Manitoba agriculture minister Rosann Wowchuk was criticized for not attending a hog industry rally but did deliver financial assistance for the province’s hog producers last week. Wowchuk and federal agriculture minister Gerry Ritz announced June 25 that Manitoba producers would have access to $37 million in funding through a targeted advance payment from the Agri-Stability […] Read more
Robert Arnason
Stories by Robert Arnason
Agri-Stability offices, workers moved to Melville
Preparations are underway for the influx of 110 new employees in Melville, Sask., after the federal government transferred the administration of the Agri-Stability program to the Saskatchewan government. The program will be delivered from Melville by 2010 and mayor Walter Streelasky said his city is getting ready. “There’s a lot of work going on behind […] Read more
Not all grasshoppers are farmers’ enemy
Although they’re often identified as locusts, not all grasshoppers are a plague, says John Gavloski, an entomologist with Manitoba Agriculture. “Grasshoppers get the bad rap as being destructive when it’s really just a few species that are destructive to the crop plants,” said Gavloski, who works out of Carman, Man. “I don’t think you want […] Read more
Experts oppose fungicide for side benefits
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will allow BASF to maintain a label on its Headline fungicide that claims the product has side benefits for plant health. Headline has been sold in the United States for several months with a label stating strobilurin helps the plant combat drought stress, improve nitrogen use and increase straw strength […] Read more
Substitute ice cream receives cold shoulder from dairy group
When pushing a cart down the frozen foods aisle, the Canadian consumer has a choice to make of vanilla ice cream, mint with chocolate chip or Cherry Garcia. For the Dairy Farmers of Canada, flavour preference is not a primary concern. Worried that consumers are not buying real ice cream, the group is running an […] Read more
Viterra buys canola crusher
Viterra’s buying spree continues. The company announced June 15 that it is buying Associated Proteins, a canola crushing plant in Ste. Agathe, Man., for $64 million. Although the price tag pales in comparison to Viterra’s $1.4 billion bid for ABB Grain Ltd. in Australia, chief executive officer Mayo Schmidt said the Associated Proteins deal strengthens […] Read more
Man. farmers map out plans
Eric Fridfinnson finds it hard to imagine a scenario much worse than this spring. He had seeded only 1,600 of his 4,500 acres near Arborg, Man., in mid-June. “It’s a record setter for us. Hopefully we won’t see another (spring) like this,” said Fridfinnson, who was hoping to plant Polish canola and barley this week. […] Read more
Funding gives flax opportunity to blossom
After warming the bench for years, flax may finally get a chance to show its stuff in the field. Over the last several months, Canadian flax researchers have received more than $20 million in funding for two projects: Genome Canada and the Saskatchewan grower’s association, SaskFlax, have committed $12 million to help researchers develop a […] Read more
Small truckers told jobs not in jeopardy
The trucking industry says it’s too early to start fearing a consolidation of the agricultural hauling business on the Prairies. This winter, Trimac Transportation Services Inc. of Calgary bought Canamera Carriers, a company from Yorkton, Sask., that hauls fertilizer and other agricultural products. Trimac is Canada’s largest trucker of bulk commodities, and Edward Malysa, its […] Read more
Trucker loves trucks inside and out
HOLMFIELD, Man. – When John Wolf puts on a welding helmet, he does it in the relaxed manner of a man putting on a favourite baseball cap. Which isn’t surprising, considering the 63-year-old has been welding since he was eight. As a child, he virtually lived inside his father’s blacksmithing and machine shop at a […] Read more
