Beekeepers grant
The Saskatchewan Beekeepers Association has received a $366,729 grant under the Advancing Canadian Agriculture and Agri-Food in Saskatchewan program to continue beekeeping research projects for another three years.
The association will use the money to fund its ongoing project to breed productive, gentle honeybee lines with improved tolerance to mites and brood diseases.
John Gruszka, provincial apiculturist for Saskatchewan Agriculture, said tracheal and varroa mites have made the research essential to the industry.
The association has also established the Saskatchewan Beekeepers Development Commission to administer a producer-based development fund.
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The commission collects $38,000 a year from Saskatchewan beekeepers, which is spent on the genetic breeding program and provincial and national advertising and promotional campaigns.
Biofuel funding
The Saskatchewan Biofuels Development Corp. (SBDC) has received $276,000 from the Saskatchewan and federal governments to promote biofuel production.
Over the next two years, staff will be hired to analyze the market environment for ethanol and biodiesel.
Staff will also develop workshops on marketing alliances for biofuel producers and act as an industry advocate.
SBDC is an offshoot of the former Saskatchewan Ethanol Development Council.
SeCan staff
Bradley Pinkerton is SeCan’s new marketing representative for Manitoba. He will work with SeCan members and retailers in the province, providing technical assistance and support for seed sales.
Pinkerton has nine years of experience in the seed industry, having worked as a production co-ordinator for Proven Seed and marketing representative for Proven Seed forages.
Wage increase
Saskatchewan’s minimum wage is increasing.
The rate will increase in three stages, moving to $8.25 per hour Jan. 1, 2008, $8.60 May 1, 2008 and $9.25 per hour May 1, 2009.
Minimum call-out pay, which is three times the level of minimum wage, will also increase accordingly.
The increase follows a review by the province’s minimum wage board, which is required by law to review the minimum wage at least every two years.
Organic regulations
Manitoba agriculture minister Rosann Wowchuk has reintroduced legislation to the provincial legislature that would establish a framework to regulate organic food production in the province.
Federal organic regulations apply only to interprovincial and international trade.
The proposed provincial legislation would apply to the trade of organic goods within the province.
If passed, the proposed law would define the basis for organic food production and establish specific mandatory standards for food products that carry the organic label.
The act would also cover organic livestock feed and aquaculture products.
Only two other provinces govern the production and marketing of organic food. Quebec has a mandatory guideline and British Columbia has a voluntary system.
Hunt joins CLGA
The Canadian Livestock Genetics Association has hired Karen Hunt as its communications specialist.
Hunt has experience in written, audio visual, internet and oral communications mediums as well as a background in the Canadian livestock improvement industry.
She will assume her new role immediately.
