risk management. And there is this statement in the appendix report in reference to the 2011 study by the OECD: “Reducing the role of the government in risk management is a first step in allowing proactive approaches to risk management to emerge.” It points to the New Zealand crop insurance experience: “production intensity, development of new/marginal lands, fertilizer use and cropping of high-risk land all decreased when subsidies were eliminated.” That was considered a good thing. The supporting documents suggest the biggest risk to governments is to offer programs that mask incentives for farmers to change how they operate in order to reduce their own exposure. “There is a need to develop and expand alternate cropping options that could counteract adverse climatic conditions. It was noted that uptake has been painfully slow, but there are existing options and existing models for alternate production practices that can mitigate the impact of severe climatic shifts,” the task force reports. “Examples include intercropping, crop rotations that include nitrogen fixation plant species, perennial cereal varieties, and organic production.” As well, these options are poorly supported within current business risk management programs. “As these options become further advanced and available, business risk management (BRM) programming needs to evolve and support these options; certainly the BRM options must not discourage these new and different production modalities.” The 2011 OECD study concluded: “The major policy challenge in Canada is to maintain farmers’ incentives to proactively develop risk management strategies and improve the targeting policies to income risk… In most cases, this means that the government should do less rather than more, and do it more simply.” Hence, the task force recommendation that the province explore the introduction of whole-farm revenue insurance as a replacement for AgriStability. It is seen as a means of reducing program exposure and keeping the premiums farmers pay within reason. Insurance under a whole-farm approach would be based on the farm’s total revenue, not on a crop-by-crop basis. That is expected to foster diversification, a form of self-insurance. Considered in their entirety, the recommendations imply that the production culture that has been fostered within agriculture — and heartily embraced by farmers — faces a fundamental shift. It also suggests that the best way for government to help farmers adapt to climate change — is to help a little less. laura@fbcpublishing.com

Data: The big opportunity for beef improvement Meristem Land and Science

he world of sports calls it analytics. Statistics, once confined to Don Cherry rants and colour commentary during playtime have moved to the business side of hockey. Teams use data to develop business strategies, select athletes and determine how they will be rewarded. And so it is with agriculture. Data is in the headlines these days as companies align strategically to better serve the industry. The ability to collect and move information has grown tremendously, but the biggest change on the horizon is the ability to interpret that data for decision-making and make the knowledge seamlessly available to more people. Deborah Wilson, senior vice-president for the Beef InfoXChange System (BIXS), says there are six key points that are critical to driving improvement in the beef industry. BIXS is a database and web application to assist in the capture and exchange of economically beneficial individual animal and carcass data across the Canadian beef supply chain. With the new emphasis on data, BIXS now hovers on the edge of a sea change for industry management. Wilson says the money’s in the sharing. Lots of people have collected data for many years, but the beef world wasn’t very good at sharing data. BIXS was set up to do that. Information sharing anchors its industry model. What’s the economic value? Wilson brings personal experience from her time in the seedstock business running upwards of 1,000 cows. “Imagine if we could eliminate the bottom 10 or 20 per cent of the worst producing animals in any number of different categories,” she said. “Think genomics, if we could track animals

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with superior carcass quality. What would that mean to packers to have better cutability, better marbling or more predictability? What if we age verified and could show some animals finish months earlier than others? That’s less feed, less carbon footprint and many associated economic benefits. “A critical fact for beef producers is that it applies to small herds as well as large.” Finding the marketing sweet spot. There are real potential benefits to the individual producer to communicate, build business opportunities and hone marketing programs. When that happens, and the value chain buys in, it’s possible that feedlots may be willing to bid more actively for animals that come with a birth report. And packers can improve market intelligence and capitalize on deeper post-slaughter analytics. Park the pride: Learn from the leaders. Beef producers have a lot of pride in their product and industry and sometimes it’s hard to acknowledge that other parts of their industry or other industries are ahead in data use. Dairy is a good example of using data to improve animal and industry performance. It’s a new world of partnerships. One of the biggest changes coming as interest in data management grows, is that companies and others in industry are getting on board, says Wilson. “For BIXS that means building a strong partnership base which will add value to all players.” Building beef sustainability around data. Food industry players are looking for ways to prove sustainability and producers are feeling pressure to meet obligations. Data management can help. Meristem is a Calgary-based communications firm that specializes in writing about western agriculture, food and land use www.meristem.com.

January 1984

n 1984, you could attend The Weed Fair in either Winnipeg or Brandon. The show later became Ag Days at a single location in Brandon. Our lead story in the Jan. 5 issue was that a series of 25 meetings had been arranged to discuss the idea of a new general farm organization to replace the Manitoba Farm Bureau, which had collapsed over differences over how to pay the Crow freight rate benefit. Spokesmen for farm organizations worried that poor attendance at the meetings would hamper the efforts led by Manitou broiler producer Bert Hall, but they were later successful in establishing Keystone Agricultural Producers. We reported that in an important case, the Manitoba Court of Appeal ruled in favour of an 85-year-old Elie widow’s claim to onethird of her late husband’s 160-acre farm under the provincial Dower Act. The will had originally left the farm to two of the four children. Rust problems in winter wheat were on the agenda at the Manitoba Agronomists conference, with predictions that resistant varieties would not be available for 10 years. Fungicides were discussed as a possibility but given the small acreage of winter wheat on the Prairies, one speaker doubted whether it would be worthwhile for chemical companies to pursue registration.

The Manitoba Co-operator | January 14, 2016

COMMENT/FEEDBACK

Big volumes may be the ‘new normal’ for European wheat It’s all about the yield. Yields average just under three tonnes per ha in the United States but above eight tonnes per ha in the United Kingdom By Karen Braun Reuters

heat production in the European Union has seemingly entered a new realm thanks to big yields, and this trend may continue for a third consecutive year in 2016. The EU produces, consumes and exports the largest volume of wheat in the world. The highest-yielding wheat on the planet is also grown in Europe. Wheat production in the EU has hit consecutive record-high levels in the last two years, and not just by a hair, by miles. As final production reports are beginning to roll in, some analyst estimates of the 2015 wheat crop have edged out 2014’s 157 million tonnes and are pegged as high as 158 million. The recent 10-year average is 141 million tonnes. The assist can be credited to France, Europe’s largest producer, as it added four million tonnes on the year for the 2015 wheat harvest. But other countries have surely contributed, as record wheat yields were observed in half of EU’s 28 countries in either 2014 or 2015. Large harvested area has supported Europe’s recent wheat volumes, but the increase in yearly average yield, or trend yield, is driving the production train. Given the increases to trend yield and healthy harvested area forecasts, wheat production in the EU should once again exceed 150 million tonnes in 2016 barring any extreme weather events over the next eight months.

The power of yield Crop tonnage relies on both harvested area and yield, but yield has been doing the legwork for European wheat, owing mostly to research and advancements in seed technology. Case in point: back in the early 1960s, EU wheat area was up near current levels but production volume is three times as large today.

Back in the early 1960s, EU wheat area was up near current levels but production volume is three times as large today.

When “adjusting for inflation” by applying 2016’s trend yield back through a production history since 1981, a wheat volume above 150 million tonnes would have been reached one out of every three years instead of the current rate of one in 10. And the past two years would have ranked fourth and sixth largest. Trend yield is still increasing in the EU, but at a diminishing rate overall, less than one per cent per year since 2004. But that is not true for all countries. Average yields are still increasing in Eastern Europe, particularly in the Baltic nations, where yield is still in the skyrocketing stage. Wheat yields in Western Europe are remarkably higher than anywhere else in the world. Yields average just under three tonnes per ha in the United States but above eight tonnes per ha in the United Kingdom. This equates to nearly 120 bushels per acre. Over the past two years, final yield rose above trend in most European countries following two mild winters with relatively favourable spring weather. In 2014, EU’s huge wheat crop stemmed mostly from record yields in central Europe and the United Kingdom. In 2015, much of continental Europe descended into drought at the tail end of the season but trendor-above yield was recorded in most countries, demonstrating in part the resilience of wheat in drier weather.

Big crop in 2016? European farmers may har vest another enormous wheat crop for the third year in a row in 2016.

A French farmer drives his combine harvester as he harvests wheat in a field during sunset in Trescault, near Cambrai, northern France, August 5, 2015. France harvested a record wheat crop last year after strong yields during harvesting showed little effect from a hot, dry start to summer. PHOTO: REUTERS/Pascal Rossignol

A re a i s e x p e c t e d t o re m a i n strong. In the past month, French consultancy Strategie Grains and European farming federation CopaCogeca estimated 2016 EU wheat area to drop by less than one per cent from 2015. But the slight loss in area should be outweighed by gains in trend yield alone. Taking these area estimates together with trend yield, the EU would expect to harvest 152 tonnes of wheat in 2016. Though trend yield may be an underestimation given how good the crop looks as of late. Satellite-derived vegetation density is above average in almost every major wheat-producing country, and the weather has been quite favourable throughout for early development. Since France’s performance is crucial in Europe’s wheat harvest, the fact that it could be headed for a new record next year might propel EU the

same, which could approach 165 million tonnes if relative yields are able to match 2004’s record. However, the downside is a potential cliff, because regardless of how much seed technology has advanced or how large trend yield becomes, weather always has the final say. Some of this weather risk is mitigated by the geographical variation in Europe’s climate. It is very uncommon for an extreme weather event to be widespread enough to affect the entire continent, and it has only happened twice in the past 35 years, in 2003 and 2007. As long as Europe can avoid extreme weather nuances and wheat profitability remains near current levels, wheat crops of 150 million tonnes will be standard in the EU rather than anomalies. Karen Braun is a Reuters analyst based in Chicago.

Producer investment drives wheat and barley success The WGRF is celebrating 35 years of supporting research Western Grains Research Foundation

f you like the fact you have a lot of wheat and barley varieties to choose from when you plan out a cropping season, give yourself a pat on the back – you helped make it happen. Since 1995, the WGRF has invested over $90 million in wheat and barley variety development through partnerships with Agriculture and A g r i - Fo o d Ca n a d a ( A A F C ) institutions and the three Prairie universities: University of Saskatchewan, University of Manitoba, University of

Alberta, and Alberta Agricul ture and Forestry. The results speak for themselves with over 88 per cent of CWRS acres, and a whopping 94 per cent of CWAD acres, seeded to WGRF-supported varieties. “In all, over 200 new varieties of wheat and barley have come out of WGRF-supported programs, offering greater yield gains, better pest and disease resistance, stress tolerance and higher-quality characteristics... and farmers’ bottom lines have benefited,” says WGRF board chair Dave Sefton of Broadview, Saskatchewan. A return-on-investment study commissioned by WGRF estimated that investment in wheat

varietal research is providing producers with a very high return on their investment. This study calculates that, on average, every producer checkoff dollar invested into wheat varietal research has returned $20.40 in value to the producer. The importance of stable longterm funding, particularly from producers, cannot be overestimated. “The WGRF is a fantastic supporter of the breeding programs here at CDC,” says Curtis Pozniak, head of the Crop Development Centre’s (CDC) wheat- and durum-breeding program. “They provide what I think of as the foundation of fund-

ing for our breeding programs and that’s allowed us to leverage additional dollars from different levels of government as well as our industry partners.” He adds that feedback from the industry stakeholders — including farmers and endusers of western Canadian grain — is extremely important because it ensures that plant breeders are developing varieties that address the needs of growers and processors. Producer-led board helps set breeding priorities “That’s the other nice thing about our relationship with the WGRF,” says Pozniak. “We meet on a yearly basis to discuss breeding targets.

The WGRF board consists of producers from all across Western Canada who can provide input and guidance in terms of setting breeding priorities, so that’s an important role that WGRF plays beyond the funding.” Approximately $56 million is invested annually in wheat and barley variety development, with taxpayers providing 72 per cent of the funding and producers and the private sector investing the remainder in similar amounts. WGRF is working closely with provincial wheat and barley commissions (associations) to map out a future for continuing producers’ investments.

The Manitoba Co-operator | January 14, 2016

Ex-Legumex crush plant gets new owners, supply deal Pacific Coast Canola, now half owned by Glencore, will get its canola via Viterra by STAFF

anada’s top grain handler is set to start feeding canola to a U.S. West Coast crushing plant now half owned by the Prairie company’s parent firm. Regina-based Viterra, the grain-handling arm of multinational commodity firm Glencore, on Jan. 5 announced a supply and marketing deal with Pacific Coast Canola (PCC), a next-to-new crush plant at Warden, Wash., about 160 km southwest of Spokane. PCC until now has been majority owned by Winnipeg special crops processor Legumex Walker, which recently sold its special crops business to U.S. grain firm The Scoular Co. and began winding down its operations. In court documents filed Jan. 4, Legumex’s liquidators, Toronto-based KSV Advisory, described PCC — whose main lenders in July called in the crusher’s US$54.6-million senior credit facility — as being in a “distressed financial position.” Legumex thus negotiated a deal to shed its 84 per cent stake in PCC for “no cash consideration,” KSV said, other than to be granted a release from PCC’s main secured lenders and lien registrant. Glencore — whose Glencore Grain Investment arm had already owned the remaining 16 per cent of PCC from the outset — boosts its stake to 50 per cent. Seattle construction, design and property manage-

ment firm McKinstry, which was a mechanical and electrical contractor on the construction of the Warden plant, will take up the remaining 50 per cent of PCC in a “limited liability operating agreement” with Glencore. McKinstry, in return, has released its lien on the crush plant, Legumex said in a separate release Jan. 5. AgCountry Farm Credit Services, as the representative for PCC’s lenders, agreed to repayment terms for its credit facility, which has now been “repaid and terminated,” Legumex added. PCC, which opened at Warden in 2013 and had previously dealt with Scoular for its canola supply, is billed as the largest expeller-press canola-processing facility in North America, with crush capacity for 1,100 tonnes of canola per day. The company’s product lines include non-GMO, halal- and kosher-certified oils, plus canola meal as feed for dairy cattle and other livestock. “We look forward to helping PCC achieve its full potential, through delivery of consistent seed supply, expansion of our existing relationships with thousands of canola producers to include local PCC market producers, our focus on continuous improvement, and connections with domestic and international endusers,” Viterra’s CEO for North America, Kyle Jeworski, said in a release Jan. 5. Viterra in recent years has snapped up a pair of Canadian oilseed crush plants, including the former

Canadian Agra cold-press canola plant at Ste. Agathe, south of Winnipeg, and, in late 2015, the former TRTETGO canola- and soybean-crushing and refining plant at Becancour, Que., near Trois-Rivieres.

End of Legumex The deal for Pacific Coast Canola also effectively shuts the book on Legumex Walker, which was created in 2011 from the merger of two family-owned Prairie companies, Tisdale, Sask.-based Walker Seeds and Roy Legumex of St. Jean Baptiste, Man. The two companies had brought their special cropprocessing assets and the plan for the PCC plant into the new firm, which later expanded to take in Canada’s biggest sunflower processor, Keystone Grain of Winkler, Man., and stakes in the U.S. dry bean and sunflower seed markets, with deals for St. Hilaire Seed Co. and the sunflower-processing assets of Anderson Seed Co. Legumex, which in March announced it would explore “strategic alternatives” to “maximize shareholder value,” changed its legal name to LWP Capital after completing the sale of its special crops arm to Scoular in November. LWP said Jan. 5 it has formally adopted its liquidation and dissolution plan, its shares were delisted from the TSX effective Dec. 31 and it “no longer carries on as an active business.”

Manitoba Young Farmer Conference

January 26 & 27 at the Delta Hotel Winnipeg

Featuring Keynote Speaker Léona Dargis Join us this January for the MB Young Farmer Conference. The goal of this meeting is to challenge young farmers to reflect on what it means to be successful now, in the future, and how to achieve these goals! Register online at kap.mb.ca For more information, call the KAP office at 204-697-1140 Follow us on twitter @MBYFconference

WHAT’S UP Please forward your agricultural events to daveb@fbcpublishing. com or call 204-944-5762. Jan. 14: Direct Marketing Your Meat Products workshop, 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Sun Gro Centre, 360 Veterans Lane, Beausejour. For more info or to register ($20, lunch included), call MAFRD at 204-3927268 or 204-461-2978. Jan. 14: Creating a Vision for a Resilient Future: Emergency Management in Manitoba, 2020 and Beyond, 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Canad Inns, 2401 Saskatchewan Ave. W., Portage la Prairie. For more info or to register, visit www.amm.mb.ca/events/ event/manitoba2020/ . Jan. 19-21: Manitoba Ag Days, Keystone Centre, 1175-18th St., Brandon. For more info visit www. agdays.com. Jan. 19-21: Red River Basin Land and Water International Summit Conference, Alerus Center, 1200 S. 42nd St., Grand Forks, N.D. For more info or to register visit RedRiverBasinCommission.org. Jan. 21: Solutions that work for organic field crop production, 8:30 a.m. to 4:40 p.m., Upper Curling Club viewing lounge, Keystone Ag Centre. Free to all producers; networking lunch, $20. For more info or to register (deadline Jan. 11) contact Janine Gibson at 204-4346018 or janine@nlis.ca. Jan. 23: Small Farms Conference, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Knox United Church, 451-18th St., Brandon. For more info call 204-333-7537 or visit smallfarmsmanitoba. com/events/29/small-farmsconference. Jan. 26-28: Keystone Agricultural Producers annual meeting and Young Farmers Conference, Delta Winnipeg, 350 St. Mary Ave., Winnipeg. For more info visit kap. mb.ca or call 204-697-1140. Feb. 3: Brokenhead River Agricultural Conference, 8:30 a.m., Brokenhead River Community Hall, 320 Veterans Lane, Beausejour. For more info call MAFRD at 204-268-6094.

The Manitoba Co-operator | January 14, 2016

FROM PAGE ONE PULSES Continued from page 1

Dietary gains Another goal was to show people how they could incorporate pulses into their diet. Chris Kopp, head chef at Prairie Ink Restaurant and Bakery, came up with some unique uses for pulses and pulse flour, including Thai bean soup, cheese crackers, artisan crackers, dips, spreads and more. “I made crackers, gluten free, using red lentil flour and chickpea flour using xanthan gum as a binder. I also used a lot of lentil grit for some breading for chicken,” he explained. Deserts were on offer as well, including a gluten- and egg-free macaroon made by pastry chef Geoffroy Dextraze. “You have to reduce it a bit, but it turns out you can use aqua fave, or bean juice, to replace egg whites,” he said, referring to the water that comes with canned chickpeas. “It’s gold.” Remple plans to try out some of the recipes that she tasted. “I think I’ll start with the chicken. I think the grandkids would love it,” she said. However, finding milled pulses can be a bit of a challenge. Although some bulk food stores sell them, grocery stores usually only carry whole or split pulses. To make grits for his chicken dish, Kopp used a commercial coffee grinder to get the right consistency.

Building demand Friesen said the more consumers demand products, the more

stores will carry them, and that the more pulses consumers eat, the more demand there will be for farmers to grow them. “For the 2016 crop year, it probably won’t have any direct impact, most of those decisions have already been made,” he said. “Really what we’re hoping is that it will have a longer-term impact on consumption — greater demand, greater prices, greater drive for acres. At the end of the day, economics play a big part in a farmer’s cropping decisions, so we really need to have the market drive those decisions through increased demand.” To help drive that demand and increase awareness, while also improving the health and diets of Manitobans, the Manitoba Pulse and Soybean Growers has launched “The P u l s e P l e d g e,” a n o n l i n e pledge to eat two servings of pulses a week. Ron Kostyshyn, M a n i t o b a’s m i n i s t e r o f Agriculture, Food and Rural Development, was the first to sign up. Friesen said he too will have to increase his pulse consumption to meet the pledge. “I probably wouldn’t hit the two servings a week, but I’d guess I’d be a little bit above the average consumer,” he said. “So I will definitely take the pledge, yes, I’m planning on it.” To watch the video visit: www. manitobacooperator.ca/newsopinion/news/local/cookingup-good-things-with-pulses/ shannon.vanraes@fbcpublishing.com

Ad Number: SEC_OATS_16_T Publication: Manitoba Co-operator Size: 3col x 133 6”x 9.5”

“Really what we’re hoping is that it will have a longerterm impact on consumption — greater demand, greater prices, greater drive for acres.” Kyle Friesen

Trait Stewardship Responsibilities Notice to Farmers

Produced by: SeCan Product/Campaign Name: SeCan Oats - Stride /Big Brown Date Produced: January 2016

Monsanto Company is a member of Excellence Through Stewardship® (ETS). Monsanto products are commercialized in accordance with ETS Product Launch Stewardship Guidance, and in compliance with Monsanto’s Policy for Commercialization of Biotechnology-Derived Plant Products in Commodity Crops. Commercialized products have been approved for import into key export markets with functioning regulatory systems. Any crop or material produced from this product can only be exported to, or used, processed or sold in countries where all necessary regulatory approvals have been granted. It is a violation of national and international law to move material containing biotech traits across boundaries into nations where import is not permitted. Growers should talk to their grain handler or product purchaser to confirm their buying position for this product. Excellence Through Stewardship® is a registered trademark of Excellence Through Stewardship.

ALWAYS READ AND FOLLOW PESTICIDE LABEL DIRECTIONS. Roundup Ready® crops contain genes that confer tolerance to glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup® brand agricultural herbicides. Roundup® brand agricultural herbicides will kill crops that are not tolerant to glyphosate. Acceleron® seed treatment technology for canola contains the active ingredients difenoconazole, metalaxyl (M and S isomers), fludioxonil and thiamethoxam. Acceleron® seed treatment technology for canola plus Vibrance® is a combination of two separate individually-registered products, which together contain the active ingredients difenoconazole, metalaxyl (M and S isomers), fludioxonil, thiamethoxam, and sedaxane. Acceleron® seed treatment technology for corn (fungicides and insecticide) is a combination of four separate individually-registered products, which together contain the active ingredients metalaxyl, trifloxystrobin, ipconazole, and clothianidin. Acceleron® seed treatment technology for corn (fungicides only) is a combination of three separate individually-registered products, which together contain the active ingredients metalaxyl, trifloxystrobin and ipconazole. Acceleron® seed treatment technology for corn with Poncho®/ VoTivo™ (fungicides, insecticide and nematicide) is a combination of five separate individually-registered products, which together contain the active ingredients metalaxyl, trifloxystrobin, ipconazole, clothianidin and Bacillus firmus strain I-1582. Acceleron® seed treatment technology for soybeans (fungicides and insecticide) is a combination of four separate individually registered products, which together contain the active ingredients fluxapyroxad, pyraclostrobin, metalaxyl and imidacloprid. Acceleron® seed treatment technology for soybeans (fungicides only) is a combination of three separate individually registered products, which together contain the active ingredients fluxapyroxad, pyraclostrobin and metalaxyl. Acceleron and Design®, Acceleron®, DEKALB and Design®, DEKALB®, Genuity and Design®, Genuity®, JumpStart®, RIB Complete and Design®, RIB Complete®, Roundup Ready 2 Technology and Design®, Roundup Ready 2 Yield®, Roundup Ready®, Roundup Transorb®, Roundup WeatherMAX®, Roundup®, SmartStax and Design®, SmartStax®, Transorb®, VT Double PRO®, and VT Triple PRO® are registered trademarks of Monsanto Technology LLC, Used under license. Vibrance® and Fortenza® are registered trademarks of a Syngenta group company. LibertyLink® and the Water Droplet Design are trademarks of Bayer. Used under license. Herculex® is a registered trademark of Dow AgroSciences LLC. Used under license. Poncho® and Votivo™ are trademarks of Bayer. Used under license. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

Snacks included French macaroons made with pulse flours and egg whites replaced with chickpea water. Photo: Shannon VanRaes

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The Manitoba Co-operator | January 14, 2016

CLIMATE CHANGE Continued from page 1

news to know that programs such as AgriInsurance are expected to be largely unaffected by climate change, that does not mean we should miss the opportunity to make improvements to them,” the report says. However, the task force is worried about Excess Moisture Insurance (EMI). It says the federal and provincial governments need to “recognize the importance of Manitoba’s Excess Moisture Insurance and commit to it for the long term.” EMI, a part of AgriInsurance, triggers payouts when fields are too wet to seed in the spring.

Whole farm The task force also recommends exploring the development of a “whole-farm” revenue insurance program, which the Manitoba Canola Growers Association (MCGA) suggested could be an alternative to AgriStability. AgriInvest should also be modified to encourage farmers to use the program to prepare their operations for climate change. Bill Uruski, a Fisher Branch farmer and agriculture minister in the 1980s, chaired the task force. “It’s too early for me to get into any fine details, but definitely we’re going to take this forward and condense it and continue to have communications with farm organizations and producers,” Agriculture Minister Ron Kostyshyn, who commissioned the report, said in an interview Jan. 8. Farmers can share their views with Kostyshyn at a meeting in Brandon at 4 p.m. Jan. 18 at the Keystone Centre’s upper curling lounge. “The task force did a really good job I think, capturing everybody’s input, including KAP’s,” Keystone Agricultural Producers’ (KAP) president Dan Mazier said in an interview. KAP is pleased the task force recommends continuing Environmental Farm Plans to encourage farmers’ best practices, that a new permanent cover program be considered to encourage taking marginal land out of production and that Class 4 wetlands be removed from municipal taxes through federal-provincial cost sharing, Mazier said.

Wetlands The report also suggests investigating ALUS (Alternate Land Use Services) as a way to save wetlands. KAP helped create ALUS in the early 2000s. Farmers following best management practices is the first line of defence, the report says. “Most (recommendations) are

: Draw date

th 5 Feb 2016

Twenty-five recommendations to help Manitoba farmers mitigate climate change

file photo

based on a philosophy to incentivize beneficial behaviour, as we believe a carrot works better than a stick. “The task force is recommending the provincial and federal governments take concerted action today in order to prepare for the expected effects of climate change, specifically extended periods of excess moisture and flooding, as well as the risk of extended periods of drought.” Too much moisture has been a major problem for Manitoba farmers for years, especially in certain areas. Parts of the Interlake were wet for 10 consecutive years (2004-14) with more than 25 per cent of the land going unseeded, the report says. The Parkland and southwest have also suffered. After 15 years, EMI has a $236-million deficit. Premiums need to go up, but that could cause low-risk farmers to pull out. EMI, the report says, “is not viable without universal participation.” When EMI started in 2000, $3 million in premiums were collected — $444,000 from farmers. In 2015, premiums totalled $25 million, including $12 million from farmers. Total premiums increased eightfold over that 15year period, while farmers’ contribution jumped twenty-sevenfold.

Viable KAP also wants EMI to be viable. Farmers’ coverage is reduced each year they have a claim. Mazier said it’s unfair because farmers can’t control the weather. He believes low-risk farmers would be willing to pay a bit more so farmers in wetter areas are protected. The Manitoba Agricultural Services Corporation, which administers EMI, told the task force that “in some cases, losses are more related to management than to climate.” “This speaks to the need to tie program participation and premium rates to producers’ farm management practices,” the report says. “Producers also need to understand that EMI is insurance as opposed to compensation.”

Whole-farm revenue insurance, which the report says should be investigated, exists in the United States, insuring farmer’s revenue against losses due to poor production and/or poor prices. It’s similar in some ways to the Gross Revenue Insurance Program (GRIP), which ran in Manitoba from 1991 to 1995. GRIP allowed farmers to insure their gross crop revenue from each acre of production against low yields and prices. However, GRIP coverage was crop specific similar to current crop insurance programs. Under the wholefarm concept total farm revenue would be insured rather than each crop. While that approach would reduce the risk of payouts, less risk means lower premiums. GRIP was popular with farmers, but critics believed the guaranteed revenue for certain crops sometimes distorted farmers’ planting decisions. They also accused some farmers planning to exit the business of cutting inputs, saving them on expenses and triggering larger payouts. Some also believed GRIP contravened trade rules, but its demise had more to do with federal budget cuts. GRIP paid $779 million to Manitoba farmers and ended with a $63-million surplus — $21.1 million of it in farmer premiums. The key to mitigating the impact of climate change on farmers is co-operation, Uruski said in an interview. “Right from the individual farmer to government in terms of extension and programming and the co-operation of both federal and provincial governments,” he said. Manitoba will have to negotiate changes to federal-provincial farm programs, which give the province more flexibility to offer different programs, Uruski said. “The cookie-cutter approach doesn’t always work,” he said. “That kind of co-operation really needs to occur and it needs to occur systematically and as quickly as possible to get a good handle on this.”

Programs

Mitigation

1. Consider a new permanent cover program to compensate producers for taking marginal land out of production.

14. Recognize that mitigation activity requires a federal funding arrangement and should be part of negotiations for Growing Forward 3 or an equivalent program.

2. Encourage insurance programs to promote the use of novel crops and ensure programs respond more quickly to the impact of climate change. 3. Continue to promote policies that reward and incentivize best management practices, including reforms to insurance, extension activities and other government programming. 4. Continue to develop the Excess Moisture Insurance program so that premiums and coverage reflect the risk and improve the long-term viability of the program. 5. Work with the federal government and other provinces to renew the AgriStability program in a way that deals with the expected effects of climate change. 6. Consider predictable compensation for producer’s losses in designated areas due to mitigation measures, and discuss shared funding options with the federal government. 7. Consider reforming AgriInvest so it can act as an incentive for best management practices among producers.

15. Support the BASIC program as a pilot program that encourages infrastructure investment by creating a fund for mitigation works. 16. Continue to develop and promote best practices program (Environmental Farm Plan focus) to encourage best management practices (e.g. tillage, crop rotation, tile drainage, equipment). 17. Renew investment in conservation districts — outcome to improve drainage or storage of water in current problem areas. 18. Conduct a comprehensive assessment of the role catastrophe insurance could play in mitigating the financial impact of weather-related disasters on the province (e.g. reinsurance for Manitoba and municipalities). 19. That the Manitoba government and its departments consider working with the International Institute of Sustainable Development to develop advanced climate and weather forecasting programs.

Other Research 8. Support the Aquanty HydroGeoSphere modelling project to provide data to better inform decisions on policy and programs. 9. Examine practices employed by irrigation districts in Alberta to see if Manitoba can learn from them to improve water management through its conservation districts. 10. Explore development of wholefarm revenue insurance. 11. Research use of weather derivatives as a business risk management tool for producers. 12. Encourage ongoing and new research into perennial grain and winter cereals with a view to determine how different crop varieties handle wet and dry conditions. 13. Restore federal funding to public research, including research in the areas of climate change mitigation and adaptation for the agricultural sector.

20. Remove permanent Class 4 wetlands from municipal taxes through federal-provincial cost sharing. 21. Create a province-wide comprehensive approach to LiDAR to provide additional elevation and water management data to benefit agro-environment policy, program decisions and on-farm best practices and productivity. 22. Continue to encourage more constructive use of biomass (e.g. cattails). 23. Share best practices in municipal water management and infrastructure. 24. Ensure any subsequent negotiations with neighbouring jurisdictions such as the Prairie Provinces Water Board and the International Joint Commission include a focus on climate change. 25. Continue to invest in education and extension programming. Get the full report at: www.gov.mb.ca/ agriculture/business-and-econom ics/agri-risk-task-force.html.

allan@fbcpublishing.com

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The Manitoba Co-operator | January 14, 2016

Even My Wife... Loves cows!

M.C. Quantock Bull Sale “Canada’s Bulls” Saturday, Jan 30, 2016

Exhibition Grounds, Lloydminster, AB/SK

435

BULLS

12 noon MST

We sell and deliver for free, hundreds of bulls all across canada. Here's what our customers say... Sight Unseen Purchase Plan Buying your bulls is easy... and it's as close as your phone...

