A Montana couple spent their Thanksgiving holiday shopping in Regina at Canadian Western Agribition. Max and Debby Porter of M Heart D Gelbvieh in Stevensville, Montana, bought the two top-selling animals in the breed’s show to boost the genetics in their operation. “We want to put some more red in our program,” said Max Porter […] Read more
News
Ranchers add red to operation
More people, entries at show
Warm weather, packed parking lots and strong sales made for a successful Canadian Western Agribition, organizers said as the show concluded Nov. 26. Final sales and attendance figures weren’t yet known, but chief executive officer Marty Seymour, at the helm of his first show, said staff and the board were pleased. “Turnstile traffic has been […] Read more
Shell takes reins in cellulose ethanol plant proposal
Shell Canada continues to investigate the feasibility of building a straw-based ethanol plant in Western Canada, but many details of the proposed project have changed. For one thing, it will be a lot smaller than the 220 million litre plant Shell’s business partner, Iogen Corp., originally talked about building in Vegreville, Alta., or Birch Hills, […] Read more
TV’s Rick Mercer helps lead Agribition goat sale
The highlight of the Canadian Western Agribition goat sale was likely more the appearance of a TV celebrity than the prices, although the prices were pretty good. Rick Mercer, host of CBC’s Rick Mercer Report, spent time at Agribition last week for an upcoming episode of his show. He spent time in the wash stalls […] Read more
Price discovery, risk management need improvement: analysts
HANOVER, Germany — International financial companies have made themselves comfortable in the houses of commodity trading, leaving little room for those who have to live there. The activity of big international investment firms in commodity markets has hurt the transparency of those markets, said Carl Albrecht Bartmer, head of the farm organization that organizes Agritechnica […] Read more
Supply management fate rests on pending trade deals
The Western Producer’s Ottawa correspondent Barry Wilson provides this inside look into the politics of supply management and addresses key questions: Are the tariff and quota systems that manage Canada’s dairy, poultry and egg industries coming under increasing fire? Will Canada be able to fend off international calls for an end to the protectionism that’s […] Read more
Herefords prove ideal for southern Alta. ranch
EDMONTON — Jennifer Jenkins grew up going to bull sales with her father, Bob. Now a full-time rancher near Twin Butte, Alta., she realizes those hours spent at shows and sales were his way of mentoring his daughter, who would take over as a full partner in the ranch. “When I was just little, it […] Read more
Pulse exporter expects resumption of demand
Improved pulse crop demand is just around the corner, says one of the world’s largest lentil processors. “An expected return to normal buying in many regional markets, which is viewed by (us) as the start of the replenishment of longstanding depleted local market stocks, is expected to materialize in 2012,” said Alliance Grain Traders Inc. […] Read more
Innovation awards presented at Agritechnica
HANOVER, Germany — A driverless tractor and a round baler that doesn’t stop won gold at Agritechnica, the world’s largest agricultural show. Agco was awarded a top prize in agricultural innovation for a tractor that follows the lead of another machine in the field. A master machine with an operator runs through the field with […] Read more
Devotion to British breed pays off for ranching family
EDMONTON — Wendy Bishop was up at 4:30 a.m. a few weeks ago working with her cattle when the sky burst into a cascade of northern lights. “What could be better than that?” she thought as she went about her chores on her farm near Holden, Alta. “Farming is the only way to go, the […] Read more
