Roberta Rampton

Manitoba corn producers showed some pluck by challenging government programs in the United States that help farmers survive prices below their cost of production. Economist Larry Martin said the U.S. government is getting what it deserves for its “stupid subsidies that are screwing up the market. “I think it looks good on them, frankly,” said […] Read more

Tractors rolling out of the Versatile plant in Winnipeg came to a halt Nov. 3, when 250 workers left the assembly line for the picket line. The plant was recently purchased by Buhler Industries, which fought a protracted battle with the U.S. Department of Justice to buy the plant from CNH Global. Chief executive officer […] Read more

MORDEN, Man. – Through driving rain and spectacular lightning they came, 1,300 strong, to anoint a familiar face to run for a brand new party. Normally, such a highly charged nomination meeting would be an omen of success for the election to come. But this is Portage-Lisgar, a sprawling riding smack dab in the middle […] Read more

MORDEN, Man. – Two weeks ago, Morley McDonald was driving his regular route between eastern Sask-atchewan and Minnesota, hauling down potash and bringing back soy meal and corn. But now, he’s driving the icy roads of Portage-Lisgar as the Tory candidate in the election. It’s not what the long-time local party organizer thought he’d be […] Read more

Manitoba’s farm lobby group is relieved that the province’s crown corporation overseeing auto insurance will give back all of a $75 million surplus to taxpayers. On Nov. 2, Manitoba Public Insurance announced it would give $20 million of the surplus to three Manitoba universities, and $10 million for a new computer system for the government’s […] Read more

Within minutes of realizing the federal government would not step in to stop a contractor from ripping up the rail line running through her village, Vi Lawlor was ready to give up. She told her three young children the family would have to consider moving from their small village. Without a rail line, the grain […] Read more

Most farmers were too busy, too skeptical or perhaps too bullish to sign up for new pricing options for wheat and feed barley with the Canadian Wheat Board this year. That’s too bad, say market analysts, who believe farmers missed a good chance to manage some of their cash flow and price risk. In September, […] Read more

As a director of the Canadian Wheat Board, Larry Hill wasn’t allowed to take part in new pricing options offered this year because of conflict-of-interest rules. But Hill, a farmer from Swift Current, Sask., said he’s “reasonably happy” with how many farmers picked up on the new programs. The 300,000 tonnes of feed barley booked […] Read more

As the earth’s climate warms over the next 20 to 40 years, many scientists believe water levels in the Great Lakes could drop dramatically. According to an Environment Canada fact sheet, levels in lakes Ontario and Superior could drop by 40 centimetres, Lake Erie by 80 cm, and lakes Michigan and Huron by 100 cm. […] Read more

OAK BLUFF, Man. – A group of Canadian egg producers has reached a significant consensus in opinion about how to meet future demand in the processing market. As demand grows for industrial eggs, farmers will receive the going world price for eggs sold to processors. “I think everybody is satisfied, more or less, that this […] Read more