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I have spent 30 years working with cattlemen across Canada and together we have developed the most successful Sight Unseen Purchase Plan in the country, so successful in fact that it can sell nearly half our bulls some years. I have done it with sincerity and integrity and the utmost respect for the customers needs and budget. We start by discussing your cows, your breeding program, and what you need to get done. When we are comfortable with each other we can work together to get you the right cattle at the right price. While a few people bulls on the internet, I much prefer Mac Creech, D.V.M. tosellvisita few with our customers, get to know them, and help them select the right bulls. Our comprehensive Bull Book and DVD will give you an accurate impression of the bulls. After the sale I’ll personally deliver your bulls, in most cases. You must be completely satisfied on arrival or you are under no obligation to take them YOU PAY FOR THEM ONLY WHEN THEY ARE SATISFACTORY ON DELIVERY. Call me anytime to get started. 1-800-561-2855 Thanks Mac

, Complete Bull Bookou r on eo vid d an s oto ph WEBSITE:

www.canadasbulls.com

“We bought 2 hereford bulls sight unseen. The whole process of getting such good quality bulls was absolutely painless, right from the first conversation to delivery. The bulls were everything we expected and more. Easy fleshing they maintained their weight through breeding.” — G.&S. Clark, AB “Your service has always been great. The bulls stay in shape out on the range and the calves are darn good.” — W. Mulvahill, BC “Bend over backwards service" bulls hold their shape and don't need a lot of extra attention. — Salmon Farms, MB “Good quality, easy doing bulls, stand up well in pasture, hard working ranch bulls.” — T. Hoberg, SK “We have bought over 100 bulls from Mac and Family - every year the bulls get better. We see the results in our calf sales. You can trust Mac, these bulls have put us on the map.” — Norwest Cattle, N. Campbell and Sons, AB “The bulls, the sale, the service is second to none. Buying from M.C. Quantock for the past 3 years has been a huge stepping stone for the ranch. It is always a pleasure to deal with you.” — JV Ranch, MB “We had problems with one of our bulls. We called Mac and he took it back and made an adjustment. We had had the bull one year. Very pleased with your service and prompt reply. I have been very satisfied. You take a professional approach to your business. Something that is often neglected in agriculture.” — L & R Cooper, SK “Bull behavior is excellent, trust in your sight unseen program is excellent.” — B. Hawken, AB

“Just got home with my bull, great head, real good feet and legs, clean in the shoulder and thick bull. I was nervous about this Sight Unseen Purchase thing, never done it before. I was impressed with the bull and the way you do business.” — R. Mattison, MB “Very satisfied with the bulls on arrival, bulls worked well, all the first calf heifers are in calf, very satisfied with the sight unseen program..” — A. Funk, MB “Been buying MC. Quantock bulls for 20 years, fun to watch our herd grow.” — L. Crowley, SK “Brought sight unseen. I was surprised at how good he looked when Mac delivered him. Stayed in good shape through breeding, Travelled great.” — D. Rutz, BC “It is a pleasure to do business with you. Never yet have I been disappointed with Sight Unseen purchases. Best of all, I like the temperament of your bulls and Mac’s integrity and reliability is tops with me.” — D. Armstrong, MB “Sight unseen was smooth buying experience, good contact and clear expectations,” — J.&E. Peters, SK “We bought three H2 bulls, we had problems with one. Mac gave us another bull to get through breeding season. We were well satisfied.” — R. Noble, AB “More than satisfied. Hybrid Black Bulls work well on our Angus cows..” – Barrington Ranch, BC

“We look for your catalogue every year, been buying sight unseen and very satisfied. We now go south to Arizona and buy sight unseen.” — J. Naylen, MB “Nice quiet bulls, easy to handle, nice birth weights. They always get the job done.” — B. Fletcher, AB “Customer service was very good, bull delivered in excellent shape, worked well, very quiet and easy to handle.” — J. Duerken, MB “Wow the calves looked exactly like their sire, they really stood out from the rest. Thanks for the good service” — C. Schultz, AB

“Excellent service, the only place we buy our bulls. Small birth weight calves, excellent growth. Our calves are weaning steadily heavier in the last 5 years, better replacement heifers, better genetics.” — D & G Lyons, AB

“We used your Super Baldie bull for 11 years, he was the best bull we ever had. We keep daughters and really improved our herd. When we sold him he was still going strong and in great shape. I think you run a wonderful operation and I want to thank you so much for that bull.” — B. Hogg, MB “The Sight Unseen Purchase Program you offer, coupled with a rock solid reputation, unquestioned convenience and a large battery of quality, affordable sale bulls has again made bull buying from your ranch a pleasure.” — J. Comrie, MB

“Pleased with the RA bulls, good shape when they arrived and at the end of the dry summer in MB remained in good condition.” — K.&G. Archibald, MB “Nothing but a positive experience. Even being a small producer, you have treated me like I was important to you.” —S. Goldie, SK “Very impressed with how smooth and fast the sale ran, to run that many bulls in that amount of time was truly impressive. It was also reassuring to know that you were there after the bull had been delivered to ensure that everything was okay.” — B. Wilson, SK “I’m 100% satisfied with the quality of bulls I’ve bought with your Sight Unseen system. When taking delivery I’ve always felt I’ve gotten more value than I paid for. Your integrity is appreciated.” — M. Carr, ON “Being able to buy a bull over the phone is great peace of mind, and Mac was very easy to talk to and is very knowledgeable about his bulls. The bulls I got were perfect. It was as if I was at the sale. I am 100% satisfied and will buy again from M.C. Quantock.” — M. Arnold, SK “Very happy with the H2 bull, He covered a lot of cows and kept his condition. He is quiet and easy to handle.” — C. Burback. SK “Great bulls with solid backgrounds from a real cattleman that I can trust.” — F. Keher. MB “Sight Unseen a good program Mac, no need to sit at auctions wasting time... all the bulls have performed very well over all the years.” — Powder Canyon Ranch. BC “Buying bulls sight unseen was positive, you did a good job, good travelling bulls, easy to handle. Bulls get better every year.” — Warner. AB “The sight unseen bulls seem to be easy fleshing and quiet. The hereford bull was extremely good.” — J. Mizen Ont “All the bulls we have bought sight unseen have served us well no problems.” — I. Tuttle NS “I bought sight unseen and was very satisfied. The video was very helpfull.” — D. Wray Ont

Nearly... 11,000 Bulls... 47 Sales... Trusted... Recommended... There is still time... Call Mac today...

1-800-561-BULL (2855) Red Angus

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Charolais

The Manitoba Co-operator | January 14, 2016

LIVESTOCK MARKETS (Friday to Thursday) Winnipeg December 18, 2015 Slaughter Cattle Steers — Heifers — D1, 2 Cows 96.00 - 97.00 D3 Cows 84.00 - 92.00 Bulls 115.00 - 125.00 Feeder Cattle (Price ranges for feeders refer to top-quality animals only) Steers (901+ lbs.) — (801-900 lbs.) 190.00 - 212.00 (701-800 lbs.) 200.00 - 225.00 (601-700 lbs.) 215.00 - 237.00 (501-600 lbs.) 225.00 - 267.00 (401-500 lbs.) 240.00 - 295.00 Heifers (901+ lbs.) 160.00 - 180.00 (801-900 lbs.) 165.00 - 177.00 (701-800 lbs.) 170.00 - 202.00 (601-700 lbs.) 185.00 - 213.00 (501-600 lbs.) 190.00 - 226.00 (401-500 lbs.) 210.00 - 265.00

Heifers

Alberta South — 157.50 - 157.50 95.00 - 112.00 80.00 - 100.00 119.07 - 119.07 $ 180.00 - 200.00 188.00 - 207.00 200.00 - 220.00 205.00 - 237.00 226.00 - 270.00 255.00 - 296.00 $ 170.00 - 185.00 177.00 - 199.00 180.00 - 202.00 190.00 - 218.00 205.00 - 232.00 225.00 - 271.00

($/cwt) (1,000+ lbs.) (850+ lbs.)

Ontario — — 76.75 - 88.45 64.35 - 76.75 — $ 180.00 - 207.00 178.00 - 212.00 176.00 - 225.00 183.00 - 247.00 210.00 - 270.00 213.00 - 281.00 $ 167.00 - 188.00 167.00 - 188.00 162.00 - 201.00 180.00 - 228.00 193.00 - 244.00 197.00 - 261.00

(901+ lbs.) (801-900 lbs.) (701-800 lbs.) (601-700 lbs.) (501-600 lbs.) (401-500 lbs.) (901+ lbs.) (801-900 lbs.) (701-800 lbs.) (601-700 lbs.) (501-600 lbs.) (401-500 lbs.)

Futures (December 18 2015) in U.S. Fed Cattle Close Change December 2015 117.15 -4.30 February 2016 122.53 -3.72 April 2016 124.18 -3.18 June 2016 116.73 -2.08 August 2016 113.80 -2.43 October 2016 114.85 -2.43

Feeder Cattle January 2016 March 2016 April 2016 May 2016 August 2016 September 2016

Cattle Slaughter Canada East West Manitoba U.S.

Close 144.25 143.45 144.18 144.93 147.20 145.58

Change -7.63 -7.68 -7.83 -7.58 -7.30 -7.72

Cattle Grades (Canada)

Week Ending December 12, 2015 42,645 11,815 30,830 N/A 581,000

Previous Year 53,149 12,871 40,278 N/A 570,000

Week Ending December 12, 2015 1,102 21,577 10,966 496 675 6,964 214

Prime AAA AA A B D E

Previous Year 1,364 23,669 13,400 874 780 9,259 186

Hog Prices (Friday to Thursday) ($/100 kg)

Source: Manitoba Agriculture

E - Estimation MB. ($/hog) MB (All wts.) (Fri-Thurs.) MB (Index 100) (Fri-Thurs.) ON (Index 100) (Mon.-Thurs.) PQ (Index 100) (Mon.-Fri.)

Current Week 156 E 144 E 138.59 141.60

Futures (December 18, 2015) in U.S. Hogs December 2015 February 2016 April 2016 May 2016 June 2016

Last Week 153.76 143.37 138.44 140.11

Close 56.63 62.05 70.78 75.05 75.60

Last Year (Index 100) 185.59 173.11 179.43 185.65

Change -3.93 -2.65 -1.22 -1.13 -0.85

Other Market Prices Wooled Fats

— — Next Sale December 16th — —

Chickens Minimum broiler prices as of April 13, 2010 Under 1.2 kg..................................................$1.5130 1.2 - 1.65 kg....................................................$1.3230 1.65 - 2.1 kg....................................................$1.3830 2.1 - 2.6 kg.....................................................$1.3230

Turkeys Minimum prices as of January 10 2015 Broiler Turkeys (6.2 kg or under, live weight truck load average) Grade A ................................................$1.930 Undergrade ........................................$1.840 Hen Turkeys (between 6.2 and 8.5 kg liveweight truck load average) Grade A .................................................$1.915 Undergrade .........................................$1.815 Light Tom/Heavy Hen Turkeys (between 8.5 and 10.8 kg liveweight truck load average) Grade A .................................................$1.915 Undergrade .........................................$1.815 Tom Turkeys (10.8 and 13.3 kg, live weight truck load average) Grade A..................................................$1.885 Undergrade......................................... $1.800 Prices are quoted f.o.b. producers premise.

Outside market pressures knocked back rising futures CNSC

“(U.S. cattle buyers) can buy their beef down there just as cheap as they can get it up here.”

brad delgaty

DAVE SIMS

uction marts across Manitoba began to wind into action slowly during the week ended Jan. 8. Volumes were low, though, as just four of the province’s main yards held sales, with many ranchers coming off the holiday break. The mix of limited cattle offerings and rising futures combined to give Manitoba auction sales a boost over the period. One outlet reported most classes of feeder animals were up by $15-$20 per hundredweight, while butcher cows and bulls improved $3-$5. Prices for feeder steers (500-600 lbs.) ranged from $220 to $277/cwt while steers (800-900 lbs.) were in the $180-$200 range with some bids topping out at $220. “Things are starting off better than how they ended; the prices of the cattle are up compared to when we stopped for our break, so that is good,” said Brad Delgaty, a marketing rep for Heartland Livestock in Brandon. While volumes were low, with just over 1,000 animals shown around the province, that should change soon, he said. “Volumes for the month of January are traditionally slow at the beginning and then they can pick up towards the end. Everyone’s sitting back and seeing what the market’s going to do.” Cattle sales to the U.S. have slowed down somewhat, he noted. “There’s not a whole lot of cattle going south right now. They can buy their beef down there just as cheap as they can get it up here,” he said, adding the cheaper Canadian dollar should still benefit ranchers. South of the border, the futures market crept higher over the holiday period, lend-

Toronto 100.60 - 135.08 150.72 - 184.93 175.82 - 198.81 184.91 - 222.74 190.05 - 301.16 —

SunGold Specialty Meats —

Eggs Minimum prices to producers for ungraded eggs, f.o.b. egg grading station, set by the Manitoba Egg Producers Marketing Board effective November 10, 2013. New Previous A Extra Large $2.00 $2.05 A Large 2.00 2.05 A Medium 1.82 1.87 A Small 1.40 1.45 A Pee Wee 0.3775 0.3775 Nest Run 24 + 1.8910 1.9390 B 0.45 0.45 C 0.15 0.15

Goats Kids Billys Mature

Winnipeg (Hd Fats) — — —

<1,000 lbs. 1,000 lbs.+

ing strength to Manitoba auction marts. The steady march higher lasted until the middle of the week, when it reached a two-month high before it began to drop sharply. The dip turned into a large-scale sell-off, as pressure in outside markets including crude oil, corn and equities prompted traders to exit bullish bets and the selling to build upon itself. In all, prices fell 2.1 per cent, setting the stage for what many feel could be a correction higher in the coming days. Closer to home, some cattle owners are starting to prepare for calving season. “It’s been a very good winter on cattle; I mean, the weather hasn’t been too cold, so they’re not eating to stay warm — the feeders are eating to put on pounds,” Delgaty added. A few owners might be starting calving, he said, but most will wait until early February or even March. Meantime, producers are being reminded that under new transport rules imposed by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency last year, fines can now be imposed on sick animals that are in very poor condition. Inspectors will be watching for animals unfit for transport at various auction yards. Dave Sims writes for Commodity News Service Canada, a Winnipeg company specializing in grain and commodity market reporting.

U.S. hog herd slowly expands

The U.S. hog herd grew slightly in the SeptemberNovember quarter versus a year ago, a U.S. Department of Agriculture report released late last month shows. “Concern about profitability was a major issue. What kept producers from really pulling back hard on herd growth was that they didn’t start to lose money until the last week in November,” said Allendale Inc. chief strategist Rich Nelson. The USDA report showed the U.S. hog herd as of Dec. 1 at 101.0 per cent of the yearago level, at 68.3 million head. Still, it was the biggest inventory for December since the

government began compiling the quarterly data in 1988. Analysts, on average, expected 68.793 million head, or 101.5 per cent of the yearearlier herd. The U.S. breeding herd was 101.0 per cent of the year-ago level, at 6.002 million head, compared with average trade expectations for 100.8 per cent, or 5.986 million. The Dec. 1 supply of market-ready hogs for sale to packers was 101 per cent of a year earlier at 62.3 million head. Analysts, on average, expected a 1.6 per cent increase, or 62.827 million. Nelson pointed to the sizable decline in the data for heavyweight hogs coming to market versus the lightweight categories. He said that this implies “a quick drop in slaughters” ahead. “This shows very clearly that we’ve got to put some

more premium on Februarythrough-June Chicago Mercantile Exchange hog futures,” he added. Jim Robb, director of the Colorado-based Livestock Marketing Information Center, was struck by the larger-than-expected pigs-perlitter result, the category most affected by the porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDv). Pigs per litter were at 10.53 during the autumn period, or 103 per cent of the 10.23 a year ago. This is a new record for the quarter. Vaccines and increased biosecurity measures significantly reduced the severity of the virus that has killed an estimated eight million pigs since March 2013. “It looks like we’ve bounced back from all of the impacts of PEDv. This pigs-per-litter number is pretty phenomenal,” said Robb.

Toronto ($/cwt) 203.43 - 329.79 — 142.74 - 304.43

Horses Winnipeg ($/cwt) — —

Heartland Livestock, Brandon

briefs

Reuters

Winnipeg Choice (110+ lb.) (95 - 109 lb.) (80 - 94 lb.) (Under 80 lb.) (New crop)

$1 Cdn: $0.7203 U.S. $1 U.S: $1.3882 Cdn.

Cattle values appreciate as auctions slowly resume

BY THEOPOLIS WATERS

Sheep and Lambs $/cwt Ewes Lambs

EXCHANGES: December 18, 2015

column

Cattle Prices

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

Numbers below are reprinted from December 24 issue.

Toronto ($/cwt) 21.00 - 42.00 33.30 - 61.21

Looking for results? Check out the market reports from livestock auctions around the province. » PaGe 14

The Manitoba Co-operator | January 14, 2016

GRAIN MARKETS column

Manitoba Elevator Prices

Outside financial markets guide commodities, for now

Average quotes as of January 11, 2016 ($/tonne)

Barring surprises from USDA, the outlook points lower Phil-Franz Warkentin CNSC

CE Futures Canada canola contracts were up and down during the choppy week ended Jan. 8, with losses in the front months and a firmer tone in the more deferred positions. The situation was the exact opposite in CBOT (Chicago Board of Trade) soybeans, with the nearby months up and the deferred contracts down, as the two North American oilseeds moved in different directions. Wheat futures in the U.S. moved higher during the week, with speculative short-covering the feature there. Corn futures, meanwhile, held reasonably steady but drifted lower overall. With no real fresh fundamental news to speak of at this time of year, the grains and oilseeds were taking a great deal of direction from outside financial markets. The big news globally during the week was a sell-off in the Chinese stock markets, which put pressure on ag markets at times as well. China is a major customer for canola, soybeans and corn; any signs of economic troubles there raise concerns over potential demand for grains and oilseeds as well. However, the counter-argument still holds that ‘people will still need to eat,’ and many analysts remain of the opinion that the demand side of the balance sheets will remain strong overall. The U.S. Department of Agriculture releases a slew of much-anticipated reports on Jan. 12,

including monthly supply/demand estimates, quarterly stocks and U.S. winter wheat acreage numbers. Surprises one way or the other in those reports could break prices out of their relatively rangebound ruts, but without any bullish news on that front, the path of least resistance generally points lower. From a chart standpoint, the most active March canola contract fell below the psychological C$480-per-tonne level during the week. With that level breached, the next downside target comes in at the C$468- to $470-per-tonne area. For soybeans, the March contract hit a low of US$8.52 per bushel during the week, with the contract low of US$8.47 per bushel not that far off. Corn futures actually hit fresh contract lows during the week, but did manage to see a modest short-covering correction off of the US$3.485 mark in the March contract. Depending on the reaction to the USDA reports, both soybeans and corn have as much as 20 to 30 cents room to the downside. While canola is also trending lower, the Canadian market is finding some underlying support from the weakness in the country’s currency. The Canadian dollar fell to its lowest levels relative to its U.S. counterpart in 12 years during the week, which makes canola more attractive to export customers and also helps underpin domestic crush margins. This means that while canola prices may continue to drift lower on a U.S. dollar basis, the price a farmer sees in Canadian dollars may hold up a bit firmer, or even improve, depending on the exchange rates. Phil Franz-Warkentin writes for Commodity News Service Canada, a Winnipeg company specializing in grain and commodity market reporting.

For three-times-daily market reports and more from Commodity News Service Canada, visit the Markets section at www.manitobacooperator.ca.

Future

Basis

Net

Weekly Change

Red spring wheat

181.24

46.81

228.05

n/a

Canola

478.70

-32.37

446.33

n/a

Port Prices As of Friday, January 8, 2016 ($/tonne) Last Week

Weekly Change

U.S. hard red winter 12% Houston

194.83

1.56

U.S. spring wheat 14% Portland

226.34

-2.66

Canola Thunder Bay

484.00

-4.60

Canola Vancouver

504.00

-4.60

Closing Futures Prices

As of Monday, January 11, 2016 ($/tonne) Last Week

Weekly Change

ICE canola

478.00

-2.60

ICE milling wheat

237.00

-4.00

ICE barley

182.00

-2.00

Mpls. HRS wheat

181.79

-4.87

Chicago SRW wheat

172.15

-5.70

Kansas City HRW wheat

170.03

-6.52

Corn

138.97

-8.37

Oats

135.36

-12.48

Soybeans

317.65

-4.87

Soymeal

294.67

-11.24

Soyoil

653.12

-15.21

Cash Prices Winnipeg As of Monday, January 11, 2016 ($/tonne) Last Week

Weekly Change

Feed wheat

205,38

2.57

Feed barley

179,13

-5.97

Rye

n/a

458.64

3.54

n/a

Oats

189.99

-8.43

Soybeans

374.79

1.84

Sunflower (NuSun) Fargo, ND ($U.S./CWT)

16.15

unch

Sunflower (Confection) Fargo, ND ($U.S./CWT)

Ask

Flaxseed Feed peas

Western Canadian spring wheat bids move higher CWRS basis levels across Western Canada range from C$14 to $32 below the futures By Dave Sims Commodity News Service Canada

ash spring wheat bids a c r o s s We s t e r n C a n a d a m ov e d h i g h e r d u r i n g t h e w e e k e n d e d Ja n u a r y 8 , a s t h e U.S. futures also rose during that time frame. Ave ra g e Ca n a d a We s t e r n Re d Spring (CWRS) wheat prices were up by $9 to $10 per tonne during the period, according to price quotes from a cross-section of delivery points across the Prairie provinces compiled by PDQ. Average prices ranged from about $226 per tonne in southeastern Saskatchewan to as high as $243 in northern Alberta.

Quoted basis levels varied from location to location, but were generally sitting at $14 to $30 per tonne above the futures when using the grain company methodology of quoting the basis as the difference between the U.S. dollar-denominated futures and the Canadian dollar cash bids. When accounting for the currency exchange rates by adjusting the Canadian prices to U.S. dollars ($1=US$0.7068 as of January 8) CWRS bids ranged from US$158 to $171 per tonne. That would put the currency-adjusted basis levels at about US$10 to $23 below the futures. Looking at it the other way around, if the Minneapolis futures are converted to Canadian dollars,

CWRS basis levels across Western Ca n a d a ra n g e f ro m $ 1 4 t o $ 3 2 below the futures. Av e r a g e C a n a d a P r a i r i e R e d Spring (CPRS) bids were roughly the same as the previous week. Average CPRS prices came in at about $186 per tonne in Manitoba, $188 to $192 per tonne in Saskatch ewan, and $203 to $206 per tonne in Alberta. Average durum prices were up by $7 to $8 per tonne. Bids in southern Saskatchewan, where the bulk of the crop is grown, were up by $4 at roughly $316 per tonne, according to PDQ data. The March spring wheat contract in Minneapolis, which most CWRS contracts in Canada are based off of, was quoted at

US$5.01 per bushel on Jan. 8, up eight U.S. cents from the close on Dec. 30. The Kansas City hard red winter wheat futures, which are now traded in Chicago, are more closely linked to CPRS in Canada. The Ma rc h Ka n s a s C i t y w h e a t c o n tract was quoted at US$4.7275 per bushel on Jan. 8, up 7.25 U.S. cents over the week. T h e Ma rc h C h i c a g o Bo a rd o f Trade soft wheat contract settled at US$4.7850 on Jan. 8, which was 8.75 U.S. cents stronger compared to the week prior. The Canadian dollar closed at 70.68 U.S. cents on January 8, which was down by about 1-1/3 cents relative to its U.S. counterpart compared to Dec. 30.

The Manitoba Co-operator | January 14, 2016

LIVESTOCK h u s b a n d r y — t h e s c i e n c e , S K I L L O R ART O F F AR M IN G

PAMI trials new technology for cleaning swine trailers Researchers have developed a promising new prototype that has the ability to clean swine trailers more efficiently while maintaining biosecurity standards BY JENNIFER PAIGE Co-operator staff/Brandon

ew technology for cleaning swine transp o r t a t i o n t ra i l e r s i s showing promise in reducing labour and water requirements while maintaining or possibly improving biosecurity-related outcomes. “We believe that the system we are proposing is not an ultimate solution, but it certainly represents a good solution to better handle biosecurity concerns,” said Hubert Landry, research scientist with the Prairie Agriculture Machinery Institute (PAMI). PAMI has been working in partnership with the University of Saskatchewan’s college of engineering to develop the hydrovac system. Funding for the project was received in early 2015 through the Swine Innovation Centre and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. “Given the PED crisis, the industry wants to move rather quickly on these kinds of studies. We are also making sure to work with as many stakeholders as possible as there are other initiatives ongoing,” said Landry.

PHOTO: thinkstock

Labour intensive T h e c u r re n t m e t h o d o l o g y for cleaning livestock trailers involves removing material, a flood wash, a pressure wash, sanitization and a dry time. Researchers say the process takes significant man-hours and substantial volumes of water. “As you can imagine all of these steps take a fair bit of time. Of course it varies on the trailer style and the time of year, but it can take anywhere between four and 12 personhours,” said Landry. “We have decided to look into a better way to go about this with the ultimate goal of developing an automotive system.” PAMI has completed the first phase of the project, where it worked with a prototype to clean the floors of a straight, 53-foot, two-level trailer. “ Wi t h o u r tr ials we did not clean entire trailers, we focused on the floor surfaces, conducted a time trial and extrapolated the results,” said Landry. “Within those assumptions, cleaning the floors of that straight trailer requires about 40 minutes. Obviously there is a need to look after the walls and ceiling but we are still looking at significant time savings.” Landry said the cleaning

The Prairie Agriculture Machinery Institute has developed a new hydrovac prototype for cleaning swine transportation trailers. PhotoS: Supplied by PAMI

process for the floor only would require approximately 30 gallons of water. “It is difficult to get very accurate data, but it is estimated that current practices would require between 600 and 1,800 gallons per wash. Now the understanding here is that is for the entire system, the trailer as well as the truck.”

Parallel biosecurity outcomes Researchers believe that coupling this system with the use of baking bays would control the pathogens just as well, if not better than current methods. “One probable method of destroying pathogens is to heat the surfaces of the trailers to 70 C for 10 minutes. The combination of the wash we have developed with heating the trailer to that temperature for that amount of time would take care of biosecurity concerns,” said Landry. Landry also notes that the

“We have decided to look into a better way to go about this with the ultimate goal of developing an automotive system.” Dr. Hubert Landry Research scientist with the Prairie Agriculture Machinery Institute

hydrovac system allows the wash water and debris from the trailer to be contained in a reservoir, enabling a more controlled disposal. Although the project results are only theoretical, Landry says they are very promising. “It is quite early but there has been some interest so we are encouraged. I think if we can provide industry with a closeto-ready system, I am hopeful that it could get used on a dayto-day basis.”

After recently acquiring further funding from the same sources, PAMI will now move into Phase 2 of the project where it will fine tune the equipment to better interface with trailer surfaces and begin automation. “In Phase 1 we have demonstrated that the concept is via-

ble and now in Phase 2, what we need to do is make it automation ready. We are not promising a fully automated system at the end of Phase 2, but we want to do the engineering required to prepare the system,” said Landry. jennifer.paige@fbcpublishing.com

The Manitoba Co-operator | January 14, 2016

Two states still on CFIA’s no-buy list for poultry Minnesota poultry and eggs are now cleared for cross-border shopping STAFF

anada is now warning cross-border travellers to the U.S. against bringing in raw poultry and eggs from two states, down from six at the end of 2015. As of Jan. 5, according to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, travellers entering Canada from the U.S. may not bring in uncooked poultry products, live birds and/or eggs from North Dakota or Missouri. Such products originating in Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska and South Dakota had been blocked up until Jan. 5. Kansas was also on the list up until Dec. 16. Between December 2014 and June 2015, CFIA imposed such restrictions on poultry and eggs from 15 states where strains of highly pathogenic avian influenza had appeared in commercial flocks. Avian flu had been detected

Hogs seen rising on falling loonie, eventually

in birds at 219 properties across those 15 states, leading to destruction for over 48 million infected and/or exposed birds. North Dakota had cases at just two farms, the most recent in April, affecting about 111,500 birds; Missouri had three, the most recent in May, affecting about 53,100. Canada’s restrictions on U.S. poultry and eggs have been gradually lifted state by state in recent months, despite the U.S. having declared itself as free of highpath avian flu in November, as per requirements laid out by the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE). Cross-border travellers who buy poultry and eggs while visiting the U.S. will want to make sure they have proof those products originated from, and were bought in, states not still under CFIA’s restrictions, the agency said. For travellers, the list of restricted items includes live

birds, hatching eggs, eggs, yolks, egg whites, uncooked or partially cooked poultry meat, feathers, poultry manure/litter and laboratory materials containing poultry products or byproducts. Commercial-level poultry and egg imports remain restricted only from “specific quarantine zones” within North Dakota and Missouri until further notice, CFIA said. CFIA on Jan. 5 said its restrictions shouldn’t be taken as a sign of food safety risk from the affected products, but rather are a “normal part of Canada’s animal disease control efforts” to keep avian flu out of the country. Canada in early October also self-declared as free of highpath avian flu, following outbreaks in flocks at 13 properties in British Columbia in December 2014 and in February 2015, and at three farms in southwestern Ontario in April 2015.

Sharing Ideas and Information for Efficient Pork Production

Manitoba Swine Seminar 2016

Prices in the forward cash market are seeing support BY JADE MARKUS CNS Canada

weak loonie could improve the profit margin of Canadian pork producers by summer, according to one analyst, but its effects have been little seen in the current market. Influencers outside of currency markets are driving current cash prices lower — and cash prices are relatively depressed, according to Tyler Fulton, director of risk management at Hams Marketing Services Co-op. Fulton on Jan. 7 pegged the week’s Canadian prices at around $130-$140 per pig. U.S. pork production is expected to see a one per cent increase in 2016, to a record 11.3 million tonnes, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) most recent Livestock and Poultry: World Markets and Trade report. Global production of all types of meat, including chicken and beef is expected to expand in 2016, according to the USDA, which is dragging on pork prices. “There’s a tonne of meat protein that’s expected to be in the market in 2016,” Fulton said. Strength in the U.S. dollar also makes exports more difficult for the country, contributing to ballooning supplies. “In terms of the cash market, in terms of what producers are being paid, for example, this week, it’s quite depressed,” Fulton said Jan. 7. However, prices offered in the forward cash market — which are based off of the futures market — are being driven higher by the weak loonie. By summer, Canadian producers could be able to secure prices at about $200 per pig, Fulton said.

Eggs and poultry from two of the 15 states hit by high-path avian flu since December 2014 are still under CFIA restrictions. photo: thinkstock

February 3 & 4

Victoria Inn Hotel & Convention Centre WINNIPEG, MANITOBA

You are invited to join local, national & international speakers as they discuss: • • • • • • • • •

Sow feeding strategies in gestation and lactation Humane transport: What you need to know about transporting sows Feeding piglets for gut health to optimize growth Lessons learned using needle-less injectors State of the industry Understanding feeders and drinkers for grow/finish pigs How to extract more value from manure Challenges associated with water medicators Panel discussion: How to implement the codes of practice on farm

...and much more

BY AFTER

January 20 – $186.90 January 20 – $200 (All prices include GST)

Online registration available soon!

For more information:

www.ManitobaSwineSeminar.ca Dallas Ballance, conference manager Tel: (204) 475-8585 Fax: (204) 475-8200 Dallas@goodwinballance.ca

• • • •

Day rate also available Special rate for students (with ID) Costs include lunch and one copy of the proceedings FREE parking

The Manitoba Co-operator | January 14, 2016

LIVESTOCK AUCTION RESULTS Weight Category

Ashern

Gladstone

Grunthal

Heartland

Brandon

Virden

Killarney

Ste. Rose

Winnipeg

Feeder Steers

n/a

Jan-06

Jan-05

n/a

Jan-08

No. on offer

n/a

200*

309

n/a

245

Over 1,000 lbs.

n/a

900-1,000

n/a

180.00-195.00

195.00-211.00

n/a

800-900

n/a

180.00-190.00

190.00-215.00

208.00-220.00

n/a

200.00-218.00

700-800

n/a

190.00-208.00

220.00-237.00

219.00-236.00

n/a

205.00-240.00

600-700

n/a

200.00-230.00

240.00-255.00

228.00-248.00

n/a

233.00-254.00

500-600

n/a

220.00-260.00

250.00-265.00

245.00-277.00

n/a

240.00-275.00

400-500

n/a

240.00-280.00

n/a

268.00-305.00

n/a

270.00-290.00

300-400

n/a

275.00-330.00

n/a

275.00-290.00

900-1,000 lbs.

n/a

170.00-185.00

n/a

800-900

n/a

155.00-175.00

n/a

188.00-204.00

n/a

188.00-200.00

700-800

n/a

170.00-195.00

195.00-209.00

194.00-209.00

n/a

190.00-221.00

600-700

n/a

190.00-220.00

200.00-215.00

201.00-217.00

n/a

210.00-240.00

500-600

n/a

200.00-220.00

210.00-227.00

215.00-234.00

n/a

240.00-270.00

400-500

n/a

220.00-240.00

220.00-235.00

230.00-260.00

n/a

260.00-282.00

300-400

n/a

240.00-280.00

n/a

275.00-295.00

No. on offer

n/a

100

n/a

130

D1-D2 Cows

n/a

90.00-102.00

93.00-106.50

95.00-103.00

n/a

92.00-104.00

D3-D5 Cows

n/a

80.00-90.00

80.00-93.00

88.00-94.00

n/a

88.00-98.00

Feeder heifers

Slaughter Market

Age Verified

n/a

Good Bulls

n/a

115.00-120.75

120.00-135.00

124.00-135.00

n/a

125.00-130.00

Butcher Steers

n/a

Butcher Heifers

n/a

Feeder Cows

n/a

105.00-120.00

n/a

100.00-112.00

Fleshy Export Cows

n/a

75.00-102.00

n/a

Lean Export Cows

n/a

80.00-90.00

n/a

Heiferettes

n/a

125.00-150.00

n/a

* includes slaughter market

(Note all prices in CDN$ per cwt. These prices also generally represent the top one-third of sales reported by the auction yard.)

