The Manitoba government is predicting that spring flooding in the province will be similar to 2009, when the Red River Valley had its second worst flood in 100 years. The expansion of the floodway around Winnipeg and flood protection south of the city should limit residential property damage, but water will likely cover agricultural land […] Read more
Robert Arnason
Stories by Robert Arnason
Small herd expected to keep feeder price up
The Canadian cow herd has shrunk by one million animals since 2005 and the downward trend isn’t expected to switch directions anytime soon. Anne Dunford, general manager of Gateway Livestock Marketing, said the herd has fallen from 5.3 million beef cows Jan. 1, 2005, to an expected 4.3 million as of Jan. 1, 2011. She […] Read more
Gov’ts tackle water problems in Manitoba
Following three consecutive years of overland flooding, the federal and Manitoba governments are taking a step to improve drainage in Manitoba’s northern Interlake. The two levels of government will provide $860,000 to develop a water management plan for agricultural lands in the Rural Municipality of Bifrost, which is contributing, in-kind, $24,000 toward the study. “Minister […] Read more
Manitoba wildlife compensation hiked to 100 percent by 2012
With hundreds of Manitoba livestock producers incensed over the number of wolf and coyote attacks on their animals each year, defending the province’s predation policies isn’t the easiest job on the planet. But Cam Meuckon, Manitoba’s problem wildlife biologist, managed to mollify most of the frustrated producers who stopped by a Manitoba Conservation information booth […] Read more
Manitoba’s wet weather reduces hopper threat
Manitoba’s provincial entomologist is confident grasshoppers won’t be a problem in the province this year. Rainy weather last August and September made it difficult for grasshoppers to lay eggs, which means fewer of them should emerge from eggs this spring. “We had a lower population to start with and they didn’t get great egg laying […] Read more
Potato growers urged to break pesticide dependence
North American potato producers need to adopt more sophisticated integrated pest management programs, says Alan Schreiber, an entomologist and private researcher from Washington state. Current protocols will likely lead to pesticide resistance, he added. The potato industry is well behind other high value crops, such as cotton and tree fruit, when it comes to pest […] Read more
Conservation biologist defends Man. predation policies
With hundreds of Manitoba livestock producers incensed over the number of wolf and coyote attacks to their animals each year, defending the province’s predation policies isn’t the easiest job on the planet. But Cam Meuckon, Manitoba’s problem wildlife biologist, managed to mollify most of the frustrated producers who stopped by a Manitoba Conservation information booth […] Read more
Soybeans the new golden crop?
The soybean is no longer a Cinderella crop in Manitoba because the attractive oilseed has already met, married and is living happily ever-after with Prince Charming on a farm in the province’s Red River Valley. After setting acreage records in 2009 and 2010, industry watchers expect Manitoba growers to seed 700,000 to 800,000 acres this […] Read more
Fuel price–inventory link questioned
There was a time when data issued by the U.S. Energy Information Administration had tremendous influence on crude, gasoline and diesel prices. But an Ontario analyst says analyzing weekly reports on crude oil and fuel inventories is now a waste of time because the market for crude, gasoline and diesel is illogical. “We have an […] Read more
CFIA defends actions in avian flu outbreak
It may seem excessive, but the Canadian Food Inspection Agency sometimes needs to quarantine farms even if disease hasn’t been detected, says a CFIA spokesperson. Last fall, the CFIA quarantined several turkey farms in southern Manitoba because they had contact with a turkey breeding operation north of Winnipeg where birds tested positive for a low […] Read more
