After 28 days of campaigning, and a celebratory weekend NDP convention, the re-elected Saskatchewan agriculture minister said he was ready to tackle an “ambitious” agricultural agenda. Much of that agenda sounds familiar. Clay Serby said Nov. 10 the government will continue to push for a stronger livestock sector and more value-added industries. “Tied to that […] Read more
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Sask. NDP vows ag agenda
NAFTA fight over BSE rejected
HARTNEY, Man. – Canada’s cattle industry saw compelling grounds for a challenge under the North American Free Trade Agreement against the closure of the United States border to Canadian beef and cattle this year. But the reasons for not pursuing that challenge were even more compelling, said Betty Green, president of the Manitoba Cattle Producers […] Read more
Close Sask. election may stifle ag policy
Saskatchewan people should expect few new policy initiatives coming from the recently re-elected NDP government, says University of Saskatchewan professor Christine de Clercy. That’s especially true when it comes to agriculture. De Clercy said if premier Lorne Calvert wants to keep his rural and urban caucuses happy, his party’s one-vote majority leaves him little room […] Read more
Dead cattle pose problem
It appears a growing number of Manitoba producers are opting to dispose of their dead cattle on the farm rather than pay to have them hauled away for rendering. Disposed of properly, those cattle may not pose much of a concern. However, the cattle industry could suffer a black eye if those kills draw public […] Read more
Women raise their energy – and the roof
After a day-long workshop, the women at a rural women’s conference were standing on their chairs doing war whoops that wouldn’t be out of place at a hockey arena. The more than 100 women had been broken into four teams and were cheering on their teammates who were using a child’s golf club as they […] Read more
Plants may become landmine detectors
Explosive danger lurks just beneath the earth’s surface on many playgrounds, pastures and fields across the Middle East, Africa, and southeast Asia. Unearthing these clandestine killers usually takes massive amounts of time, money, energy and manpower. Sometimes, it only takes a step. University of Alberta professor Michael Deyholos hopes to replace manpower with green power, […] Read more
Farm leader hears dairy barn calling
Leo Bertoia doesn’t yearn for a sunny, winter getaway to Mexico. Instead, the Langham, Sask., dairy farmer looks forward to the day when he can spend more time at home, away from airports, hotel rooms and international conferences. Living out of a suitcase can have its moments, says the former president of the Dairy Farmers […] Read more
$200 million for cull cattle aid
The federal government is expected to soon announce a cull cow assistance program that could be worth $200 million if all the provinces contribute their 40 percent. According to federal and industry sources and Ontario agriculture minister Steve Peters, the program will be retroactive to Sept. 1 and run for one year. As outlined last […] Read more
Wild boars prove elusive for hunters
It may take more than a bounty on the hundreds of wild boars in a central Alberta county to control the wily creatures. Since the $50 bounty was implemented this spring, only a dozen pairs of ears have been brought to the Agriculture Service Board office. “Obviously it’s not very effective,” said agriculture fieldman Allan […] Read more
GM opposition a threat to poor nations: Whelan
The increasingly bitter debate over the safety of genetically modified crops threatens to sabotage all the benefits that biotechnology can bring to agriculture and the developing world, federal international co-operation minister Susan Whelan warned last week. She used a speech in Nairobi, Kenya, on Oct. 29 to call on developing countries to become more involved […] Read more