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The Manitoba Co-operator | January 14, 2016

COLUMN

Crypto presents a number of challenges These protozoa are difficult to detect so vigilance is needed to spot and deal with outbreaks ROY LEWIS DVM Beef 911

he incidence of ‘crypto’ diarrhea is most definitely higher on dairy farms where calves are raised in close confinement and the wet or moist environment is conducive to the transmission of these protozoa. But large-animal veterinarians are also detecting it more often in our beef herds out west. Crypto is a protozoa with a very similar life cycle to coccidia, which is probably much more familiar to Canadian cattlemen. The detection can be difficult, but with newer tests and other methods, you may find it even in well-managed cattle operations. Dairymen watch for it diligently and beef producers should discuss it with their veterinarians. Be especially vigilant if scours crops up in older calves that seem unresponsive to traditional scour treatments. Bringing in dairy calves to be adopted onto beef cows can be a source of infection. I always suggest using calves from your own herd if possible. Crypto usually is caused by the species C. Parvum in cattle and it is also zoonotic — meaning it is transmissible to humans, with most cases resulting from exposure to sick calves. So watch when handling diarrheic calves and be extra vigilant when cleaning and disinfecting the area calves have been in. As with all zoonotic diseases, people under stress or immunosuppressed are highly susceptible. Make sure — especially after dealing with any diarrheic calves — to clean boots, coveralls, and wash your hands thoroughly. Treat the diarrheic calves last to avoid carrying the oocysts (eggs) between calves. The organism is very similar to coccidia in the sense oocysts are passed in the manure in

very large numbers (up to 10 million per gram of manure). Oocysts are ingested by the calf and in completing the life cycle cause damage to the large intestine and the end of the small intestine. We see it primarily in calves anywhere from three to 30 days of age. The clue is calves, which seem unresponsive to treatment and the diarrhea is generally yellow and sort of foamy. The organism destroys the inner lining of the intestine, so the milk comes through essentially undigested and calves dehydrate. Keep in mind that half the time cr ypto is involved in mixed infections with other scour organisms, so you may be dealing with essentially two diseases at the same time. That is why one must use all the preventive steps in your power to avoid a scours outbreak. All the tools we have talked about in other articles such as new calving area; lots of room and bedding; and good nutrition of the dam (leading to high-quality colostrum) all help in prevention. Make sure the calves are up and sucking within a couple of hours and if in doubt, supplement with home-stored frozen colostrum or the good colostrum substitutes such as HeadStart. Scours vaccinate your cows and heifers, but keep in mind good scours vaccines cover the most common causes of viral and bacterial scours in calves but not ones caused by protozoan (coccidia and cryptosporidiosis). Initial diagnosis has been an issue in the past. Veterinarians investigating scours outbreaks have often suspected crypto was involved but it was hard to prove. There are several ways to prove its existence. Fecals can be done and the labs are getting better at spotting it but like coccidia, its oocysts are much smaller than worm eggs and are hard to see even with a microscope. Now there is a check done with a strip inserted into the manure called Entericheck by Biovet Labs, which is a fairly

Crypto can quickly spread so you need to be vigilant and use good management practices. GRAPHIC: Dr. Guy Boisclair

sensitive and specific check. We learned from a recent veterinary student from Calgary (now Dr. Dayna Goldsmith) attending our clinic on a rotation that crypto is what they call an acid-fast organism. This means it takes up acid-fast stain, so another test the vet clinic can do is smear a sample of the manure on a microscope slide, stain it and — like magic — the oocysts become very visible when they take up the stain. This worked very well at our clinic. (Veterinary clinics can order the acid-fast stain.) The combination of these three methods has greatly improved the diagnostic rate of crypto. The next issue with crypto has been treatment — or should I say lack of treatment — options.

BY ROD NICKEL Winnipeg/Reuters

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) halted a shipment of canola meal on Dec. 1 from a Bunge plant in Hamilton, Ont. because it appeared to contain salmonella bacteria, FDA records show. Sa l m o n e l l a c a n c a u s e foodborne illness in humans. However, canola meal is mainly shipped to the U.S. for use in animal feed, especially in the California dairy industry.

Roy Lewis practised large-animal veterinary medicine for more than 30 years and now works part time as a technical services veterinarian for Merck Animal Health.

MANITOBA SMALL RUMINANT SYMPOSIUM SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2016

news

U.S. blocks Hamilton crush plant’s canola meal

Standard treatments such a s e l e c t ro l y t e s a re a l w a y s warranted. Vets would prescribe sulfa drugs similar to coccidiosis treatment but the best way is to cut down the number of organisms being e xc re t e d . A Me rc k A n i m a l Health product called Halocur — which has been used in Canada for a few years under an experimental drug release — controls crypto by breaking the life cycle and substantially reducing the number of oocysts produced. Halocur is an oral product (given at two cc per 10 kg daily), and it is very important to dose it carefully as unlike most p ro d u c t s, t h e s a f e t y m a rgin is quite low. At twice the dose, you could get depressed calves, blood in the diarrhea,

and other signs very similar to the disease itself so discontinue medication if those signs show up. At four times the dose, the medication can be fatal. Always treat calves on a full stomach and don’t start treatment if they are already feeling sick. Isolation of sick calves and a good cleaning, washing and disinfection of the isolation area are also necessary. The oocysts are very resistant and are killed by high temperatures. The key is keeping the oocysts numbers down. With age, resistance develops and that is why you never see this disease in older cattle. There are other coccidiostats, which have been tried against cryptosporidiosis on an experimental basis with some decent success (in fact Halocur was developed as a coccidiostat for chickens). If you see unusual-appearing diarrhea with the frothy content appearing like undigested milk, make sure your veterinarian rules out cryptosporidiosis because the t re a t m e n t i s m u c h d i f f e rent than the other neonatal diarrheas. Your local veterinarian would be best to help diagnose crypto and give you the treatment options most likely to be successful in your operation. Here’s hoping for a cr ypto-free calving season.

CANAD INNS, PORTAGE LA PRAIRIE, MB The U.S. is by far Canada’s biggest canola meal export market, importing about three million tonnes in 2015, or 96 per cent of the country’s exports, according to Canadian government data published by the Canola Council of Canada. Shipments that were halted over salmonella concer ns interr upted trade between half a dozen Can adian canola meal-processing plants and U.S. buyers in 2009 and 2010. A search of the FDA’s online records for 2015 did not show other such refusals from Canadian canola plants. Spokespersons for Bunge and the FDA could not be immediately reached.

Symposium Agenda 9:00 AM

Registration

9:30 AM

Efﬁcient Production by Utilizing Nutrition Effectively – Dr Paul Luimes, U of Guelph

10:30 AM Coffee Break 10:40 AM Healthy Flock is a Wealthy Producer – Dr Kathy Parker, Private Veterinarian and Sheep Producer 12:10 PM

Lunch (Provided)

1:00 PM

Strategy to Deal With Parasites/ What’s New in Animal Welfare – Dr Paula Menzies, U of Guelph

2:30 PM

Understanding the Market – Mamoon Rashid, MAFRD

3:00 PM

Coffee Break

3:15 PM

What is Social License – TBA

3:30 PM

Speakers Panel Discussion – Q&A

4:30 PM

Closing Remarks – MSA Chair

Registration Deadline Monday, January 25, 2016 Fees: Producers: $25 (one person) $50 (family - two adults) Veterinarians/Agrologists/MAFRD Staff: $75 (CE credit available) To register contact: Manitoba Sheep Association Ph: 204-421-9434 Email: mb@mbsheep.ca

The Manitoba Co-operator | January 14, 2016

WEATHER VANE

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“Everyone talks about the weather, but no one does anything about it.” Mark Twain, 1897

Classic cold mid-winter weather Issued: Monday, January 11, 2016 · Covering: January 13 – January 20, 2016 Daniel Bezte Weather Vane

t’s the middle of winter and, well, it feels like it. While it’s definitely been cold recently, if this ends up being our big shot of cold air for the winter, I think most of us can agree it wasn’t so bad! It does look like the colderthan-average temperatures will continue for at least one more forecast per iod. Arctic high pressure will be the name of the game once again, as the weather models predict a large arctic high to begin building southward later this week. To start this forecast period we’ll see a large but weak area of low pressure slide from the northwest to the southeast, bringing with it some clouds, a few flurries and slightly warmer temperatures. The arctic high will begin to push its way into our region Friday, resulting in steady or even dropping temperatures. By the weekend the high will have dropped southward, placing the centre of the high somewhere around southern

Manitoba or Saskatchewan by Sunday or Monday. This is when we’ll see, or rather feel, the coldest air from this system, with overnight lows expected to be around -32 C. The arctic high doesn’t look like it will move very quickly, with the weather models showing it sticking around for most of next week. Expect daytime highs to be around -20 C, with overnight lows around -30 C. Further ahead, it looks like warmer weather will try to build to our west, but just how far east it will make it is still up in the air. The models show a large storm system moving in off of the West Coast and this will help to pump warmer air northward ahead of it. The big question is, just how far of an inroad can this warm air make against the arctic high? We’ll just have to wait and see. Usual temperature range for this period: Highs, -23 to -6 C; lows, -33 to -15 C.

Temperatures in Brandon and winnipeg over the past year

Daniel Bezte is a teacher by profession with a BA (Hon.) in geography, specializing in climatology, from the U of W. He operates a computerized weather station near Birds Hill Park. Contact him with your questions and comments at daniel@bezte.ca.

These two charts show the temperatures for both Brandon and Winnipeg over the past year. The top graph shows the daily departure from average, with red meaning above-average temperatures and blue below average. The middle graph shows the 31-day running average, which helps to smooth out the data and show the general trend in temperatures. The bottom graph shows the actual daily high and low temperatures.

Manitoba’s weather in 2015, month by month Brandon, Dauphin and Winnipeg all saw mean yearly temperatures above their averages BY DANIEL BEZTE Co-operator contributor

e’ll soon take a look at what the different weather agencies considered the top weather stories for Canada and around the world in 2015, but for this issue we’ll go back and take a brief overview of what 2015 was like weather-wise across southern and central Manitoba. As you probably already know, to summarize our weather I use three different weather stations: Dauphin, Brandon and Winnipeg. In reality, if I was just going to look at the yearly totals and averages we could probably get away with just looking at one station, but I thought it would be interesting to list the average monthly high and low temperatures, the monthly mean temperatures and total monthly precipitation for all three stations. For those of you who would prefer to see the data in a more visual format I’ve included a couple of graphs of temperatures in Winnipeg and Brandon over the last 365 days. Temperatures in the following tables are provided in degrees Celsius and precipitation is in millimetres. I’ve also included up and down arrows following the mean temperature and precipitation values. An up arrow means an above-average value, while a down arrow is a below-average value. At the bottom of each table I’ve listed the longterm yearly mean temperature and record maximum and minimum temperatures and precipitation. These values correspond to the column, for example: Winnipeg’s average daily high in 2015 was 10.2 C. The long-term average or mean daily high is 8.2 C. The record average daily high for the year

Table 1: Winnipeg, 2015

Avg. high Avg. low Mean

Table 2: Brandon, 2015 Ppt

4.6 ↓

Jan

-8.8

-18.8

-13.8 ↑

-19.2 ↓

8.7 ↓

Feb

-13.4

-26.2

-3.0 ↑

13.8 ↓

Mar

2.3

-8.7

17.8 ↓

Apr

12.0

-2.1

83.0 ↑

May

18.4

1.8

Jan

-8.6

-18.7

13.7 ↑

Feb

-13.7

-24.6

Mar

2.9

-8.9

Apr

13.2

-2.4

5.4 ↑

May

18.2

3.7

11.0 ↓

Avg. high Avg. low Mean

Table 3: Dauphin, 2015 Ppt

Avg. high Avg. low Mean

Ppt

17.4 ↓

Jan

-8.4

-18.0

-13.2 ↑

8.1 ↓

-19.8 ↓

15.6 ↑

Feb

-13.7

-25.2

-19.4 ↓

12.5 ↑

-3.2 ↑

23.6 ↓

Mar

1.9

-7.7

-2.9 ↑

16.8 ↓

5.0 ↑

7.0 ↓

Apr

11.8

-1.6

5.1 ↑

4.9 ↓

10.1 ↓

48.6 ↓

May

18.2

2.3

10.3 ↓

54.6 ↓

Jun

24.0

10.8

17.4 ↑

65.2 ↓

Jun

24.3

9.6

17.0 ↑

37.4 ↓

Jun

24.5

10.5

17.5 ↑

28.4 ↓

Jul

26.4

14.0

20.2 ↑

64.6 ↓

Jul

26.1

12.2

19.2 ↑

64.8 ↓

Jul

26.0

13.4

19.8 ↑

94.9 ↑

Aug

25.5

11.8

18.5 ↓

99.8 ↑

Aug

26.2

9.8

18.1 ↑

50.4 ↓

Aug

24.5

11.0

17.8 ↑

45.4 ↓

Sep

22.2

9.4

15.8 ↑

61.1 ↑

Sep

21.7

6.2

13.9 ↑

39.2 ↓

Sep

20.0

7.0

13.5 ↑

34.5 ↓

Oct

12.9

1.3

7.1 ↑

35.9 ↓

Oct

12.9

0.3

6.7 ↑

49.2 ↑

Oct

13.2

0.9

7.1 ↑

35.8 ↓

Nov

2.8

-4.8

-1.1 ↑

8.3 ↓

Nov

2.8

-6.5

-1.9 ↑

15.4 ↓

Nov

2.7

-5.0

-1.2 ↑

23.5 ↑

Dec

-3.2

-10.1

-6.7 ↑

10.2 ↓

Dec

-2.9

-13.3

-8.2 ↑

19.4 ↓

Dec

-2.9

-10.8

-6.9 ↑

7.4 ↓

Year

10.2

-1.5

4.3 ↑

473.0 ↓

Year

10.1

-3.0

3.6 ↑

388.0 ↓

Year

9.8

-1.9

4.0 ↑

366.8 ↓

Mean

8.2

-3.1

2.5

526.7

Mean

8.1

-4.3

1.9

461.0

Mean

7.8

-4.1

1.8

498.7

Rec. max

11.1

-0.2

5.5

724.6

Rec. max 10.8

-1.8

4.5

692.9

Rec. max 10.8

-1.2

4.8

742.1

Rec. min

5.1

-5.5

-0.1

321.7

Rec. min

-6.5

-0.4

289.7

Rec. min

-6.6

-1.0

285.5

5.5

February was the only really cold month, with readings that were over 6 C below average.

was 11.1 C and the record low for the year was 5.1 C. This shows that for daily highs, Winnipeg had a very warm year, coming within a degree of the record, and 2° above the average. I’m not going to discuss all of the data; I’ll leave that for you to check out. A cou-

ple of points of interest are just how warm this year was, with all three locations reporting mean yearly temperatures that were between 1.7 and 2.2 C above average. February was the only really cold month, with readings that were over 6 C below average. If that month had seen near-aver-

4.5

age temperatures all three locations would have been within 0.5 C of the record for the warmest year. The fall and early winter have been very warm, with temperatures averaging about 4 C above average over the last four months of the year. Secondly, it was a bit of a dry year, with all three locations reporting below-average amounts of precipitation. Winnipeg and Dauphin saw only three months with above-average amounts and Brandon only reported two such months. Next week we’ll hopefully be able to start our look back at the top weather events of 2015.

The Manitoba Co-operator | January 14, 2016

CROPS h u s b a n d r y — t h e s c i e n c e , S K I L L O R ART O F F AR M IN G

Review finds slim risk to bees from imidacloprid PMRA will assess risk for the other neonics, clothianidin and thiamethoxam, this year STAFF

Citrus, cotton The U.S. EPA found imidacloprid “potentially poses risk to hives when the pesticide comes in contact with certain crops that attract pollinators.” Citrus and cotton “may have residues of the pesticide in pollen and nectar above the threshold level” of 25 parts per billion, above which effects on pollinator hives were likely to be seen. Other crops such as corn and leafy vegetables “either do not produce nectar or have residues below the EPA-identified level,” the U.S. agency said.

Like PMRA, the EPA noted “additional data is being generated on these and other crops to help EPA evaluate whether imidacloprid poses a risk to hives.” The EPA’s assessment also now goes to a 60-day public comment period. For clothianidin and thiamethoxam, preliminary risk assessments from PMRA and the EPA are due out in December this year, with final risk assessments to follow in December 2017. The EPA last year proposed to prohibit use of neonics, and other pesticides considered toxic to bees, when crops are in bloom and bees are under contract for pollination services. The EPA has also temporarily halted approvals for new outdoor uses of neonics until its pollinator risk assessments are complete. In Canada, use of neonic seed treatments in corn and soybeans is now restricted in Ontario and new limits are planned in Quebec. Imidacloprid has “very little reported use” on corn or soybean seed compared to clothianidin and thiamethoxam, PMRA noted.

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Residue information for prebloom applications was only available on crops not grown in Canada, PMRA said, but also noted prebloom applications are already prohibited for some uses, such as in orchard crops that are “highly attractive” to bees. Post-bloom foliar applications to crops harvested at the end of the season “are not expected to pose a risk to bees, as pollen and nectar are no longer available for forage.”

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types, and at this time planting of other seed types in Canada is not associated with dust generation or harm to pollinators.” For some soil treatments, meanwhile, PMRA said a “potential risk to bees was identified” with imidacloprid, noting higher application rates and timing closer to blooming “appears to result in higher residue levels.” Also, crops grown in coarser soils “tended to have higher residues than those grown in medium or fine soils.” Overall, PMRA said, field studies for soil treatment applications, expected to be done this year, “will help further inform the pollinator risk assessment.” In foliar applications of imidacloprid, meanwhile, the potental risk “varies with application timing,” the agency said, noting current label restrictions help cut down that risk. Specifically, PMRA said, foliar applications made during bloom “are expected to pose a risk to bees” but those products’ current labels “prohibit or reduce application during bloom for most beeattractive crops.”

As with all crop protection products, read and follow label instructions carefully.

Neonic seed treatments have come under fire out of concern for pollinators such as honeybees. Ontario has set up new restrictions on the products’ use and Quebec plans to follow suit. photo: thinkstock

TOUGH ON WEEDS. GENTLE ON CROPS.

abel directions and rules in place for in-crop and onseed use of imidacloprid pesticides should either prevent or limit the risks to honeybees and other pollinators from the chemical, Canadian and U.S. regulators say. Health Canada’s Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on Jan. 6 released their preliminary risk assessments for imidacloprid, both of which show some situations where the neonicotinoid pesticide poses risk to pollinators. The two agencies will run new risk assessments later this year on clothianidin and thiamethoxam, the other two neonics available in Canada. Imidacloprid is marketed in Canada in seed treatments, such as Bayer’s Admire, Gaucho and Stress Shield and Adama’s Alias and Sombrero, and in other insecticides such as Bayer’s Concept and Cheminova’s Grapple. “No potential risk to bees was indicated for seed treatment use,” PMRA said in its preliminary assessment, which will be released in its full version with appendices on Jan. 18 for a 60-day public comment period. Past that, “additional data is expected” this year on imidacloprid’s effects on pollinators, to be available well ahead of PMRA’s final pollinator risk assessment for the product, due out sometime in December. Residue levels in crop pollen and nectar from imidacloprid seed treatments are “typically below levels expected to pose a risk to bees at both the individual bee and colony levels,” the agency said. Exposure via dust kicked up during planting of treated seed was also considered, the agency said, noting new risk-reduction rules were put in place in 2014 for planting of corn and soybean seed treated with neonics. “Dust generation is related to multiple factors including the planting equipment and seed

1/7/16 12:34 PM

The Manitoba Co-operator | January 14, 2016

Thunder Bay research station gets bridge funding The agricultural research site has helped develop crops for growers in the Kenora area STAFF

ore time has been bought for a northern Ontario agricultural research station on the brink of closing to come up with a new operating plan. The Ontario government on Jan. 4 announced $350,000 in bridge funding for the not-for-profit Thunder Bay Agricultural Research Association, operator of the Thunder Bay Agricultural Research Station (TBARS), to “develop a sustainable, co-ordinated, long-term plan for agricultural research in the north.” The province said its funding will give the association an opportunity to work on its plan with the Northern Ontario Farm Innovation Alliance and “other northern agricultural and research stakeholders.” Set up by the provincial Ag Department in 1991, TBARS in recent years has seen most of its research funding flow through the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation (NOHFC). The most recent agreement between NOFHC and the association wrapped up at the end of March 2015.

Thunder Bay Agricultural Research Station director Dr. Tarlok Singh Sahota shows off a test plot of black barley in this 2014 file photo.

NOHFC last February pledged a ninemonth extension on its agreement, which would keep TBARS operating until the end of December. The extension was expected to allow

TBARS the time to use any unspent research funds and conduct its provincially backed long-range feasibility study. Agriculture Minister Jeff Leal on Jan. 4 said the funds would allow TBARS to

“develop a long-term plan to ensure it continues its tradition of important contributions to our agricultural sector’s research needs.” Natural Resources Minister Bill Mauro, the local MPP for Thunder Bay, said he “remain(s) in discussions with the board of TBARS and other potential partners to find a permanent solution that will see TBARS remain a significant component of our agriculture community.” The University of Guelph’s Kemptville College managed TBARS from 1996 to 2002, after which the association, with NOHFC funding, took over its operations. The province in the past has credited TBARS with screening and evaluating cereal and pulse varieties and cover crops for use in northern Ontario and boosting the number of canola growers in the area. The station’s winter wheat research data was also credited with allowing Agricorp, the provincial ag funding agency, to introduce crop insurance coverage for winter wheat acres around communities such as Thunder Bay, Sudbury and Kenora.

CP’s Holiday Train raised $1.4 million

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Root nodules and a dissected, pink nodule

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he 17th year of the Canadian Pacific (CP) Holiday Train program raised more than $1.4 million and more than 300,000 pounds of food for food banks and food shelves, the company says in a release. Since its start in 1999, the CP Holiday Train has now helped to raise more than $12 million and 3.9 million pounds of food for local food banks. This year saw record crowds in many communities and estimated overall attendance of 450,000 people over the 23 days. “The Holiday Train is all about neighbours helping n e i g h b o u r s, a n d t h i s ye a r saw remarkable support for this important cause,” said E. Hunter Harrison, CP’s chief executive officer. “Each year, we are humbled by the good work local food banks do in helping those in need in their communities. We are proud that we can help them deliver on that mission.” “Every year, CP’s train of lights provides a platfor m to speak about the needs of North American food banks. This year they helped drive the message home not only a b o u t o n g o i n g n e e d s, b u t the ability for individuals to raise levels of health in their community by reaching in their cupboards for healthy donations,” said Katharine Schmidt, executive director, Food Banks Canada. Crowds at Holiday Train events were entertained by a number of musicians, including Wes Mack, Kira Isabella, Doc Walker, Kelly Prescott, Jim Cuddy, Devin Cuddy, and Chic Gamine.

The Manitoba Co-operator | January 14, 2016

Genetic code breaking on wheat now years ahead of schedule The complete sequence could point breeders to genes for stress response and improved yields STAFF

equencing the infamously complex genome for bread wheat — a game-changing task for wheat breeding that’s been estimated to take four or five more years — may now just take another couple of years, following a milestone announced Jan. 6. The International Wheat Genome Sequencing Consor tium (IWGSC), a team coled by Canadian researchers, announced Wednesday it has produced a whole genome assembly for Chinese Spring bread wheat. The assembly “represents a major breakthrough for the IWGSC integrated strategy towards delivering a high-quality reference sequence for each of the 21 bread wheat chromosomes,” project leader Nils Stein, of German plant research centre IPK Gatersleben, said in a release. Where the IWGSC’s strategy is to study wheat one chromosome at a time, the assembly announced Jan. 6 was charted using a combination of software, computer programming and bioinformatics tools to look at virtually the entire genome. The new data can now be integrated with physical mapbased sequence data to produce a “high-quality, ordered sequence” for each wheat chromosome, precisely locating genes and other markers along the chromosomes and providing “invaluable” tools for wheat breeders, the consortium said. The consortium now expects to have a complete picture of the wheat genome, 17 billion base pairs in all, with a clear idea of how the genes are ordered, within two years. Given that the wheat genome is five times the size of the human genome, earlier estimates had suggested such work would take four or five more years, the University of Saskatchewan said in a separate release. The new sequence “is an impor tant contribution to understanding the genetic blueprint of one of the world’s m o s t i m p o r t a n t c r o p s ,” another project leader, Curtis Pozniak of the U of S Crop Development Centre, said in the same release. “ I t w i l l p r ov i d e w h e a t researchers with an exciting new resource to identify the most influential genes important to wheat adaptation, stress response, pest resistance and improved yield.” The digital work, he said, has “generated a version of the wheat genome sequence that is better ordered than anything we have seen to date. We are starting to get a better idea of the complex puzzle that is the wheat genome.” The result, he said, will be greater precision in wheat breeding. “Imagine that you have a blueprint for the order of important pieces of the wheat genome puzzle. With that information, it becomes far easier to assemble the puzzle more quickly into new and improved varieties.”

“With that information, it becomes far easier to assemble the puzzle more quickly into new and improved varieties.”

Curtis Pozniak Crop Development Centre, University of Saskatchewan

However, he said, “there is still much work to do to define the function of each of the genetic pieces so that breeders can identify the very best genes in the gene pool.” While the work was done on just one variety, it’s expected to serve as the backbone to unlock the genetic blueprint for traits in other varieties as well, he said. The public-private collaborative project, co-ordinated

by the IWGSC, is co-led by St e i n , Poz n i a k , Sa s k a t o o n researcher Andrew Sharpe of the Global Institute for Food Security and Jesse Poland of Kansas State University. Project par ticipants also i n c l u d e re s e a rc h e r s f r o m San Diego-based genetic sequencing fir m Illumina, genomic data firm NRGene, Tel Aviv University and the French National Institute for Agricultural Research (INRA).

Genetic sequencing work on wheat that was expected to take four or five more years may now be done in just a couple of years, researchers say. photo: thinkstock

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The Manitoba Co-operator | January 14, 2016

It’s survival of Canadians urged to help millions of displaced Syrians the fittest for commodityshipping firms T in 2016 CFGB says Ottawa will match donations by up to $100 million Staff

The commodities slump has sent ocean freight rates plunging at a time when more ships are hitting the water BY JONATHAN SAUL London / Reuters

hipping companies that transport commodities face a painful year ahead, with only the strongest expected to weather a deepening crisis caused by tepid demand and a surplus of vessels for hire. The predicament facing firms that ship dry bulk commodities is partly the result of slower coal and iron ore demand from leading global importer China in the second half of 2015. The Baltic Exchange’s main sea freight index — which tracks rates for ships carrying dry bulk commodities — plunged to an all-time low in December. In stark contrast, however, tankers that transport oil have in recent months enjoyed their best earnings in years. As crude prices have plummeted, bargain buying has driven up demand, while owners have moved more aggressively to scrap vessels to head off the kind of surplus seen in the dry bulk market. The outlook for the dry bulk market was “very challenging,” said Symeon Pariaros, chief administrative officer of Athens-run and New York-listed shipping firm Euroseas. “Demand fundamentals are so weak,” he said. “The Chinese economy, which is the main driver of dry bulk, is way below expectations. Only companies with very strong balance sheets will get through this storm.” The dry bulk shipping downturn began in 2008, after the onset of the financial crisis, and has worsened significantly last year as the Chinese economy slowed. The Baltic Exchange’s main BDI index — which gauges the cost of shipping such commodities, also including cement and fertilizer — is more than 95 per cent down from a record high hit in 2008. The index is often regarded as a for ward-looking economic indicator. With about 90 per cent of the world’s traded goods by volume transported by sea, global investors look to the BDI for any signs of changes in sentiment for industrial demand. “The state of the dry bulk market especially indicates that economies worldwide are likely to stay weak,” said Basil Karatzas, head of New York consultancy and brokerage Karatzas Marine Advisors & Co. Ratings agency Fitch downgraded the shipping sector to negative, from stable, last month due to slowing global

“Only companies with very strong balance sheets will get through this storm.”

Symeon Pariaros

trade and an economic slowdown in emerging markets, adding that dry bulk would remain under pressure.

he Canadian Foodgrains Bank (CFGB) is encouraging Canadians to take advantage of a federal government program that doubles their contribution to the Syria Emergency Relief Fund. Ottawa will match every dollar donated by individuals to registered Canadian charities in response to the conflict in Syria up to a total of $100 million. “We welcome the extension of the government matching program for Syria,” said Jim Cornelius, CFGB’s executive director. “While we are encouraged by the generosity of so many Canadians and congregations who are helping to sponsor Syrian refugees to come to Canada, it is also vital that Canadians continue to remember and support the millions of displaced Syrians still living in the region who need our assistance. “Finding resources to sup-

The federal government is matching donations to the Syria Emergency Relief Fund on a dollar-for-dollar basis. PHOTO: UNITED NATIONS

port displaced families inside Syria and those who have fled to surrounding countries is more urgent that ever.” Since 2012, CFGB has provided more than $30 million of assistance to Syrian refugees living in Lebanon and Jordan, as well as people inside Syria. The emergency relief fund helps meet basic humanitarian needs of people affected by the conflict in Syria, including

shelter, food, health care, and water. It will also provide protection and education for conflict-affected people in Syria and millions of refugees in Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey. Details of the program can be found at www.international. gc.ca (search for ‘syria emergency relief’). To make a donation to help Syrian refugees through CFGB, go to www. foodgrainsbank.ca.

Commodity pressure Slowing demand and concerns over the health of the Chinese and global economies have pushed the 19-commodity Thomson Reuters/Core Commodity CRB Index, which tracks the prices of 19 commodities including oil and grains, to its lowest level since 2002. “There is no doubt that the overall macro situation is one that does not engender a lot of confidence for increased trade flows in 2016 and beyond,” said Khalid Hashim, managing director of Precious Shipping, one of Thailand’s largest dry cargo shipowners. Worsening conditions have already claimed casualties. In Se p t e m b e r, Ja p a n e s e bulk carrier Daiichi Chuo Kisen Kaisha filed for protection from creditors, and private equity-backed Global Maritime Investment Cyprus Ltd. filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the U.S. Smaller dry bulk shipowners are expected to struggle in coming months. “There are clearly big problems for almost all dry bulk owners, certainly those who cannot subsidize dr y bulk through ownership in tankers,” said Tony Foster, chief executive of British shipping asset manager Marine Capital. “Public companies will issue discounted shares. Small private companies without obvious external support will be at the most risk.” Shipowners are also contending with more vessel orders, which are expected to increase oversupply further. While the dry bulk market has been in a downturn since 2008, there have been brief rebound periods of relatively good earnings in that time that emboldened shipowners to order more vessels, which normally take up to three years to deliver. “Too many factors are against shipowners at present, and January sees a disproportionate delivery of vessels from the shipyards,” said Karatzas.

