New marketing strategies are being adopted by the Canadian Wheat Board in hopes of improving returns to farmers and eliminating future deficits in the pool accounts. The marketing agency’s board of directors has already approved several ideas and will be considering more at a long-term planning session in Winnipeg Jan. 21. “We’re looking at all […] Read more
News
CWB looks at new ways to capture the best price
Manitoba communities explore fish farming
A group of communities in southwestern Manitoba is investigating the potential of fish farms in a bid to lure more economic development to the area. “We see it as a huge diversification opportunity for the region,” says Rick Verspeek, spokesperson for Turtle Mountain Sustainable Ventures, formed by the towns of Killarney and Boissevain and four […] Read more
Subsidizers lose loophole
On Dec. 31, a provision of the 1994 world agricultural trade agreement that critics have labelled the greatest symbol of the “hypocrisy” of rich subsidizing countries under existing rules will slip into history. The so-called “peace clause” of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, cooked up by the United States and the European Union […] Read more
Funding hunt frustrates women’s group goals
Ensuring that project proposals fall within government grant guidelines often undermines the work undertaken by women’s groups, said Gail Erickson of the federal Farm Women’s Bureau. She said that frustration is one of many faced by Canada’s farm women’s groups already struggling with funding shortages and declining and aging membership. Some of these groups leaned […] Read more
Supply management puts on brave face
Canada’s multibillion-dollar supply-managed sector wants to see a successful conclusion to World Trade Organization negotiations and thinks there are gains to be made for its dairy, poultry and egg farmers, insists Chicken Farmers of Canada general manager Mike Dungate. The caveat is that proposals now on the negotiating table in Geneva are unacceptable. They would […] Read more
UN agency fights obesity, poor diets
GENEVA, Switzerland – The World Health Organization, alarmed at mounting deaths linked to high sugar and fatty diets, presented its recipe Dec. 4 for a world of fitter and more health-conscious eaters. Incidence of cardiovascular disease, diabetes and certain types of cancer – all of which can be brought on by unhealthy diets and inactivity […] Read more
Pulse research lags behind check-off funding
Saskatchewan pulse farmers are paying double the checkoff they did in 2001, while research spending by their producer association has risen one-quarter of that amount. More investment in research was the justification given by Saskatchewan Pulse Growers for the increase that has seen the provincial checkoff grow to one percent of producers’ cheques. The association […] Read more
Coming Events
Western Beef Development Centre cow-calf management schools. (Jamie, 306-966-4147) Jan. 5-6: Lloydminster Jan. 7-8: Moose Jaw Jan. 9-10: Kenosee Lake Jan. 15: Kindersley Jan. 22: Eastend Jan. 23: Bengough Jan. 24: Kisbey Jan. 29: Pierceland Jan. 30: Prince Albert Jan. 31: Kelvington Jan. 7-8: Wild Rose Agricultural Producers and Canadian Outstanding Young Farmers Alberta/N.W.T. convention […] Read more
Canadian pork exports sizzling
EDMONTON – Pork beats beef in terms of Canadian exports – 800,000 tonnes in 2002 compared to 300,000 of beef. We out tonne them in Canada,” said Ed Schultz of Canada Pork Inter-national, who used 2002 statistics to show a fair comparison before bovine spongiform encephalopathy upset beef exports. “We contribute two and a half […] Read more
Pork catches consumers’ fancy
EDMONTON – More Canadians are putting pork in their shopping carts than ever before, says a national food tracking agency. Tony Marino, vice-president of government and sector services with AC Nielsen, said pork contributed $913 million in grocery store sales in the past 52 weeks, up eight percent from a year earlier. This doesn’t include […] Read more
