Roberta Rampton

SELKIRK, Man. – Hog farmers don’t give a pig’s ear for the way the Manitoba government decided to change their marketing system. About 300 people crowded into a hall here about 30 kilometres northeast of Winnipeg last week to give Harry Enns an earful of criticism, jeers and sharply pointed questions about his actions as […] Read more

WINNIPEG (Staff) – International trade disputes are supposed to be over legal issues, but farm leaders say politics are playing a big part in a recent challenge from the United States. “It’s election year in the U.S.,” said Lloyd Sandercock, chair of the Canadian Chicken Marketing Agency. “And as we all know, it’s popular to […] Read more

WINNIPEG (Staff) – Manitoba egg producers would likely band together and form some type of co-operative if Canadian tariffs against U.S. products were removed overnight. Harold Froese, chair of the marketing board, said the 236 producers would have to “operate as one unit, as one farm, in an integrated type of a situation. “Perhaps the […] Read more

BRANDON, Man. – Pulse marketing could take on a more South American flavor in coming years, according to a senior trader with XCAN Grain Pool. Rob Tisdale recently returned from a 10-day market development trip to Peru, Chile and Argentina. He told a pulse growers meeting he sees strong potential there. South American farmers are […] Read more

BRANDON, Man. – A soil and plant analyst from North Dakota has a simple message for farmers who want better bean yields. “Don’t skimp on the zinc,” Ed Lloyd told a recent meeting of the Manitoba Pulse Growers’ Association. “I do not think we should try to grow dry beans unless we have adequate availability […] Read more

WINNIPEG – Bill Barker said if the Manitoba government listened to local recommendations for elk management, farmers would not be boycotting an effort to capture elk for ranching. “We would be grateful to get rid of (the elk),” the Kenville farmer said. “But … they want to keep trapping them for five years and that […] Read more

WINNIPEG – To Ron Bell, losing the hospital in his town means more than having to drive at least 32 kilometres down the road to see a doctor. The mayor of Birtle, a western Manitoba town of 825, believes new residents and businesses would also drive past if the hospital is closed. “A hospital means […] Read more

WINNIPEG – An unintentional alliance of farmers and animal activists has foiled the Manitoba government’s plan to capture up to 200 elk in the Swan River Valley. The government wanted to use the elk to start an elk ranching industry in Manitoba. Farmers in the valley have refused to let provincial natural resources officers on […] Read more

WINNIPEG – Ellis Penner and his son Terry have been waiting years for the right time for Terry to buy more shares in the family turkey farm. Terry, 33, would like to take over the farm, located near Steinbach in south-central Manitoba. But Ellis said they keep delaying decisions because of the uncertainty surrounding the […] Read more

WINNIPEG – There have been numerous changes at the Winnipeg Commodity Exchange since 1939, yet the law dealing with supervision of grain futures contracts hasn’t been changed since the year it was passed. The Canadian Grain Commission, with help from people involved in the exchange, wants the Grain Futures Act to be brought up to […] Read more