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The Manitoba Co-operator | January 14, 2016

Drought may lead Africa to embrace GMOs The transition from lab tests to commercial GM production is slow so far BY MACDONALD DZIRUTWE Harare/Reuters

scorching drought in southern Africa that led to widespread crop failure could nudge African nations to finally embrace genetically modified (GM) crops to improve harvests and reduce grain imports. The drought, which extends to South Africa, the contin e n t’s b i g g e s t m a i ze p roducer, has been exacerbated by an El Niño weather pattern and follows dry spells last year that affected countries from Zimbabwe to Malawi. Aid agency Oxfam has said 10 million people, mostly in Africa, face hunger because of droughts and poor rains. That has brought GM crops to the fore — especially maize, a staple crop grown and consumed in most subSaharan countries. Many African countries have banned GM crops, arguing that they will cross-contaminate other plants, pollute the environment and could have long-term health effects for humans.

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El Niño is expected to bring more drought to already-parched southern regions of Africa, such as this maize field near Vanderbijlpark, outside Johannesburg, shown Oct. 1. photo: reuters/siphiwe sibeko

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yields and high pr ices for crops. T h e A f r i c a n d r o u g h t ’s impact is particularly serio u s f o r Zi m b a bw e, w h e re the economy has struggled for five years to recover from recession marked by hyperinflation and widespread food shortages. Zimbabwe does not accept GM maize imports, and when it has accepted emergency GM maize aid, it has been milled under security watch. “GM crops are one of the alternative solutions for reducing hunger on the continent among many others w h i c h i n c l u d e g o o d a g ro nomic practices,” Jonathan Mufandaedza, chief executive at National Biotechnology Authority of Zimbabwe, a government agency, told Reuters. The U.S., Brazil and India are the world’s largest growers of GM crops while in Africa, South Africa is the only country producing GM maize on a commercial scale. Sixteen per cent of Zim babwe’s population require food aid this year. The government plans to import up to 700,000 tonnes of maize and with its usual sources of maize like Zambia and Tanzania facing lower harvests this year, Zimbabwe could end up receiving GM maize after all. T h i s y e a r, So u t h A f r i c a , which produces more than 40 per cent of Southern African maize may need to import up to five million tonnes of maize due to drought, the countr y’s largest producer group, Grain SA, said recently. Perceptions are shifting, with Burkina Faso in West Africa, and lately Sudan having started to grow GM cotton commercially, Getachew Belay, an African expert on GM crops, told Reuters. “For GM crops, much of the problem lies in the perception, exaggerated fear and conflicting messages sent to policy-making,” said Belay.

GM policy flip-flops In 2002, Zambia experienced a severe drought that left millions in need of food aid but it rejected GM maize offered by donors, citing inadequate scientific information.

“For GM crops, much of the problem lies in the perception, exaggerated fear and conflicting messages sent to policy-making.” Getachew Belay

I n D e c e m b e r, h ow e v e r, Zambia’s Higher Education Minister Michael Kaingu told parliament his country was embracing GM crops. “We recognize that modern biotechnology has advanced worldwide and, as a nation, we cannot afford to ignore the benefits of this technology. We are alert and prepared to deal with possible adverse risks,” said Kaingu. Ethiopia had amended its biosafety laws to allow tests on GM cotton, Belay said, thanks to pressure from a textile industry advocating for production of cheaper cotton. Ke n y a , Ug a n d a , Ma l a w i , Swaziland, Nigeria and Ghana have all been carrying out trials on different GM crops, he said. Agribusinesses such as Monsanto, the world’s largest seed company, and Syngenta are well placed to benefit from increased use of GMOs i n A f r i c a . Mo n s a n t o c o n ducted trials of GM maize and cotton in some African countries, including Zimbabwe, between 2001 and 2005. Bu t t h e t r a n s i t i o n f r o m tests to commercial growing has been slow, a reminder of diehard attitudes toward GM crops. Belay said a major factor that could influence Africa to start growing GM maize was whether China would grow GM rice, which it has developed but not released for production. “The real issue seems to me is lack of capacity, both physical and human, to enforce regulation, thus attitude is changing from ‘rejection’ to a kind of ‘wait until we have capacity to regulate!’” said Belay.

The Manitoba Co-operator | January 14, 2016

Drought impact on world’s cereals seen rising Production takes a bigger hit in North America compared to developing countries BY MEGAN ROWLING Barcelona/Thomson Reuters Foundation

Farmers spread fertilizer by hand in a wheat field on the outskirts of Ahmedabad, India on Dec. 15. India’s crops have recently suffered back-to-back droughts. photo: reuters/amit dave

roughts and extreme heat have cut national cereal production by nine to 10 per cent on average around the world in the last half-century, and the impact has worsened since the mid1980s, researchers said. Cereal production losses averaged 13.7 per cent in drought years from 1985, compared with 6.7 per cent during earlier droughts, a new study published in the journal Nature found. It examined the effects of some 2,800 weather disasters on 16 cereals in 177 countries from 1964 to 2007. The trend could be due to any combination of r ising drought severity — although whether droughts have got worse is still under debate — increasing vulnerability and e x p o s u re t o d r o u g h t , a n d

greater reporting of drought events, the researchers said. The study highlights the urgency for the global cereal production system to adapt to extremes in a changing climate, they added. “O u r f i n d i n g s m a y h e l p guide agricultural priorities and adaptation efforts, to better protect farming systems and the populations that depend on them,” said senior author Navin Ramankutty, professor of global food securi ty and sustainability at the University of British Columbia. The analysis did not identify any impact on crop production from floods and extreme cold in national data, they noted. While the damage to cereal production from droughts and extreme heat was considerable, the effect was short term, as agricultural output rebounded and continued to grow after the disasters, the study said. Droughts — which can last for several years — appear to be more harmful, reducing cereal yield and causing complete crop failure in some areas, whereas extreme heat only affected yield, it added.

Rich countries suffer

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The study showed production took a bigger hit from extreme weather in technically advanced agricultural systems in North America, Europe and Australasia than in developing countries. In wealthy nations, production dropped by nearly 20 per cent due to droughts, double the global average. In comparison, the average production deficit was around 12 per cent in Asia and just over nine per cent in Africa, while extreme weather had no significant effect in Latin America and the Caribbean, the study said. This could be explained by the differing approaches of large- and small-scale farming, the authors said. “Across the breadbaskets of North America, for example, the crops and methods o f f a r m i n g a re v e r y u n i form across huge areas, so if a drought hits in a way that is damaging to those crops, they will all suffer,” said Corey Lesk, a recent graduate of McGill University. “By contrast, in much of the developing world, the cropping systems are a patchwork of small fields with diverse crops. If a drought hits, some of those crops may be damaged, but others may survive,” Lesk added. As farmers in wealthier countries rarely depend on har vests for food and can usually insure crops against bad weather, the best strategy for them may be to maximize yields rather than minimize the risk of weather-related crop damage, as subsistence farmers would seek to do, the researchers said.

The Manitoba Co-operator | January 14, 2016

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Purée entrepreneur expansion funded

The Manitoba Co-operator | January 14, 2016

Christmas postcard

New equipment will allow the company to increase its product line Staff

Portage la Prairie food processor that converts culled vegetables into nutritional purées has received $582,000 from the federal-provincial Growing Value program to increase its capacity. Canadian Prair ie Garden Purée Products Inc. has acquired new equipment and modified its existing operation in order to cook more types of fr uits, vegetables and pulse crops like chickpeas, navy beans and lentils, then rapidly chill and package the puréed products into sterile pouches. It is the only company in the world with t h i s t e c h n o l o g y, w h i c h i s more cost effective and enviro n m e n t a l l y f r i e n d l y t h a n traditional processing metho d s. T h e t e c h n o l o g y a l s o e n s u re s t h e p u r é e s re t a i n better colour, flavour, texture and nutritional benefits without any preservatives or additives. The funds were announced by Federal Agr iculture Minister Lawrence MacAulay and Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Development Minister Ron Kostyshyn Jan. 7. Kostyshyn noted this i n v e s t m e n t a l s o s u p p o r t s the Manitoba government’s goal of creating a $5.5-billion food-processing industry by 2022, which is currently at $4.95 billion. The company’s expansion allows it to purchase millions of tonnes of culled vegetables that might otherwise be sent to a landfill or sold at a lower price for animal feed. In five years, the company plans to expand to nearly 60 employees from its current nine. T h e c o m p a n y, l o c a t e d a t t h e Fo o d De ve l o p m e n t Centre in Portage la Prairie, has received several awards in 2015 for its products including for Best New Product at the Manitoba Food Processors A s s o c i a t i o n’s a w a r d s a n d a “NEXT Y ” award at the Natural Products Expo West in California. The purées can be sold to other food manufacturers and other food-service customers. The company’s unique process allows purées to be stored at room temperature for up to two years. The sterile packaging system also uses 30 per cent less water and energy than other processes currently in use in the industry. Government funding represents 50 per cent of the cost of the new equipment. “This funding is critical to the success of small businesses like ours. My partners, Harvey and Martin Pollock, and I are ver y grateful to receive it and will put it to work, growing and expanding our young business,” said Kelly Beaulieu, chief operating officer and owner in a release.

Bright sunshine and hoarfrost on the trees make for a scenic backdrop in this shot taken on the Greaves farm near Altamont on Christmas Day. Photo: Jeannette Greaves

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The Manitoba Co-operator | January 14, 2016

CAPI leading the charge on food policy A pending report is timed to guide new ministers in their role BY ALEX BINKLEY Co-operator contributor

he Canadian Agriculture Po l i c y I n s t i t u t e w i l l re l e a s e a re p o r t t h i s month that is designed to guide future food policy for Canada. The report will be based on the smorgasbord of ideas that 275 delegates to CAPI’s November forum discussed as possible ingredients in a national food policy for Canada. Both Agriculture Minister Lawrence MacAulay and Health Minister Jane Philpott are supposed to be working on food policies, but there has been no word from either department on how or when they will be developed or when they might be released. The CAPI document will be “a very succinct and mustread call to action for govern-

ment and agri-food leaders,” says CAPI president and CEO David McInnes. CAPI prepared for the conference with consultations across the country. “New policy agendas across Canada will be getting underway and this report is timed to be relevant to the next policy dialogues and priorities. “The forum tapped into a deep-seated feeling held among many — that Canada can express a bolder aspiration in terms of its role as a f o o d p r o v i d e r,” M c I n n e s noted. “And the issue of trust, when broadly considered, is a lens to gauge and guide the agri-food sector’s performance in this changing food world.” MacAulay has been instruc ted by Prime Minister Trudeau to develop “a food policy that promotes the healthy, highq u a l i t y f o o d p ro d u c e d by Canadian ranchers and farm-

ers. The shape and direction of the policy will be informed by consultations with provinces and territories, industry stakeholders and Canadians more broadly.”

Mandates Philpott is to deliver “new restrictions on the commercial marketing of unhealthy food and beverages to children, similar to those now in place in Quebec; bringing in tougher regulations to eliminate trans fats and to reduce salt in processed foods, similar to those in the United States; and improving food labels to give more information on added sugars and artificial dyes in processed foods.” A preview of what might be in the CAPI policy is a report from the Ontario Agri-Food Growth Steering Committee. Te d B i l y e a , a m e m b e r o f that committee, is chairman

of CAPI. As well, one of the committee’s goals is increasing the amount of Canadianproduced food consumed in Canada matches one of t h e Tr u d e a u g ove r n m e n t’s priorities. The Ontario report wants food processing to be a priority in the next iteration of Agriculture Canada’s Forward Program. Discussions on it are to begin in 2016. The province already has more than 40 per cent of the c o u n t r y ’s f o o d - p r o c e s s i n g j o b s, e ve n t h o u g h s e ve ra l large multinational companies have closed plants and moved to the United States or Mexico.

Reputation Canada has a strong international reputation for food quality and safety, the report points out. Provincial governments should work with the federal gover nment to

develop programs and incent i ve s t h a t w i l l “d i f f e re n t iate Canadian products from those of our competitors for g re a t e r s u c c e s s i n e x p o r t markets.” A successful national program would chip away at the trade deficit in processed foods and beverages which is currently hovering around $8 billion annually, CAPI says. The Ontario report urges governments “to address the needs of small- and mediumsize companies that may need to make strategic investments in order to scale up, become more efficient and take advantage of new mark e t o p p o r t u n i t i e s. T h i s i s especially important for the Greater Toronto and Hamilton area, where more than 50 per cent of the industry is clustered, as they do not have access to the specific regional funds available to the other areas of the province.”

Buhler books year-end loss

Demand for farm equipment is expected to continue weaker in 2016

STAFF

arysta-na.com

Weak commodity prices and political unease in Eastern Europe have led to a year-end loss for Canadian farm equipment and Versatile tractor maker Buhler Industries. Winnipeg-based Buhler on Dec. 29 reported a net loss of $5.3 million on revenues of $245.7 million for its year ending Sept. 30, down from a $12.5-million profit on $325.5 million in revenue in the previous fiscal year. Sales in Canada were flat compared to 2014 levels, while its sales into the U.S. and Eastern Europe have “declined significantly,” the company said. Buhler, majority owned by Russian farm equipment maker Rostselmash, partly offset its sales decline with gains on lower amortization from its previous cuts in capital spending, plus lower interest expenses from paying down long-term debt. Looking ahead, the company said, demand for farm equipment is expected to continue weaker in 2016 due to lower commodity prices. “General economic uncertainty” due to the “unstable political environment” in Buhler’s markets in Eastern Europe has also impacted export sales, the company said. Buhler’s inventory levels have dropped and are expected to drop again in 2016, the company said, while increased competition for equipment sales will lead to lower margins. That said, Buhler expected the increased strength of the U.S. dollar in 2016 will provide “some relief” for declining margins.

The Manitoba Co-operator | January 14, 2016

Baltic Dry Index continues downward slide

Barb, barbed or bobbed

Lower ocean freight rates can boost competitiveness for Canadian grains

BY PHIL FRANZ-WARKENTIN CNS Canada

It’s known as ‘barb’ or ‘barbed’ wire in Canada, but ‘bobbed’ in some parts of the U.S. More than 2,000 different types are on display at a museum in La Crosse, Kansas. photo: Stephanie Nikkel

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d ow n t re n d i n o c e a n freight rates shows no sign of letting up, as the Baltic Dry Index again hit fresh historic lows. The Baltic Dry Index (BDI) was quoted at 445 points on Jan. 7, marking a new low since records began in 1985. The index was trading above 1,200 at the beginning of August, but fell below 500 for the first time ever on Nov. 20. It had shown some stability in the 470 area over the past three weeks. The BDI, compiled daily by the London-based Baltic Exchange, provides an assessment of the price of moving major raw materials by sea. An overcapacity of ships, s l ow C h i n e s e d e m a n d f o r b u i l d i n g m a t e r i a l s, we a k ness in crude oil and declining commodity prices have all been cited as contributing factors. Financial services company Stifel Nicolaus recently recommended investors “stay away from dry bulk” and cautioned a recovery in the sector likely won’t take place in 2016, with 2017 also “in question.” The Shanghai International Shipping Institute (SISI) reported low freight rates and poor demand will likely lead to bankruptcies in the sector, with 60 per cent of dry bulk shipping firms surveyed said to be struggling with long-term losses. Such conditions “are likely to continue in 2016, exacerbating dry bulk firms’ losses, increasing costs and creating obstacles to obtaining financing,” SISI said in a report Jan. 5. Fo r Ca n a d a’s g r a i n a n d oilseed exports, lower freight rates even the playing field in some cases by lessening the importance of shipping costs in the final price to the buyer. Compared to Vancouver, for example, Australia will always be closer to Chinese ports, but lower freight rates cut the importance of shipping costs in the final price.

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With built-in technology that helps you tackle tough weeds in tough conditions, Genuity® Roundup Ready® canola can be the most valuable tool in your field. It’s the foundation for a family of high-yielding canola hybrids that offer diverse disease resistance and enable progressive farming practices such as straight cutting. You can’t anticipate everything, but you can prepare for anything. Get ready for next season; talk to your retailer about booking Genuity® Roundup Ready® canola for 2016.

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1-800-782-0794 5173 RR CanolaMonsanto Ad-Manitoba_Cooperator- JR PAGE-FINAL.indd 1

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2016-01-05 5:08 PM

Publication: Manitoba Cooperator Size: 8.125” x 10” (Junior Page) Bleed: N/A Colour: CMYK

Agency: ON Communication Inc Agency Contact: Jen Grozelle Telephone: 519-434-1365 xt 220 Email: jen@oncommunication.ca

The Manitoba Co-operator | January 14, 2016

GM corn illegally grown in China, Greenpeace says Beijing has yet to approve commercial cultivation of any GMO corn varieties BY DOMINIQUE PATTON Beijing/Reuters

armers are illegally growing genetically modified (GMO) corn in China’s northeast, said environmental non-profit Greenpeace on Wednesday, in a report that may generate further distrust of the government’s ability to ensure a safe food supply. Beijing has spent billions of dollars to develop GMO crops that it hopes will ensure food supplies for its 1.4 billion people but has not yet approved commercial cultivation amid deepseated anti-GMO sentiment. The new findings seem to confirm concerns that Beijing will be unable to supervise the planting of GMO crops once commercial cultivation is permitted, leading to widespread contamination of the food chain with GM varieties. In its report, Greenpeace said 93 per cent of samples taken last year from cornfields in five counties in

Liaoning province, part of China’s breadbasket, tested positive for GMO contamination. Furthermore, almost all of the seed samples taken from grain markets and samples of cornbased foods at supermarkets in the area also tested positive. “It is very likely that much of the illegal GE corn has already entered grain storage warehouses, wholesale and retail markets across the country, ultimately ending up in citizens’ food,” said Greenpeace in a report. While Greenpeace said it was not clear how the GMO corn seeds got into the marketplace, it has long been alleged that GMO plants being tested in field trials have been illegally sold to farmers for commercial use. Such reports have intensified public opposition to the technology, with some anti-GMO campaigners going as far as suing the government over the failure to disclose information about its approvals for imported GMO crops and plans to allow domestic cultivation.

Province extends ‘Trees for Tomorrow’ program

“It is very likely that much of the illegal GE corn has already entered grain storage warehouses, wholesale and retail markets across the country, ultimately ending up in citizens’ food.” Greenpeace

Among the six corn seed strains that tested positive in the Liaoning seed market, three have not been certified by China’s Agriculture Ministry, while three others were certified as conventional seeds and therefore had been contaminated by GMO varieties, the organization said. The Agriculture Ministry did not immediately reply to a request for comment on the Greenpeace report. The ministry said last year it was changing regulations to increase supervision of biotech products under development. The GMO corn strains identified in the survey belong to international companies Monsanto,

Syngenta and DuPont Pioneer, said Greenpeace. DuPont Pioneer said it does not sell any biotech seed in China in accordance with the law and could not speculate on the source of any unauthorized biotech crops. “Intellectual property right is a concern for us in any market because it’s important for assuring farmers that they are getting what they purchase and for companies to recoup our investment so we can continue investing in new technologies,” said a company spokeswoman. Greenpeace blamed an “extremely lax and disorganized” seed market management system for the

production and sale of illegal seed varieties. It said many small seed breeders are not aware of the names of seeds they are breeding on behalf of other companies nor whether the origins of the seeds are legal. Greenpeace recommends that the government investigate all corn-breeding companies and destroy illegal GMO seeds. Additionally, there should be annual inspections of crops in north China during the sowing season, and tougher supervision of GMO crop research and cultivation. It says farmers should be compensated for their losses if GMO crops are destroyed. The new findings could make Beijing even more cautious about proceeding with commercialization of any GMO crops, frustrating international and domestic seed firms. Proponents of biotech crops in China argue that commercializing GMO products will reduce the need for farmers to resort to unapproved varieties to boost their yields.

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Up to two million more trees to be provided at no charge Manitoba government release

remier Greg Selinger has announced a five-year extension of the ‘Trees for Tomorrow’ program with a target to plant more than two million trees by 2020. “A key part of our strategy to mitigate climate change is focusing on youth engagement and community involvement,” Selinger said in a release. “At the heart of the expanded Trees for Tomorrow initiative we will concentrate on engaging municipalities, indigenous communities and schools to help us build and support urban forests throughout the province.” The program will include distributing seedlings to the public at no charge for private plantings, planting seedlings on public land to establish community forests and providing school planting and education programs. Tr e e s e e d l i n g s p l a n t e d t h r o u g h t h e p ro g ra m w i l l be grown at the provincial Pineland Forest Nursery. Since 2008, more than six million new trees have been p l a n t e d u n d e r Tr e e s f o r Tomorrow. The province said the extended program should result in about a one-milliontonne reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, or the equivalent of taking almost 219,000 cars off the road for one year. For more information visit w w w. g o v. m b . c a / c o n s e r v a tion/forestry/t4t/index.html.

YOU COULD WIN A $100,000 SNAP-ON GIVEAWAY COURTESY OF THE BASF CEREAL PORTFOLIO.

The BASF Cereal Portfolio is specifically designed to manage weeds, control seedling and foliar diseases, enhance crop quality and increase yield potential. See the portfolio in action by completing the online BASF Cereal Experience1 by April 30th, 2016 and you’ll receive a Snap-on® ratcheting magnetic screwdriver for participating. Follow up with a minimum purchase1 of 640 acres of at least 2 of BASF cereal products including Heat LQ® herbicide, Insure® Cereal fungicide seed treatment, Twinline® and/or Caramba® fungicides by September 30, 2016. Following your purchase, you’ll be entered for the chance to win a Snap-on Giveaway valued at $100,000. Visit agsolutions.ca/cerealexperience/pa for full terms and conditions and to complete the BASF Cereal Experience now.

No purchase necessary. Registration Period begins Nov 6/15 (12:00 a.m. EST) and ends Apr 30/16 (11:59 p.m. EST). Entry Period begins Nov 6/15 (12:00 a.m. EST) and ends Sept 30/16 (11:59 p.m. EST). Open only to Canadian growers who: (i) reside in Alberta, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, or the Peace Region of British Columbia; (ii) are the owner, operator or designated representative of a Farm; and (iii) have reached the legal age of majority in their jurisdiction of residence. Full rules (including a complete description of the Grand Prize, as well as full details on how to enter with and without purchase) at www.agsolutions.ca/cerealexperience. Receive one (1) Snap-on® Ratcheting Magnetic Screwdriver (ARV: $70) for completing a Registration (limit one (1) per Farm). One (1) Grand Prize available to be won consisting of a Snap-on® Tool Package (ARV: $100,000 CAD). Odds of winning depend on the number of eligible Entries. Skill-testing question required. All capitalized terms shall have the respective meanings assigned to them in the Official Rules. Image of tool wagon shown is for representation purposes only. 1

Always read and follow label directions. AgSolutions is a registered trade-mark of BASF Corporation; INSURE, HEAT, KIXOR and TWINLINE are registered trade-marks of BASF SE; CARAMBA is a registered trade-mark of BASF Agro B.V.; all used with permission by BASF Canada Inc. Snap-on is a registered trade-mark of Snap-on Incorporated. INSURE CEREAL fungicide seed treatment, TWINLINE and CARAMBA fungicides should be used in a preventative disease control program. © 2015 BASF Canada Inc.

NEWSPRINT Client: BASF File Name: CerealOffer_MC_v4

Publication: Manitoba Cooperator Page Position: JrPg

Tawn

The Manitoba Co-operator | January 14, 2016

Brazil soy growers seek WTO complaint against U.S. The government is crunching numbers to see if subsidies are depressing prices BY CAROLINE STAUFFER Sao Paulo/Reuters

razilian soybean growers have asked their countr y to file a complaint against the U.S. at the World Trade Organization, alleging U.S. farm subsidies give an unfair advantage to the world’s top soybean producer. Brasilia-based farm group Aprosoja says those subsidies might be costing Brazilian farmers $1 billion a year in lost business, according to Endrigo Dalcin, president of the association’s local branch in Mato Grosso, the nation’s top soy-growing state (all figures US$). “Data is being analyzed to see if it is viable for us to question this American protectionism,” Dalcin said. Aprosoja has hired lawyers from Chicago-based

law firm Sidley Austin LLC in Geneva, where the WTO is based, he added. A spokesman at Brazil’s Foreign Ministry confirmed the farmers had made the request but warned the proposal needed review by several ministries and that the government would take at least a month to make a decision. If opened, a W TO dispute could strain relations between the Western Hemisphere’s two largest countries after they grew closer last year. Relations hit a low point in 2013 when Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff cancelled a U.S. visit over a National Security Agency eavesdropping incident. But she travelled to Washington last June, and the two agricultural superpowers reached a deal for Brazil to export fresh beef to the U.S. Soy farmers are following Brazilian

cotton producers, who won $300 million in compensation from the U.S. in 2014 to settle a decade-old trade dispute over subsidies. Brazil will probably overtake the U.S. as the world’s top soybean producer in coming years as it increases planting of the crop each season. It is already the world’s top exporter. Brazilian officials told Reuters in April that the South American country had been gathering evidence that U.S. subsidies were pushing down already low prices for soy and corn. A weakening currency against the dollar has since made Brazilian soybeans more competitive for export. This season, Brazil is expected to harvest a record 100 million tonnes of soybeans, compared with 108.3 million tonnes from the U.S., according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

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Salford buys tillage equipment maker AerWay The owner of Valmar Airflo expands its line of vertical tillage and soil aeration gear STAFF

outhwestern Ontario vertical tillage and pasture equipment maker AerWay has become part of another w e l l - k n ow n O n t a r i o f a r m equipment manufacturer. Salford Group announced in December it has bought the AerWay advanced aeration products line from the Canadian trailer systems arm of German truck, bus and trailer axle and suspension manufacturer SAF-Holland. AerWay, which operates a manufacturing plant with 38 staff at Norwich, Ont., about 35 km west of Brantford, makes vertical tillage equipment, tillage attachments, manure applicators, chain harrows, top-dress overseeding equipment and hay, pasture, orchard and vineyard aeration tools. Neither Salford nor SAFHolland were releasing terms of the deal, though SAFHolland in a release reported the purchase price was “said to be in the low single-digit m i l l i o n” e u r o r a n g e ( o n e euro=C$1.55). AerWay came to SAF-Holland from the 2007 merger of Germany’s SAF and U.S.-based Holland Hitch, which had sold AerWay equipment since 1983. SAF-Holland said the AerWay line has been a “peripheral activity” for the parent firm since the merger, making “only a minor contribution” in the mid-single-digit millions of euros in sales. Both Salford and AerWay “create tools with multi-use capabilities and emphasize soil productivity and management, with vertical tillage/ minimal disturbance tools and top dressing or cover cropping being an important part of that,” Salford Group CEO Geof Gray said in a separate release. Salford, Ont.-based Salford and AerWay have “worked well together in the past,” the two companies said, as AerWay tools already use Salford harrow packages and AerWay is capable of carrying Salford Valmar attachments. With AerWay now in the Sa l f o rd c a m p, “c o n t i n u e d investment in the AerWay design and manufacturing will be assured, allowing the product to grow and help farmers and ranchers solve their unique problems,” SAFHolland Canada president Kim Baechler said in the same release. Salford and AerWay’s plants are also geographically close, but AerWay will continue to operate at Norwich, Salford said, though they plan to have shared distribution centres “to ensure the widest availability of all products globally.” Buying AerWay marks the third acquisition in two years for Salford, which bought Elie, Man.-based seeding equipment maker Valmar Air flo last May and Iowa-based BBI Spreaders in October 2014.

The Manitoba Co-operator | January 14, 2016

Traders threaten to boycott Egyptian wheat tenders due to zero ergot demand Latest obstacle for shipments into the world’s largest wheat importer BY ERIC KNECHT AND MAHA EL DAHAN Cairo/Abu Dhabi/Reuters

gypt, the world’s largest purchaser of wheat, has imposed restrictive import requirements, an agricultural authority official told Reuters, alarming traders who threatened to boycott tenders for the politically sensitive commodity. The new requirement — for a complete absence of ergot, a common fungus found in grains — could disrupt the country’s supply chain for bread, traders said. Wheat is a strategic commodity that has triggered mass riots during even marginal price rises. President Anwar Sadat triggered riots when he cut the bread subsidy in 1977. And when Egyptians rose up against autocrat Hosni Mubarak’s rule in 2011, one of their signature chants was “Bread, freedom and social justice.” Egypt’s state grain buyer, General Authority for Supply Commodities (GASC), allows for a 0.05 per cent ergot level, but the agricultural quarantine authority said all

Global food prices drop in 2015

incoming shipments above zero would be barred. “Any wheat that we inspect that has any level of ergot will be rejected. I am obliged to do this as it would be very harmful if any level of contamination reached plants in Egypt,” the head of the central administration of the agriculture quarantine authority, Saad Moussa, told Reuters. However, GASC said on Jan. 6 the new ergot requirement was under discussion and that it had not yet changed its tender specifications. Any changes would be announced before the next tender, it said. But GASC has also said a cargo of French wheat was rejected late last month at an Egyptian port for having marginal traces of ergot. “With a zero per cent ergot rule, no trader would bid in a tender, it would be too risky to make an offer. It is impossible to guarantee zero ergot,” a European trader said. Both European and Egyptian traders told Reuters they would not participate if the new requirements are applied to upcoming GASC tenders. “This is something that is impossible to

do. There are always traces of (ergot)… It’s clear that no one would bid in a tender like that,” one trader said.

Delayed payments The new import requirement is the latest obstacle for suppliers to the Egyptian market, who have recently faced delays in letters of credit from GASC and who, in turn, have stalled their shipments to Egypt until they are guaranteed payment. GASC said Jan. 6 the latest delay in letters of credit, which has kept 180,000 tonnes of French wheat parked at a northern France port, was not related to a shortage of foreign currency, and that the letters of credit would be issued today. An acute shortage of foreign currency has made opening letters of credit more difficult, crippling import activity, slowing manufacturing, and hampering Egypt’s economic recovery after years of political turmoil. “Suppliers will receive today all the numbers for the letters of credit which were delayed due to administrative issues. It has

nothing to do with liquidity,” GASC vicechairman Mamdouh Abdel Fattah said. When state tenders are awarded, the firm selling the commodity asks for a letter of credit, or guarantee of payment, from one of Egypt’s state-owned banks, which is then confirmed with its own bank. Currency reserves have roughly halved to US$16.4 billion from around $36 billion before the 2011 uprising that toppled Mubarak. The country has prioritized its dollars for strategic goods like petroleum and wheat, but some traders have nonetheless experienced delays receiving letters of credit for supplying goods to Egyptian state buyers such as GASC. Traders universally expressed frustration with the mounting obstacles to doing business with Egypt, and said the issues could collectively disrupt the country’s supplies. “GASC is acting unwisely in the ergot issue as they already have enough problems with delays in opening (letters of credit) without introducing other issues into their supply chain which could cause disruption,” one trader added.

45H33 116.8 bushels per acre! Pioneer® hybrid 45H33 with Pioneer Protector® Clubroot resistance is setting new yield standards

for Western Canada. The winner of our 2015 Proving Ground™ Yield Challenge just weighed in with a

The FAO’s food price index slips on greater supplies and ‘timid’ demand

whopping 116.8 bu/ac*. And the runner-up delivered 84.3 bu/ac*, both growing Pioneer® hybrid 45H33.

Rome/Reuters

lobal food prices plunged 19 per cent in 2015 following a fresh decline in December on the back of plentiful supplies and a slowing global economy, the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said on Jan. 7. It was the fourth consecutive annual fall in food prices. The FAO’s food price index, which measures monthly changes for a basket of cereals, oilseeds, dair y products, meat and sugar, averaged 154.1 points in December versus a revised 155.6 points the month before, a fall of some one per cent. “Abundant supplies in the face of a timid world demand and an appreciating dollar are the main reason for the general weakness that dominated food prices in 2015,” said FAO senior economist Abdolreza Abbassian. December’s reading was dragged down by falling prices for meat, dairy and cereals, which counterbalanced gains in quotations for sugar and vegetable oils. Expectations of high supply of cereal following the removal of export taxes in Argentina weighed on wheat prices, and maize prices fell as export competition intensified and international demand remained sluggish. The dedicated cereal price index shed 15.4 per cent in the course of the year, vegetable oils dropped to a nine-year low and dairy prices registered their lowest annual average since 2009. Sugar prices rose 0.6 per cent in December but on average throughout the year were 21 per cent lower than in 2014.

