Alberta Wheat Pool’s last hurrah is an $18.9 million parting gift for farmer members. As the pool signed off last week and became Agricore with Manitoba Pool Elevators, a healthy financial picture was presented to delegates who sat at their last pool meeting Oct. 30. “It’s another good year for Alberta Wheat Pool,” said acting […] Read more
Barbara Duckworth
Stories by Barbara Duckworth
Alberta farmers want uniform tax system
PICTURE BUTTE, Alta. – Tax reform in Alberta has some farmers worried their tax notices will drive them out of business. “Any drastic changes to farm assessment will have a drastic effect on all Alberta and still won’t resolve the inequity problems,” said Susan Aris, reeve of the Municipal District of Pincher Creek. A provincial […] Read more
Farmers want education tax removed
PICTURE BUTTE, Alta. – Alberta farmers and rural municipalities are urging the province to separate education tax from property tax. Farm taxation is under provincial government review by an MLA committee. At a public meeting here, a number of rural politicians and farmers suggested change is needed. “Property tax is not an avenue by which […] Read more
Canada holds onto beef market despite Asian collapse
In a year of economic failure in Asia and tough competition from other beef-exporting nations, Canada has managed to retain most of its markets in the Pacific Rim, where beef demand is slowly growing. The Canada Beef Export Federation has set lofty sales goals for the Asian market and over the years exporters have managed […] Read more
South Korea lacks funds to buy beef
When they can afford it, South Koreans are eager beef eaters. Imports of western beef have declined sharply as the country goes through a severe financial crisis. However, trade liberalization will open the country’s doors in 2001, forcing it to increase beef imports and lower tariffs. “We are expecting an increase in imported beef,” said […] Read more
Asian flu bugs giant meat packer
As a dominant presence in the world beef trade, the meat packing giant IBP has felt the repercussions of economic hardship in Asia. South Korea was a major buyer of cattle hides but devalued currency has hurt its ability to pay. Lower hide values have knocked $20 a head off the value of a carcass, […] Read more
U.S. warns Canada over beef exports
Canada must stop its protectionist practices if it wants to be a player in the North American cattle industry, according to officials inside the United States’ largest beef lobby. “Canadians need to step forward and say they recognize that we are in a North American market and the U.S. is the key to their market,” […] Read more
Barn makes no-stink promise to neighbors
BOW ISLAND, Alta. – If an innovative hog farm measures up to its publicity, people living in this south-central Alberta town won’t know a 1,200 sow operation is practically next door. Located five kilometres south Bow Island, PureLean Hogs Inc. projects this farrow-to-finish operation will be selling market hogs in March 2000. The farm is […] Read more
Major American cattle group rejects petition
A petition requesting that the United States government file a countervailing duty case against Canadian live cattle imports will likely continue even though the major U.S. cattle organization voted against the proposal. The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association executive voted last week not to support the Ranchers-Cattlemen Action Legal Foundation petition before the U.S. department of […] Read more
Artificial intelligence helps predict harvest dates
Using artificial intelligence to predict events like harvest dates could give grain agencies an edge when it comes to marketing. Scientists at Agriculture Canada’s Lethbridge Research Centre have been working with a sophisticated computer program known as neural network modeling to predict when the crop will be ripe. This information can be passed onto the […] Read more
