What they describe as the worst rail service in three years has prompted shippers to propose amendments to toughen the federal government’s proposed Fair Rail Freight Service Act. A coalition of shippers laid out proposals Friday for new amendments to the Act, now proposed in federal Bill C-52, in a bid to help balance their […] Read more
Extra teeth demanded for rail service bill
Man. crop insurance to expand areas for heat-loving crops
Manitoba’s crop insurance program will expand provincewide on a test basis this year in its coverage of soybeans, corn, open-pollinated corn, edible beans, sunflowers and lentils. Until now, those crops were only insurable in areas deemed to be warm enough, and with enough frost-free days. However, farmers from outside those areas have been asking for […] Read more
Prairie farm writer Rod Edwards, 72
Veteran farm reporter and former Manitoba Co-operator associate editor Rod Edwards has died following a battle with cancer. Edwards passed away Jan. 9 at age 72 at Winnipeg’s Riverview Health Centre. He worked as a reporter for the Canadian Press news agency and for the Winnipeg Free Press before joining the Co-operator in the mid-1980s. […] Read more
Farmers left in lurch on sale of Man. hog producer
Manitoba farmers owed at least $1 million for feed grain delivered to financially troubled hog producer Puratone Corp. are left holding an empty bag with the company’s pending sale to Maple Leaf Foods. Earlier this month Toronto-based Maple Leaf, which operates a major hog-slaughtering plant at Brandon, Man., announced it was buying Puratone, one of […] Read more
Western seed industry worried about Roundup Ready alfalfa
Efforts to commercialize genetically modified (GM) Roundup Ready alfalfa in Eastern Canada can’t be done without harming forage seed exports from Western Canada, according Manitoba forage seed officials. "I’m very concerned because I do not believe there’s any way to restrict the seed to eastern Canada," Kurt Shmon, president of Winnipeg-based Imperial Seed, said in […] Read more
Hundreds of weanling hogs euthanized at W. Man. farm
Provincial officials are investigating a suspected case of animal abuse after 1,300 piglets found in a state of "severe distress" were euthanized at a hog production facility in west-central Manitoba late last week. The provincial chief veterinarian’s office (CVO) responded to a call reporting the inappropriate treatment of hogs on the farm Aug. 24, a […] Read more
No ad hoc aid for Ontario producers: Ritz
The federal government doesn’t expect to announce any ad hoc aid programs for Ontario farmers suffering from drought, Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz told reporters in Saskatoon July 31. "I think we have fullness in our programming that allows us the latitude to address this," Ritz said. Earlier in the day Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty asked […] Read more
Manitoba canola growers urged to scout for blackleg
Manitoba canola growers are being urged to check their fields for blackleg infections after two severely infected fields were discovered recently in the province even though the varieties were rated as blackleg resistant. "It’s the worst blackleg I have ever seen and I’ve been looking at blackleg in canola since the late ’90s," Manitoba Agriculture, […] Read more
Industry co-operating to improve wheat registration process
The search is on for a way to allow higher-yielding wheats while protecting Western Canada’s reputation as a premium producer of red spring and amber durum wheat. “All of the sectors affected by variety registration have come together in a very positive spirit to work towards developing something that will address the concerns and preserve […] Read more
CROP CHECKUP: Don’t miss the boat when spraying for sclerotinia
There’s little point spraying canola at 50-per-cent bloom or later for protection against sclerotinia, says a plant pathologist with Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives. “You may see a visual difference (less disease) but there won’t be a yield difference,” said Holly Derksen. If conditions warrant, the ideal time to apply a fungicide is at […] Read more
Canadian Cattlemen Presents: Depth of Field