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*Canola yield data collected from large-scale, grower managed Proving Ground™ trials across Western Canada as of October 30, 2015 as part of the 2015 DuPont Pioneer Yield Challenge. Product responses are variable and subject to any number of environmental, disease and pest pressures. Individual results may vary. Multi-year and multi-location data is a better predictor of future performance. Refer to www.pioneer.com/yield or contact a Pioneer Hi-Bred sales representative for the latest and complete listing of traits and scores for each Pioneer® brand product. Genuity® and Roundup Ready® are registered trademarks of Monsanto Technology LLC. Pioneer® brand products are provided subject to the terms and conditions of purchase which are part of the labeling and purchase documents. ®, SM, TM

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The Manitoba Co-operator | January 14, 2016

Commodities slump drags on Cargill’s second quarter

PERCHED

Weak cattle-feeding margins have pressured the company’s red meat earnings BY KARL PLUME Chicago/Reuters

S Snowy owls are often seen perched atop poles like this one scanning the surrounding area for food.

photo: suzanne Paddock

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lumping commodities prices and weak demand in some markets took their toll on profits for global commodities trader Cargill in the quarter ending Nov. 30, sending earnings and revenue down 13 per cent and 10 per cent, respectively. Privately held Cargill, celebrating its 150th birthday this year, is in the midst of a restructuring aimed at transforming the company to be more responsive to commodities market swings. In the latest of a growing list of weak earnings by agriculture-focused companies, Cargill’s lower results reported Jan. 7 suggest agribusiness rivals such as Archer Daniels Midland and Bunge are feeling similar pain, analysts said. Both rivals report quarterly results early next month. “Given the low crop prices, farmers are resistant to sell right away after the harvest. There are also some other issues around the devaluation in Argentina and obviously things are slow in Brazil,” said Moody’s analyst John Rogers. “It’s going to be a tough quarter for everyone.” Minnesota-based Cargill, whose Canadian business is based in Winnipeg, reported lower year-on-year results in each of its four business segments. Weak cattle-feeding margins in North America and a thinned Australian cattle herd weighed down earnings from red meat, while the slumping Brazilian and Argentine economies dragged down profits for food staples in South America. A milder-than-normal start to the winter in North America curbed earnings from products such as road salt and pressured prices of natural gas and power, which hurt energy trading results. Earnings were further weighed down by losses stemming from liquidation of hedge funds managed by its Black River Asset Management subsidiary. Cargill is splitting the unit into three separate firms. Cargill’s profit fell to $574 million from $657 million a year earlier while revenue declined to $27.3 billion (all figures US$). The results excluded gains from the sale of its U.S. pork business in October for $1.45 billion and the $720-million sale of its 50 per cent stake in a U.S. steel mill venture as part of a broader restructuring plan. Cargill launched a restructuring last year that could lead to cuts of as many as 4,000 jobs and closures of some offices. The company has also streamlined its management structure.

The Manitoba Co-operator | January 14, 2016

Vietnamese dairies brace for open market Dairy is a multibillion-dollar market in the Asian country, but big investments are needed to survive TPP BY MAI NGUYEN Hanoi / Reuters

ietnam’s fast-growing d a i r y c om p an i es a re investing big in new markets as they brace for stepped-up competition at home from global giants on the prowl to take advantage of a Pacific trade pact. Domestic milk demand is soaring as household spending power increases in the country of 90 million people, boosting profits for dairy firms that are expanding quickly, but can meet only a third of the milk needs. That’s leaving a void that giants like New Zealand’s Fonterra and Canada’s Saputo could fill with new products and lower prices once the U.S.led Trans-Pacific Partnership ( TPP) comes into play, eliminating tariffs among 12 markets worth 40 per cent of the global economy, and nearly three-fourths of Vietnam’s dairy imports. It is the flip side of the communist country’s aggressive drive to outpace Southeast Asia in getting preferential access to the world’s biggest markets for its swelling electronics, textiles, seafood and commodities output. Trade liberalization would strengthen a vibrant economy set to grow to US$200 billion this year, but foreign competition from the TPP could deal a heavy blow to local firms that lack capital and expertise and are unfit to join supply chains. According to private estimates, the trade deal would add 15 per cent to Vietnam’s economy up to 2025, compared to less than 2.2 per cent for Malaysia and Singapore. That would further burnish an economy that has grown at a rapid five per cent-plus clip over the past 15 years. V i e t n a m e s e d a i r y f i r m s, bracing for stiffer competition, are seeking to expand overseas and utilize non-TPP trade deals, or find niche markets at home to navigate the pitfalls of the biggest trade pact in a generation. “TPP is definitely a challenge, from big investors entering the market, tariff cuts... but we’ve been preparing for five years,” said Hoang Cong Trang, vice-president of unlisted dairy outfit TH Group. On top of plowing $1.2 billion into domestic projects, TH recently announced $2.7 billion of investment into cow farms, milk plants and distribution channels in Russia, which has a dairy shortage and is squeezed by European Union sanctions over its militar y intervention in Ukraine. “The Vietnam market has much potential, and so too Russia,” Trang added. According to local VPBANK Securities, which cites Euromonitor, the Vietnam dairy industry was worth $2.8 billion in 2013 and may have grown to $4.1 billion this year.

Vietnam imported $1.1 billion of dairy product last year. Vietnam’s top-listed company by capitalization, Vinamilk is also looking abroad, though incrementally, with an initial $30 million into the United St a t e s, Ne w Z e a l a n d a n d Cambodia and $3 million in Poland, aiming to eventually use it as a gateway to the EU, with which Hanoi has concluded a free trade agreement. Vinamilk’s strong prospects have put it on foreign investors’ radars and the government’s recent decision to divest its 45 per cent stake sent the stock to an all-time high on speculation that second-biggest shareholder Fraser and Neave would snap up the state’s holdings for $4 billion. Vinamilk’s shares have risen about 60 per cent in the past year and the company’s value has increased 10 times over the past decade to $6.8 billion. Conglomerate Hoang Anh Gia Lai is keen to tap the dairy

Cows are seen before milking at a farm in Vietnam’s Moc Chau plateau in October. Dairy is a multibillion-dollar business in the increasingly prosperous nation. PHOTO: REUTERS/Kham

demand at home and this year listed a $1.1-billion agribusiness unit that’s larger than its parent and predicts cows would deliver about half the group’s 2015 revenue.

Smaller companies struggling with capital are also shifting strategy, to niche areas like fresh milk through co-operatives used successfully in New Zealand.

“Foreign companies face very high transportation and maintenance costs,” said Tran Cong Chien, chairman of co-operative Mocchau Milk. “I can totally compete on fresh milk.”

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Big prospects TPP members New Zealand and the United States in 2014 exported a combined $18.2 billion of dairy products globally and produced 115 million tonnes of raw milk, while

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The Manitoba Co-operator | January 14, 2016

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The Manitoba Co-operator | January 14, 2016

MORE NEWS LOCAL , NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Report on wild food industry suggests the need for a co-operative The Woodlot Association of Manitoba recently investigated the potential to develop a wild food industry in the province’s 2.4 million acres of privately owned wooded land BY JENNIFER PAIGE Co-operator staff/Brandon

he Woodlot Association of Manitoba (WAM) says the province’s privately owned forests are a cornucopia of foods if entrepreneurs are willing to take a walk on the wild side. Following a number of interviews and public meetings, WAM has prepared a report that sees a bright future for wild food foraging and farming, in short, a wild food industry in Manitoba. “In this project, we are concentrating on the foods and not the other aspects of non-timber forest products and how people might be able to be involved in supplying to a market in a small way,” said Mike James, co-author of the report and former WAM president. WAM is a non-profit corporation representing owners of woodlots and family forests. This research project was funded through Growing Forward 2. WAM conducted extensive research, initiated more than 80 interviews and held six public meetings throughout the province. “The interest and enthusiasm was great. At the public meetings we were able to talk with people about what they had in mind for the wild food industry and what non-timber products were, got their input and the agreement was pretty consistent,” said James. Manitoba currently has 2.4 million acres of privately owned wooded land shared by approximately 13,500 landowners, which WAM believes could offer an untapped opportunity for economic diversity. Products stemming from woodlot areas include wild nuts, berries, forest honey, birch and maple syrup, edible fungi, herbal tea sources, essential oil sources and wild salad ingredients.

Report recommendations The report indicates that the connection between forages and processors is currently fragmented and identifies the challenges of linking them together to build an industry, recommending the first step to be the creation of a wild food advisory council. The advisory council would be a working group that draws in the expertise of foraging, growers, harvesters, buyers, sellers, processors, educators and researchers. “We would try to have representation from as many different areas as possible. You would want representation from all parts of the industry so everyone has a voice,” said James. Following the development of the advisory council, the report recommends introduc-

“The first phase of the project went well in terms of what we got out of it and now we are looking at getting funding for the second phase to see if we can set up a pilot project to see if we can actually make a go of making a wild food industry in Manitoba.” Mike James co-author of the report and former WAM president

ing integrated wild food farming in order to mitigate the risk of overharvesting. The report also outlines the need to build a knowledge base, develop training programs on species identification, sustainable foraging practices and develop a wild food assessment tool to assist landowners with identifying wild foods on their land. “We would look at establishing some workshops to train foragers in collecting the material because there is a certain way to do that in a sustainable way and it is also important to know how to store these items to minimize waste,” said James. It also suggests the advisory council examine the need for regulations, governing registrations or certification, as well as rules for foraging on Crown land.

A co-operative system To combat the disconnection between foragers and processors, the report has also proposed the creation of a co-operative that establishes agents throughout the province to buy wild food products from foragers and then take the products to market. “Over the course of the interviews, the idea of the co-operative evolved. The idea would be to have one co-operative and a number of local agents,” said James. James says the co-operative system would also help create a sustainable and predicable supply for buyers. “The agents would be buying product from a number of people, which would give them some volume. Quantity has been an issue in the past, but if we have a number of people contributing, we can get those volumes up,” said James. However, Scot McTaggart says that those who are currently sourcing wild foods might not be too interested in buying through that kind of system. McTaggart is the owner of Fusion restaurant in Winnipeg and would likely be a poten-

PHOTOs: thinkstock

tial customer for the future co-operative. “Our restaurant focuses on answering the question of what is Prairie cuisine? And so, using wild or foraged products is certainly a big part of that,” said McTaggart. Fusion restaurant dishes up a menu featuring fresh and local products, including many wild foods, most commonly fiddleheads and various wild mushrooms. “I hate to stand in the way of progress but for my business, I don’t think we would be very interested,” said McTaggart. Fusion currently sources its wild foods directly from local foragers throughout the province. McTaggart says one of the reasons he likes to use wild foods is that it

creates a connection to the land, local harvesters and produces rich stories behind his menu items. “My fear is that the development of something like a co-operative will take away from the story that accompanies these products and would reduce the direct relationship that we have with the people who are growing and harvesting,” he said. “It also brings up the concern of involving more individuals into the supply chain, which could affect prices and profit for these local producers.” Although McTaggart admits to having difficulty in sourcing wild food sometimes, mainly due to Mother Nature, he passionately believes it is worth it to be able to deliver fresh, locally grown and harvested menu items. “There is something to be said

about the ability to serve a dish and tell the customer about where the product came from, who grew or harvested it and how it has reached their table.” WAM has recently applied for further funding for Phase 2 of the project, which would consist of the creation of the aforementioned advisory panel and possibly a pilot project of the co-operative system. “The first phase of the project went well in terms of what we got out of it and now we are looking at getting funding for the second phase to see if we can set up a pilot project to see if we can actually make a go of making a wild food industry in Manitoba,” said James. jennifer.paige@fbcpublishing.com

The Manitoba Co-operator | January 14, 2016

SHEEP & GOAT COLUMN

Prices promisingly strong for start of 2016 There were 350 sheep and goats delivered to the Winnipeg Livestock Auction sale Jan. 6 BY MARK ELLIOT Co-operator contributor

idding on ewes was based on buyer preferences rather than weight. Buyers showed higher bidding interest in hair ewes. The hair ewes received $1.30

and $1.20 per pound, while the average bidding was $0.90 per pound. There was only a 160-pound Rideau-cross ram, which brought $204.80 ($1.28 per pound). Heavyweight lambs on offer included five 118-pound Katahdin-cross lambs, which

brought $188.80 ($1.60 per pound). A 135-pound Suffolkcross Dorset-lamb brought $205.20 ($1.52 per pound). Producers provided a good selection of market lambs. There was no price differences between wool and hair lambs. The average price ranged from $1.72 to $1.785 per pound. A December 2, 2015

Ewes

$189 - $198.90

$149.52 - $159.80

$133.65 - $150

$130.50 - $146.94

$119.70

$122.57 - $127.41 $115.50 -$118.80

Lambs (lbs.) 110+

$205.20

$201.24

$188.80

$179.67 - $188.45 $130.95 - $145.60

95 - 110

$175.23 - $187.43

$170 - $178.19

$155 - $166

$153 - $162.75 $119.90 - $131.25

80 - 94

$168.15 - $172.02 $146.08 - $162.87

few lambs brought $1.55 and $1.66 per pound. Fe e d e r l a m b s a t t r a c t e d strong bidding. The average price ranged from $1.80 to $1.91 per pound. A couple of groups of lambs brought $1.76 and $1.77 per pound. The lightweight lambs maintained this bidding price at this sale. The price ranged from $1.75 to $1.99 per pound. The 60-plus-pound lamb brought a price range from $1.73 to $1.98 per pound. The 50-plus-pound lambs brought a variety of prices, $1.20, $1.66 and $2.05 per pound. A 45-pound Suffolk-cross lamb brought $1.70 per pound. There were two groups of good-quality goat does on offer. Four 81-pound Boercross goat does brought $132.50 ($1.64 per pound). Ten GOAT DOES

/ lb.

107-pound Alpine-cross goat does and yearlings brought $163 ($1.52 per pound). The Alpine-cross goat does provided an opportunity to increase a producer’s herd or replacement goats. Six 85-pound Boer-cross goat bucks were on offer. The goat kids dominated the goat sale. Many of the goat kids were grain fed and showed quality physical appearances. This sale follows the pattern of 2015, where the first sale was well supplied with various classification of goats. The goat kid prices ranged from $1.79 to $2.07 per pound. The lower-weight goat kids were still considered a risk and attracted lower bids. The price ranged from $1.30 to $1.50 per pound. The Ontario Stockyard Re p o r t s h owe d t h a t we l l fed lambs, sheep and goats brought higher prices. animal weight

$160 - $168.33

meat

$1.64

81 lbs.

$155.70 - $159.31

dairy

$1.52

81 lbs.

$1.94

81 lbs.

$2.04

81 lbs.

$1.64

81 lbs.

$1.64

81 lbs.

$1.64

81 lbs.

$137.70 - $147.05 Under 80

BUCKS meat KIDS - Under 80

71 - 76

$124.25 - $143.28

$151.84 / $154.50 (71 - 77 lbs.)

MEAT

$142.25 - $149.65 60 - 68

$117.18- $118.80

$119 - $134.55

50 - 58

$96.28 - $102.50

$100 - $112

$66

$87.50 - $91.20

DAIRY MEAT

$76.50

The Manitoba Seed Growers wish to acknowledge these growers and their years of successful seed production in Manitoba

THANK YOU TO OUR ANNUAL MEETING SPONSORS F O U N D AT I O N

REGISTERED

C E RT I F I E D

15 – ROY SIGURDSON, RIVERTON 15 – CLARENCE BAUER, ROBLIN 15 – IVER BANKERT, HILBRE 15 – CHRISTIAN KLETKE, BRUNKILD 15 – CAMERON MATEIKA, MINITONAS 15 – DARREN CZARNECKI, ASHVILLE 15 – BRADLEY W. KIRK, HAMIOTA 15 – DENNIS HILDEBRAND, BOISSEVAIN 20 – HARRY RUDY LEPP, ELM CREEK 20 – RYAN L.C. MANN, ROBLIN 20 – DARREN WHETTER, BRANDON 25 – RON HIEBERT, SPERLING 25 – JAKE FRIESEN, WINKLER 25 – HAROLD JANZEN, MORRIS 30 – LAWRENCE WILLIAM WALKER, MINIOTA 30 – HARVEY G. DANELAK, FISHER BRANCH 30 – RICK RUTHERFORD, GROSSE ISLE 30 – CURTIS EDWIN SIMS, MAC GREGOR 30 – RODNEY WHETTER, BRANDON 35 – EDWARD HARRY BERGEN, SANFORD 35 – BARRY MAGNUSSON, ARBORG 35 – FRANK M. WORONESKI, RUSSELL 40 – RICK G. FRASER, MINTO 40 – DAVID ANTON KOHUT, SOURIS 40 – WARREN P. ELLIS, WAWANESA 40 – WILLIAM G. PUGH, PORTAGE LA PRAIRIE 40 – ROBERT H. STEVENSON, KENTON 45 – JOHN BURAK, ARBORG 45 – HOWARD GRANT SMITH, OAK BANK 50 – GABRIEL A. DURAND, NOTRE DAME DE LOURDES 55 – J. DAVID PIZZEY, BINSCARTH 55 – KENNETH S. BUCHANAN, CRYSTAL CITY 60 – ANTON KOHUT, SOURIS 70 – J.B. ADRIEN LACHANCE, WINNIPEG

$1.64

81 lbs.

$1.64

81 lbs.

$1.64

81 lbs.

$1.64

81 lbs.

$1.64

81 lbs.

DAIRY

$1.64

81 lbs.

MEAT

$1.64

81 lbs.

$1.64

81 lbs.

DAIRY

$1.64

81 lbs.

MEAT

$1.64

81 lbs.

DAIRY

$1.64

81 lbs.

RESOLUTION GUIDELINES Are you interested in submitting a resolution to the Manitoba Canola Growers Association’s Annual General Meeting? Resolution guidelines and worksheets can be found at www.canolagrowers.com or call 204-982-2122.

DEADLINE: SUBMIT TO:

January 22, 2016 at 4:30 pm Fax 204-942-1841 or Email bill@canolagrowers.com

MCGA’s Annual Meeting will be held Thursday February 11, 2016 at 7:30 am during the CropConnect Conference at the Victoria Inn in Winnipeg.

The Manitoba Co-operator | January 14, 2016

U.S. cracks down on intake of added sugar, saturated fat Advocacy groups sought new curbs on meat consumption, citing cancer risks BY JULIE STEENHUYSEN Chicago/Reuters

ew U.S. dietary guide lines on Jan. 7 urged Americans to cut their added sugar and saturated fat intake to less than 10 per cent of daily calories, but consumer advocates criticized the recom mendations for not providing clear guidance on the need to reduce consumption of meat. T h e g ov e r n m e n t g u i d e lines, which are issued every five years, are a road map for U.S. dietary policy. Some groups suggested the recom mendations should have bet ter reflected the World Health Organization’s view that pro cessed meat can cause cancer. Kari Hamerschlag, senior program manager with the advocacy group Friends of the Earth, said in a statement that the new guidelines by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the U.S. Department of Agriculture ignored strong scientific evi dence presented by the agen cies’ own advisory committee on the need for Americans to eat less meat for health, food security and environmental reasons. “ The administration has clearly put the financial inter ests of the meat industry over the weight of the science and the health of the American people,” Hamerschlag said. Other health advocates lauded the guidelines, which

“If Americans ate according to that advice, it would be a huge win for the public’s health.” Michael F. Jacobson, president, Center for Science in the Public Interest

aim to reduce obesity and pre vent chronic diseases such as Type 2 diabetes, hypertension and heart disease. “If Americans ate accord ing to that advice, it would be a huge win for the pub lic’s health,” said Michael F. Jacobson, president of the Center for Science in the Public Interest. Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Burwell said the recommendations were based on the latest scientific evidence, input from the pub lic and other factors. For the first time, she said, they did not include a specific limit on die tary cholesterol consumption. The North American Meat Institute, an industry group that represents companies including Cargill, Tyson Foods and Kraft Heinz, said the rec ommendations were an “affir mation of meat and poultry nutrition.” World Health Organization e x p e r t s, h owe v e r, s a i d i n October that eating processed meats such as hotdogs, sau sages and bacon can cause colorectal cancer in humans, and that red meat is also a likely cause of the disease.

Meat companies rejected the findings. Meat producers were pleased that the guidelines did not address the environmental impact of raising livestock, said Dave Warner, spokesman for the National Pork Producers Council. “The advisory committee had talked about reducing con sumption of processed meats and it doesn’t talk about that either,” he said. The American Cancer Society expressed dismay that the guidelines did not take a stronger stand on the need to reduce meat consumption. “The science on the link between cancer and diet is extensive. By omitting specific diet recommendations, such as eating less red and pro cessed meat, these guidelines miss a critical and significant opportunity to reduce suffer ing and death from cancer,” said Dr. Richard Wender of the American Cancer Society.

Caloric intake The guidelines were more spe cific on sugar, encouraging Americans to keep consump tion of added sugar, sweeteners

New U.S diet rules call for what amounts to a sharp reduction in many Americans’ consumption of sugary drinks, sweets and snacks. photo: thinkstock

added in the production pro cess, below 10 per cent of daily caloric intake, while consum ing more fruit and vegetables. In the past, the government has offered less specific recom mendations on limiting sugar consumption. The advice would translate to a sharp reduction in the con sumption of sugary drinks, snacks and sweets for many Americans. Teenagers age 14-18 on aver

CourtSeeds

PRESS RELEASE

St-Cesaire, January 7th 2016

age consume about 17 per cent of their calories in added sugar, according to the guidelines. Those aged 14 and younger were advised to consume less than 2,300 milligrams of sodium per day. A USDA website, Choose MyPlate.gov, provides more infor mation about added sugars. They do not include naturally occurring sugars such as those consumed as part of milk and fruits.

For immediate diffusion

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The Manitoba Co-operator | January 14, 2016

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

Research study examines the path of rural innovations A Brandon research centre believes rural Manitoba contains a wealth of innovation ideas and hopes to create new support services to help residents get their ideas to market BY JENNIFER PAIGE Co-operator staff/Brandon

ural entrepreneurs face steep hurdles br inging their innovations to market, but the province is well endowed with people willing to put their ideas to the test, researchers with Brandon’s Rural Development Institute have found. The institute recently partnered with eight Manitoba bulk food-processing companies to analyze sector activity and growth opportunities. “This study itself builds on several years of research. Initially we were looking at immigration in food processing, what roles immigrants were playing in the various companies in Manitoba and as we were doing that a number of company officials voiced that they wanted an overview of the industry,” said Dr. Bill Ashton, project lead and director of Brandon University’s Rural Development Institute (RDI). Over the course of two years, the RDI aligned with eight provincial bulk food processors — Richardson Milling, Shape Foods, Prairie Garden Purée, Hemp Oil Canada, Floating Leaf, BeeMaid, True North Foods, and Brar Natural Flour Milling. “The case studies we selected were diverse on purpose, in terms of the size of the company, the number of employees, the commodities they were processing, how well established they were,” said Ashton. “The idea was to find some trends or commonalities in all of those interviews and that may be able to say something about the whole food-processing industry in Manitoba.”

Interviews To gain insight into the eight case studies, researchers conducted more than 60 interviews of company leaders, supply chain participants, associations and other researchers. They focused on how innovations have occurred, involvement of the supply chain, the duration of time invested into the development of the innovations and the resulting nature of growth. Each case study described the company, the industry, its supply chain and examined the types and properties of past and possible future innovations. The institute found the term “innovation” to be complex with a number of definitions, but in most cases found it required the co-operation of multiple partners. “Innovation is often portrayed as an individual and this project really shatters that image. It truly involves a whole group of people and collaboration across a trusted supply chain,” said Ashton.

Dr. Bill Ashton, director of Brandon University’s Rural Development Institute has been leading a number of research projects geared towards strengthening resources for rural innovators. Photo: Submitted

RDI found a number of innovations currently taking place in the sector, from developing new products that require product and process development to exploring new packaging and marketing streams. “We really feel innovation should be directed towards exports as we need to be able to bring in that outside money into Manitoba,” said Ashton. “This notion makes good sense and I think that we are really well poised to be able to pursue it.” Ashton also noted research saw potential in bulk processors creating new products from existing ingredients. Moving forward, RDI will look at adding further case studies to this project as well as examine the opportunities that lie in adding value to commodities. “We may look at commodities and the opportunities to add value there. This is something that folks may be having conversations about and it is an ongoing strategy for most provinces but how does it actually get done? I think that is something worth looking at,” said Ashton.

New project In October, RDI began a new two-year study geared to providing tools to strengthen the province’s rural agri-food industry. A f t e r re c e i v i n g f u n d i n g

through the federal and provincial initiative, Growing Forward 2, the institute has begun examining the barriers and accelerators Manitobans are facing when trying to get their ideas to market. “One part of the study is looking at successful innovations in the food development side,” said Ashton. “We will talk with people who are in the process, or have developed a new product and we are most interested in these milestones of how they innovated, who helped them, who accelerated the process and what caused barriers for them.” The project hopes to identify systemic barriers that affect the commercial cycle and construct new tools, strategies and support programs to ease the road to commercialization for rural innovators. “We are hoping, through a number of case studies with very diverse products, we will end up being able to see some patterns about what is accelerating and what is causing delays or barriers,” said Ashton. “If we can get some of these insights, I think that can contribute directly to innovation in the province.” Ashton says that innovators in rural areas face unique challenges, specifically in terms of low populations and large distances from necessary resources.

“My general sense is producers, their families and communities are taking a lot of risk all of the time, but they may not be calling it innovation. Dr. Bill Ashton director of Brandon University’s Rural Development Institute

“Dealing with these factors means that you’ve got less people, less money and literally less infrastructure,” said Ashton. “In many cases you can’t gain financial support, the services that you need are fragmented and there are not a lot of people around to support you because they are unlikely to take risk around innovation.”

Hubs RDI will speak with innovators across rural Manitoba but will also put focus on a few communities in the southwest region. “For the particular communities, we are looking in the southwest because we think that people aren’t always willing to travel to Winnipeg but

they may be willing to come to a regional centre like Brandon or Dauphin.” According to Ashton, part of the project will look at the option of creating regional centres or hubs to provide easier access. The project will also look at the option of developing an outline of related services in order to better identify the path to commercialization. “This notion of fragmented services is probably true, the question is how can we help people map some of that out ahead of time? Many of these services already exist, it is just a matter of making people aware and improving access.” Ashton says over the two-year project, the RDI will look to connect with a number of innovators throughout rural Manitoba and sur vey three or four communities. “We want go out and explore the risk of innovation because my general sense is producers, their families and communities are taking a lot of risk all of the time, but they may not be calling it innovation. They might not be producing patents or borrowing money but it doesn’t mean that they are not innovating and we are out to see if that is the case,” said Ashton. jennifer.paige@fbcpublishing.com

The Manitoba Co-operator | January 14, 2016

COUNTRY CROSSROADS

Prairie fare Ski to better health this winter By Julie Garden-Robinson Food and Nutrition Specialist NDSU Extension Service

“

ou OK?” my husband asked. I had taken a tumble on my skis and was lying in a heap on a pile of snow. My pride was injured, but I could see my feet still were attached to my body and I was able to move. Note to self: Do not try to balance on one slippery cross-country ski while manoeuvring the other ski over a chain link barrier. I caught my ski on the chain and flipped myself over the fence. Fortunately, I landed in a layer of soft snow. I contorted my body enough to get back up and moving on my skis. Cross-country skiing also is called “Nordic skiing,” referring to the Scandinavian region where skiing is believed to have originated out of necessity. As I slid around the groomed course, without falling, I might add, I felt as though I was getting in touch with my “inner Scandinavian.” I “awakened” some arm and leg muscles that had been “napping” for a while, too. My distant European ancestors would not have been lollygagging around a city golf course on their waxless skis. They would have been hunting for dinner, gathering firewood or just moving from point A to point B on their homemade skis. They probably had another stick or two as poles to help propel them. They certainly did not have the fancy ski poles we have available. In fact, “ski” is from a Norse word for “stick of wood.” Skiing has many health benefits. Along with strengthening arm and leg muscles, skiing strengthens your heart and lungs. Lifelong skiing and other physical activity just might extend your life. Researchers at Ball State University, in collaboration with Swedish researchers, compared the long-term effects of skiing on strength and endurance among 80-plus-yearolds who had engaged in lifelong exercise with participants who had engaged in limited exercise. The group of Swedish participants consisted of endurance athletes, all of whom regularly skied. They even had a former Olympic champion in the mix. The other group was U.S. men of the same age who had not exercised regularly. Both groups were engaged in various exercise protocols that measured strength and endurance. Not too surprisingly, the 80-yearold lifelong exercisers were in fantastic shape, functioning more like 40-year-olds, according to the researchers. I will keep this study in mind as I build my muscles and capacity to remain upright and perhaps even get onto a more challenging course. We dressed in layers and wore hats, so we didn’t get too cold or too warm. Fortunately, I remembered to wear some sunblock because we skied for an hour. My Scandinavian bloodline also provides my easily sunburned skin. When your skin is exposed to sun, be sure to wear a broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF (sun protection factor) of at least 30. Don’t forget to apply lip balm because the skin on our lips also is vulnerable. On the way back to our starting point, I took off my skis and slid them under the fence. I had learned my lesson.

PHOTO: thinkstock

When we went inside, I felt quite invigorated and began cleaning a closet. My husband was sitting on the couch pretending to “flail in agony” (his words). He was a little tired by the experience. Some of his distant ancestors were more likely alpine (downhill) skiers who skied in the Alps. Cross-country skiing is a workout. We will have to find a hill for him to get in touch with his ancestry later this winter. We all need to take steps to keep moving in all seasons and choose a variety of activities to maintain our strength and endurance. Any amount of physical activity is better than none. Always check with your health-care provider before beginning a new exercise program, though. Aim for 30 minutes of moderate physical activity on five or more days per week. See https://www.ndsu.edu/boomers and click on “muscles” for links to a variety of information. Because the cross-country ski trail near us is about two miles around and we spent about an hour skiing, I figure we each burned about 350 to 400 calories on our activity. When I got inside, I decided that after all the effort, I would not consume the matching amount of calories with a snack. I had a cup of green tea, which is rich in antioxi-

dants. It warmed and hydrated me without any calories. Because I adopted my English last name from my husband, here’s a nod to some of his non-alpine ancestry. In place of a recipe this time, here’s how to brew a tasty cup of tea, which has zero calories unless you add cream and sugar. •B ring freshly drawn water (preferably not softened or hard) to a boil in a glass or enamel container (not aluminum), remove from the heat and cool for one to three minutes. •P our the heated water into a teapot made of glass, china or porcelain, then add about 1 teaspoon of tea leaves for every 6 ounces of water. Allow the tea leaves to move freely in the water (referred to as “blossom”) and then strain when poured. If using an infusion basket or tea ball, select one large enough to allow the leaves to move. • The length of brewing time can affect flavour. Usually steep for three to five minutes. Experiment with the amount of brewing time to get the desired flavour or follow the manufacturer’s directions. • When time allows, warm the tea cup before serving the tea.

The Manitoba Co-operator | January 14, 2016

COUNTRY CROSSROADS

On a tight budget? Try eclectic decorating Look around and see what you have on hand to change the look of a room CONNIE OLIVER Around the House

his fabulous dining room in the photo is a good example of an eclectic décor. Except for the painted chairs there are no matching sets of anything in the room, yet it has lots of personality and charm. Painted and stained woods are mixed together with faux skin rugs and a ’60s vintagestyle chandelier. The great thing about this style is that it allows you to use what you have on hand. You may have a dining table that does not match your chairs but a quick coat of paint on either will begin your eclectic journey. Perhaps your chairs are all differing styles; you have the option to paint them all in one colour or you can mix things up by using several colours of leftover paint. Got fabric? Recover the chair seats in a mix of fabric remnants rather than keep them all the same. Ideas that cost little to nothing! I love the vintage-style light fixture over the table. You might have a dated chandelier that could be painted in a distressed paint colour to work in your space. Keep your mind open to possibilities as you look around your home for items to use. You may think the faux skin rug is an odd addition but it works because it is the same colour as the flooring. The lesson here is to try things and see how they fit. Have a zebra print rug? Give it a try. If you don’t have a rug but want that splash of colour on the floor you can paint a floor canvas in any colours or patterns you desire.

For wall art your options are pretty much unlimited. See what you already have that might work in the space. Even if you have to paint the frames of old prints, consider doing so in order to use them. In the photo there is a white painted mirror and shelf on the wall. This set probably had a dated finish but was toned down simply by painting it white to go with the white trim in the room. You don’t have to go out and spend a bunch of money on new window treatments. Don’t forget about coloured sheets, lengths of tulle (perhaps left over from a wedding), large silk scarves, mosquito netting and the list goes on. Try something different and see what works. Spend some time on paint manufacturers’ websites and play with colour online. In some cases you can download your own photo onto their site and play with colour, or simply choose from generic rooms that they have to offer. It’s worth your time and effort to get just the right wall colour as this will ground all the different pieces in a room. If you’re on a tight budget or just want an unusual space, try mixing in a bunch of stuff that you have on hand and see how it goes. But remember — don’t clutter the space — less if more. Each unique piece requires enough room to be appreciated. Paint what needs updating and use things for purposes that they are not intended for. For example you could use a stack of hard-sided old suitcases as a side table, an old trunk as an ottoman or coffee table, or old cowboy boots as planters. Everything is fair game in eclectic decorating! Connie Oliver is an interior designer from Gimli, Manitoba

Use what you already have around the house and create an eclectic room. PHOTO: COURTESY DULUX PAINTS

String of pearls — an unusual succulent Plant gets its common name because it looks like — you guessed it — a string of pearls By Albert Parsons Freelance contributor

ometimes the common name of a plant so aptly describes it that we all immediately recognize it. So it is with Senecio rowleyanus, commonly called string of pearls. The genus senicio is a large plant family that includes many of our favourite succulents, and, string of pearls, being a succulent, is an easy-care plant. String of pearls gets its common name from its leaves, which are round and about the size of pearls. These leaves are attached to thin stems, appearing alternately but very close together along the entire length of the stems. The round leaves have a tiny tip on the point of each leaf and another peculiar marking — a thin band of darker green on the side of each leaf. This plant originates in southwest Africa, and is therefore a desert plant. The leaf shape and the unusual markings are adaptations to allow them to survive in their natural environment. The round shape of the leaves exposes the least amount of surface area to the hot, dry air of the desert, reducing evaporation, and the band of darker green is actually a window on the side of each leaf that lets in light. The surface area of the leaves is so small that photosynthe-

sis is greatly reduced, so to compensate, these tiny windows allow light to enter and irradiate the insides of the leaves. In its natural habitat, string of pearls is a ground cover. It is often found growing under other plants which shade it from the hot sun. As the stems creep across the ground (they can get up to a metre in length) they send roots down into the soil from leaf axils and soon a solid mat of pearls is formed. String of pearls is almost always grown as a hanging plant when used as a houseplant. Grown in a six-inch pot, it will soon cascade down and form a lovely specimen plant. It can be propagated easily by simply cutting off a stem (any length) and removing a few of the pearls and then sticking the bare stem into the soil. It will soon root and the string will produce new growth. The stems whose ends have been snipped off will branch and two or three stems will grow from there. A bushier specimen can be created by continuous pruning of the stems to encourage this branching, and also by planting the cut-off stems into the pot to create even more strings. The surface of the soil will be covered with round green pearls as some of the stems creep across the soil surface and take root. This is a very easy-care plant, as being drought tolerant it doesn’t need to be watered often. It prefers a porous sandy

This is a very easy-care plant, as being drought tolerant it doesn’t need to be watered often.

soil (as do all succulents) that drains well. It likes bright light but does not demand direct sun so it can be hung in front of a window and even though it will be too high to receive the direct rays of the sun, it will be perfectly happy. Fertilize very infrequently. String of pearls makes a nice addition to a succulent planter — even one placed outdoors in the summer, where its cascading habit will add to the beauty of such a planter. It is not frost tolerant, so it must be moved indoors when frost threatens. Usually it is reserved for the indoor garden where it will put on a fine show and be a conversation piece when visitors see its innumerable strings of green pearls cascading from the pot — truly a beautiful and unusual plant. Albert Parsons writes from Minnedosa, Manitoba

This plant, photographed in a garden centre’s greenhouse, had been exposed to too much sun and/or its soil had been allowed to become overly dry. Even an easy-care plant requires some attention! PHOTO: ALBERT PARSONS

The Manitoba Co-operator | January 14, 2016

COUNTRY CROSSROADS Reader’s Photo

Britney Martin handled the lines while sister Charity walked alongside and kept watch over the horse in harness. PHOTO: COURTESY

Strathclair Clydesdale breeders attend WCS Martins are the third generation to raise these registered Gentle Giants By Darrell Nesbitt Freelance contributor

h e Ma r t i n f a m i l y o f Strathclair was among the Canadian Clydesdale breeders to attend and achieve success at the World Clydesdale Show (WCS) in London, Ontario last fall. The show is held every three to four years and is an opportunity for the majestic breed to congregate and compete in line and hitch classes. Among the hundreds of Clydesdales in attendance was the classic Budweiser eighthorse hitch. Blaine and Trinda Martin are the third generation to raise registered Clydesdales on the farm, situated south of the small rural town in southwestern Manitoba. It will soon be the fourth generation as their daughters Charity and Britney have taken a keen interest in raising and showing quality Clydesdales.

It will soon be the fourth generation as their daughters Charity and Britney have taken a keen interest in raising and showing quality Clydesdales.

Ribbons and awards for Boulder Bluff are plenty including Charity’s senior showmanship win at the WCS in Wisconsin a few years ago. This time it was in Ontario where 2,276 shoes, 741 stalls, 569 Clydesdales, 141 entrants, 86 classes, 21 eighthorse hitches and three countries were showcased. Judging results earned by the Martins were: Line — Junior

Who will blink first in the staring contest? PHOTO: CINDY MURRAY

Yearling Foal — born 2014, 6th Boulder Bluff Miss Show Girl; Three-Year-Old Mare — born 2012, 7th Boulder Bluff Carma; Junior Stallion Foal — born 2015, 4th Boulder Bluff Commander; Hitch — Single Cart Gelding or Grade Mare, 4th; Single Ladies Cart, 8th; Team Hitch — Gelding, Stallions or Grade Mare, 4th; Team Hitch — Ladies Team, 6th; Unicorn Hitch, 9th; Six-Horse Hitch — Geldings, Stallions or Grade Mares, 9th. On the Boulder Bluff website, Blaine says, “The joy and pleasure of having new foals on the ground each spring is second only to the wonderful friends we have made through the Clydesdale business.” And they found plenty more friends out east as crowds were huge, dedicated and held a passion for the Clydesdale — the Gentle Giant breed of draft horses.

Welcome to Country Crossroads If you have any stories, ideas, photos or a comment on what you’d like to see on these pages, send it to Country Crossroads, 1666 Dublin Ave., Winnipeg, Man. R3H 0H1, phone 1-800-782-0794, fax 204-944-5562, email susan@ fbcpublishing.com. I’d love to hear from you. Please remember we can no longer return material, articles, poems or pictures. — Sue

Darrell Nesbitt writes from Shoal Lake, Manitoba

This Old Elevator

n the 1950s, there were over 700 grain elevators in Manitoba. Today, there are fewer than 200. You can help to preserve the legacy of these disappearing “Prairie sentinels.” The Manitoba Historical Society (MHS) is gathering information about all elevators that ever stood in Manitoba, regardless of their present status. Collaborating with the Manitoba Co-operator it is supplying these images of a grain elevator each week in hopes readers will be able to tell the society more about it, or any other elevator they know of. MHS Gordon Goldsborough webmaster and Journal editor has developed a website to post your replies to a series of questions about elevators. The MHS is interested in all grain elevators that have served the farm community. Your contributions will help gather historical information such as present status of elevators, names of companies, owners and agents, rail lines, year elevators were built — and dates when they were torn down (if applicable). There is room on the website to post personal recollections and stories related to grain elevators. The MHS presently also has only a partial list of all elevators that have been demolished. You can help by updating that list if you know of one not included on that list. Your contributions are greatly appreciated and will help the MHS develop a comprehensive, searchable database to preserve the farm community’s collective knowledge of what was once a vast network of grain elevators across Manitoba. Please contribute to This Old Grain Elevator website at: http://www.mhs.mb.ca/elevators. You will receive a response, by email or phone call, confirming that your submission was received.

Sperling, Manitoba. This elevator, one of two operated by Manitoba Pool in the village of Sperling, was demolished in March 2015. It was the last elevator in the community. PHOTO: MANITOBA HISTORIC RESOURCES BRANCH (1992)

The Manitoba Co-operator | January 14, 2016

FARMER'S

MARKETPLACE selling?

Call to place your classified ad in the next issue: 1-800-782-0794 FAX your classified ads to: 204-954-1422 · Or eMAiL your classified ads to: mbclassifieds@fbcpublishing.com

Classification

Index Tributes/Memoriams Announcements Airplanes Alarms & Security Systems AntiqUes – Antiques For Sale – Antique Equipment – Antique Vehicles – Antiques Wanted

Your guide to the Classification Categories and sub-listings within this section.

BUiLding & renovAtions – Building Supplies – Concrete Repair – Doors & Windows – Electrical & Plumbing – Insulation – Lumber – Roofing Buildings Business Machines Business Opportunities

Arenas AUCtion sALes – MB Auction Parkland – MB Auction Westman – MB Auction Interlake – MB Auction Red River – SK Auction – AB Auction Peace – AB Auction North – AB Auction Central – AB Auction South – BC Auction – Auction Various – U.S. Auctions

BUsiness serviCes – Crop Consulting – Financial & Legal – Insurance/Investments Butchers Supply Chemicals Clothing/Work wear Clothing/Western /Specialty wear Collectibles Compressors Computers

Auction Schools AUto & trAnsport – Auto Service & Repairs – Auto & Truck Parts – Autos – Trucks – Semi Trucks & Trailers – Sport Utilities – Vans – Vehicles Various – Vehicles Wanted BeeKeeping – Honey Bees – Cutter Bees – Bee Equipment

ContrACting – Custom Baling – Custom Feeding – Custom Harvesting – Custom Seeding – Custom Silage – Custom Spraying – Custom Trucking – Custom Tub Grinding – Custom Work Construction Equipment Crop Inputs Dairy Equipment Electrical Engines Entertainment FArM MAChinerY – Aeration – Conveyors – Equipment Monitors

Belting Biodiesel Equipment Books & Magazines

tiLLAge & seeding – Air Drills – Air Seeders – Harrows & Packers – Seeding Various – Tillage Equipment – Tillage Various trACtors – Agco – Allis/Deutz – Belarus – Case/IH – Caterpillar – Ford – John Deere – Kubota – Massey Ferguson – New Holland – Steiger – Universal – Versatile – White – Zetor – 2-Wheel Drive – 4-Wheel Drive – Various

– Fertilizer Equipment – Grain Augers – Grain Bins – Grain Carts – Grain Cleaners – Grain Dryers – Grain Elevators – Grain Handling – Grain Testers – Grain Vacuums – Hydraulics – Irrigation Equipment – Loaders & Dozers – Parts & Accessories – Potato & Row Crop Equipment – Repairs – Rockpickers – Salvage – Silage Equipment – Snowblowers/Plows – Specialty Equipment – Machinery Miscellaneous – Machinery Wanted

Fencing Firewood Fish Farm Forestry/Logging Fork Lifts/Pallet Trucks Fur Farming Generators GPS Health Care Heat & Air Conditioning Hides/Furs/Leathers Hobby & Handicrafts Household Items Iron & Steel

hAYing & hArvesting – Baling Equipment – Mower Conditioners – Swathers – Swather Accessories – Various CoMBines – Belarus – Case/IH – Cl – Caterpillar Lexion – Deutz – Ford/NH – Gleaner – John Deere – Massey Ferguson – Versatile – White – Combines - Various – Accessories

LAndsCAping – Greenhouses – Lawn & Garden LivestoCK Cattle – Cattle Auctions – Angus – Black Angus – Red Angus – Aryshire – Belgian Blue – Blonde d’Aquitaine – Brahman

sprAYing eqUipMent – Sprayers – Various

– Brangus – Braunvieh – BueLingo – Charolais – Dairy – Dexter – Excellerator – Galloway – Gelbvieh – Guernsey – Hereford – Highland – Holstein – Jersey – Limousin – Lowline – Luing – Maine-Anjou – Miniature – Murray Grey – Piedmontese – Pinzgauer – Red Poll – Salers – Santa Gertrudis – Shaver Beefblend – Shorthorn – Simmental – South Devon – Speckle Park – Tarentaise – Texas Longhorn – Wagyu – Welsh Black – Cattle Composite – Cattle Various – Cattle Wanted Horses – Horse Auctions – American Saddlebred – Appaloosa – Arabian – Belgian – Canadian – Clydesdale – Draft – Donkeys – Haflinger – Miniature – Morgan – Mules – Norwegian Ford – Paint – Palomino – Percheron – Peruvian – Pinto

– Ponies – Quarter Horse – Shetland – Sport Horses – Standardbred – Tennessee Walker – Thoroughbred – Warmblood – Welsh – Horses For Sale – Horses Wanted poultry – Poultry For Sale – Poultry Wanted Sheep – Sheep Auction – Arcott – Columbia – Dorper – Dorset – Katahdin – Lincoln – Suffolk – Texel Sheep – Sheep For Sale – Sheep Wanted Swine – Swine Auction – Swine For Sale – Swine Wanted Speciality – Alpacas – Bison (Buffalo) – Deer – Elk – Goats – Llama – Rabbits – Emu/Ostrich/Rhea – Yaks – Various Livestock Equipment Livestock Services & Vet Supplies Misc. Articles For Sale Misc. Articles Wanted Musical Notices On-Line Services orgAniC – Organic Certified – Organic Food – Organic Grains

Outfitters Personal Pest Control Pets & Supplies Photography Propane Pumps Radio, TV & Satellite reAL estAte – Commercial Buildings – Condos – Cottages & Lots – Houses & Lots – Land For Rent – Land For Sale – Mobile Homes – Motels & Hotels – Resorts – Vacation Property – farms & Ranches – Acreages/Hobby Farms – Manitoba – Saskatchewan – Alberta – British Columbia – Pastureland – Farms/Ranches Wanted reCreAtionAL vehiCLes – All Terrain Vehicles – Boats & Water – Campers & Trailers – Golf Carts – Motor Homes – Motorcycles – Snowmobiles Recycling Refrigeration Restaurant Supplies Sausage Equipment Sawmills Scales CertiFied seed – Cereal Seeds – Forage Seeds – Oilseeds – Pulse Crops – Specialty Crops CoMMon seed – Cereal Seeds – Forage Seeds – Grass Seeds – Oilseeds – Pulse Crops – Common Seed Various

seed/Feed/grAin – Feed Grain – Hay & Straw – Feed Wanted – Grain Wanted – Hay & Feed Wanted – Seed Wanted Sewing Machines Sharpening Services Silos Sporting Goods Stamps & Coins Swap Tanks Tarpaulins Tenders Tickets Tires Tools trAiLers – Grain Trailers – Livestock Trailers – Trailers Miscellaneous Travel Water Pumps Water Treatment Welding Well Drilling Well & Cistern Winches CAreers – Career Training – Child Care – Construction – Domestic Services – Farm/Ranch – Forestry/Log – Health Care – Help Wanted – Management – Mining – Oil Field – Professional – Resume Services – Sales/Marketing – Trades/Tech – Truck Drivers – Employment Wanted

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Published by Farm Business Communications, 1666 Dublin Avenue, Winnipeg, MB R3H 0H1 WINNIPEG OFFICE Manitoba Co-operator 1666 Dublin Avenue, Winnipeg, MB R3H 0H1 Toll-Free in Canada 1-800-782-0794 Phone 204-954-1415 in Winnipeg FAX 204-954-1422 Mailing Address: Box 9800, Winnipeg, Manitoba R3C 3K7

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tion Privacy Policy, write to: Information Protection Officer, Farm Business Communications, 1666 Dublin Ave., Winnipeg, MB R3H 0H1. Occasionally we make our list of subscribers available to other reputable firms whose products and services might be of interest to you. If you would prefer not to receive such offers, please contact us at the address in the preceding paragraph, or call 1-800-782-0794. The editors and journalists who write, contribute and provide opinions to Manitoba Co-operator and Farm Business Communications attempt to provide accurate and useful opinions, information and analysis. However, the editors, journalists and Manitoba Co-operator and Farm Business Communications, cannot and do not guarantee the accuracy of the information contained in this publication and the editors as well as Manitoba Co-operator and Farm Business Communication assume no responsibility for any actions or decisions taken by any reader for this publication based on any and all information provided.

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The Manitoba Co-operator | January 14, 2016

AUCTION DISTRICTS Parkland – North of Hwy 1; west of PR 242, following the west shore of Lake Manitoba and east shore of Lake Winnipegosis. Westman – South of Hwy 1; west of PR 242. Interlake – North of Hwy 1; east of PR 242, following the west shore of Lake Manitoba and east shore of Lake Winnipegosis. Red River – South ofHwy 1; east of PR 242.

The Pas

Birch River

Swan River Minitonas Durban

Dauphin

Grandview

Ashern

Gilbert Plains

Fisher Branch

Ste. Rose du Lac Russell

Parkland

Birtle

Riverton Eriksdale

McCreary

Langruth Gladstone

Neepawa

Hamiota Rapid City

Melita

Brandon

Boissevain

Killarney

Crystal City

Elm Creek

Beausejour

Sanford

Ste. Anne

Carman

Mariapolis

Pilot Mound

Lac du Bonnet

Winnipeg

Austin Treherne

Westman

Waskada

Stonewall Selkirk

Portage Carberry

Souris

Reston

Interlake

Erickson Minnedosa

Virden

Arborg

Lundar Gimli

Shoal Lake

TRACTORS John Deere

Multi-coloured millends.........49¢/ft.2

2012 JD 635, 35-FT Hydra Flex, $32,900; 2011 JD 635, 35-ft Hydra flex, $29,900; 2007 JD 635, 35-ft Hydra Flex, $22,900; 2005 JD 630, 30-ft Hydra Flex, $18,900; (2)2002 JD 930 F, 30-ft Flex, F/F auger, $17,500; 2000 JD 930 F, 30-ft Flex, F/F auger, $14,900; 1997 JD flex, 30-ft, $15,900; 1994 JD 930 Flex, 30-ft, $7,900; 1996 JD 925 Flex, 25-ft, $14,900; 1994 JD 925 Flex 25-ft, $7,900.Reimer Farm Equipment Ltd. #12 Hwy, Steinbach, MB. Please Call Gary: (204)326-7000.

JD 2550 2-WD, 3-PT, hi/low shift, 4500-hrs, w/o loader; JD 2750 MFWD, CAH, 3-pt, 2-hyd’s, w/245 loader; JD 2950 2-wd, CAH, 3-pt, 2-hyd’s; JD 2950 MFWD, 3-pt, 2-hyd’s, w/loader; JD 4050 (2)MFWD, 3-pt, PS, w/o loaders; JD 4640 Quad, 3-hyd’s; JD 6420 2-MFWD, 3-pt, 3-hyd’s, PQ w/LHR, w/640 loader; JD 7610 MFWD, 3-pt, PQ w/LHR, w/740 FEL; JD 7700 MFWD, 3-pt, PQ, fact duals, w/740 FEL, grapple. Mitch’s Tractor Sales Ltd. St. Claude,MB. Phone: (204)750-2459 (cell) Mitchstractorsales.com

Also in stock low rib white 29 ga. ideal for archrib buildings BEAT THE PRICE INCREASES CALL NOW

AGCO MF CAT flex platforms: In stock Models 500 Gleaner 25-ft. & 30-ft.; Model 8000 30-ft. & 8200 35-ft. MF; Cat FD30 flex; FD40 flex. Reconditioned, ready to go. Delivery in SK, MB, AB. Gary: (204)326-7000, Reimer Farm Equip, Hwy #12 N, Steinbach, MB. www.reimerfarmequipment.com

TRACTORS Versatile

PRICE TO CLEAR!! 75 truckloads 29 gauge full hard 100,000PSI high tensile roofing & siding. 16 colours to choose from. B-Gr. coloured......................70¢/ft.2

Ask about our blowout colours...65¢/ft.2

Winnipegosis

Roblin

COMBINES Accessories

BUILDING & RENOVATIONS Roofing

St. Pierre

242

Morris Winkler Morden

Altona

Steinbach

Red River

AUCTION SALES AUCTION SALES Manitoba Auctions – Interlake McSherry Auction Service Ltd

AUCTION SALE Moving & Estate

Sat., Jan. 23rd @ 10:00 am Stonewall, MB - #12 Patterson Drive

Yard, Tools, Antiques, Household, New Store Product China Cabinets, General Store Display Case, Moorcroft, Excellent China & Glassware. Always Lots of Exciting Items! Stuart McSherry

(204) 467-1858 or (204) 886-7027

www.mcsherryauction.com

AUTO & TRANSPORT AUTO & TRANSPORT Auto & Truck Parts

TRUCK & SUV

TRANSMISSION REPAIR

• Commercial • Quick Turn Around • Large Inventory of Factory Fresh Transmissions • Half Ton to Mid Range • Custom Re-builds • Differentials & Transfer Cases

Springfield Rd. & Hwy. #59, Wpg. (across from Star Builders)

204-661-3983

Turn your smartphone into a geniusphone. Download the app at agreader.ca/mbc BUILDING & RENOVATIONS Doors & Windows

FOUILLARD STEEL SUPPLIES LTD.

CASE/IH FLEX PLATFORMS: MODELS 1020 25ft. & 30-ft. w/wo sir reel; 2020 30-ft. & 35-ft., 2020 30-ft. w/air reel; 2011 3020 35-ft. Can install new AWS air bar for additional $11,500. Deliver in SK, MB, AB. Gary (204)326-7000, Reimer Farm Equip, Hwy #12 N, www.reimerfarmequipment.com Steinbach, MB.

ST. LAZARE, MB. 1-800-510-3303

BUILDINGS AFAB INDUSTRIES IS YOUR SUPERIOR post frame building company. For estimates and information call 1-888-816-AFAB(2322). Website: www.postframebuilding.com CONCRETE FLATWORK: Specializing in place & finish of concrete floors. Can accommodate any floor design. References available. Alexander, MB. 204-752-2069.

FARM MACHINERY Parts & Accessories

BUSINESS SERVICES

GOODS USED TRACTOR PARTS: (204)564-2528 or 1-877-564-8734, Roblin, MB.

BUSINESS SERVICES Crop Consulting

MURPHY SALVAGE New & used parts for tractors, combines, swathers, square & round balers, tillage, press drills & other misc machinery. MURPHY SALVAGE (204)858-2727 or toll free 1-877-858-2728.

FARM CHEMICAL / SEED COMPLAINTS We also specialize in: agricultural complaints of any nature; Crop ins. appeals; Spray drift; Chemical failure; Residual herbicide; Custom operator issues; Equip. malfunctions. Licensed Agrologist on Staff. For assistance and compensation call

Back-Track InvesTIgaTIons

1-866-882-4779. www.backtrackcanada.com

CONTRACTING CONTRACTING Custom Work CUSTOM ROUND BALE HAULING long haul, short haul, in MB, SK, AB. 2, 53-ft. deck trailers. Call or text for arrangements (204)851-2983.

CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT 2007 D-6-N LGP CRAWLER w/6-way dozer, A/C, cab, canopy, diff-steering, ripper, extra clean, $96,000; 2004 D-6-N LGP crawler, 6-way dozer, A/C, cab, diff-steering, Allied W6D winch, $86,000; 2001 D-6-R LGP crawler tractor w/angle dozer & tilt, cab a/c & bush canopy, diff-steering, hyd cargo winch, 7,600-hrs, undercarriage approx 85%, $80,000 USD; 2003 D-7-R, cab, a/c plus bush canopy, 4-barrel multi-ripper w/a dozer & hyd tilt, new engine plus repairs, total work order $137,000 3,000-hrs ago, $105,000 USD; 2008 Hitachi ZX-270-C-3 hyd excavator w/hyd thumb, w/quick attach bucket, 7,190-hrs, $70,000 USD; 2006 Hitachi ZX 270-LC Hyd excavator w/quick attach bucket, 11-ft stick, axillary hyd, 6,382-hrs, $65,000 USD. (2) 2005 Komatsu 320 payloaders w/quick attach buckets, $50,000/each; 2010 CAT 324 excavator w/electronic thumb. Phone:(204)871-0925. 6 QUICK ATTACH EXCAVATOR buckets, some trenching & clean-up buckets, plus 6 excavator rippers, some Cat’s & WBM’s. (204)871-0925, Mac-Gregor MB.

FARM MACHINERY FARM MACHINERY Fertilizer Equipment

FYFE PARTS

1-800-667-9871 •• Regina 1-800-667-9871 Regina 1-800-667-3095 •• Saskatoon 1-800-667-3095 Saskatoon 1-800-387-2768 • Winnipeg 1-800-667-3095 Manitoba 1-800-222-6594 •• Edmonton “For All Your Farm Parts”

www.fyfeparts.com The Real Used FaRm PaRTs sUPeRsToRe Over 2700 Units for Salvage • TRACTORS • COMBINES • SWATHERS • DISCERS Call Joe, leN oR daRWIN (306) 946-2222 monday-Friday - 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. WaTRoUs, sK. Fax: 306-946-2444

NEW & USED TRACTOR PARTS NEW COMBINE PARTS Large Inventory of new and remanufactured parts

STEINBACH, MB. Ph. 326-2443 Toll-Free 1-800-881-7727 Fax (204) 326-5878 Web site: farmparts.ca E-mail: roy@farmparts.ca FARM MACHINERY Snowblowers/Plows

FARM MACHINERY Grain Vacuums CURT’S GRAIN VAC SERVICES, parts & repair for all makes & models. Craik SK, (306)734-2228.

FOR SALE: 6-FT REBUILT pull-behind snowblower w/hyd chute, $500 firm. Phone (204)685-2399.

BUILDING & RENOVATIONS Doors & Windows

FARM MACHINERY Machinery Miscellaneous

NH FLEX PLATFORMS: In stock Models 973 both 25-30’; 74C 30-ft. w/air reel; 88C 36-ft. flex draper; 94C 25-ft. rigid draper w/trailer. Deliver in SK, MB, AB. Gary (204)326-7000, Reimer Farm Equip, Hwy #12 N, www.reimerfarmequipment.com Steinbach, MB.

Serving Manitoba, Saskatchewan, NW Ontario & Alberta....Since 1937 • Quality Commercial/Agricultural/Residential Overhead Doors & Operators. • Aluminum Polycarbonate Doors Available. • Non-Insulated and Insulated Sectional Doors Available. • Liftmaster Heavy Duty Operators. • Mullion Slide Away Centre Posts. • Commercial/Agricultural Steel Man Doors and Frames. • Your washbay door specialists. • Quality Installation & Service. • 24 Hour Service. • Replacement Springs & Cables.

Phone: 204-326-4556 Fax: 204-326-5013 Toll Free: 1-855-326-4556 www.reimeroverheaddoors.com email: kurtis@reimeroverheaddoors.com

Combines COMBINES Accessories 2008 NH 88C FLEX Draper, 42-ft, PU reel, poly skids, gauge wheels, reconditioned mint, $37,900; 1998 NH 973 Flex, 25-ft, $15,900; 1996 NH 973 Flex, 30-ft, $17,900; 2010 CIH 2020 Flex, 35-ft, gone thru shop, $25,900; 2008 CIH 2020 Flex, 30ft, reconditioned, $23,500; 2006 CIH 2020 Flex, 30ft, $16,900. All 2020 CIH heads also fit NH combines. 1996 CIH 1020 Flex, 25-ft & 30-ft, reconditioned, $14,900; 2001 CIH 1020 Flex, 30-ft, reconditioned, $16,900; 1996 Agco Gleaner 500 Flex 25ft, reconditioned, $14,900, 2000 Agco Gleaner 8000 Flex, 30-ft, reconditioned, $23,900; 2008 Agco Gleaner 8200 Flex 35-ft, F/F auger, $27,900; 2010 Agco MF 8200 Flex, 35-ft, F/F auger, reconditioned, $27,900. Free delivery included to AB, SK, MB if purchased by Dec. 31, 2015. Reimer Farm Equipment Ltd. #12 Hwy, Steinbach, MB. Please call Gary:(204)326-7000.

STEVE’S TRACTOR REBUILDER specializing in JD tractors in need of repair or burnt, or will buy for parts. JD parts available. Phone: 204-466-2927 or cell: 204-871-5170, Austin.

TRACTORS Various 276 FORD BI-DIRECTIONAL 3-PTH & PTO on both ends, 20-hrs on new engine, new tires, $28,000. Phone (204)625-5225, (204)625-2702.

HEAT & AIR CONDITIONING

The Icynene Insulation System® • Sprayed foam insulation • Ideal for shops, barns or homes • Healthier, Quieter, More Energy Efficient®

www.penta.ca

1-800-587-4711

IRON & STEEL FREE STANDING CORRAL PANELS, Feeders & Alley ways, 30ft or order to size. Oil Field Pipe: 1.3, 1.6, 1.9, 1 7/8, 2-in, 2 3/8, 2 7/8, 3 1/2. Sucker Rod: 3/4, 7/8, 1. Casing Pipes: 4-9inch. Sold by the piece or semi load lots. For special pricing call Art (204)685-2628 or cell (204)856-3440.

LIVESTOCK HEADER TRAILERS & ACCESSORIES. Arc-Fab Industries. 204-355-9595 charles@arcfab.ca www.arcfab.ca

Tillage & Seeding TILLAGE & SEEDING Seeding Various JD 7200 8RN, VACUUM planter, needs reconditioning, w/o fertilizer, $7,900; JD 7200 8RN, vacuum planter, liquid fertilizer, pull type, field ready, $16,900; JD 7200 Folding 12 RN, vacuum planter, w/o fertilizer, reconditioned, $18,900. Call me for any of your planter needs as more planters are arriving & my supplier has all sizes, models & makes available. Delivery available. Reimer Farm Equipment Ltd. #12 Hwy, Steinbach, MB. Please Call Gary:(204)326-7000.

LIVESTOCK Cattle Auctions

BRED COW SALE Gladstone Auction Mart

Fri Jan 29th at 11:00A.M Dispersal of 55 cows Char X and Red & Black Angus Bred Red & Black Angus to Start Calving March 1st Check for other Dispersals that are pending To consign to this sale Contact Terra Fulton manager (204)385-2537 The cows should be in the mart by 1:00PM Thurs for preg checking License # 1108

TILLAGE & SEEDING Tillage Equipment

GAUGE WHEEL & GAUGE WHEEL KIT

Hwy #205, Grunthal • (204) 434-6519

GRUNTHAL, MB.

AGENT FOR T.E.A.M. MARKETING

3” & 4” OPTIONS

REGULAR CATTLE SALES

every TUESDAY at 9 am January 19 & 26

Monday, January 25th at 12 pm

Sheep & Goat with Small Animals & Holstein Calves

1999 GMC T8500 DSL tow truck, 20-ft tilt & wheel lift, $14,500; MF 2675, cab, dsl, w/Degelman dozer, A1; Sewer pump & tank for a truck; Ford Major dsl loader, snowblade, 3pth & bale spear. 1960 Edsel for re-building; Field Marshall & Bull Dog tractors, running. Phone:(306)236-8023. MCKEE 7-FT SNOW BLOWER, $1,250; Leon 12-ft blade, $3,500, 10-ft blade, $2,000; Box scraper new 10-ft, $2,450; New Holland LX865 skidsteer, $13,900; Melroe Bobcat 943 skidsteer, $14,900; Grapple bucket for skidsteer new, $1,750; Grain screeners dual screen Hutchinson, $1,500; Up DMC 44, $2,500; Kwik Kleen 5 tube, $5,000, 7 tube, $6,500; Kelly Ryan Feedcart, $2,000; Snowco feeder cart, $1,000. www.zettlerfarmequipment.com Phone:(204)857-8403.

TRACTORS 2-Wheel Drive

JD FLEX PLATFORMS: 922, 925, 930, several newer ones w/full finger augers & air reels; 630-635 w/wo air bars. Deliver in SK, MB, AB. Gary (204)326-7000, Reimer Farm Equipment, Hwy #12 N, Steinbach, MB. www.reimerfarmequipment.com

WATROUS SALVAGE

(3) JD 770 GRADERS w/snow wings; Champion 740 grader w/snow wing; About to part out over 20 graders, many different makes & models; Older trucks w/snow blowers; Snow blades & attachments; Blowers w/motors for 4WD loaders; 2WD, 4WD & crawler loader in stock; 2 yards over 50-ac, Cambrian Equipment Sales Ltd. Ph:(204)667-2867, Fax:(204)667-2932.

USED DRY FERTILIZER SPREADERS, 4-8 tons, large selection, 18-ft Drillfill, has extra brush auger, $2,900. www.zettlerfarmeuipment.com Phone: (204)857-8403.

FLEX PLATFORMS W/AIR REEL/AIR BAR. 2010 CIH 2020 Air Reel, 35-ft, Single point, $18,500 USD or $29,500 CAD. Also fits NH combine; 2002 CIH 1020 Air Reel, 25-ft, $15,800 USD or $23,900 CAD; 1997 CIH 1020 Air Reel, 30-ft, $12,900 USD or $18,900 CAD; 2003 NH 74C 30-ft, Single Point, Clipped PU teeth, $11,500 USD or $17,500 CAD; 2000 Agco Gleaner 800 Air Reel, 30-ft, $14,500 USD or $23,900 CAD; 2004 JD 635 Air Bar, 35-ft, Single Point, $16,500 or $22,500 CAD. 1998 JD 930 Air Reel, 30-ft, $12,500 USD or $18,900 CAD. Delivery included free of charge to AB, SK, MB if purchased by Dec. 31, 2015. All above platforms are field ready condition & most are reconditioned w/new PU teeth, new sickle, new poly skids, totally gone thru shop w/field ready guarantee. Reimer Farm Equipment Ltd. #12 Hwy, Steinbach, MB Please call Gary: (204)326-7000.

875 VERS. W/ATOM JET & good tires. Nice shape. Ph:(204)325-2416.

For on farm appraisal of livestock or for marketing information please call

Harold Unrau (Manager) Cell 871 0250 Auction Mart (204) 434-6519

www.ridgelandmanufacturing.ca

204-866-3558 ridgemetal@hotmail.com

TILLAGE & SEEDING Tillage Various JD PLANTER MODEL 1280 8 row 30-in. row fertilizer box, corn plates, $1,200; NH Mixmill Model 358, 540 RPM, bale feeder, 20-ft. unloading auger, $4,000. Both stored inside. (204)838-2397

TracTors TRACTORS John Deere FOR SALE: JD 2550 2-wd, 3-pt, hi/low shift, 4,500-hrs, w/o loader; JD 2750 MFWD, CAH, 3-pt, 2 hyd’s, w/245 loader; JD 2950 2WD, CAH, 3-pt, 2 hyd’s; 2 JD 4050 MFWD, 3-pt, PS, w/o loaders; JD 4640 Quad, 3 hyd’s; JD 6420 MFWD, 3-pt, 3 hyd’s, PQ w/LHR, w/640 loader; JD 7410 MFWD, 3-pt, 3-hyd’s, PQ w/LHR, w/740 loader; JD 7610 MFWD, 3-pt, PQ w/LHR, w/740 FEL; JD 7700 MFWD, 3-pt, PQ, fact. duals, w/740 FEL, grapple. All tractors can be sold with new or used loaders. Now a Husqvarna dealer, with full line of Husqvarna Equipment. Mitch’s Tractor Sales Ltd. St. Claude,MB. Phone: (204)750-2459 (cell) Mitchstractorsales.com

MB. Livestock Dealer #1111

WWW.GRUNTHALLIVESTOCK.COM

LIVESTOCK Cattle – Angus 55 RED AND BLACK Angus Two-Year Old Bulls Suitable for Heifers and Cows. Private Treaty @ the Ranch Info sheets available. Triple V Ranch Dan (204)665-2448 or (204)522-0092, Matthew (204)264-0706 Website vvvranch.com RED ANGUS PUREBRED LONG yearling & two year old bulls for sale. Contact DBM Angus Farms at Holland, MB: Brian:(204)723-0474 or David: (204)723-0288.

LIVESTOCK Cattle – Black Angus 21ST ANNUAL CATTLEMANS’ CONNECTION Bull Sale, March 4th, 2016, 1:00pm. Heartland Livestock Brandon. Selling 100 Yearling Black Angus Bulls. For Catalogue or more information call Jack Hart, Brookmore Angus (204)476-2607 or email brookmoreangus@gmail.com Barb Airey manager HBH Farms (204)566-2134 email rbairey@hotmail.com Sale management Doug Henderson (403)782-3888 or (403)350-8541. BLACK ANGUS BULLS YEARLINGS & Long Yearlings, some Heifer Bulls, semen tested & performance records avail. Call Don Guilford, Hereford Ranch (204)873-2430, Clearwater.

The Manitoba Co-operator | January 14, 2016

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Time for Lotsa Mozza!

by Adrian Powell

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SOLUTION TO PUZZLE

D A H L

A R C O

D E B T

Y L E M A R S O N

D E L T A

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L A V A

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 18 22 24 26 27 28 29 30 31 35

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A L T I E L L A I C E R I P A D

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H A Z E

62 Cheesy expression from "Peanuts"? 64 Millennia upon millennia 65 Beat by a hair 66 Nero wardrobe item 67 Mail receptacle 68 Abounds 69 Christmas tree topper, perhaps

S P U D

*Taxes included

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R E T O R T S

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Last week's answer

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If you're not the owner/operator of a farm are you: q In agri-business (bank, elevator, ag supplies etc.) q Other total farm size (including rented land)_______________ Year of birth________ q I’m farming or ranching q I own a farm or ranch but i'm not involved in it's operations or management

5 1 3 8 4 7 6 9 2

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The Manitoba Co-operator | January 14, 2016

ORGANIC Organic – Grains

WE HAVE AN EXCELLENT selection of PB Charolais bulls, both Red & white yearling & 2-yr olds. Pictures & info on the net www.defoortstockfarm.com. Call Gord or Sue:(204)743-2109.

GROW ORGANIC QUINOA! Total production contracts available. Visit: www.quinoa.com or Phone:(306)933-9525.

LIVESTOCK Cattle – Dexter

PERSONAL

DEXTERS FOR SALE, DOWNSIZING our herd of small cattle great for hand milking or beef purposes. Bred cows, heifers, & bull. Please call for details, $800-$1200 ea. (204)656-4430. No Sunday calls please.

LIVESTOCK Cattle – Hereford FOR SALE: 15 ANGUS Hereford X Heifer Calves, will make excellent cows. Call Don Guilford, Hereford Ranch (204)873-2430, Clearwater. FOR SALE: POLLED HEREFORD Bulls Yearlings & Long Yearlings, semen tested & performance records avail. Call Don Guilford, Hereford Ranch (204)873-2430, Clearwater.

LIVESTOCK Cattle Various 500 BRED HEIFERS. Reds, Blacks, Silvers & Tans. Start calving March 25th, 2016. Had all shots, preg checked, Ivomec, pelvic measured, weigh approx 1250-lbs. Phone:(204)325-2416. 80 BRED HEIFERS. Black Angus & Angus Hereford cross. Bred to calving ease Black Angus bulls. Late February, March calving. From a range calving herd. Preg check with all shots. Ph:(204)873-2525 morning or evenings.

LIVESTOCK Cattle Wanted

TIRED OF THE HIGH COST OF MARKETING YOUR CALVES?? 300-700 LBS. Steers & Heifers Rob: 528-3254, 724-3400 Ben: 721-3400 800-1000 LBS. Steers & Heifers Don: 528-3477, 729-7240

Contact: D.J. (Don) MacDonald Livestock Ltd. License #1110 LIVESTOCK Horses For Sale BLACK QUARTER HORSE STALLION, bred mares & open mares, several saddle horses. Phone (306)435-3634

LIVESTOCK Sheep Auctions

TIME TO APPRECIATE RELATIONSHIPS... Life is Meant to be Shared. We are Here to Help You. CANDLELIGHT MATCHMAKERS. Confidential, Rural, Photos and Profiles to selected matches, Affordable, Local. Serving MB, SK, NW-Ontario. Call/Write for info: Box 212, Roland, MB, R0G 1T0, www.candlelightmatchmakers.ca (204)343-2475.

REAL ESTATE REAL ESTATE Houses & Lots READY TO MOVE 3-BDRM home. Just completed. Stunning white shaker kitchen. See photos on website. MARVIN HOMES, Marvin Vogt, Mitchell, MB. (204)326-1493 or (204)355-8484. www.marvinhomes.ca

REAL ESTATE Land For Rent LOOKING TO RENT IN Stonewall, Teulon, Warren & Rosser area. Phone (204)513-0332.

REAL ESTATE Land For Sale 149.54-AC OF PRIME FARMLAND (SE 04-17-17-3E) located North & East of Teulon in RM of Rockwood. For further details Ph:(204)793-5496.

FARM LAND FOR SALE BY TENDER Sealed, written tenders for the DeRuyck property in the RM of Victoria will be received by:

• Good harvestability

Buy ELGIN ND treated with Raxil® Pro before January 31st, 2016, for only $15.00 per bushel (a 14% saving)

fpgenetics.ca Available at

SASKATCHEWAN Frederick Seed Service Watson, SK 306-287-3977 Greenleaf Seeds Ltd. Tisdale, SK 306-873-4261 McCarthy Seed Farm Ltd. Corning, SK 306-224-4848 Redvers Ag Redvers, SK 306-452-3443 Sundwall Seeds Govan, SK 306-484-2010

MANITOBA Boissevain Select Seeds Ltd. Boissevain, MB 204-534-6846

Chatham Seeds Ltd. Killarney, MB 204-523-8112

Red River Seeds Ltd. Morris, MB 204-746-3059

Friesen Seeds Ltd. Rosenort, MB 204-746-8325

Redsper Enterprises Ltd. Rivers, MB 204-328-5346

Keating Seed Farm Inc. Russell, MB 204-773-3854

Rutherford Farms Ltd. Grosse Isle, MB 204-467-5613

Manness Seed Domain, MB 204-736-2622

New Gen Seed Service Ltd. Portage la Prairie, MB 204-274-2417 Pitura Seed Service Ltd. Domain, MB 204-736-2849

LARGE ROUND 3RD CUT alfalfa grass mix bales, No rain. Also some 1st & 2nd cut. Phone: (204)642-7684.

Phone: 204-526-2145 | www.zeghersseed.com Email: shawnz@zeghersseed.com

• AAC Brandon Wheat • Faller CWIW Class Wheat • Cardale Wheat • Souris Oats • Conlon Barley • Lightning Flax • Meadow Peas

EXCELLENT LIVESTOCK FARMS: 1) 1000 head feedlot, Hartney. 2) 1732 deeded acs w/4,425-acs of Crown land, fenced, small bungalow, very good buildings & metal corral system, can carry 450 cow/calf pairs. 3) 1,270 deeded ac cattle farm by Lac du Bonnet, 640-acs Crown land, turnkey operation. 4) Cattle ranch, Pine River, 3,300 deeded & 1,200-acs Crown land. Jim McLachlan (204)724-7753, HomeLife Home Professional Realty Inc, Brandon, MB, www.homelifepro.com

Zeghers Seed Inc. is also an Exporter! Flax, Mustard, Damaged Canola, Canary, Rye, Triticale, and other crops. We would be glad to help market your special crops.

RECREATIONAL VEHICLES

CERTIFIED SEED Specialty Crops

ASK ABOUT Early Pay, and Volume DISCOUNTS! On Select Seed Purchases.

OAT OR SOYBEAN LAND wanted! Grow quinoa in 2016! Total production contracts available. Competitive returns and guaranteed delivery. Ph: 306-933-9525 or www.quinoa.com

COMMON SEED

RECREATIONAL VEHICLES Snowmobiles

COMMON SEED Various

We Buy Cattle Direct On Farm or Ask About Video Auctions

WANTED:1972 EXT 290, 340 & 440 CC Arctic Cats. 1974 Roll-O-Flex Wild One 340CC-440CC; 340CC-440CC Yamaha GPX; 340CC Liquidator JD & 440 Liquidfire JD. 245CC-340CC RV Ski-doo. Mercury Trailtwister or Snowtwister. (204)728-1861.

CORN SEED $28 PER acre- Catt Corn, open pollinated, lower cost alternative for grazing & silage, high nutritional value & palatability, 7-9 ft tall leafy plants, 8-10 in. cobs, early maturing, 2250 CHU’s seed produced in MB, selling into SK, AB & MB for over 10 years, delivery avail. (204)723-2831

RECYCLING

SEED / FEED / GRAIN

BuyUsed Used Oil Oil ••Buy NOTRE •• Buy Buy Batteries Batteries DAME ••Collect CollectUsed Used Filters Filters • Collect Oil Containers • Collect Oil Containers USED • Antifreeze OIL & Southern,Southern Eastern, and Manitoba Western Western FILTER Manitoba DEPOT Tel: 204-248-2110

SEED/ FEED/GRAIN Feed Grain

“Where Buyers & Sellers Meet” To Consign or for more information call:

204-694-8328 or call Mike at 204-807-0747

NOTRE DAME USED OIL www.winnipeglivestocksales.com & FILTER DEPOT Licence #1122

• Buy Used OilLIVESTOCK • Buy Batteries • Collect UsedSwine Filters •Wanted Collect Oil Containers

Southern and Western Manitoba Tel: 204-248-2110 WANTED:

BUTCHER HOGS SOWS AND BOARS FOR EXPORT

P. QUINTAINE & SON LTD. 728-7549 Licence No. 1123 LIVESTOCK EQUIPMENT ALTERNATIVE POWER BY SUNDOG SOLAR, portable/remote solar water pumping for winter/summer. Call for pricing on solar systems, wind generators, aeration. Service & repair on all makes/models. Carl Driedger, (204)556-2346 or (204)851-0145, Virden. AN ASSORTMENT OF CREEP feeders & self feeders on wheels & skids. All Cypress Industries. Phone:(204)325-2416. FOR SALE: IH 1150 mix mill. Good condition. Call Don:(204)422-5216.

CERTIFIED SEED CERTIFIED SEED Cereal Seeds LESS FUSARIUM MORE BOTTOM LINE. GP Wheat WFT603 seed available. Suitable for ethanol production, livestock feed. Western Feed Grain Development Co-op Ltd. 1-877-250-1552 www.wfgd.ca JAMES FARMS LTD Brandon, Cardale & Faller wheat, Summit, Souris & Haymaker forage oats, Mcleod RR2 soybeans, Tradition barley, forage seeds, various canola & sunflower seed varieties. Custom processing, seed treating, inoculating, as well as delivery are available. Early payment discount. For info call (204)222-8785, or toll-free 1-866-283-8785, Winnipeg. djames@jamesfarms.com

LESS FUSARIUM MORE BOTTOM LINE. GP Wheat WFT603 seed available. Suitable for ethanol production, livestock feed. Western Feed Grain Development Co-op Ltd. 1-877-250-1552 www.wfgd.ca

SEED/ FEED/GRAIN Hay & Straw 220 4X4 SQUARE ANNUAL rye grass straw bales, 82RFV, $0.025/lb. 175 4x4 square bales annual rye grass re-growth, 96RFV, $0.03/lb. 400 bales of wheat straw 4x4 bales, $25/bale. Notre Dame, MB. Matt:(204)723-5002. 3RD CUT ALFALFA HAY for sale, net wrapped round bales, tested. 4 cents/pound, will load. Phone (204)799-8130 or (204)837-9750.

MALT BARLEY “ON FARM PICK UP” *6-Row* 1-877-250-5252 MALT BARLEY

Celebration & Tradition *2-Row* AC Metcalfe &BARLEY CDC feed Copeland We buy feed barley, wheat, MALT MALT BARLEY oats, soybeans, corn & canola We buy feed*2-Row* barley, feed wheat, *6-Row* oats, soybeans, cornCopeland & canola AC Metcalfe & CDC & Tradition COMECelebration SEE US AT AG DAYS IN We buy feed barley, feed wheat, THE CONVENTION HALL SEE barley, US AT AG DAYS IN WeCOME buy feed feed wheat, oats, soybeans, corn & canola CONVENTION HALL BOOTH 1309& oats,THE soybeans, corn canola BOOTH 1309 COME SEE US AT AG DAYS IN COME SEE US AT AG HALL DAYS IN THE CONVENTION THE CONVENTION BOOTH 1309 HALL

BOOTH 1309

2013 Malt Contracts Available 2016 AOG Malt Contracts Available Box 238 Letellier, MB. R0G 1C0 BoxPhone 238 Letellier, MB. R0G 1C0 204-737-2000 Phone 204-737-2000 2014Toll-Free AOG Malt Contracts Available 1-800-258-7434 Toll-Free 1-800-258-7434 BoxMalt 238 MB. R0G 1C0 Agent: M &Letellier, J Weber-Arcola, SK. 2013 Contracts Available Agent: M & J Weber-Arcola, SK. Phone 204-737-2000 Phone 306-455-2509 Box 238 Letellier, MB. R0G 1C0 Phone 306-455-2509 Toll-Free 1-800-258-7434 Phone 204-737-2000 Agent: M & 1-800-258-7434 J Weber-Arcola, SK. Toll-Free FARMERS, RANCHERS, Phone Agent: M & J 306-455-2509 Weber-Arcola, SK. PhonePROCESSORS 306-455-2509 SEED

BUYING ALL FEED GRAINS Heated/Spring Threshed Lightweight/Green/Tough, Mixed Grain - Barley, Oats, Rye, Flax, Wheat, Durum, Lentils, Peas, Canola, Chickpeas, Triticale, Sunflowers, Screenings, Organics and By-Products √ ON-FARM PICKUP √ PROMPT PAYMENT √ LICENSED AND BONDED SASKATOON, LLOYDMINSTER, LETHBRIDGE, VANCOUVER, MINNEDOSA

1-204-724-6741

LARGE ROUND BALES OF wheat & oat straw; Large round bales of hay. Phone:(204)325-2416. ROUND BALES OF ALFALFA Grass Hay 1,250lbs to 1,300-lbs, small squares, Alfalfa Grass mixtures, also small square Wheat Straw bales, store in shed. Also 2 yearling Black Angus bulls. Phone (204)886-2083.

SEED/FEED/GRAIN Grain Wanted

North Star Seed - Forages Red Proso Millet

BRED cOw SALE

Fri., Feb. 6, 2016 @ 11:00 a.m. (We Sell Bred Cows First Friday of Every Month)

Tonn Seeds Plumas, MB 204-386-2206

FOR SALE: ROUND OAT straw bales. $20/each. Phone:(204)662-4432. St. Clare, MB.

For further information contact Larry J. Selby at: Ph: 204-242-2801 Fax: 204-242-2723 email: larry@mmjslaw.com

WANTED: CANAM MOTORCYCLES, 125, 175, 250 & 380 CC. Also looking for 1975 Z1 900 Kawasaki. Phone:(204)728-1861.

Swan Valley Seeds Ltd. Swan River, MB 204-734-2526

Raxil is a registered trademark of Bayer

QUALITY PEDIGREE SEED:

SPEciAL HOLSTEiN STEER SALE

Sierens Seed Service Somerset, MB 204-744-2883

Nadeau Farms Inc. Fannystelle, MB 204-436-2469

Tenders must be received on or before 2:00 p.m. on January 29, 2016.

REAL ESTATE Farms & Ranches – Manitoba

Sanders Seed Farm Manitou, MB 204-242-2576

Miller Agritec Inc. Oakville, MB 204-267-2363

PROPERTY:

RECREATIONAL VEHICLES Motorcycles

Fri., Jan. 22, 2016 @ 9:00 a.m. (They Bring Premiums On This Sale)

• Highest protein in CWIW class

351 Main Street, PO Box 279 Manitou, MB. R0G 1G0 SE ¼ 22-7-12 WPM, in Manitoba and SW ¼ 22-7-12 WPM, in Manitoba, (being approx. 290 cult. acres)

• Competitive Prices • Prompt Movement • Spring Thrashed

• Very high-yielding milling wheat from NDSU

McCULLOCH MOONEY JOHNSTON SELBY LLP

SHEEP LAMB AND GOAT SALE

Wed., Jan. 20, 2016 @ 1:00 p.m. (Local Alberta And Eastern Orders)

ELGIN ND

BUYING:

HEATED CANOLA & FLAX

MALT BARLEY

LIVESTOCK Cattle – Charolais

ORGANIC

N LIM EW VA ITED RIE T SU P Y PLY

SEED/FEED/GRAIN Grain Wanted

*6-Row* Celebration & Tradition We buy feed barley, feed wheat, oats, soybeans, corn & canola

I WANT TO RETIRE. For Sale: small herd of 20 PB registered cows & 5 heifers. Wanted: Pasture to rent for 2016 near Shoal Lake, MB. Phone: (204)759-2412.

KELLN SOLAR SUMMER/WINTER WATERING System, provides water in remote areas, improves water quality, increases pasture productivity, extends dugout life. St. Claude/Portage, 204-379-2763.

CERTIFIED SEED Cereal Seeds

COME SEE US AT AG DAYS IN THE CONVENTION HALL BOOTH 1309

FOR SALE: 15 ANGUS Hereford X Heifer Calves, will make excellent cows. Call Don Guilford, Hereford Ranch (204)873-2430, Clearwater.

CERTIFIED SEED Cereal Seeds

LIVESTOCK EQUIPMENT

2013 Malt Contracts Available Box 238 Letellier, MB. R0G 1C0 Phone 204-737-2000 Toll-Free 1-800-258-7434 Agent: M & J Weber-Arcola, SK. Phone 306-455-2509

LIVESTOCK Cattle – Black Angus

TRAILERS TRAILERS Trailers Miscellaneous 80 MISC FLAT DECK semi-tailers; also 4 pindle hitch sprayer/equipment trailers. Pics & prices at www.trailerguy.ca Phone:(306)222-2413. Sasktaoon, SK.

CAREERS WE BUY OATS Call us today for pricing Box 424, Emerson, MB R0A 0L0 204-373-2328

Vanderveen Commodity Services Ltd. Licensed and Bonded Grain Brokers

37 4th Ave. NE Carman, MB R0G 0J0 Ph. (204) 745-6444 Email: vscltd@mts.net Andy Vanderveen · Brett Vanderveen Jesse Vanderveen

A Season to Grow… Only Days to Pay!

CAREERS Help Wanted DUFFERIN MARKET GARDENS is accepting applications for seasonal Farm Workers. Duties may include planting, weeding, harvesting & packing fresh vegetables. Expect long hrs, much bending & heavy lifting. Experience not necessary but an enthusiastic work ethic is required. Start April 2016. Wages $11/hr. Near Carman, MB. Forward resume w/references to Fax: (204)745-6193 Mail Box 1051, Carman, MB, R0G 0J0. HELP WANTED FOR 2016 SEASON: General farm workers (NOC 8431) for vegetable production. Duties include planting, maintaining & harvesting vegetable crops. Includes repetitive tasks, outside conditions which at times may be hot, wet, dusty or damp. Must be able to handle up to 23kg. Experience an asset. Salary $11-$12. Fax resume to 204-864-3052 or by mail to Meyer Farms Co. Ltd. 5310 PR 424 Cartier, MB R4K 1B1.

Prairie-Wide Display Classifieds

MORE OPTIONS TO SAVE YOU MONEY

Buy one province, buy two provinces or buy all three. Great rates whatever you choose

5X5 ROUND SOFT CORE bales. 120 first cut alfalfa, 100 second cut alfalfa, 350 wild. Phone: (204)762-5782. Lundar, MB. FOR SALE: 1997 LODE King tri-axle grain trailer w/Air ride. Fresh safety, good condition, $25,000. Phone:(204)662-4432. St. Clare MB. FOR SALE: 1ST & 2nd cut Alfalfa Brome Timothy bales, 70% Alfalfa 30% Grass, avg 1,200-lb bales, $38 per bale. Phone (204)344-5360 or (204)781-4504. FOR SALE: 5X6 STRAW round bales, $17 per bale. (204)447-0184 or (204)447-2756. FOR SALE: BARLEY & wheat straw bales, big squares, 4x4x8. Picked up or will haul. Phone (204)856-9223.

Contact Sharon

Email: sharon.komoski@fbcpublishing.com

The Manitoba Co-operator | January 14, 2016

Monsanto increases job cuts as corn, chemical sales slump The seed and chemical company booked a first-quarter net loss of US$253 million

St. Louis-based Monsanto now expects to cut about 1,000 jobs from its payroll on top of the 2,600 announced in October. file photo

BY P.J. HUFFSTUTTER AND TOM POLANSEK Reuters

onsanto said a souring farm economy and currency woes will push its 2016 earnings to the lower end of expectations, while a cost-cutting drive will lead the world’s largest seed company to slash more jobs. Low commodity prices also

should lead to more consolidation in the agricultural sector, CEO Hugh Grant said, about a month after rivals Dow Chemical and DuPont said they would merge. However, Monsanto’s recent attempts to re-engage Syngenta about a potential takeover have been difficult since the Swiss agrochemical company shot down a proposed $45-billion deal last year, Grant said (all figures US$).

He told analysts on an earnings call on Jan. 6 that company executives still believe there is “a significant opportunity” for integration between the two companies, and given tougher market conditions there is a greater need to figure out what those opportunities might be. “ We h a v e n’t s e e n m u c h progress on that front,” Grant said. Investors and Wall Street analysts have wondered what Monsanto would do to boost its portfolio of farm chemicals — particularly after it abandoned a bid for Syngenta in August. Monsanto reported a smallerthan-expected quarterly loss on Jan. 6, thanks in part to soybean sales rising in Brazil and growing demand in the company’s new soybean seeds and product lines. But currency concerns, low commodity prices and farmers keeping a tight grip on their wallets have continued to create a tough market place for the St. Louis-based company. A global glut of corn and soybeans has kept grain prices depressed for a third straight year, while pressure from investors and a desire to bolster profits — and product portfolios — has sent many of the world’s largest agricultural

“We expect industry consolidation to continue, and it should.” Hugh Grant CEO, Monsanto

companies scrambling to cut deals. Late last year, DuPont and Dow announced an all-stock merger valued at $130 billion. Monsanto expects to continue to have licensing deals with the merged company, Grant said. “We expect industry consolidation to continue, and it should,” he said.

Smaller than expected For the quarter ended Nov. 30, two of Monsanto’s key revenue generators saw sales drop. Corn seed and traits sales dropped nearly 20 per cent to $745 million from a year ago. Sales in the company’s agricultural productivity segment, which includes Roundup herbicide, fell 34 per cent to $820 million. In October, Monsanto said that it would slash 2,600 jobs worldwide as part of a global restructuring effort to cut costs and boost savings, including consolidating some business and research centres and

getting out of the sugar cane business. The company said Jan. 6 it now plans to cut a total of 3,600 jobs, or about 16 per cent of its global workforce, through fiscal 2018, and expects to record $1.1 billion to $1.2 billion in restructuring charges. Monsanto had previously said it expected those charges to be between $850 million to $900 million. The company also said it expects adjusted earnings for the full year to Aug. 31, 2016 to be in the lower half of the $5.10 to $5.60 range, partly d u e t o w e a k c u r re n c y i n Argentina. T h e c o m p a n y ’s n e t l o s s was $253 million, or 56 cents per share, in the first quarter ended Nov. 30, compared with a profit of $243 million, or 50 cents per share, a year earlier. On an adjusted basis, Mon santo reported a loss of 11 cents per share. Monsanto’s total net sales fell 22.7 per cent to $2.22 billion.

HOW CUSTOMERS USE CANADIAN FIELD CROPS

Pasta in Italy is made with durum – or else! The best pasta is made with durum wheat, just ask Italy. A decree from the President of Italy in 2001 declared that Italian pasta manufacturers are forbidden by law to use any wheat other than durum in dried pasta for domestic consumption. That’s a good thing for Canada, the world’s leading exporter of high quality durum wheat.

cigi.ca

Canadian International Grains Institute

The Manitoba Co-operator | January 14, 2016

JANUARY 2016

11th Annual Family Day Sale

February 15, 2016 SELLING: 190 RED & BLACK ANGUS TWO YEAR OLD BULLS. STRONG SET OF 200 COMMERCIAL RED & BLACK ANGUS BRED HEIFERS. DUE TO START CALVING MAY 1ST

1:00 p.m. at the farm near Athabasca, AB Lunch at 11:30 a.m.

CANADA’S LARGEST SELECTION OF 2 YEAR OLD ANGUS BULLS

January 2016 www.olefarms.com

Western Canada’s Comprehensive Bull Buyers Guide

The Manitoba Co-operator | January 14, 2016

January 2016

BONCHUK FARMS BULL SALE Western Canada’s Comprehensive Bull Buyers Guide

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2016 AT HEARTLAND LIVESTOCK, VIRDEN, MB SALE AT 1:00 • JOIN US FOR LUNCH AT 11:00

Dave Bonchuk 204-773-0467 or 204-842-3706 Wayne Bonchuk 204-796-0004

25 Angus Long yearlings

70 BULLS REDS, BLACK, FULLBLOOD/FLECK SIMMENTAL BULLS YEARLINGS AND 2 YEAR OLDS

Check catalogue online at

www.bonchukfarms.com or www.bouchardlivestock.com

March 05, 2016 1:00pm Fairgrounds

Pincher Creek, AB

50 Charolais Two’s & Yearlings

3 Ranch Horse Prospects Blaine & Moira Pickard 403-627-4766 Turnbull Charolais 403-627-6951 A&L Robbins Ranching 403-627-7398 January 2016 Char-Lew Ranch 403-627-9412 View the catalogue online @ www.charolaisbanner.com Western Canada’s Comprehensive Bull Buyers Guide

The Manitoba Co-operator | January 14, 2016

January 2016 Western Canadaâ€™s Comprehensive Bull Buyers Guide

The Manitoba Co-operator | January 14, 2016

January 2016 Western Canada’s Comprehensive Bull Buyers Guide

AnnuAl Bull SAle

Friday, March 11, 2016 | 2:00 PM cST | on The FarM | VanScoy, SK

Winn Mans lanza

Winn Mans Skaggs

watch for updates on our Facebook Page and at

WWW.ASpArroWfArMS.coM

lT Blue Value

Sale broadcast by

Cam Sparrow | 306-668-4218 | Vanscoy, Saskathchewan | asparrowfarms@yourlink.ca

Davidson Gelbvieh & Lonesome Dove Ranch

BULL SALE

Annual

Saturday MARCH 5

2016

Vernon & Eileen Davidson Box 681, Ponteix, Saskatchewan Canada S0N 1Z0 Home Phone (306) 625-3755 Cell (306) 625-7863 • Cell (306) 625-7864 www.davidsongelbvieh.com davidsongelbvieh@sasktel.net

BULL YARDS SOUTH OF PONTEIX, SK

Watch for signs

Selling...100+

Purebred Red & Black Gelbvieh bulls for both progressive commercial & seed-stock operations. Consistent & Predictable! Plus amazing NEW genetics!

January 2016 Western Canada’s Comprehensive Bull Buyers Guide

Ross & Tara Davidson, Ash, Cameron & Jaime PO Box 147 Ponteix, SK S0N 1Z0 Canada Home Phone (306) 625-3513 Ross (306) 625-7045 • Tara (306) 625-7345 Fax (306) 625-3782 www.lonesomedoveranch.ca lonesomedoveranch@sasktel.net

The Manitoba Co-operator | January 14, 2016

January 2016 Western Canadaâ€™s Comprehensive Bull Buyers Guide

The Manitoba Co-operator | January 14, 2016

January 2016

RANGEBull READY Sale

Western Canada’s Comprehensive Bull Buyers Guide

SATURDAY, MARCH 12, 2016 – 1:00 PM

HEARTLAND LIVE STOCK SERVICE S - YORKTON, SK Catalog can be viewed on line at www.buyagro.com

GUTEK LIMOUSIN AND CHAROLAIS

PHANTOM FARMS

PK HEREFORDS

PRAIRIE VIEW CHAROLAIS

HIGHWAY 5 SIMMENTALS

Trent Wolkowski cell# 306-563-7509 Colby Wolkowski cell# 306-563-7567 email hwy5simmentals@gmail.com

Darren Odowichuk Shortdale, MB (204) 546-2995 Home (204) 937-7680 Cell PrairieView@hotmail.com

MEADOWVALE “M” RED ANGUS

Cam and Esther Morgan Box 371, Saltcoats, SK S0A 3R0 Morgan.ai.services@gmail.com 306-744-7411

Dan, Karen, Mackenzie & Garren Skeels

Box 1638 - Rimbey, AB T0C 2J0 (403) 843-4756 • (403) 783-1217 anchordranch@albertahighspeed.net

Rg Rd #21

Clint & Meridee Kopelchuk Canora, SK pkherefords@sasktel.net (306) 563-6337 home (306) 563-8304 cell

Jeff Sznerch & Family Canora, SK phantomfarms@hotmail.com 306-563-4155/ 306-562-7993

Hwy 20

Jeffrey and Bonnie Gutek Hendon,SK (306) 338 2112

Rimbey

Anchor D Ranch TWP Rd #433A Hwy 53

Directions: From Rimbey 1 1/2 miles North on Hwy #20, 3 miles East on Hwy 53, 3 1/2 miles North on Rg Rd #21, 1/4 mile East on Twp Rd #433A

January 2016 Western Canada’s Comprehensive Bull Buyers Guide

The Manitoba Co-operator | January 14, 2016

January 2016 Western Canada’s Comprehensive Bull Buyers Guide

31st Annual Bull Sale February 27, 2016

LFE 3161B Limitless x 514N

LFE 3026B Black Advance x Bacardi

140 Simmental Yearlings 120 Simmental Extra Age

LFE 745B Chesapeake x Stimulation

LFE 3262B Chunk x Cross Fire

45 Angus Yearlings 45 Angus Extra Age LFE 3056B The Goon x Red Tanker

LFE 3018B JL Kelly x Pioneer

LFE 3074B Turbulence x Canyon

Kyle Lewis: 780-220-9188 Jordan Buba: 780-818-4047 Ken Lewis: 780-818-3829 kyle@lewisfarms.ca jordan@lewisfarms.ca lewis@xplornet.com Fullblood Bulls: Mark Land & Cattle , Lenny Mark 780-842-7207

January 2016

w w w . l e w i s f a rms.ca Western Canada’s Comprehensive Bull Buyers Guide

The Manitoba Co-operator | January 14, 2016

January 2016 Western Canada’s Comprehensive Bull Buyers Guide

100 RED & BLACK SIMMENTAL BULLSS IMMENTAL R PLUS S

s anc & Son

LeBl RossSIMMENTALS S4A 2L7 R PLUS SIM R PLUS tevan, SK Box 1476 Es 31

6.634.80 30Sons Ross LeBlanc Marlin & 6.421.2470 30 l el C Estevan, SK S4A 2L7 Box 1476 Ross

Marlin 306.634.8031 306.421.9909 Jason Cell 306.421.2470

Marlin 306.63 Cell 306.42

Ross

306.421.1824

Ross

306.42

Jason

306.421.9909

Jason

306.42

ement:

Sales Manag

Sales Management:

OBI

uk Management: Sales aych Rob Holow 28 780.916.26 waychuk Mark Holo 90 49 6. Rob Holowaychuk Rob Holowaychuk 89 ESTEVAN, SK S4A 2L7 403.

R PLUS OBI SIMMENTALS

SALES MANAgEMENT:

oBI

Box 1476

RoB HoLowAyCHUK 780.916.2628

January 2016 MARK HoLowAyCHUK 403.896.4990

780.916.2628

MARLIN LEBLANC Mark Holowaychuk (CELL) 306.421.2470 403.896.4990 (CELL) 306.421.9637 (HoME) 306.634.8031

306.421.1824

Ross LeBlanc Box 1476 Estev

OBI

780.916.2628

Mark Holowaychuk 403.896.4990

Western Canada’s Comprehensive Bull Buyers Guide

The Manitoba Co-operator | January 14, 2016

January 2016 Western Canada’s Comprehensive Bull Buyers Guide

Selling

TOP QUALITY Bulls in Volume for more than

115 years

Horned Hereford Bulls Polled Hereford Bulls Angus Bulls Ranch Horses

new location NOW IN A

Mar 2 & 3 For more information contact ALBERTA CATTLE BREEDERS ASSOCIATION (403)852-0154 finsethjudy@gmail.com

January 2016

On-line bidding with DLMS

www.calgarybullsale

Bull Buyers Guide.indd 1

15-12-16 9:20 AM

Western Canada’s Comprehensive Bull Buyers Guide

The Manitoba Co-operator | January 14, 2016

January 2016

2 YEAR OLD SIMMENTAL BULLS Western Canada’s Comprehensive Bull Buyers Guide

REICH ANGUS & K3 RANCH 2 YEAR OLD BULL SALE

MARCH 16, 2016 CALNASH AG CENTRE - PONOKA AB

K 3

KOLTON KASUR (780-387-8376) • HAROLD REICH CELL (403-783-0207) • REICH RANCH (780-372-2175)

STOP BY ANYTIME

LLB Angus

30th AnnuAl

Bull & FEMAlE SAlE

at the farm Erskine AB

MARCh 12, 2016

Offering over 700 head of Quality Black & Red Angus Cattle

• 100 yearling heifers • 300 commercial heifers • 60 purebred & commercial bred heifers • 150 yearling bulls • 100 two year old bulls

Black & Red two year old Bulls

Black & Red Yearling Bulls

January 2016

Lee, Laura & Jackie Brown Trish & Tim henderson Phone: 403-742-4226 Fax: 403-742-2962

Box 217, erskine, alberta T0c 1G0 catalogue online www.llbangus.com

Western Canada’s Comprehensive Bull Buyers Guide

The Manitoba Co-operator | January 14, 2016

January 2016 Western Canadaâ€™s Comprehensive Bull Buyers Guide

The Manitoba Co-operator | January 14, 2016

January 2016 Western Canada’s Comprehensive Bull Buyers Selling 75 Rising TwoGuide Year

Olds:

25 Polled Limousin • Red & Black

30 Black Angus 20 Red Angus

View the catalogue online at

www.nordallimousin.com or

www.buyagro.com

PO Box 85 Simpson, SK S0G 4MO Rob Garner Cell: 306-946-7946 nordallimousin@sasktel.net

NordalAd_Resized.indd 1

Wednesday, December 23, 2015 10:40:31 AM

DMF 436B IPU Red Chakota X Titan

DMF 441B STF Royal Affair X Twain

DMF 424B Wheatland Terminator X Driver

DMF 488B IPU Red Chakota X Crocket

January 2016 DiamondM_resized.indd 1

Wednesday, December 23, 2015 10:27:14 AM

Western Canada’s Comprehensive Bull Buyers Guide

The Manitoba Co-operator | January 14, 2016

January 2016 Western Canadaâ€™s Comprehensive Bull Buyers Guide

The Manitoba Co-operator | January 14, 2016

January 2016 Western Canada’s Comprehensive Bull Buyers Guide

Family Day Bull Sale 11th Annual

February 15, 2016 With 2000 females exposed in 2015, we at Ole Farms know what it takes to raise trouble free cattle. In order to be pro�itable we believe that a cow must be able to: *Feed herself on forages for as many days as possible with minimal mechanical intervention *Re-breed each summer and wean a calf every year. All of our cattle must be deep-bodied, easy �leshing and have solid feet. This enables them to hold condition and breed without being pampered. Our sale bulls are 21 months of age. They are moderate, forage developed and ready to make your operation more pro�itable.

January 2016

1:00 p.m. at the farm near Athabasca, AB – Lunch at 11:30 a.m.

190 Red & Black Angus Two Year Old Bulls Strong set of 200 Commericial Red & Black Angus Bred Heifers Due to start calving May 1st

CANADA’S LARGEST SELECTION OF 2 YEAR OLD ANGUS BULLS

“Sharing in the Excitement of Agriculture”

Sale Managed by:

Kelly & Anna Olson: 780-675-4664 – Kelly Cell: 780-689-7822 Travis: 780-689-8324 – Graham: 780-675-0112 P.O. Box 420, Athabasca, Alberta T9S 2A4

www.olefarms.com

Western Canada’s Comprehensive Bull Buyers Guide

The Manitoba Co-operator | January 14, 2016

January 2016

Black Angus Bull Sale

Western Canada’s Comprehensive Bull Buyers Guide

Year Old

FEBRUARY 11, 2016

FORT MACLEOD AUCTION FEATURING:

Rugged Rising Two Year Olds! Summer grazed on grass from April 26 to October 15 for development of their future. Many 1�/2and 3�/4 brothers. Bred & Owned STACEY & MICHEL STAUFFER & FAMILY Contact Us For A Catalogue

Box 2377, Pincher Creek, AB T0K 1W0

sranches@telus.net Office: 403-627-2190 Stacey’s Cell: 403-627-8229

January 2016 Western Canada’s Comprehensive Bull Buyers Guide

The Manitoba Co-operator | January 14, 2016

January 2016 d

Western Canada’s Comprehensive Bull Buyers Guide

Carlrams Ranching Ltd

7th Annual Bull Sale ~ 2:00 ‘Sask Time’

Thursday - February 11th view live online

CARLRAMS 87R STD ROYAL170A ~ Son of Elk ~ 1/2 Interest purchased by Braun Ranches at 2015 Sale ~

- large volume -

‘ELK’ CARLRAMS 139L STD 87R ~ Sons in 2016 sale ~

- uniformed -

CARLRAMS 87R STD 103Z ~ Son of Elk ~ Working on Carlrams Ranching ~ ~ Sons in 2016 sale ~

- rugged ranch bulls -

Please be our guest for lunch at noon before the sale! Carl & Dalynn’s Yard - 5 miles North of Cut Knife, SK ~ Black Angus Bulls from RNRFlicek Angus ~ ~ Hereford Bulls from Flicek Herefords ~ Heifers ~

Cal & Marilyn Carl & Dalynn (306) 398-7343 (306) 398-7879

Cut Knife, Saskatchewan, Canada ~ Catalgoue will be online January 4th ~

January 2016 www.CarlramsRanching.com

Western Canada’s Comprehensive Bull Buyers Guide

The Manitoba Co-operator | January 14, 2016

January 2016 Western Canadaâ€™s Comprehensive Bull Buyers Guide

The Manitoba Co-operator | January 14, 2016

January 2016 Western Canada’s Comprehensive Bull Buyers Guide

Plan now to attend...

Rawes Ranches Ltd.

 calving ease  grass-based

33rd Annual Performance Tested Charolais Bull Sale

 strong maternal  longevity  moderate frame

Tuesday, February 16, 2016 at the ranch, Strome, AB On offer: 150 TWO YEAR OLDS

Shellmouth, MB 204-564-2540

2 yr old bulls sold private treaty off the ranch!

BUY A BULL..WIN A HEIFER! Check website for contest details!

www.nerbasbrosangus.com Stewart Cattle Co. & Guests

8th Annual Black Angus Bull Sale 50 Black Angus Bulls & Simmental x Angus Bulls

FEBRUARY 25 / 2016 1:00pm This is your opportunity to purchase bulls from a family that has been breeding Charolais cattle for over 50 years. We offer you the largest selection of Two Year Olds from a program that guarantees sound, functional, uniform bulls, with built in performance to sire calves that will top the market.

Neepawa Ag-plex, Neepawa, MB

Phone or email for catalogue: stewartcows@wificountry.ca

Philip & Marie Harty (780) 376-2241

John & Myrna Rawe (780) 376-3598

www.rawesranches.com January 2016

The Ranch where performance is no accident!

Sale catalogue & video will be available from consignors or online @

www.stewartcattle.com

FREE BOARD on all bull purchases until April 1, 2016

Stewart Cattle Co. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204.773.6392 DJ Cattle Co. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204.841.3880 Legaarden Livestock. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204.648.5254

Western Canada’s Comprehensive Bull Buyers Guide

The Manitoba Co-operator | January 14, 2016

January 2016 Western Canadaâ€™s Comprehensive Bull Buyers Guide

The Manitoba Co-operator | January 14, 2016

January 2016 Western Canada’s Comprehensive Bull Buyers Guide

R ivercrest Valleymere Sons sell:

KBJ PREDO 105A

BW 2.5 WW 38 YW 74 MILK 22 TM 41

Sire: Atlasta Predominacnt 31W MGS: FRL Traveler 416

DURALTA 307R UPDRAFT 45A

January 2016

13 th Annual

Spady Bull Sale Wednesday, April 13th, 2016

Selling 120 Black Angus Bulls

1:30 pm at the Ranch, Alliance, AB

BW 5.6 WW 59 YW 100 MILK 24 TM 54

BW 0.8 WW 47 YW 84 MILK 29 TM 53

PEAK DOT ELIMINATOR 780Z 2nd High Selling Yearling at Peak Dot 2013 Sale

Sire: SAV Eliminator 9105 MGS: SAV 004 Predominant 4438

BW 3.1 WW 73 YW 123 MILK 31 TM 68

BROOKING STIMULUS 332

2nd High Selling Yearling at Brooking 2014 Sale

Sire: Connealy Stimulus 8419 MGS: SAC 004 Density 4336

* All Bulls Semen Tested * Sight Unseen Purchase Guarantee * Volume Buyer Incentive * Delivery or Credit

Sire: SITZ Upward 307R MGS: KMK Alliance 6595 187 Visit our websites for more details www.rivercrestangus.com and www.valleymereangus.com or give us a call.

FV MANDATE MAN 146Y High Selling Yearling at Fertile Valley 2012 Sale

Sire: Sydgen Mandate 6079

BW -1.9 WW 60 YW 112 MILK 23 TM 53

MGS: FV 20K King 308M

Craig Spady 403-740-4978 Travis Spady 780-879-2298 Tom Spady 780-879-2180 Brian Spady 780-879-2110

Western Canada’s Comprehensive Bull Buyers Guide

The Manitoba Co-operator | January 14, 2016

January 2016

C R y Laz ch Ran BULL SALE 50

Western Canada’s Comprehensive Bull Buyers Guide Herd Sires in Use

Red Lazy RC Logic 146Y

Red & Black Long Yearling Bulls (coming twos)

Red Brox Zanzoo 252Z

Feb r u a r y 1 , 2 0 1 6 2:00 PM CST S a l e L o c at i o n : L a z y RC R a n ch , B e e ch y, S K

Red Lazy RC Thor 019X

Lazy RC Ranch

Red McRaes Top Cut 78X

Russ, Cindy, Jade, Cody and Hailey Sibbald Box 329 • Beechy,SK • S0L 0C0

306-859-2244 home 306-859-7726 cell lazyrcranch@xplornet.ca

Infor mation and Catalog

Crowfoot Logic 4019P

www.lazyr cr anch.com January 2016

Remington Lock N Load 189Y

Western Canada’s Comprehensive Bull Buyers Guide

The Manitoba Co-operator | January 14, 2016

January 2016

6th AnnualWestern RanchCanada’s RaisedComprehensive Bull Buyers Guide

Hwy

West

Multi-Breed Bull Sale SASKATOON LIVESTOCK SALES - SASKATOON, SK.

MARCH 19, 2016 • 1:00 PM MAYERTHORPE AG BARN

E rixon Lad 20C

E rixon Lad 54C

VIEWING: 10:00 AM • LUNCH: 12:00 PM

BULLS ON OFFER

COME AS U R RED ROCKET X WHEATLAND RED ACE Inaugural group of Red Rocket Bulls sell on March 2.

THESE ARE ALL PAPERED, 100% GUARANTEED BREEDING BULLS. BLACK ANGUS RONAN R ANGUS

SIMMENTAL

HMR GELBVIEH

HORNBANK SIMMENTALS

Henry & Michelle Roy (780)723-2361

TRI A ANGUS

RED ANGUS CARSON RANCH

Jason & Carla Rand (780)725-3775

Auctioneering By

E rixon Lad 45C

60 bulls 10 heifers

GELBVIEH

Ralph & Lorree Erdell (780)786-2961 Andy & Darlene Becker (780)723-2683

On Offer

NUG ROYAL RED X ERIXON TRADITION 83T Inaugural group of Royal Red Bulls sell on March 2.

red, red baldies, black, black baldies

Dave Holroyd (780)723-3974

NOLARA FARMS

Larry, Nola & Sara Van Sickle (780)786-4341

Dave & Krista Erixon Dave 306-270-2893 :: Krista 306-270-1263 Clavet, SK :: erixonsimmentals@sasktel.net View Catalogue online at www.erixonsimmentals.com Sale Managed by: www.BOHRSON.com

ERIXON DEALER 63Z X LBR CROCKET Erixon Dealer calves were a standout set in our 2015 sale.

(780)542-7323

VIEW THE CATALOG ONLINE AT WWW.TIMBERLINDAUCTIONS.COM

On the ranch Russell, Manitoba

Thursday, February 18, 2016 Year Old Bulls 70 Two Black and Red Simmentals, Angus and Simm-Angus bulls

SIMMENTAL

ANGUS

SIMMENTAL

ANGUS

Sale managed by:

January 2016

Miles Glasman Bonnie Glasman Jared Glasman

(204) 773-6275 (204) 773-0094 (204) 796-0999

(204) 773-3279

Box 1179, Russell, Manitoba R0J 1W0, Canada mjfarms@inetlink.ca www.mjsimmentalangus.com

GLASMAN FARMS

Matthew & Leanne Glasman Cell: (204) 773-6055

(204) 773-3209

Western Canada’s Comprehensive Bull Buyers Guide

Box 1467, Russell, Manitoba R0J 1W0, Canada mlg@glasmanfarms.com www.glasmanfarms.com

The Manitoba Co-operator | January 14, 2016

January 2016

Denbie Ranch

Western Canada’s Comprehensive Bull Buyers Guide

and Guests

BULL SALE

Saturday, Feb 13th, 2016 1:00 P.M. @ Ste. Rose Auction Mart Selling:

Denbie Ranch 18 Two Year Old and 28 Long Yearling Red Angus and Red Angus X Simmental Hybrid Bulls

Myhre Land and Cattle 12 Two Year Old Charolais Bulls

Bar J 9 Yearling Charolais Bulls 5 Black Angus X Simmental Composite Bulls

Contact: Denbie Ranch

Myhre Land and Cattle

Bar J

Denis and Debbie Guillas

Hans Myhre

Jack Robertson

204-447-2473

204-638-5664

204-843-2246

Cell: 204-447-7608

Cell: 204-648-6416

Justin Robertson 204-871-3086

View Catalogue @ srauction.ca

The 2016

“Where the serious bull buyers are looking”

WESTERN CANADA’S COMPREHENSIVE BULL SALE SOURCE

Give your bull sale the exposure it needs and its best chance of reaching the Beef Cattle Producers in Canada, using the Western Canadian Comprehensive Bull Buyers Guide.

STRATEGIC ADVANTAGES • Massive distribution (92,500) total penetration of the western Canadian marketplace for cattle breeders, in the leading ag publications. • Full color with limited premium positions and double page spreads available. • 8 week shelf life, possibly longer for commercial breeders to reference later on. • Unbeatable value - about 2 cents per contact for a full page ad.

PUBLICATION SCHEDULE LATE FEBRUARY ISSUES: Deadline: Feb. 1, 2016 February 29 - Alberta Farmer February 22 - Saskatchewan AgDealer February 25 - Manitoba Co-operator rAnge WArs

long WAY From lA Crete But country stars Brad and Curtis Rempel haven’t forgotten their farm roots » PG 32

Report on grazing leases ignites an old debate » PG 22

ThE ANNuAL ROuNDup

Young beef producers meet in Neepawa » Pg 15

Book an ad in the 2016 Edition of the Bull Buyers Guide and receive up to 50% OFF on any additional ads booked into Canadian Cattlemen – Grainews Cattlemen’s Corner – Alberta Farmer Express – Manitoba Co-operator – Saskatchewan Ag Dealer (Ask Your Rep for Rates! Available Upon Request)

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REMINDER Contact your Rep to tell them about your Post Sale Results so we can publish them in Canadian Cattlemen

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Stonewall pays tribute to artist William Kurelek » Pg 3

Publications Mail Agreement # 40069240

AlbertA eDItION | Issue #18 | August 31, 2015 | ADVeRtIsINg INFORMAtION: 1-888-999-4178 | www.agdealer.com

serVing mAnitobA FArmers since 1925 | Vol. 73, no. 33 | $1.75

August 13, 2015

Vo lu m e 1 2 , n u m b e r 1 6

no word on farm aid until after harvest Livestock producers have a tax deferral option, but government waiting to see if crop insurance is adequate By Alexis Kienlen AF STAFF

August 3, 2015

Farm leaders say workers’ compensation coverage is a good thing Mandatory enrolment could be announced this fall, but leaders say cost and paperwork won’t be onerous

cP Rail says it’s ready to move this year’s crop to market

mAnitobAcooperAtor.cA

Researchers study how to extend the growing season MAFRD is looking at how well these oversize cold frames can extend horticultural growing seasons

The company is investing billions to move even more grain as western Canadian production continues to increase

rop producers will have to wait until after harvest to find out if there is any government drought assistance, says the president of the Grain Growers of Canada. The question of additional farm aid was put to Oneil Carlier, the new NDP agriculture minister, when he attended an Alberta Wheat Commission directors’ meeting in Red Deer on July 21, said Gary Stanford, who is also a director with that organization. “I asked him if there will be any form of funding for cattle and hay, and also for some areas that are so dry that crop insurance for grain farmers won’t really cover everything,” said the Magrath-area producer. “He said that he will probably wait until after harvest is over and he gets the crop insurance information back from the Agricultural Financial Services Corporation to see what the facts are. He’ll then find out which counties are in the worst shape.” That same stance was taken by Federal Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz at a national meeting of agriculture ministers held in mid-

USED INVENTORY LIQUIDATION VISIT WWW.DEERMART.COM FOR MORE USED INVENTORY

OUT BLOW

2010 NH CR9080 WAS $269,900 NOW $199,900

BY ALLAN DAWSON

JOHN DEERE COMBINES

Co-operator staff

JD S670 - 2012, Duals JD S670 - 2012 JD S670 - 2012 JD S680 JD T670 JD 8820 - 1983 JD 8820 JD 8820 - Titan II JD 9501 - PT JD 9650 - Walker JD 9660 - Walker JD 9760 - STS

senior executive with CP Rail says the company is “well positioned” to move this year’s g ra i n c r o p d e s p i t e re c e n t cutbacks in staff and locomotives. Grain is, was and will continue to be Canadian Pacific Railway’s biggest cargo, John Brooks, vice-president of sales and marketing for bulk commodities, said in an interview Aug. 6. And the historic railway founded in 1881 is investing to move even more in the future, he said. “Make no bones about it, grain is king at CP,” he said. “It is our life-bread. There is nothing we want to do more than move a lot of grain. “I think we feel pretty good about our handling capacity… to move this new crop.”

OTHER COMBINES

CIH 2388 - 2003 CIH 2388 MF 8780 NH CR9080 - 2010, 1031/790 HRS NH TR98 - 2218 HRS NH CX8080 MF 9790 -

WAS

$339,500 $341,500 $349,900 $389,900 $232,900 $21,900 $15,900 $27,900 $29,900 $115,900 $177,900 $144,900

WAS

$119,900 $99,900 $61,500 $269,900 $69,900 $195,900 $159,900

NOW

$290,900 $295,900 $285,000 $319,900 $199,900 $13,900 $7,950 $12,900 $25,900 $110,900 $149,900 $119,900

NOW

$89,900 $79,900 $48,750 $199,900 $49,900 $169,900 $99,900

LEASE JD T670, 615PU FOR $13,500 Semi-Annual 0 Down OTHER HEADERS

CIH 1010 - 30’ BATT REEL CIH 1010 - 30’ BATT REEL HONEY BEE - 21’ JD ADAPTER MF 9700 - 30’ PU REEL

WINDROWERS

WAS

NOW

$7,900 $8,900 $18,900 $10,900

$4,900 $5,250 $12,900 $5,200

WAS

NOW

JD W150 - 2013, 430D $149,900 $141,900 JD W150 - c/w 430D Platform 2014 DEMO$179,900 $164,900 JD W150 - c/w 430D Platform 2013 $144,900 $129,900 MACDON M150 - 2009, D60, 30ft $119,900 $104,900 MACDON M150 - 2008 $114,500 $103,500 MACDON M150 - D60 25ft 2008 $115,900 $104,900 $9,900 MACDON 960 HDR - 21ft, 1997 $15,900 $99,900 PREMIER M150 - 25ft, 2008 $159,000 PREMIER M155 - 30ft, 2012 $145,900 $134,500 PREMIER M155 - 30ft, 2012 $145,900 $134,500 PREMIER M155 - 30ft, 2012 $153,900 $144,500 PREMIER M155 - 30ft, 2012 $155,900 $144,500 $69,900 WESTWARD 9352 - 2002, 30ft $75,900 $24,900 CIH 8820 - 25ft Rotosheears $29,900

JOHN DEERE 2WD

WAS

NOW

January 2016 see CP Rail on page 7 »

JOHN DEERE HEADERS

High tunnel production has potential to extend the Manitoba grower’s season, says MAFRD’s fruit crops specialist Anthony Mintenko. He and the provincial vegetable crop specialist are evaluating fruit and vegetable crops for high tunnel production at the AAFC site at Portage la Prairie. PHOTO: LORRAINE STEVENSON

BY LORRAINE STEVENSON Co-operator staff / Portage la Prairie

see FARM AiD } page 6

You don’t have to go far to find hazards on a farm, and that’s why new workplace safety regulations are inevitable, say farm leaders. PHOTOS: COURTESY Canadian agRiCUlTURal SafETY aSSOCiaTiOn

AF STAFF

hanges to farm safety regulations are expected soon — and that might not be a bad thing for Alberta farmers, says the president of the Alberta Federation of Agriculture. “Workers’ compensation or private insurance really is a great risk management tool for farms nowadays,” said Lynn Jacobson. “That protection against litigation is one of the big selling fac-

tors for workers’ compensation.” Oneil Carlier, the new NDP agriculture minister, has vowed to extend workplace safety regulations to farm workers who aren’t currently covered by workers’ compensation or Occupational Health and Safety regulations. Today, only around seven per cent of Alberta farm employers voluntarily carry workers’ compensation for their operations. But offering that protection — both for employers and employees — is one of the realities of farm-

Rick Dibben

ing today, said Jacobson, who farms near Enchant. “There’s getting to be more and more hired help on the farm and we’re employing more people,” he said. “It gives protection from litigation and other advantages, and if you don’t have it, there can be some serious consequences.” And farm workers today “aren’t just interested in a paycheque,” he said. “They’re starting to realize, ‘If I get hurt on this job, where’s the protection for my family?’ When it comes down to it, a farm that has some type of

protection for those people is going to have a lot easier time hiring people.”

Cost and paperwork

There are “some misconceptions” about workers’ compensation that have made Alberta farmers reluctant to offer coverage to their workers, said Jacobson. “Some people don’t like that administrative role and the paperwork that is associated with the program at this point in time,” he said.

Publication Mail Agreement 40069240

By JenniFeR BlAiR

production system that extends the growing season, offers growers a competitive edge in the marketplace and potential to make more money sounds mighty tempting. That’s why fruit and vegetable growers were out in large numbers at Hort Diagnostic Days in late July to hear more about construction of high tunnels. This is the first year a variety of fruits and vegetables has been planted in the high tunnel built in 2014 at the Agriculture Agri-Food

Canada location in Portage la Prairie. Growers are keen to hear what Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Development (MAFRD) specialists are learning. High tunnel production is commonplace in other parts of Canada and in northern and central U.S. where nearly every type of fruit and vegetable is now grown, even tree fruits. MAFRD staff are researching how high tunnels work in Manitoba growing conditions. “We have a lot of recommendations from other places like Minnesota and Ontario about what to grow in a high tunnel but nothing for under Manitoba conditions,” said fruit

crop specialist Anthony Mintenko, who is evaluating day-neutral strawberries, early-season June-bearing strawberries, fall-bearing raspberries and blackberries at one end of the 100x15x7.5-foot tunnel. Provincial vegetable specialist Tom Gonsalves is experimenting with vegetables such as tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers at the other. High tunnels are like greenhouses, except they don’t have a double layer of poly, and no permanent heat or electricity. But they have a similar function — they keep cold out and, conversely, heat in.

JD 635D - Cross Auger JD 635D - Cross Auger JD 930 DRAPER - PU REEL (3) JD 930 DRAPER - PU REEL JD 936 DRAPER - PU REEL

WAS

$65,900 $67,900 $41,900 $41,900 $44,900

NOW

$57,500 $58,900 $29,900 $36,900 $29,900

JD 2550 - o/s MFWD, loader JD 2950 - 2WD, Cab, recent wo JD 4450 - 2WD, JD 725 JD 4455 - MFWD, PST, JD 265 JD 4960 - duals, MFWD, 3 PTH JD 5075E - Cab, MFWD, H240 loader JD 5075M - DEMO

DEERMART Equipment Sales Ltd. PROUD TO BE INDEPENDENTLY OWNED!

$23,500 $25,900 $71,900

$58,900

$19,500 $23,900 SOLD SOLD $64,900 SOLD $48,900

LEASE 2003 CIH 2388 FOR $5,950 Semi-Annual 0 Down WAS

JOHN DEERE 2WD

JD 5200 - MFWD, cab, 540 loader JD 6125M - MFWD, JD 6430 - Premium, 673 loader JD 7200 - MFWD, 740 loader JD 7215R - MFWD, H480 JD 7210R - IVT, 50 k, frt 3pth & pto JD 7210R - 50 k, IVT, frt 3pth & pto JD 7210R - 50 k, IVT, H480 loader JD 7210R - 50 k, IVT, H480 loader JD 7220 - 741 loader JD 4440 - 2WD, 740SL loader JD 5100E - cab, MFWD, low hrs JD 7430 - MFWD, 741 loader JD 7830 - AUTOQUAD, 746 loader JD 8335R - IVT, frt hitch REDUCED JD 8345R - 2 To Choose From

$32,900

$106,900 $59,900 $224,900 $249,900 $250,500 $250,900 $249,900 $59,900 $75,900 $107,900 $139,900 $332,900

WAS

JOHN DEERE 4WD JD 9460R JD 9430 - 3pth, PTO JD 9430 - PS

$315,900 $227,900 $289,900

WAS

OTHER TRACTORS

FENDT 930 - FRT Hitch CIH 7220 - MFWD, ldr CIH 2294 - 2WD, PST AGCO 6690 - MFWD, ldr MCCORMICK TTX230 - 2013

$139,900 $62,900 $24,900 $25,900 $119,900

NOW

$23,900 SOLD $95,900 $49,900 $214,900 $228,900 $229,900 $230,900 $229,900 $49,900 SOLD $62,900 $99,900 $129,900 $299,900 Coming In

NOW

$299,900 $199,900 $232,500

NOW

$125,900 $58,900 $18,500 $23,900 $104,900

INDEPENDENTLY OWNED AND PROUD OF IT

TOLL FREE: 877-613-3373

Mike Gait Eugene Styba

TEL: 403-343-2238

403-302-9101 (cell) 403-588-3985 (cell)

Rene Vetterli John Bontje

403-588-9942 (cell) 403-350-5644 (cell)

6705 Golden West Avenue, Red Deer, AB

www.deermart.com

see ReseaRCheRs on page 6 »

Mike Millar

COOL: U.S. challengeS canada’S claim» PAGE 3

see COVeRAGe } page 7

Advertising Sales Cell: 403-393-7493 rick.dibben@fbcpublishing.com

National Advertising Sales Cell: 306-251-0011 mike.millar@fbcpublishing.com

Tiffiny Taylor

Sales & Special Projects Cell: 204-228-0842 tifﬁny.taylor@fbcpublishing.com

Western Canada’s Comprehensive Bull Buyers Guide

The Manitoba Co-operator | January 14, 2016

January 2016 Western Canada’s Comprehensive Bull Buyers Guide

One Breed Every Need

For

Performance•Docility•Efficienc y•Longevity

The Bull You Can Trust www.hereford.ca •

5160 Skyline Way NE, Calgary, AB T2E 6V1 •

1-888-836-7242 •

January 2016 Western Canada’s Comprehensive Bull Buyers Guide

herefords@hereford.ca